Important 2026 entry-rule update: Thailand’s revised visa measures took effect on 15 September 2026. Ordinary Indian passport holders travelling for tourism are currently included in Thailand’s 30-day visa-exemption scheme. This is different from the older Visa on Arrival information that applied to many Indian travellers. All non-Thai nationals must also complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before entry.
Do these three checks before paying for flights
- Entry permission: check Thailand’s current Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Department of Consular Affairs list immediately before travel. As of 18 September 2026, ordinary Indian passport holders travelling for tourism are in the 30-day visa-exemption group.
- TDAC: submit the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card on the official Immigration Bureau website within the permitted three-day submission window before arrival. The TDAC is an arrival form, not a visa.
- Trip details: keep your passport, first accommodation address and onward/return travel information easy to access in case immigration asks for them.
A realistic budget framework
Split your budget into flights, accommodation, inter-city transport, food, local transport, activities, travel insurance and a 10–15% contingency. The cheapest trip is not always the best-value trip: a hotel far from transit can save ₹800 on the room and cost more than that in taxis.
For Bangkok-heavy itineraries, proximity to BTS/MRT stations is often more useful than staying in the absolute cheapest district. For islands, check the full transfer chain—flight, airport transfer, ferry and last-mile ride—before comparing hotel prices.
Thailand is the first international trip for a huge number of Indians. It was mine. I went in 2022 with a friend from college, a budget of ₹60,000, and almost no planning. We spent three days in Bangkok and four days in Phuket, spent more than we planned, and came back with the specific kind of exhaustion that comes from doing too many tourist activities too quickly.
Two years later I went again. Better planned, better budget, better experience. This guide is everything I learned from doing it twice.
Thailand Entry Rules for Indian Travellers in 2026
Thailand revised its visa-exemption and Visa on Arrival arrangements with effect from 15 September 2026. Under the current published list, ordinary Indian passport holders travelling for tourism are eligible for the 30-day visa-exemption scheme.
That means an eligible Indian tourist taking a qualifying stay of up to 30 days should not budget for the old 2,000-baht Visa on Arrival fee. Entry rules can change, so check the current country list published by Thailand’s Department of Consular Affairs before buying non-refundable travel.
All non-Thai nationals must also complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before entry. Thailand Immigration states that the form can be submitted within the official three-day window before arrival. The TDAC is free on the official government website and is not a visa.
If you plan to stay longer than the visa-exempt period or are travelling for work, study or another non-tourism purpose, check the appropriate Thai visa category rather than relying on the tourist exemption.
Flights — When to Book and What to Pay
From Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Bengaluru there are direct flights to Bangkok on IndiGo, Air India, and Thai Airways. Direct flight return fares range from ₹18,000–₹35,000 depending on dates and how far in advance you book.
The cheapest fares are typically available 6–8 weeks in advance for travel in May, June, September, and October. December-January and April (Songkran festival) are expensive months.
From Mumbai to Bangkok on IndiGo booked 6 weeks in advance costs approximately ₹22,000–₹25,000 return including taxes. This is the baseline to plan around.
Avoid booking through third-party sites for international flights — book directly with the airline or through a reputable platform like MakeMyTrip or Cleartrip for better customer support if anything goes wrong.
Where to Go — The Honest Itinerary
Bangkok — 3 nights minimum
Bangkok is overwhelming and extraordinary in equal measure. The traffic is as bad as Mumbai on a bad day. The food is available on every street corner and is genuinely the best part of Thailand for most Indian visitors — pad thai, green curry, mango sticky rice, and dozens of dishes that Indian palates respond to immediately.
The Grand Palace and Wat Pho are genuinely worth visiting despite the tourist crowds. Go early morning — before 9 AM — and you will have a manageable experience. After 11 AM both sites are packed.
The Chatuchak Weekend Market is the largest market in Asia. If you enjoy markets allow a full day — it is enormous and genuinely interesting even if you buy nothing.
Budget per day in Bangkok: ₹2,500–₹3,500 covering accommodation in a good guesthouse, all meals, and transport.
Chiang Mai — 2 nights
If you have time add Chiang Mai in the north. The old city with its moat and temples, the night bazaar, the cooking classes, the elephant sanctuaries — Chiang Mai has a slower pace than Bangkok and is genuinely charming.
Flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on AirAsia cost ₹1,500–₹2,500. Worth it for the change of pace.
Phuket or Krabi — 2 nights
The southern islands are what most people imagine when they think of Thailand. The beaches are real — the water is that colour. Phuket is more developed and more expensive. Krabi and the surrounding islands (Koh Lanta, Phi Phi) are somewhat quieter and worth the extra travel time.
The boat trips to surrounding islands from Krabi typically cost 1,200–1,500 Baht (₹2,900–₹3,600) for a full day including snorkelling equipment.
Complete Budget Breakdown — 7 Days
| Expense | Amount (₹) |
|---|---|
| Return flights Mumbai–Bangkok | ₹24,000 |
| Bangkok accommodation 3 nights | ₹4,500 |
| Chiang Mai flight + accommodation 2 nights | ₹5,500 |
| Phuket/Krabi accommodation 2 nights | ₹4,000 |
| Food 7 days (street food + restaurants) | ₹6,000 |
| Local transport (taxi, tuk-tuk, boat) | ₹3,500 |
| Activities and entry fees | ₹3,000 |
| Miscellaneous + shopping | ₹3,000 |
| Total | ₹53,500 |
This is an illustrative planning budget, not a live quote. Flight, hotel, local transport and activity prices can move substantially by season and booking date. A sub-₹50,000 trip may still be possible when flights and accommodation are cheaper, but compare live prices before treating any total as your expected cost.
One Honest Thing Nobody Tells You
Thailand is set up extremely well for tourists and this can work against you if you are not careful. Everything is convenient, everything is available, and it is very easy to spend significantly more than planned because the spending happens in small amounts that feel reasonable individually.
The tuk-tuk ride that costs 200 Baht. The massage that costs 500 Baht. The cocktail at the rooftop bar that costs 400 Baht. None of these feel expensive in isolation. By day 4 you realise you have spent significantly more than the daily budget without making any single big decision to do so.
Track spending daily in a notes app. It takes 2 minutes per day and keeps you aware of where you actually are versus where you planned to be.
Sources and verification
Entry rules in this guide were rechecked against Thai government sources on 18 September 2026, after the revised visa measures took effect on 15 September 2026. Visa eligibility and immigration procedures can change, so check the official source again before you pay or travel.
- Thailand Department of Consular Affairs — current visa exemption and Visa on Arrival lists
- Thailand Ministry of Foreign Affairs — September 2026 visa-measures briefing
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card — Immigration Bureau
- Official Thai e-Visa portal
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