Indian tourists prefer Bangkok to Dubai following visa exemption

By Hoang Vu January 26, 2024 | 07:00 pm PT

Indian tourists take pictures during a family holiday trip to Thailand at Patong beach in the island of Phuket, July 14, 2023. Photo by Reuters

Dubai is no longer top choice of Indian travelers who now opt for Bangkok thanks to Thailand's visa-free entry, data from digital travel platform Agoda showed.

Pattaya, famous for its nightlife and red-light district, came in third in the list of five most popular destinations for Indian tourists, followed by Singapore and Bali.

Starting from November last year, Thailand allowed Indian citizens to enter that country without applying for a visa.

Krishna Rathi, country director at Agoda for India, Sri Lanka, and Maldives regions, considered the relaxation of visa norms an accelerator for India's outbound travel landscape.

Other Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam are also considering visa-free entry for Indian citizens.

In previous years, Dubai was the most favorite choice of Indians due to its luxury shopping malls, flamboyant buildings, plethora of amusement options, and super luxury hotels.

In addition, most Indian travelers flock to Dubai due to its proximity as the largest city in the United Arab Emirates is just 3-3.5 hours from many major cities of India.