Thailand, India discuss tourism promotion, to open more flight routes

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BANGKOK – Thailand and India have agreed to mutually develop tourism destinations and open more flight routes between the two countries.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul has revealed after a discussion with Indian delegate Susil Kumar that both countries have agreed to hold activities promoting tourism in Thailand and India, including the Ganesha worshiping ceremony, the 2018 Holi Festival, and the 2018 Thai India Fun Fair.

The two parties also discussed the feasibility of beginning new direct flights between Bangkok and Tiruchirappalli in southern India. Budget airline Thai AirAsia is already considering increasing its services to Indian cities by an additional four flights per week.

The minister made known that 1.2 million Indian tourists visited Thailand last year, generating 55 billion baht in revenue. Some 600,000 Indian tourists have already visited Thailand in the first five months of the year.

The average Indian tourist stays in the Kingdom for a little over a week, spending 45,000 baht per trip. The most popular attractions for Indian travelers are coastal cities such as Pattaya, and island resorts like Samui, and Phuket, where many come to hold wedding receptions or undergo medical treatment.