At ASEAN-Indian Forum hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on July 23, the topic of Thailand’s robust Indian weddings market took centre stage, with industry leaders noting Thailand’s draws as a top-of-mind destination for Indian weddings, thanks to cultural affinity, affordability, and ease of doing business.
“With over 300 destination weddings from India annually, it’s a tremendous opportunity. People find it cheaper to host a 300-500 guest wedding in Thailand or Malaysia than in India,” commented Santosh Kumar, country head for India & Indonesia at Booking.com.
Shreyash Shah, commercial director at Destination Hospitality Management group – which owns and operates six hotels across Hua Hin, Phuket, and Pattaya including Radisson Resort & Spa Hua Hin – shared a similar perspective.
“Flying from Delhi to Bangkok is often less expensive than travelling to Goa. Hotels here are also more affordable,” he said, noting that most Indian weddings include four to five elaborate functions, making them highly lucrative for the local hospitality sector.
He noted that the three-hour drive from Bangkok to Hua Hin does not deter guests – in fact, the group has seen the seaside resort town leading as the most popular Indian wedding destination, followed by Phuket, Khao Lak and Pattaya.
Ram Sachdev, president of the Thai Indian Wedding Association, credits Thailand’s free visa policy for “giving wings” to the Indian wedding industry in Thailand.
“This is a sunrise market. We have everything you need – fantastic hospitality, exotic venues, local planners, decorators, make-up artists. Thailand is very self-sufficient. We don’t need to rely on anyone else,” he opined.
The country’s Thai-Indian diaspora also plays a crucial role.
“If you want Indian tourists, go to your Indian diaspora. They are the ones recommending hotels and wedding planners across their networks,” Sachdev recommended.
To meet surging demand, Shah revealed that companies like Destination Hospitality Management are reorganising.
“We’ve seen a 225 per cent increase in top-line revenue from Indian guests. We now have a dedicated vertical for Indian weddings and MICE; it’s the only market outperforming while China and Russia remain slow,” Shah explained.
Still, Sachdev cautioned: “Don’t think it’s easy. You’re feeding five meals a day to guests with strict dietary preferences. It’s complex.”
Sachdev called for a strategic repositioning of Thailand in the global wedding arena.
“We need to rebrand Thailand. Right now, we’re only attracting mid-tier weddings. The big fat Indian weddings are going to Europe,” he stated.
He pointed out that limited capacity is holding the country back, prompting many weddings to shift to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bali.
“Capacity is our biggest challenge. This is a huge market, and there’s even more growth coming. So, why don’t we pull together as a region and seize the opportunity?”
Beyond weddings, Sachdev flagged a rising adjacent segment: “If our research is correct, anniversaries and celebrations could match 50 per cent of wedding revenues in the next two years. This is bigger than the international conventions market. There’s massive room to grow.”
