Belarus-Thailand tourist flow grew more than twice in 2024

The tourist flow from Belarus to Thailand grew more than two-fold, said the Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR) citing the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Moscow

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According to the TAT, Russians visited Thailand 1,745,327 times in 2024. That is as close as possible to the historical record of 2013 (1,746 million trips). The CIS countries also demonstrated notable growth. Belarus was among the leaders: 20,654 tourists in 2024 against 9,008 in 2023. The tourist flow from Uzbekistan reached 45,346 (33,934 in 2023). Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Armenia, and Georgia also showed good growth. In 2023, 345 tourists from Turkmenistan visited Thailand; in 2024, there were 1,724 of them. The greatest number of tourists came from Kazakhstan: 195,089 against 172,282 in 2023.

Top 5 countries with the greatest outbound tourist flows to Thailand include China, Malaysia, South Korea, India, and Russia. The total tourist flow to Thailand reached 35 million in 2024.

As was reported earlier, starting July 15th, 2024, Belarusian nationals can open visas directly in Thai airports. The Visa on Arrival programme lets tourists from 31 countries, including Belarus, enter the Thailand without having to apply to a Thailand embassy or consulate for a visa first. In order to get a visa on arrival, an inbound tourist must provide the airport immigration service with a filled Visa on Arrival form, a photograph sized 4 x 6 centimetres taken within 6 months, and have a passport with at least 30 days of validity remaining. They also have to provide proof that they are visiting Thailand exclusively as a tourist (a verifiable proof of accommodation in Thailand such as a hotel or an apartment address) and proof of funds to support their stay: at least THB10,000 (about $275) for single travellers, or 20,000 for a family. A return ticket is also required.

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