Most Indians travelling to Thailand for a holiday do not need a Thailand visa at all. Indian passport holders get visa-free entry for tourism and can stay up to 30 days per visit, which covers most standard itineraries from a five-day Bangkok-Pattaya trip to a two-week island run. You still have to fill out one mandatory online form before you land, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, and it is free.
In the most recent and significant update, Thailand reduced the visa-free stay for Indian passport holders from 60 days to 30 days, effective 15 September 2026. As published in Thailand’s Royal Gazette, the change applies to entries on or after that date; travellers who land before 15 September will keep the full 60 days stamped on arrival, so September bookings already in place remain unaffected.
The same Gazette notice also caps visa-exempt entries through land borders at two per calendar year, a detail that matters for anyone planning to cross in from Malaysia, Laos, or Cambodia more than twice. The old visa on arrival route is no longer relevant for Indians, and the paper version of the TM6 arrival card has been replaced by the digital TDAC.
Find all you need to know about the Thailand visa for Indian passports, what you need, what it costs, how long it takes, Thailand visa requirements, and where people usually slip up.If you’d rather have the paperwork handled as part of the trip, look at our Thailand tour packages.
Do Indians Need a Visa to Enter Thailand?
No, not for a normal holiday. India is on Thailand’s visa exemption list, so an Indian passport gets you 30 days of visa-free entry for tourism.
How Entry Works at the Airport for Thailand Travel
You walk up to immigration and show three things:
- Your passport
- Your TDAC confirmation
- Your return ticket
The officer stamps your permitted stay on arrival, and you’re through.
Exemption, Not a Thailand Visa for Indians
This is an exemption, not a visa. Nothing is stamped in advance, nothing is paid, and there’s no application involved.
When You Actually Need a Thailand Visa
A Thai visa for Indians only becomes necessary when the trip doesn’t fit the exemption:
- Staying beyond 30 days
- Travelling for work
- Studying
- Attending business meetings
- Seeking medical treatment
- Long-stay remote work
In any of these cases, you apply for a Thailand visa online before you fly and pay the Thailand visa fees accordingly.
The Discretion Factor for Thailand Visa for Indian Passport Holders
One thing worth knowing, the exemption for Thailand visa for Indian citizens is granted at the officer’s discretion, not as a right. Turning up with a one-way ticket, no hotel booking, and an empty bank account is the fastest way to get pulled aside.
Anyone planning to discover Thailand tourism from India should treat this discretion as the baseline rule, not the exception.
Thailand Visa for Indians at a Glance
Note: Fees are indicative and move with the baht exchange rate. Always confirm the current amount on the official Thai e-Visa portal before you pay
What Is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?
The TDAC replaced the old paper TM6 form, and it’s the one step every Indian traveller must complete regardless of visa status. It’s a free online form that collects your passport details, flight information, and Thailand accommodation address, submitted digitally instead of on arrival.
You fill it out within 72 hours before your flight lands, not earlier. The system generates a QR code confirmation, which you show at immigration along with your passport. Skipping it or filling it out too early, so the dates don’t match, is one of the most common reasons Indian travellers get held up at the counter.
For a full walkthrough of what Thailand’s newer entry rules mean for Indian passport holders, our breakdown of Thailand e-visa for Indians rules 2026 covers the digital process step by step.
Documents Required for Thailand Visa for Indians
Even under the visa-free exemption, immigration can ask for supporting documents on the spot. Keep these documents required to travel from Thailand to India ready, digitally and in print:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from your entry date
- TDAC confirmation with QR code
- Confirmed return or onward flight ticket
- Hotel booking or proof of address in Thailand
- Evidence of sufficient funds for your stay
Note: If you’re applying for the e-visa route rather than travelling visa-free, the requirements are the same as above, with an added visa application form and payment receipt.
Staying Longer: Extensions and Overstays for Thailand Visa for Indian Passport Holders
If your plans change mid-trip, Thailand allows a 30-day extension of stay, applied for at any immigration office inside the country, for a fee. Overstaying without an extension attracts a daily fine and can affect future entries, so it’s worth sorting out before your 30 days run out rather than after.
Thailand remains one of the easiest international trips for Indian travellers to plan, and the paperwork and latest rules can be checked in Thailand travel advisory for Indian tourists. Once you know the current rules, it takes minutes rather than days to plan a smooth trip.
For more on making the most of your time there once you land, our Thailand travel tips cover everything from local transport to seasonal weather.
How to Apply for Thailand e-Visa (Step by Step)
Thailand moved all visa applications from India online, so there is no embassy visit and no passport submission. The whole process runs on thaievisa.go.th.
- Create an account on thaievisa.go.th using an email address you check daily.
- Select the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate for your region in India (New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Kolkata) based on your state of residence.
- Choose the visa type. Most holidaymakers staying beyond 30 days pick the single-entry Tourist Visa (TR), which allows 60 days.
- Fill in the form with passport, travel and accommodation details exactly as they appear on your bookings.
- Upload the documents from the checklist above as clear PDF or JPEG scans.
- Pay the Thailand visa fees online by card. The single-entry tourist visa costs around INR 2,500 [confirm], and the fee is non-refundable.
- Wait for processing. The embassy quotes three to ten working days, and applications take longer around Indian school holidays and Diwali. Apply at least three weeks before flying.
- Receive the approved eVisa by email as a PDF. Print one copy and carry a digital copy; the officer at immigration scans the QR code.
- Submit your TDAC within 72 hours of arrival. The eVisa does not replace it.
