June 2, Thori (Parsa) – Thori, a well-known tourist destination in the Madhesh region, is facing a tourism crisis following the sudden restriction on entry of four-wheeled vehicles with Indian number plates.
Starting Friday, the ban on Indian four-wheeled vehicles has severely impacted tourism, trade, and the daily lives of local residents in the Thori area.
The Border Security Force (BOP) at Thori, under district command directives, has started to turn back Indian vehicles attempting to enter Nepal without completing customs clearance, leaving Indian tourists visiting Nepal disappointed and forced to return to India.
For years, Thori border has been recognized as a convenient gateway for Indian tourists. Thousands of Indian visitors have crossed daily through this point to explore Thori’s natural beauty, religious sites, wildlife, rural tourism, and various other tourist destinations, which spurred interest and business in local hotels, restaurants, shops, and transportation services.
However, the new situation emerging since Friday morning has become a major concern not only for tourism operators but also for the general local population.
Although the Amrit Chhoti Customs Office building of the Government of Nepal still stands in Thori, its services remain suspended. The physical presence of the office contrasts with the lack of operational services, raising questions about the government’s effective presence in the area.
According to locals, since the customs office closed last year, the legal processing of Indian vehicles has been halted, creating uncertainty in the border region and directly affecting tourism and the local economy.
Locals argue that if the customs office were operational, Indian tourists could enter Nepal smoothly after paying the required revenue. “The government would have generated revenue, and tourists wouldn’t have been forced to turn back,” locals in Thori said. “But due to government neglect, neither has revenue been collected, nor have local businesses seen tourists, nor have tourists had the opportunity to visit Nepal.”
Since the closure of the customs office, local government officials, political parties, business owners, tourism workers, and civil society have repeatedly sought the attention of relevant authorities, but complaints remain that no concrete solution has been implemented. Although elected representatives have raised demands for the reopening of customs operations through various platforms, failure to enforce decisions has deepened local disappointment.
Businesses report that the reduction in Indian tourist arrivals has adversely affected hotels, restaurants, retail trade, local transportation, agricultural product sales, and daily wage labor sectors.
