Thailand

Update (July 2026): Thailand's 60-day visa-free entry for Indian passports was withdrawn following the Thai Cabinet's decision of 19 May 2026. Indians now enter on a Visa on Arrival (15 days, THB 2,000 paid in cash) or a Tourist e-Visa (60 days, applied for online before travel). The mandatory Thailand Digital Arrival Card must be completed within 72 hours before arrival. Sections below have been amended accordingly.

Thailand's entry rules for Indians changed in May 2026 — Visa on Arrival or e-Visa now applies — which adds a step to from what was already the subcontinent's favourite international trip. With direct flights from a dozen Indian cities and a tourism machine that has hosted Indians for decades, this is the destination where everything simply works — which frees you to spend your planning energy on the only question that matters: which Thailand?

Choose your Thailand

Bangkok + Pattaya (the classic). Three nights of temples, markets, rooftop bars and river life, then two hours south to beach resorts, cabarets and coral-island day trips. This is the formula Indian group tours have run for twenty years because it works — though swapping Pattaya for Hua Hin gets you a calmer, more local beach for the same money.

Phuket + Krabi (the honeymoon). Island-hopping to Phi Phi and the Four Islands, longtail boats beneath limestone cliffs, Railay Beach, sunset at Promthep Cape. Split 3 nights Phuket, 3 nights Krabi/Ao Nang with the ferry between them.

Chiang Mai (the underrated). The north is half the price and half the crowds: ethical elephant sanctuaries, the Sunday Walking Street market, mountain temples like Doi Suthep, cooking classes and cool evenings. Pair 3 nights here with 4 in Bangkok or the islands.

A 7-night Bangkok + Phuket blueprint

Days 1–3, Bangkok: Grand Palace and Wat Pho at opening time (8:30am, before the heat and the buses), a Chao Phraya river boat to Wat Arun, Chatuchak market if it's a weekend, Chinatown street food after dark, and one rooftop-bar sunset. Stay near a BTS Skytrain station — Sukhumvit between Nana and Asok — and skip taxis entirely during rush hours.

Days 4–7, Phuket: Base in Kata or Karon (calmer than Patong, still lively). One full-day Phi Phi + Maya Bay speedboat tour — book the 7am departure. One day for the Big Buddha, Old Phuket Town's Sino-Portuguese streets and Promthep sunset. One pure beach-and-massage day, because that's what you came for.

The budget reality

The trap that kills Thai budgets is not hotels or food — it's alcohol and imported anything. A beach cocktail costs ₹450–₹700; a bucket in a party zone, more. Budget separately for it and the rest of the numbers hold.

Booking intel

• November–February is peak: book hotels 8–10 weeks out or pay 40% more. May–October ("green season") halves prices; rain arrives in short afternoon bursts, not washed-out days — the Gulf islands (Koh Samui side) stay driest.
• Songkran (mid-April) is a three-day national water fight. Brilliant fun if you choose it; a logistics nightmare if it ambushes your travel days.
• Ferries vs flights to islands: Phuket and Krabi have airports; Phi Phi and Samui-side islands are ferry territory. Book the big-name ferry operators — the cheap boats overload.
• Vegetarian? The word is "jay" (เจ) — the yellow-flag street stalls during the October vegetarian festival are fully plant-based, and "no fish sauce" is the phrase to learn year-round. Indian restaurants are everywhere in tourist zones.

Frequently asked questions

How does entry actually work for Indians now?

Show up with a passport valid 6+ months, an onward/return ticket and proof of accommodation. Officially you should also be able to show funds (~20,000 baht equivalent); it is rarely asked but the airline at check-in in India can and does ask for return tickets.

Phuket or Krabi — if I must choose one?

Krabi for scenery and calm (Railay's cliffs are the postcard), Phuket for convenience, nightlife and direct flights. Honeymooners with 5+ nights should simply do both.

Is Pattaya family-friendly?

Parts of it, genuinely — the Sanctuary of Truth, Nong Nooch gardens and the coral-island trips are solid family days. But Hua Hin or Krabi deliver a better family beach trip without navigating around the nightlife economy.

Bangkok airport tip?

Both airports (BKK and DMK) serve Indian routes — check which one your return leaves from; they are 45km apart and the mistake is expensive at 5am.