As of 2026-07-21 there is no blanket visa exemption in force for Indians, so a short tourist trip currently means either a Visa on Arrival taken at the airport (up to 15 days) or a tourist e-visa arranged online in advance (up to 60 days); an approved 30-day exemption is pending and, once in force, would let short holidays enter visa-free again (Thailand e-Visa official portal, accessed 2026-07-21). This page sets out what you must carry at immigration whichever route you use, and the complete document checklist if you apply for the tourist e-visa.
This guide is maintained by Zurich Kotak General Insurance, an IRDAI-registered general insurer in India and part of the Zurich Insurance Group. For the visa fee itself see our page on Thailand visa cost for Indians ; to file the application online, see how to apply for the Thailand e-visa ; and for the wider picture start with our Thailand visa for Indians hub.
Travelling to Thailand? Get covered before you fly. Your documents get you through immigration; travel insurance for Thailand covers the medical bills and cancellations that a visa never will.
Entry-rule status on 2026-07-21 (verify before you travel). Thailand’s visa-free allowance for Indian tourists is mid-transition and not currently in force. The earlier 60-day visa exemption was withdrawn by a Thai Cabinet decision of 2026-05-19, and in July 2026 the Cabinet approved a replacement that would set the visa-free tourist stay at 30 days for India. That replacement takes effect only 15 days after it is published in Thailand’s Royal Gazette, and that publication date had not been announced as of 2026-07-21, so no blanket exemption was usable on that date (Nation Thailand; iVisa, both accessed 2026-07-21). In the interim, Indians enter on a Visa on Arrival or a tourist e-visa. Because the position depends on when the change takes effect, confirm the current route for your own travel dates on thaievisa.go.th or with the Royal Thai Embassy before you book non-refundable travel.
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?
As of 2026-07-21, with no blanket exemption in force, an Indian tourist needs either a Visa on Arrival, taken at the airport for a stay of up to 15 days, or a tourist e-visa arranged online before travel; a visa-free stamp will apply again only once the approved 30-day exemption is gazetted. You apply for a tourist e-visa in advance, rather than relying on a Visa on Arrival, in these cases:
· you intend to stay longer than the 15-day Visa on Arrival (the tourist e-visa gives 60 days per entry);
· you want a multiple-entry visa for repeated trips over six months;
· you are travelling for a purpose other than tourism, or your circumstances mean you would rather carry an issued visa than queue for a Visa on Arrival at the counter.
Whichever route you use, Thailand can require you to prove you are a genuine short-stay tourist. Immigration officers may ask for a confirmed onward or return ticket, proof of accommodation and evidence of funds, so treat entry as document-light, not document-free.
What every entering tourist must carry at immigration
Whether you take a Visa on Arrival, an e-visa, or a visa-free stamp once the exemption is in force, an Indian tourist should reach Thai immigration with a passport valid for at least six months, a confirmed onward ticket, proof of where they will stay, evidence of funds and a completed Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). This is the practical checklist at the border:
Requirement | What to have ready |
Passport validity | Valid at least 6 months beyond your arrival date, with 2 blank pages (go2 Thailand, accessed 2026-07-21) |
Return / onward ticket | Confirmed ticket leaving Thailand within your permitted stay |
Accommodation | Hotel booking or a host’s address in Thailand |
Proof of funds | Cash or statements; commonly cited as around THB 10,000 to 20,000 per person (about INR 28,700 to 57,400 at 1 THB = INR 2.87 on 2026-07-21) (Outlook Traveller, accessed 2026-07-21; rate XE) |
TDAC | Completed online within 3 days before arrival (see below) |
The funds figure is what officers are entitled to ask for as evidence of a genuine visit; it is not a fee you pay. Carry a little more than the minimum and keep tickets and hotel bookings accessible on your phone.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): mandatory for everyone
Every traveller entering Thailand must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card online within three days before arrival, and this applies to visa-free tourists, e-visa holders and everyone else; the TDAC replaced the old paper TM6 form. Submit it only at the official portal, tdac.immigration.go.th , where you enter your passport, flight and accommodation details and receive a QR-code confirmation by email ( ThaiEmbassy.com ; TDAC portal, both accessed 2026-07-21). There is no fee; any site charging for it is not official. Airlines can deny boarding without it, so treat the TDAC as a compulsory step, not a formality, and complete it in the 72 hours before you fly.
