Thailand Visa for Indians 2026: e-Visa, Fees & New Rules

Yes, an Indian passport still gets you into Thailand for a beach week, a wedding, or a stretch of remote work. But the rulebook shifted in 2026, and the route you pick now decides how long you can stay and how much you pay. This guide sorts the Thailand visa for Indians the way a consultant would explain it across a desk: what is confirmed, what is still moving, and what you should lock in before you touch a flight booking.

Let me start with the part that trips people up.

Do Indians need a visa for Thailand in 2026?

For a short trip you can still enter without a pre-arranged visa, but the free 60-day window Indians enjoyed since 2024 was pulled back in 2026 and replaced with a shorter Visa on Arrival. Because the switch depends on when it hits the Royal Gazette, confirm your exact entitlement on the official Thailand e-Visa portal before you buy a non-refundable ticket.

Here is the honest state of play. From 15 July 2024, India sat on Thailand's 60-day visa-exemption list, which let you walk in visa-free for up to two months. On 19 May 2026 the Thai Cabinet approved a wider overhaul of the visa-exemption and Visa on Arrival framework. Reporting since then converges on one outcome for Indians: off the 60-day free list, and onto a 15-day Visa on Arrival that costs 2,000 THB. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the change takes legal effect only after the Ministry of Interior announcements are published in the Royal Gazette, so the precise date your trip falls under is worth checking.

So what should you actually do? If your trip runs longer than a fortnight, or you just want certainty, apply for a Thailand e-Visa before you fly. It fixes your stay at 60 days in writing and doesn't hinge on which version of the rule is live the week you land.

What changed: the 60-day exemption became a 15-day arrival stamp

Two numbers matter here. 60 and 15.

The 60-day figure was the visa exemption India held from July 2024: free entry, single visit, up to 60 days, extendable once by 30 days at a Thai immigration office. The 15-day figure is the Visa on Arrival, the arrangement Indians now fall under per the May 2026 decision. You land, queue at the VoA counter, pay 2,000 THB (roughly 5,700 rupees at July 2026 rates of about 2.87 rupees to the baht), and get up to 15 days.

The gap between those numbers is the whole reason to plan ahead. Fifteen days is tight for anything beyond a single-city trip, and a VoA queue at Suvarnabhumi after a red-eye is nobody's idea of a good start.

Whichever route applies on your travel date, one requirement has held steady: proof of funds. Thai immigration can ask to see cash equivalent to 10,000 THB per person, or 20,000 THB per family (about 28,700 and 57,400 rupees). Officers don't always check. But turnbacks of Indian travellers have been rising, and officers have been enforcing document lines that used to be waved through, so treat it as a real requirement rather than a formality.

Thailand e-Visa for Indians: the route that removes the guesswork

The Thailand e visa is an electronic tourist visa you apply for online before departure, and for most Indian travellers in 2026 it is the cleanest option, because it gives you 60 days regardless of how the Visa on Arrival rollout plays out.

You apply on the government portal, upload your documents, pay, and receive an approved e-Visa by email that the airline and immigration scan on arrival. No embassy visit. No passport sticker. No VFS courier waits in most cases.

A single-entry tourist e-Visa gives you 60 days and can be extended by a further 30 days at a Thai immigration office (the extension costs 1,900 THB, about 5,450 rupees). If you are hopping in and out, say a Bangkok to Siem Reap to Bangkok loop, the multiple-entry tourist visa lets you re-enter across a six-month validity window, 60 days per entry. For a two-week beach holiday the single entry is plenty; the multiple entry earns its higher fee only if you genuinely plan repeat trips.

How to apply on the official Thailand e-Visa portal

Do this on thaievisa.go.th and nowhere else. The number of look-alike "Thai visa" sites charging a markup is a genuine problem, and DU Global regularly sees applicants who paid twice because they started on the wrong one.

The steps are short:

1. Create an account on the official Thailand e-Visa portal and pick your visa type, Tourist Visa for a holiday or DTV if you qualify.

2. Fill the application with your passport and travel details exactly as they appear on your documents.

3. Upload your supporting files as PDF or JPEG, passport bio page, photo, itinerary, proof of funds, and accommodation.

4. Pay the visa fee online.

5. Wait for processing, which typically runs 3 to 7 working days for a tourist e-Visa, then download the approved e-Visa from your email.

Apply at least two to three weeks before you fly. Processing is usually quick, but public holidays in India and Thailand both stretch it, and you don't want your visa racing your departure.

Documents you need

For a tourist e-Visa, keep it simple and complete:

- Passport valid at least six months beyond your travel dates, with blank pages

- A recent passport-size photo on a white background

- Confirmed return or onward flight tickets

- Hotel bookings or a host's address in Thailand

- A recent bank statement showing the funds mentioned above

- Your TDAC confirmation, covered next

One missing paper is the most common reason a straightforward file gets stuck at the counter. If you would rather not assemble it solo, DU Global's Thailand visa document checklist walks Indian applicants through each item in order.

The TDAC: mandatory, free, and the step most people forget

Every foreign traveller entering Thailand must submit a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before arrival. It is free, it is separate from your visa, and skipping it can hold you up at immigration.

Since 1 May 2025 the TDAC replaced the old paper TM6 card for everyone arriving by air, land, or sea, whatever visa you hold. You fill it on the official Immigration Bureau portal, tdac.immigration.go.th, and you can only submit it within three days before your arrival date, including the day itself. Land on 20 July and you can file from 17 July onward.

