Planning a trip to Thailand? As of 21 July 2026, Indian citizens are not eligible for a blanket visa exemption. Travellers can choose between a Visa on Arrival, available at participating airports for stays of up to 15 days (THB 2,000, roughly INR 5,740), and a Tourist e-Visa, which can be obtained before departure through thaievisa.go.th and allows stays of up to 60 days.
From 2024, Indians enjoyed a 60-day visa exemption for Thailand. However, on 19th May 2026, this was changed by the Thai Cabinet to a shorter 30-day exemption. The new 30-day rule was approved in July 2026, but as of 21st July 2026, it was still awaiting official publication in the Royal Gazette (as per the Indian Embassy Bangkok advisory and Travel And Tour World, both accessed-on 21st July 2026).
This guide to the Thailand visa for Indians walks through every route, fee, document, the mandatory digital arrival card and the timelines, and links out to a dedicated page for each sub-topic.
One planning note before the paperwork: your visa or exemption gets you into Thailand, but it carries no medical or trip protection, so most travellers sort their travel insurance for Thailand in the same sitting as the visa. This guide is from Zurich Kotak General Insurance, an IRDAI-registered general insurer in India and part of the Zurich Insurance Group.
Travelling to Thailand? Get covered before you fly. Entry rules can change between booking and boarding; travel insurance for Thailand protects the trip you are about to pay for.
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?
As of 2026-07-21, yes, in practice: Indian passport holders need either a Visa on Arrival or a tourist e-visa to enter Thailand, because the blanket visa exemption was suspended in May 2026.
Indians were allowed to visit Thailand without a visa for up to 60 days starting 15th July 2024. But on 19th May 2026, the Thai Cabinet cancelled this arrangement. As part of their immigration changes, Indian travellers now need to apply under the Visa on Arrival category. (Source: Indian Embassy Bangkok advisory, dated 21st July 2026).
A restored 30-day exemption was approved by the Cabinet in July 2026 but had not been published in the Royal Gazette, and so was not yet operative, on 2026-07-21 (Travel And Tour World, accessed 2026-07-21). Because this has moved several times in 2026, confirm the live position before you book: we keep the full picture in our explainer on is Thailand visa-free for Indians .
Thailand visa routes for Indian passport holders
There are three ways an Indian tourist enters Thailand, and they are easy to confuse: the visa exemption (when it is in force), the Visa on Arrival, and the tourist e-visa. Here is how they differ.
Visa exemption: when it applies
A visa exemption means you don’t need a visa at all. When you arrive at the border, they’ll stamp your passport for a fixed number of days for tourism only. There’s no need to apply or pay anything.
Indians could travel visa-free for 60 days from 2024 to May 2026. After that, a 30-day visa exemption was approved in July 2026. However, as of 21st July 2026, it wasn’t usable yet because it was waiting for publication in the Royal Gazette (as per Travel And Tour World, accessed 21st July 2026).
An exemption is not the same as a Visa on Arrival, and the distinction decides your paperwork and your cash-on-hand; the current status and what it means for your trip is on our is Thailand visa-free for Indians page.
Visa on Arrival: the current airport route
The Thailand Visa on Arrival (VoA) is a stamp Indians can collect at the immigration counter on landing, valid for up to 15 days and costing THB 2,000 (about INR 5,740 at 1 THB = INR 2.87 on 2026-07-20), payable in Thai baht cash (Thai Immigration Bureau, accessed 2026-07-21). It needs a confirmed return ticket, proof of accommodation and proof of funds, and it is not the same as the old exemption. The full eligibility, documents, fee and how VoA compares with the e-visa are on our Thailand visa on arrival for Indians page.
Tourist e-visa: apply online in advance
The Thailand tourist e-visa is applied for before you fly at the official government portal thaievisa.go.th , run by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and open to Indian applicants since 2025-01-01; a single-entry tourist visa permits a stay of up to 60 days (Thailand e-Visa, accessed 2026-07-21). It is the route to choose for a stay longer than the 15-day VoA, and it removes the airport queue. The step-by-step application is in our guide on how to apply for the Thailand e-visa .
