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Visa-free, easier travel announced for Indians to Sri Lanka, Thailand
An island is now offering Indian nationals a free-of-cost visa in a pilot project
Indians can now travel visa-free to Thailand and Sri Lanka, the countries announced earlier this week.
Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan foreign minister took to X last week to reveal a list of countries from which can now enter the island with a visa - free of cost.
The official said in a post: "Cabinet approves issuing of free visas to India, China, Russia, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia & Thailand with immediate effect as a pilot project till March 31".
Thailand
Thailand will offer visa-free entry to tourists from India, the prime minister announced Tuesday, as the government seeks to rebuild the key tourism sector after it was battered by the pandemic.
Indian visitors will be entitled to stay for up to 30 days under the six-month trial, which will start next month.
Thailand's tourism sector accounts for almost 20 percent of overall GDP, but it has struggled to get back on its feet since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We will provide visa-free entry to India and Taiwan because a lot of their people like to travel to Thailand," Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told reporters after a weekly cabinet meeting.
Until now, tourists from India have had to apply for a 15-day visa-on-arrival at immigration checkpoints, presenting a bank statement and proof of accommodation.
About 1.2 million Indians visited Thailand in the first nine months of 2023 according to tourism ministry data -- the fourth highest number after Malaysia, China and South Korea.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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