The tourist e-visa document checklist
If you do apply for the Thailand tourist e-visa, you upload a defined set of documents to thaievisa.go.th : your passport bio page, a compliant digital photo, a confirmed onward flight, proof of accommodation, financial proof and the visa fee. The full checklist:
Document | Specification |
Passport | Bio-data page scan; valid 6+ months, 2 blank pages (go2 Thailand, accessed 2026-07-21) |
Photo | Recent digital photo, plain white background, in the portal’s exact size and file format (see our Thailand visa photo size guide ) |
Flight booking | Confirmed return or onward air ticket |
Accommodation | Hotel reservation or a host invitation with address |
Financial proof | Bank statement showing roughly THB 20,000 equivalent per person (about INR 57,400) |
Visa fee | THB 1,000 for single entry (about INR 2,870); see Thailand visa cost for Indians |
The single-entry tourist e-visa is generally valid for one 60-day stay and is processed in about 5 to 10 business days, longer during the November to February peak, so apply at least two to three weeks before travel (go2 Thailand, accessed 2026-07-21). The step-by-step upload and payment flow is covered in how to apply for the Thailand e-visa .
Common reasons Thai visa applications are rejected or delayed
Most rejected or held-up applications fail on avoidable document errors, not on eligibility, so a clean file is the best protection. The recurring causes are a photo that breaks the portal specification (wrong size, off-white background, wrong file type), a passport with under six months validity or no blank pages, a missing onward ticket, weak or unclear financial proof, and details that do not match the passport exactly. Because the visa fee is not refunded if an application is refused, getting the file right the first time protects both your time and your money.
Protecting the money you commit to a Thailand trip
A visa, whether free or paid, is only your entry permission; it does nothing for a medical emergency, a cancelled trip or lost baggage, which is what travel insurance is for. Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel policy for an Asia destination like Thailand is offered on the Excel and Prime tiers, with a sum insured up to USD 500,000 on Prime and a maximum entry age of 70 [insert current tier limits from fact sheet]. It also includes Visa Cost Cover, which reimburses your visa fee if the application is rejected or you are denied entry on arrival; it returns the fee itself, not the premium, and the retail visa-denial benefit is not available on multi-trip policies . Claims are handled by Europ Assistance India on a cashless or reimbursement basis, with access to network hospitals in Thailand such as Bumrungrad International and Bangkok Hospital (list subject to change, verify before use), backed by the Zurich Insurance Group’s global network.
The sensible order for a Thailand trip is: confirm your entry route (visa on arrival or e-visa), take travel insurance for Thailand before you lock in non-refundable bookings, complete the TDAC in the three days before you fly, and keep every document on your phone for immigration.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is a visa required for Thailand for Indians?
A: As of 2026-07-21, in practice yes for now: with no blanket exemption in force, Indians enter on a Visa on Arrival (up to 15 days) or a tourist e-visa (up to 60 days) rather than a visa-free stamp. Use the e-visa in advance if you plan to stay longer than the 15-day Visa on Arrival, want multiple entries, or are travelling for a non-tourism purpose (Thailand e-Visa portal, accessed 2026-07-21). An approved 30-day exemption is pending and would restore visa-free short holidays once gazetted, so confirm the current route for your travel dates before you book.
Q: What documents do Indians need to enter Thailand as tourists?
A: A passport valid at least six months with two blank pages, a confirmed onward or return ticket, proof of accommodation, evidence of funds (commonly around THB 10,000 to 20,000 per person) and a completed Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) submitted online within three days before arrival (go2 Thailand; ThaiEmbassy.com , accessed 2026-07-21).
Q: What is the TDAC and is it mandatory?
A: The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is a free, mandatory online form that every traveller must complete within three days before arriving in Thailand; it replaced the paper TM6. Submit it only at the official portal tdac.immigration.go.th and carry the QR-code confirmation, as airlines can deny boarding without it (TDAC portal, accessed 2026-07-21).
Q: How much money do I need to show for a Thailand tourist visa?
A: Immigration can ask arriving tourists to show funds of roughly THB 10,000 to 20,000 per person (about INR 28,700 to 57,400 at 1 THB = INR 2.87 on 2026-07-21), and the tourist e-visa asks for a bank statement of about THB 20,000 equivalent per person (Outlook Traveller; go2 Thailand, accessed 2026-07-21). This is evidence of a genuine visit, not a fee.
Q: How long does a Thailand tourist e-visa take to process?
A: Usually about 5 to 10 business days through thaievisa.go.th , and longer during the November to February peak, so apply at least two to three weeks before travel (go2 Thailand, accessed 2026-07-21). More detail is on our Thailand visa processing time page.
