People have almost 200 countries to choose from but why do first-time international travelers decide on Thailand as their go-to destination? Because the country is the travel hub of Southeast Asia and welcomes everyone with its white sandy beaches, terrific hotels, amazing nightlife, historic temples, and mouthwatering food. Known as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand offers everything that a traveler wishes to enjoy on a trip.
Thailand is one of the most preferred international tourist destinations for Indian travelers. This interest has been boosted by the availability of frequent and low-cost flights from Indian metro cities.
Food and Culture
Thailand is popular for its friendly and warm nature. It may be because of their traditional Thai greeting, the Wai (much like Indian namaste) or their tradition of having meals with the family. Whatever it is, the country certainly seems to have acquired friendly and chilled vibes for every tourist.
Whether you are in Thailand for one day or a month, you can never have enough of Thai food. It is so delicious and diverse that you will never have to eat the same dish again. Moreover, as you hop from one location to another, cuisines keep changing, making your food options more interesting. Top must-try traditional foods of Thailand are Tom Yum Goong – spicy soup, Laap – seasoned minced meat, Khao Soi – noodle soup, Gaeng Keow Wan Gai – Thai green curry with chicken, and Massaman curry – rich Thai sauce among others.
The country is also popular for its reggae and jazz bars in addition to its one of the best nightlife in the world, especially in Bangkok – the capital city. Thailand has more than 40,000 Buddhist temples known for their exquisite structures date back to different dynasties, reflecting their era-specific architectural and construction style.
Bangkok, The Capital City
Bangkok city is one of the main attractions of the country. They say once you visit the city and stay long enough, you will never want to leave. It is often the first stop for most of the tourists before they head to Southeast Asia. If you are an experimental traveler and love chaos, you will find Bangkok a city full of surprises to see and do many things. From temples, red-light districts and sky bars to museums, art galleries, and parks; you will find anything and everything.
Indian Connection
As per the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) statistics, Indians are ranked 6th among nationalities visiting Thailand and over 1.6 million Indians traveled to Thailand in 2018. Out of the total, 58% visitors have been in the country before and stayed at least for a week. The main factors of this growth are free visas on arrival, cheaper hotels, and varied entertainment and shopping options to enjoy a trip.
Indian leisure travellers mostly go for shopping and sightseeing in Bangkok and Pattaya. However, in recent years, many travellers have also started exploring Phuket, Chiang Mai, Ko Samui, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Ayutthaya and Ko Chang (Trat). Additionally, the numbers of MICE delegates, destination weddings, and honeymoon bookings have increased significantly.
This tourism growth has also increased the bilateral airline capacity with 307 weekly flights between Thailand and India served by 13 international and Indian airlines including GoAir.
India to Bangkok via GoAir
GoAir announced its Bangkok-Delhi and Bangkok-Mumbai inaugural flights in July this year. All four flights offer convenient timings to the business and leisure travelers visiting Thailand and India. Daily schedule of GoAir flights to and from Bangkok effective 25th July 2019 is mentioned below:
Last year in October, GoAir made its international debut with a maiden flight from Phuket to Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. The newly introduced flights – Bangkok to Delhi and Mumbai – offer Thai tourists an opportunity to explore ‘Incredible India’ while Indian travellers can discover the ‘Land of Smiles’. Currently, GoAir flies to six international destinations including Phuket, Malé, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Bangkok.
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