Visa-free period halved, many countries dropped

Thailand's cabinet has taken a significant move to reshape its visa policy by cutting the visa-free period in half and removing several countries from the scheme while introducing new privileges for others, notably for Indian tourists. This decision comes amid a sharp decline in Indian tourist arrivals, suggesting an effort to balance tourism influx with quality control. The changes indicate a strategic pivot to attract a more targeted and presumably more lucrative tourist demographic, which could have broader implications for Thailand's tourism-dependent economy.