The strain of Covid in Thailand is mild this time, and tourists need not be afraid, the country’s head of tourism said on Thursday.

“Covid cases in Thailand are mild, and there is no reason to fear. Covid this time is like normal flu in Thailand. We want everyone to visit Thailand,” Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), told a news conference at the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2025. The event is being held between June 4 and 6 in Chiang Mai, in the country’s north.

No restrictions “There are no Covid restrictions for travellers coming to Thailand,” Kiatphaibool said. She said there were no measures like mandatory quarantine on arrival in the country.

Thailand tourism officials said there was no dip in tourist footfall in the new Covid wave. “Till now, there is no impact of Covid on foreign tourist footfall in Thailand,” said Siriges-A-Nong Trirattanasongpol, director of TAT, New Delhi.

According to reports, Thailand recorded more than 65,000 Covid cases in the last week of May and three deaths. But the outbreak is waning, said health officials in the country.

TAT officials said since the outbreak of the pandemic in 2019, tourism has picked up fast. Confidence boost“In 2021, we created the sandbox programme to build tourist confidence,” said Trirattanasongpol.

Originally known as the Phuket Sandbox programme, launched in Phuket on July 1, 2021, foreign visitors who were fully vaccinated did not need to undergo quarantine. “We had launched the safety and health administration programme to encourage the tourism industry to implement health and safety measures and boost tourist confidence. We tied up with the private sector to enhance safety and quality standards,” she said.

Rise in Indian tourists Trirattanasongpol said the number of Indian tourists to Thailand has grown many times compared to pre-pandemic figures. In 2019, 1.97 million people visited Thailand from India.

The number went up to 2.12 million in 2024. In 2025, the authorities are expecting 2.5 million visitors from India. According to officials, 8 to 10 per cent of the Indian visitors are from Calcutta and surrounding areas.

More than 400 buyers from across the world are participating in the Thailand Travel Mart Plus 2025, interacting with 450 sellers from Thailand, including hotels, spa resorts and theme parks. “We are expecting the event to generate 4.3 billion Baht (more than ₹11 billion),” said Kiatphaibool.

TAT authorities said India was the third-largest source of tourists to Thailand, after China and Malaysia. “The Indian market is huge for us. Flights from Indian cities to Thailand have an average load factor of 80 to 85 per cent.

We will love the Indian tourists not only to look at popular destinations like Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi. We want them to look beyond southern Thailand,” said Patsee Permvongsenee, executive director ASEAN, South Asia and South Pacific region, for TAT.

Thailand tourism authorities are now promoting destinations in the north of the country. Apart from Chiang Mai, Nan and Lampang are the two other district cities in northern Thailand being promoted. “Thailand is not only about beaches. We are focusing on culture, craft and food. For example, there are many temples in Chiang Mai,” she said.

“Despite the Covid cases, the demand is huge for Thailand. There are repeat travellers along with first-time tourists. The visa-free entry facility has also played a major role,” said Anil Punjabi, national committee member of the Travel Agents Federation of India, representing the eastern region.

Chiang Mai also has a night safari, on which over 100 species of animals and birds can be seen. An official of the theme park said more than 100,000 foreigners visit the place every year, but the number of Indians is few. “Lesser-known destinations are our main priority,” said Trirattanasongpol.

“We are holding many awareness programmes. According to her, to compete for tourists with neighbouring Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, Thailand is promoting its less explored destinations. Thailand is also focusing on solo travellers and women-only groups for whom safety is top priority.

The visa-free entry facility was introduced by Thailand for Indian tourists on November 10, 2023. Initially, it was for 30 days, but now it has been extended to 60 days. “It will continue for now,” said Permvongsenee.