Does Thailand Offer Visa on Arrival to Indians?

So for a tourist trip of up to 30 days, the visa-on-arrival question does not arise. Everything here is as published by the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and VFS Global, with fees and processing times checked on 10 October 2026. The full picture for Indian travellers is in our Thailand visa guide.

Visa-free for 30 days: what the Embassy confirms

The Embassy's current position for Indian travellers comes down to four points:

• Who: holders of ordinary Indian passports.
• How long: 30 days.
• Why you can travel: tourism and short-term business engagements.
• Status: effective from 15 September 2026 until further announcement.

‘Until further announcement’ means the scheme stays in place until Thailand says otherwise, so check the Embassy's visa page in the days before you fly rather than relying on a forwarded message from months ago.

Where visa on arrival fits in 2026

In 2026 the Embassy published a notice on revising Thailand's visa exemption and visa on arrival schemes. The categories that the Embassy and the VFS centres list for Indian applicants, which we went through, are all visas you apply for before travel. None of them is a visa on arrival, and we have no visa-on-arrival fee for Indians on record.

The Embassy's notice, effective 15 September 2026, limits visa on arrival (15 days, THB 2,000) to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia and lists India under the 30-day visa exemption instead, so there is no visa on arrival for Indians to count on. Read the Embassy notice on the visa exemption and VoA schemes and confirm what applies on your travel date. For a stay longer than 30 days, an advance visa is the route the Embassy sets out.

When you need a Thai visa before you fly

Apply in advance if your stay will be longer than 30 days or your purpose falls outside tourism and short-term business. The Embassy says that with the e-Visa system in effect since 1 January 2025, all applicants must apply through thaievisa.go.th. Its published e-Visa fees for the main categories:

Embassy e-Visa or a VFS centre

VFS Global, the Embassy's official partner, runs centres under three Royal Thai Consulates-General: Chennai (covering Chennai, Bengaluru, Cochin and Hyderabad), Kolkata, and Mumbai (covering Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Ahmedabad). Those consulate pages still publish their own categories and checklists, but the Embassy's announcement of 15 April 2026 sets one fee table for the Embassy and all Royal Thai Consulates-General in India from 27 April 2026: tourist visas cost INR 3,000 single and INR 13,500 multiple at Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai alike. VFS adds a service charge of INR 500 per application, including GST.

The Embassy's instruction that all applicants use thaievisa.go.th and the VFS pages that still describe centre submission do not fully line up, so confirm with the Embassy or your consulate which route applies before you pay. Also note that VFS announced on 6 August 2026 that application acceptance at the Bengaluru centre is on hold until further notice.

Where centre submission applies, published processing times are approximately 14 working days for tourist visas at Kolkata, a minimum of 3 to 5 working days from receipt in the Chennai jurisdiction, and minimums of 05 working days in Mumbai, 07 in Pune and Goa, and 08 in Ahmedabad.

Documents for a Thai tourist visa application

• Passport valid for not less than 6 months, with two blank pages.
• Application form with your original signature, and the filled checklist.
• Two photographs, 3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, white background, not older than 3 months.
• Photocopy of a return confirmed travel ticket.
• Confirmed hotel reservation in your name, or an invitation letter with the host's ID if you stay with family or friends.
• Bank statement for six months with a minimum current balance equivalent to USD 700 per person or USD 1400 per family (Kolkata checklist).
• Evidence of employment and regular income: ITR, employment letter, payslips or business registration.
• A typed personal covering letter, which is mandatory in Mumbai.

The Mumbai consulate covers Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh; passports from outside that area need local address proof, such as a registered leave and licence agreement and a company letter.

Before you book your Thailand trip

• Check the exemption's status close to your travel date, since it runs until further announcement.
• If your plans go beyond 30 days, apply for the visa before you book anything non-refundable.
• Travel insurance is not listed as mandatory on the Embassy and VFS pages we read; VFS offers it as an option.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa applications, from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the full set. Check what your Thai checklist asks for first, since the Kolkata checklist, for example, asks for a confirmed return ticket. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 30-day Thailand visa exemption cover business trips?

Yes, for short-term business engagements. The Embassy states the exemption for Indian ordinary passport holders covers tourism and short-term business; longer business stays fall under the Non-immigrant B category, which you apply for in advance.

Do I need travel insurance for Thailand as an Indian?

Travel insurance is not listed as mandatory on the Embassy and VFS pages we read. VFS offers optional travel insurance, which you can take for your own protection.

What photo size does a Thai visa application need?

3.5 cm x 4.5 cm, colour, on a white background and not older than 3 months. On the VFS checklists the face should take up 60%-70% of the photo, with a neutral expression and mouth closed. For the e-Visa upload, the Embassy asks for a 630 x 810 pixel colour photo with the face filling 80-85% of the frame.

Which Thai visa suits a stay of a few months?

For tourism up to 60 days, the TR tourist e-Visa costs 3,000 INR for a single entry with 3 months validity. The Embassy also lists the Destination Thailand Visa at 30,000 INR, multiple entry for 5 years with 180 days per entry; check its eligibility conditions on the Embassy site before applying.