The TDAC: mandatory for every traveller
Every foreign visitor to Thailand, on any route, must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival; it is free, replaced the old paper TM6 card, and must be submitted within 72 hours of arrival on the official portal tdac.immigration.go.th .
The TDAC became compulsory for all foreign arrivals from 2025-05-01, applies at air, land and sea borders, and produces a QR code that immigration checks on entry (Thai Immigration TDAC portal, accessed 2026-07-21; Tourism Authority of Thailand, accessed 2026-07-21). Use only tdac.immigration.go.th : it is free, and any site charging a “TDAC fee” is a third party. The TDAC is separate from your visa or exemption and does not replace either.
Thailand visa fees for Indians
The two headline government charges are the VoA fee of THB 2,000 (about INR 5,740) for up to 15 days, and the tourist e-visa fee of about INR 3,000 for a single-entry visa allowing up to 60 days, raised from INR 2,500 in April 2026 (Thailand e-Visa; Wego, both accessed 2026-07-21). A multiple-entry tourist visa (METV) runs to about INR 13,500. The full breakdown, agent markups to avoid and how to pay from India, is on our Thailand visa cost for Indians page.
Documents you need
For the e-visa you need a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond arrival with blank pages, a scan of the passport bio page, a recent passport-style photograph, a confirmed return ticket, proof of accommodation and proof of funds. The Visa on Arrival needs the same in physical form plus a photo of 4.5cm by 3.5cm and cash for the fee. The complete checklist for a tourist trip is in our guide to Thailand tourist visa documents and requirements . The photo has its own specification, and getting it wrong is a common rejection trigger; see the exact Thailand visa photo size and specifications .
How long the visa takes
A Visa on Arrival is issued at the airport counter on the day you land, so the only delay is the queue. A tourist e-visa applied through thaievisa.go.th is typically processed in about 3 to 7 working days, so apply at least a week or two before travel (Thailand e-Visa, accessed 2026-07-21). Timelines, delays and what to do if yours is stuck are covered in our page on Thailand visa processing time .
How to check your visa status
You check an e-visa application on the same official portal you applied through, using the reference number and login from your application; when it shows approved, you download and print the visa. No agent or third-party site can check it faster. The step-by-step lookup, and what each status message means, is in our guide on how to check your Thailand visa status .
Transiting through Thailand
If you change flights in Bangkok or another Thai airport without clearing immigration, and stay airside on a single through-ticket, you generally do not need a Thai visa. Leave the airport, collect checked baggage or switch to a separate ticket, and you enter Thailand and need the applicable route. The common transit scenarios for Indian travellers are in our page on Thailand transit visa rules .
Thailand entry rules beyond the visa
An approved visa or exemption is necessary but not sufficient; the immigration officer can check a short list beyond it. As of 2026-07-21, Indian travellers should carry:
· A passport with at least 6 months validity beyond arrival and blank pages for stamps, matching the passport used in the visa or TDAC.
· The TDAC QR code, submitted within 72 hours before arrival on tdac.immigration.go.th .
· Proof of onward travel, accommodation and funds. Thai immigration can ask to see a confirmed return ticket, hotel booking and cash; the Indian Embassy in Bangkok advised on 2026-07-02 that visa-exemption travellers should carry at least about THB 20,000 (about INR 57,400) per passenger, subject to random checks (Indian Embassy Bangkok advisory, accessed 2026-07-21).
· Travel insurance is not a Thailand entry requirement for tourists, but it is the one item on this checklist that pays you back when something goes wrong mid-trip, and going without it is a false economy on a trip where a scooter accident can produce a large private-hospital bill.
Entry rules change without much notice, and Thailand’s have changed repeatedly in 2026. Every fee, stay length and processing figure on this page was checked against the named sources on 2026-07-21, and we re-verify at every review date shown at the top of the page.
