# Which Thailand Visa Should Indians Apply For? > Visa-free for 30 days, a TR e-Visa for longer holidays, Non-immigrant visas for work, study and retirement, and the DTV or LTR for long stays: how Indians pick the right Thai visa. _Published: 2026-11-03 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1397_ ## TL;DR Indian ordinary passport holders can visit Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism or short business from 15 September 2026, but must file the free TDAC. Longer holidays need a Tourist (TR) e-Visa from INR 3,000, while work, study and retirement need Non-immigrant visas from INR 7,000. ## Key takeaways - Visa exemption: up to 30 days for tourism and short-term business for Indian ordinary passports, effective 15 September 2026 until further announcement. - There is no visa on arrival for Indians; the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card must be submitted 3 days before arrival. - Tourist TR e-Visa: INR 3,000 single entry (60 days stay) or INR 13,500 multiple entry over 6 months. - Non-immigrant B, ED and single-entry visas cost INR 7,000; the DTV costs INR 30,000 and the LTR INR 140,000. - Every Thai visa is applied for online at thaievisa.go.th, with processing of about 14 working days after the fee is received. **Most Indians need no Thai visa for short trips: according to the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi, Indian ordinary passport holders can enter visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism or short-term business from 15 September 2026. Longer holidays need a Tourist (TR) e-Visa at INR 3,000; work, study and retirement need Non-immigrant visas.** ## Article Fees and rules here are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. Our Thailand visa page for Indian travellers has the full document checklists and centre details. ### Do Indians need a Thai visa at all in 2026? Not for a short holiday or business trip. Under the revised scheme announced by the Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, Indian ordinary passport holders can enter Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism and short-term business engagements. The rule took effect on 15 September 2026 and runs until further announcement. The Consulate-General in Kolkata's January 2025 guideline had described a 60-day exemption; the 30-day limit is the current one. Two points catch Indian travellers out: - There is no visa on arrival for Indians. Since the same revision, