Thailand Visa Insurance Requirements for Indians

This page sets out what each Thai route says about insurance, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees, centres and the full application flow, see our Thailand visa guide for Indian passport holders.

Do Indians need travel insurance for a Thailand tourist visa?

No. Insurance is not among the documents that the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and VFS Global list for a tourist (TR) application. VFS offers travel insurance as an optional add-on at its centres. Buying it does not remove any item from the checklist.

The tourist checklist leans on other proof instead:

• a passport valid for at least 6 months with two blank pages;
• a photocopy of a confirmed return ticket and a hotel reservation in your name;
• a six-month bank statement with a minimum current balance equivalent to USD 700 per person or USD 1400 per family (Kolkata checklist);
• evidence of employment and income, such as ITR, an employment letter or payslips;
• a typed personal covering letter, which is mandatory in the Mumbai jurisdiction.

A tourist TR single-entry visa costs 3,000 INR, with 3 months validity and a 60-day stay. The TR multiple-entry visa costs 13,500 INR, with 6 months validity and 60 days per entry. Since 1 January 2025, every Thai visa for applicants in India is applied for online at thaievisa.go.th.

Does the 30-day visa exemption need insurance?

No insurance condition is attached to it. From 15 September 2026, Indian ordinary passport holders can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism and short-term business, until further announcement, according to the Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi. Stays longer than 30 days need a visa.

The one formality is the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card. Complete it at tdac.immigration.go.th; foreigners must submit it 3 days in advance of their arrival date.

Which Thai visas set an insurance figure?

Only two routes in the official record name a sum insured, and both are long-stay visas for people living in Thailand rather than visiting.

How much cover does the O-A retirement visa need?

The Embassy's O-A checklist (23 December 2021) asks for health insurance with a total insured sum of at least USD 100,000 or THB 3,000,000. If an insurer will not cover you, the checklist accepts a bank balance of THB 3,000,000 held for the last 2 months plus the insurer's letter declining cover.

The O-A is for applicants aged over 50 who want to stay up to 1 year without working. It is a multiple-entry visa with 1-year validity and 90 days per entry. Insurance is one of several conditions:

• Funds: a bank balance equivalent to THB 800,000, or monthly income of at least THB 65,000, or a balance plus annual income totalling THB 800,000.
• A criminal record certificate and a medical certificate, each not more than 3 months old.
• A passport valid for at least 18 months with two blank pages.

The checklist's demand-draft fee predates the fees in force since 27 April 2026. Pay the current INR 13,500, not the amount printed on the old PDF.

What does the LTR visa accept instead of a policy?

The Long-Term Resident visa is run by Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) for four groups: Wealthy Global Citizens, Wealthy Pensioners, Work-from-Thailand Professionals and Highly-Skilled Professionals. Each applicant must meet one health condition, according to the BOI LTR site:

1. health insurance of at least USD 50,000; or
2. Thai social security; or
3. USD 100,000 held in a bank for 12 months.

The BOI says LTR conditions must be maintained for the life of the visa, which runs for 10 years. A lapsed policy is therefore a problem after approval, not just before it. The Embassy fee is INR 140,000. The BOI gives its qualification result within 20 working days of complete documents, and the visa must then be issued within 60 days of the endorsement letter.

Is insurance needed for the DTV, student or business visas?

The Destination Thailand Visa is a five-year multiple-entry visa allowing up to 180 days per entry. It is open to digital nomads, remote workers and freelancers, and to people joining activities such as Thai boxing, cooking classes or medical treatment. Its published requirements are an ordinary passport and the INR 30,000 fee; insurance is not listed.

The Embassy's checklists for the Non-immigrant B (business or employment), ED (education) and O (family) visas do not list health insurance either. They focus on the Thai employer's WP.3, the university acceptance letter or relationship proof, plus bank statements. Every Embassy checklist adds that further documents or an interview may be requested.

Insurance mistakes to avoid before you apply

• Treating a policy as a substitute. For a tourist visa, the bank statement, return ticket and hotel booking are what the checklist asks for.
• Buying too little cover for an O-A. A sum insured below USD 100,000 or THB 3,000,000 does not meet the checklist figure.
• Letting LTR cover lapse. The BOI condition applies for the whole visa period.
• Skipping the portal's own list. Per-mission requirements on thaievisa.go.th could not be read for this record, so check the list shown there when you file.
• Showing the e-Visa on your phone. Print the granted e-Visa; phone copies are not accepted at check-in or by Thai immigration.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does VFS Global sell travel insurance for Thailand applicants?

Yes, VFS offers travel insurance as an optional service. The Thai Embassy and VFS pages do not list it as a mandatory document for tourist visas, so buying it is your choice.

Is insurance required for a Thai medical treatment (MT) visa?

The MT visa sits in the tourist category with the same 3,000 INR single-entry fee, and insurance is not listed as mandatory on the Embassy and VFS pages. Check the requirement list on thaievisa.go.th for your mission when you file.

How long does a Thai e-Visa take if I apply through the Embassy in New Delhi?

The Embassy's e-Visa FAQ (September 2026) gives approximately 14 working days from the date it receives your visa fee payment. Plan your insurance start date, if you buy a policy, around a confirmed visa.

Can retirees over 50 use a bank balance instead of insurance for the O-A visa?

Only if an insurer declines cover. The O-A checklist then accepts a bank balance of THB 3,000,000 for the last 2 months plus the insurer's letter declining cover.