If Thailand’s shifting rules have you weighing alternatives, our guide to visa-free countries for Indians covers the destinations where an Indian passport currently walks in without any of this.
Visa-free or not, the insurance decision is the same
A visa or exemption is permission to enter Thailand; it does not pay a single baht of a hospital bill once you are there, so the entry route and the insurance decision belong on the same pre-trip checklist.
A serious motorbike injury or a sudden illness at a Bangkok private hospital can run to a large bill, payable before discharge.
With the Zurich Kotak Smart Travel policy, you’re covered for emergency medical treatment and hospitalisation while travelling in Asia, including Thailand. Here’s how it works:
- On the Excel plan, you’re insured for up to USD 100,000.
- On the Prime plan, it goes up to USD 500,000.
Need to make a claim? Don’t worry. You can do it cashless or apply for reimbursement. Europ Assistance India is there for you 24x7 on their helpline at +91 22 6734 7863.
This policy is backed by the global network of Zurich Insurance Group.
Where cashless treatment applies, it runs through named regional network hospitals such as Bumrungrad International or Bangkok Hospital (list subject to change, verify before use).If you're travelling to Thailand and plan to rent a two-wheeler, here’s something important to know. To make a claim for an accident involving a rented bike, you must:
- Have a valid license that meets Thailand's rules.
- Wear a helmet if it's required.
Thailand accepts the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit (IDP) issued in India. So, if you have a valid IDP and wear a helmet, you're covered for these conditions. However, do note that the rental-excess benefit does not apply to motorcycles or mopeds.
Travelling to Thailand? Get covered before you fly. Get a Thailand-ready quote in minutes at travel insurance for Thailand .
If your visa is rejected
If a Thailand e-visa application is refused, the government keeps the fee, and refusals for Indian applicants usually trace to fixable errors: a photo that breaks the specification, a blurred passport scan, or details that do not match the passport. Here is the part most guides skip: the visa fee is an insurable loss.
Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel policy includes a Visa Cost Cover benefit that reimburses the visa fee, not the policy premium, if your visa is rejected or you are denied entry on arrival; the retail visa-denial benefit is not available on annual multi-trip policies. Buying cover before the visa decision means your visa fee and your trip money are both protected while the application is pending.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do Indians need a visa for Thailand? A: As of 2026-07-21, yes in practice: Indian passport holders need a Visa on Arrival (up to 15 days, THB 2,000) or a tourist e-visa (up to 60 days), because the 60-day visa exemption was withdrawn in May 2026 and a restored 30-day exemption was still pending Royal Gazette publication. Confirm the live status on our is Thailand visa-free for Indians page before you book.
Q: How much does a Thailand visa cost for Indians? A: The Visa on Arrival is THB 2,000 (about INR 5,740) for up to 15 days, and the tourist e-visa is about INR 3,000 for a single-entry visa allowing up to 60 days, raised from INR 2,500 in April 2026. See the full breakdown, including agent markups, on our Thailand visa cost for Indians page.
Q: What is the TDAC and is it mandatory? A: Yes. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is mandatory for every foreign arrival since 2025-05-01, replaced the paper TM6, is free, and must be submitted within 72 hours before arrival at the official portal tdac.immigration.go.th . It is separate from your visa or exemption.
Q: Can Indians still get a Thailand visa on arrival? A: Yes, as of 2026-07-21 Indians can collect a Visa on Arrival at the airport for up to 15 days, paying THB 2,000 in cash, with a return ticket, accommodation proof and proof of funds. How it works and what it needs is on our Thailand visa on arrival for Indians page.
Q: How long does a Thailand e-visa take for Indians? A: About 3 to 7 working days through the official portal thaievisa.go.th , so apply at least a week or two before travel. Delays and fixes are covered on our Thailand visa processing time page.
Q: Is travel insurance mandatory for Thailand? A: No, travel insurance is not a Thailand entry requirement for tourists as of 2026-07-21, but it is strongly advised because your visa or exemption carries no medical or trip protection. See what a Thailand policy covers on our travel insurance for Thailand page.