The card asks for passport details, trip and accommodation information, and a short health declaration for the Ministry of Public Health. You get a QR-coded confirmation by email. Save it offline. It is valid for a single entry, so a fresh one is needed every time you cross the border, which matters if you are doing a visa run.

And to be blunt about it: the TDAC is free. If a website charges you a "TDAC fee," you are on the wrong site.

The DTV: Thailand's visa for remote workers and freelancers

If you work remotely and want to base yourself in Thailand for months at a time, the Thailand DTV visa (Destination Thailand Visa) was built for you: five years of validity, 180 days per entry, at a one-time fee of 10,000 THB.

Thailand launched the DTV in July 2024 for remote workers, freelancers, digital nomads, and people joining approved soft-power activities like Muay Thai training or Thai cooking courses. It is a multiple-entry visa valid for five years. Each entry allows a stay of up to 180 days, and you can extend that once by another 180 days at immigration for 1,900 THB, which stretches a single visit close to a year before you need to step out and back in.

The trade-off is the money test. You need to show around 500,000 THB (roughly 14.3 lakh rupees) in a personal savings account, usually held for at least three months, plus evidence of your remote work or freelance clients. Investment accounts and crypto don't count toward the balance. Processing typically runs a couple of weeks.

For an Indian software engineer, product designer, or consultant with overseas clients, the DTV is the most generous long-stay option Thailand has put on the table, and cheaper per month than repeated tourist visas and border runs.

Thailand visa fees for Indians in 2026

Fees moved this year. The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi revised its consular fee schedule from 27 April 2026, and the central visa rules were reworked again in May. Baht amounts below use a July 2026 rate of about 2.87 rupees per THB; confirm the live figure on the official portal, since the embassy sets the rupee consular fee separately from the baht base rate.

Two caveats worth reading twice. The rupee consular fees the New Delhi embassy charges Indians (3,000 rupees single entry, 13,500 rupees multiple entry from 27 April 2026) don't map one-to-one to the baht base rate, because Indians pay the embassy's set fee. And any figure tied to Visa on Arrival can shift with the Royal Gazette timing. When in doubt, the official portal is the source of truth.

Which Visa Should You Actually Pick?

Match the visa to the trip, not the other way round. Under two weeks and comfortable with an airport queue: the Visa on Arrival does the job. A standard one-to-two-month holiday: the single-entry tourist e-Visa is the sweet spot, priced low and valid for 60 days. Repeated regional trips inside six months: multiple-entry tourist visa. Remote work for months at a stretch: the DTV, no contest.

What Changed in 2025 and 2026, in one Place

If you travelled to Thailand before, three things are new.

The TDAC became compulsory from 1 May 2025, replacing the paper arrival card for every foreign visitor. Consular fees for Indians rose from 27 April 2026 at the New Delhi embassy. And the 60-day visa exemption India held since July 2024 was rolled back with the 19 May 2026 Cabinet decision, shifting Indians to a 15-day Visa on Arrival, effective on Royal Gazette publication.

None of that makes Thailand harder to enjoy. It makes planning ahead the smart move rather than the cautious one.

FAQs

Do Indians get visa-free entry to Thailand in 2026?

India held a 60-day visa exemption from July 2024, but the 19 May 2026 Cabinet decision moved Indians to a 15-day Visa on Arrival costing 2,000 THB. Because the change takes effect on Royal Gazette publication, confirm your current entitlement on thaievisa.go.th before booking. A tourist e-Visa gives you 60 days and sidesteps the uncertainty.

How much does a Thailand tourist visa cost for Indians?

The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi charges 3,000 rupees for a single-entry tourist visa and 13,500 rupees for multiple entry, effective 27 April 2026. A Visa on Arrival costs 2,000 THB, about 5,700 rupees. Fees change, so check the official rate when you apply.

Is the TDAC the same as a visa?

No. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is a free arrival declaration every foreign traveller must submit online within three days before arrival. It does not grant entry or extend your stay. You still need a visa or valid entry route alongside it.

What is the DTV visa and who can get it?

The Destination Thailand Visa is a five-year, multiple-entry visa for remote workers, freelancers, and people joining approved cultural activities. It allows 180 days per entry, costs 10,000 THB, and requires proof of around 500,000 THB in savings.

How long does the Thailand e-Visa take?

A tourist e-Visa is usually processed in about 3 to 7 working days on thaievisa.go.th. Apply two to three weeks before travel to absorb holidays and any document follow-ups.

Can I extend my stay in Thailand?

Yes. A tourist stay can usually be extended by 30 days at a Thai immigration office for 1,900 THB. DTV holders can extend a 180-day entry by another 180 days for the same fee.

Before you book, get the entry route right

The single biggest mistake Indian travellers make with Thailand in 2026 is assuming last year's rules still apply. They may not be on your travel date. If your trip is under two weeks and you can handle airport queues, the Visa on Arrival works; for anything longer, or if you simply want certainty, apply for a tourist e-Visa before you fly; and if you are a remote worker eyeing a long stint, the DTV is the standout.

DU Global handles Thailand visa applications for Indian travellers end to end, from document prep to portal submission and TDAC, so you are not gambling on a look-alike website or a rule that changed last month. Start your Thailand e-Visa with DU Global and travel knowing your paperwork is right.