Thailand Visa for Indians 2026: 30 Days Visa-Free, TDAC, Passport

Indian passport holders don't need a visa for a Thailand holiday of up to 30 days. Since 15 Sep 2026 the visa-free stay for tourism is 30 days per entry, down from 60 (Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, checked 12 Oct 2026). You still need a passport valid for six months from arrival, a free Thailand Digital Arrival Card filed within 3 days before you land, and proof of onward travel and funds if immigration asks.

Updated 12 Oct 2026. This guide replaces our earlier version, which told Indians to apply for a tourist e-visa before a holiday. For a holiday of up to 30 days, you don't need one.

Do Indians need a visa for Thailand in 2026?

Not for a holiday of up to 30 days. What you need depends on how long you are staying and why.

A few points on the visa-free stay:

• It is for tourism only. The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi describes it as a 30-day exemption for Indian passport holders entering Thailand for tourism.
• It is for ordinary passports. The Embassy of India in Bangkok's advisory, reported by All India Radio News on 9 Sep 2026, also says that anyone with a job offer in Thailand should not use it.
• There is no visa on arrival for Indians. From 15 Sep 2026, visa on arrival is limited to citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1 Sep 2026).
• Overland entries are limited. Entries by land border under the exemption are generally limited to twice per calendar year (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1 Sep 2026).

What changed on 15 September 2026?

Thailand's Ministry of Interior published the new visa exemption rules in the Royal Gazette on 31 Aug 2026, and they took effect on 15 Sep 2026 (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1 Sep 2026). The earlier 60-day visa-free stay ended on that date. India is one of 60 countries and territories whose citizens now get 30 days.

If you entered Thailand on or before 14 Sep 2026, you keep the stay you were given on arrival: the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi said travellers already in Thailand, or arriving before the new scheme started, could stay until the end of their permitted period. For a longer tourist stay after the change, the embassy points travellers to the e-Visa route.

What is the TDAC, and when do you file it?

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is an online arrival form that every foreign traveller has had to complete since 1 May 2025 (Royal Thai Consulate-General, Sydney).

• When: within 3 days before you arrive in Thailand, for every entry (Royal Thai Embassy, London).
• Where: only at tdac.immigration.go.th, the Immigration Bureau's site.
• Cost: free. Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports has warned that websites charging a fee for the TDAC are not government sites.
• Who: every traveller in your group, children included.
• What it is not: a visa. It does not replace one if your trip needs a visa.

Fill it in from your passport exactly, with your flight details and the address where you are staying first. Keep the confirmation on your phone and a printout in your bag.

What passport validity does Thailand need?

Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive in Thailand. The Embassy of India in Bangkok's advisory, reported by All India Radio News on 9 Sep 2026, gives this rule for Indian visitors, and Thai embassies ask for the same six months on visa applications.

Our trip pages ask for six months from the day you leave India, which is the same day or a day earlier, so it keeps you safe either way.

A few checks before you book:

• Expiry date: look at it now, not at the airport. If it falls inside the six months, renew your passport in India before you book flights.
• Condition: a torn, water-damaged or loose-page passport is worth replacing before an international trip.
• Blank pages: keep at least one clean page for the entry and exit stamps.
• Names: your ticket and your TDAC should spell your name exactly as the passport does.

What can immigration ask to see when you land?

Officers can ask for more than your passport, and the final decision on entry rests with them (Tourism Authority of Thailand, 6 Jul 2026). Carry these, for each traveller:

On money: the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC's page on the 30-day scheme (updated 17 Sep 2026) asks for 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family, or the equivalent. The Embassy of India in Bangkok's advisory, as reported, says to carry at least 20,000 baht in cash per passenger. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says proof can be baht, an equal amount in another currency or documents showing access to it, and that the rule does not apply to children under 12.

If you travel in a group, each person carries their own documents, as the Indian embassy advisory asks.

When do you need an e-Visa instead?

You need a visa if you already know you will stay longer than 30 days, or if your trip is for business, work or study. From India, every Thai visa is applied for online at thaievisa.go.th, the official e-Visa portal, a system in place since 1 Jan 2025 (Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi notice). The embassy gives about 14 working days from the date your fee receipt is issued, and visa fees are not refunded in any circumstances.

A tourist visa gives a stay of up to 60 days per entry (Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, tourist visa sheet). These are the fees the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi charges in India from 27 Apr 2026:

Apply at least three weeks before you fly. The portal lists the documents for each visa type; for a tourist visa, Thai missions typically ask for flight and hotel bookings and recent bank statements. You can apply yourself or through a representative, but the embassy says it is not responsible if an application filed by a representative is incomplete.

Can you extend your stay in Thailand?

Yes, sometimes. The 30-day visa-free stay "can be extended for another period not exceeding 30 days", and the extension is solely at the immigration officer's discretion (Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC, updated 17 Sep 2026). You apply to Thai Immigration in Thailand before your permitted stay runs out, and pay the fee in baht. Check the current documents and fee on immigration.go.th before you go.

Don't plan a holiday that depends on an extension. If you know you need more than 30 days, get a tourist visa before you fly. Check the date stamped in your passport on arrival, and leave by it.

How do you spot a fake Thailand visa or TDAC website?

Only two addresses matter for an Indian tourist:

• thaievisa.go.th for visas
• tdac.immigration.go.th for the arrival card

Both end in .go.th, the Thai government's domain. Be wary of any site that appears as a search ad, uses a .com or .org address, charges a "service fee" for the free TDAC or promises same-day approval. In October 2025, Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports said that any website charging money for TDAC registration is not an official Thai government site.

Type the address yourself rather than clicking an ad. Pay a visa fee only at the payment step of thaievisa.go.th. An agent can file an e-Visa for you, but you pay their charge on top of the embassy fee.

Planning a Thailand trip inside the 30 days

A week to ten days fits easily inside the visa-free stay. Our Thailand trips include return flights from Ahmedabad:

Prices checked 12 Oct 2026; GST and TCS are shown in your written quote. For a full budget, read what a Thailand trip costs from India. For ideas on what to do, see our Thailand bucket-list experiences and the Thailand destination guide.

How we help

When you plan a Thailand trip with us, we check your passport dates against your travel dates, remind you to file the TDAC, and give you the list of documents to carry before you fly. Tell us your dates and who is travelling: start with a message.

Visa rules change. Everything above was checked on official Thai and Indian government pages on 12 Oct 2026; confirm on thaievisa.go.th and with the Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, before you book.

FAQs

Is Thailand visa-free for Indians in 2026? Yes, for tourism. Since 15 Sep 2026, Indian ordinary passport holders can stay up to 30 days per entry without a visa (Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, checked 12 Oct 2026). Before that date the visa-free stay was 60 days.

How many days can Indians stay in Thailand without a visa? 30 days per entry. You can ask Thai Immigration for up to 30 more days, but the extension is at the officer's discretion, so get a tourist visa in advance if you know you need longer.

What passport validity is needed for Thailand? At least six months from the date you arrive in Thailand. If you land on 25 Dec 2026, your passport should be valid until at least 25 Jun 2027.

When should I fill in the Thailand Digital Arrival Card? Within 3 days before you arrive, for every entry and for every traveller. It is free and filed only at tdac.immigration.go.th.

Can Indians get a visa on arrival in Thailand? No. From 15 Sep 2026, visa on arrival is limited to citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Indians enter visa-exempt for tourism instead.

How much money do I need to show at Thai immigration? If asked, 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family, or the equivalent, according to the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC (September 2026). Children under 12 are not counted (Tourism Authority of Thailand).