13 Andaman tourism groups seek India visa-free review to keep Thai edge
Andaman private-sector bodies say a THB2,000 Visa on Arrival fee may push Indian MICE and destination wedding clients to regional rivals.
- A coalition of 13 tourism and business organizations in Thailand's Andaman provinces is urging the government to review its decision to end visa-free entry for Indian tourists.
- They are concerned that the THB 2,000 Visa on Arrival fee will make Thailand less competitive and cause them to lose the valuable Indian tourist market to rival destinations.
- The groups highlight the growing importance of Indian visitors, especially for high-revenue sectors like destination weddings and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions).
- They have proposed alternatives, such as waiving the visa fee, creating a special Group Wedding Visa, or reinstating a 30-day visa exemption to maintain their competitive edge.
The Thai Hotels Association - Southern Chapter and 12 private-sector tourism and economic organisations in the Andaman provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga, 13 organisations in all, have submitted a letter to the Minister of Tourism and Sports and the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), proposing that the government consider reviewing the measure to end visa-free entry for Indian tourists.
13 Andaman private tourism organisations say ending visa-free entry for Indians will affect Indian tourists
Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, president of the Phuket Tourist Association, said the Cabinet had approved revisions to visa-exemption measures, particularly the cancellation of visa-free entry for India, which would affect Indian tourists travelling to Thailand.
The private sector was concerned that the move could affect the competitiveness of Thailand’s tourism industry, particularly in the quality tourist market, the meetings and seminars segment (MICE) and the destination wedding market from India.
The private sector said that, although it agreed with the government’s approach to regulating the use of visa-exemption rights to prevent them from being used for purposes other than tourism, it remained concerned about the cost burden from the Visa on Arrival fee of THB2,000 per person.
The fee could become a key factor leading tourists and event organisers to choose rival destinations in the region.
The Indian tourist market is regarded as one of Thailand’s high-potential markets, with arrivals rising steadily from 2.2 million in 2024 to more than 2.5 million in 2025, and expected to exceed 3 million in 2026.
Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket are also key destinations for weddings from India, generating substantial revenue for hotels, restaurants, spas, hospitals and local operators.
Andaman tourism private sector sets out proposals calling for a review of India's visa-free cancellation
As the Cabinet under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul passed a resolution on Tuesday (May 19, 2026) approving a review of Thailand’s visa-exemption measures and visa privileges, as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foreign tourists who had been exempt from visa requirements and allowed to stay in Thailand for 60 days are to be subject again to the previous criteria.
Private organisations in the Andaman provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga expressed support for the Cabinet resolution as a way to address problems involving foreigners entering Thailand to work, as well as using visa-exemption rights and channels for purposes other than tourism.
However, the Cabinet resolution is sensitive and could affect Thailand’s tourism competitiveness with some groups of tourists from certain countries, particularly tourists travelling to Thailand for meetings and seminars, or MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions).
This includes customers travelling from India to hold weddings.
The problem does not stem from the cancellation of visa-exemption rights and the return to Visa on Arrival (VOA), but mainly from the visa fee, currently set at THB2,000 per person.
Based on tourism data from the three Andaman provinces of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, Indian tourists have recorded consistently high growth in both numbers and spending.
Over the past three years, Indian tourists have become a new high-potential group replacing Chinese tourists.
Indian tourist arrivals numbered 2,218,139 in 2024 and 2,517,049 in 2025, and are expected to reach no fewer than 3,000,000 in 2026.
In addition, Indian tourists are popular visitors for wedding activities in the three Andaman provinces.
It is estimated that more than 600 weddings were held between 2023 and 2025, with an economic value of no less than THB8 billion.
Each event had about 350-500 participants and lasted an average of 5-7 days, distributing income and generating demand for hotels, restaurants, spas, beauty clinics and hospitals.
This also includes the event organiser industry.
The global market value of destination weddings from India is forecast to reach US$10 billion (about THB360 billion).
Each wedding organised by Indian tourists requires about 4-6 months of planning, particularly as Indian tourists tend to travel to hold weddings from around October onwards.
The government, therefore, urgently needs to consider action to promote tourists who are a key customer base for Thai tourism, in order to create economic value from tourism and strengthen the competitiveness of Thai tourism.
Impact on India: clients think hard about choosing Thai weddings as the government is urged to act
Destination weddings from India require 3-6 months of planning.
Customers now planning events for the high season from October 2026 to March 2027 are making decisions now.
If the visa policy remains unclear or continues to pose obstacles, customers will immediately switch to booking venues in rival countries, and the Andaman provinces will permanently lose revenue from this season.
For the reasons above, private organisations in the Andaman provinces of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga propose that the government consider the following urgent measures by July 2026 to support the tourism season from October 2026 onwards:
- Consider granting visa-exemption rights to Indian tourists, with a stay period of no less than 30 days, based on reciprocity and on the Indian government’s provision of free e-Tourist Visas to Thai tourists.
- If visa exemption cannot yet be granted immediately, the government is asked to consider waiving the Visa on Arrival fee for Indian tourists and improving the capacity of e-Visa channels to make them convenient and fast, reduce practical obstacles and accommodate the volume of Indian tourists.
- Establish a special channel for a Group Wedding Visa, allowing wedding parties to apply for visas as a group and receive consideration within three working days.
- Assign the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to urgently discuss with the Indian side and finalise the framework for a Thailand-India bilateral visa exemption agreement (Visa Exemption Bilateral Agreement) by the third quarter of 2026.
The Andaman private sector, therefore, asks the government to consider:
- Setting up an urgent working group by June 2026 to review visa measures specifically for Indian tourists.
- Announcing a clear new visa policy by July 2026 so that businesses can communicate with the Indian market in time for the season.
- Allow representatives of the private sector in the Andaman provinces to be part of the working group to provide market information reflecting actual conditions. The Andaman private sector is ready to cooperate fully in all dimensions and is confident that the government can find a balanced solution between security management and maintaining the competitiveness of the tourism industry, which is a key engine of the economy of the South and the nation.
The matter is therefore submitted for urgent consideration.
