Laxman Singh, president of Pattaya-based Indian Community Eastern (Thailand), an association dedicated to supporting Indian nationals and promoting cultural exchange, said despite a persistent influx of Indian meetings and incentive groups, Thailand is losing a significant amount of wedding groups to Vietnam.
He said hosting ceremonies in Vietnam is 30% cheaper than in Thailand, with the strength of the baht against the Indian rupee exacerbating the situation, reports the Bangkok Post.
Mr Singh said an Indian wedding with several hundred guests could cost around B10 million at a four-star hotel in Thailand and B15-20mn at a five-star hotel, causing more Indians to shift to Vietnam.
He said Thailand must promote itself as a family-oriented destination, particularly Pattaya, which is still seen as a nightlife city by Indian tourists.
Subsidies for targeted groups could help to recover markets, particularly family and wedding groups, which tend to spend more in local communities and shopping malls compared with corporate meetings, which mostly spend at hotels.
Mr Singh said Pattaya tourism has also been affected by illegal tours from India that scam their own tourists. There have been many cases where they sold fraudulent tours to Pattaya and Bangkok, he noted.
These illegal operators sell tour packages cheaper than the market average, such as US$150 for a three-night package in Pattaya and one night in Bangkok, compared with the average price of $200.
Tourists are told to transfer money to an Indian bank account, but receive no services upon arrival in Thailand.
Mr Singh said the Indian community is opening a channel to receive complaints, help affected tourists, and coordinate with relevant agencies to solve this issue.
Some Indians have also exploited visa-free loopholes to work illegally, working as drivers or operating business by using nominees, he noted.
The government must crack down on these businesses to improve Thailand’s tourism image, said Mr Singh.
Reducing visa-free stays from 60 days would be useful, helping to curb illicit actions to an extent, he said.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the Foreign Affairs Ministry is expected to propose an amendment to the 60-day visa-free stays for 93 countries by next week.
Based on a discussion with tourism operators, 15-30 days is sufficient for foreign tourists, he said.
The Chinese and Indian markets, which rank as top five source markets, would still be granted visa-free privileges, but with a shorter duration, said Mr Surasak.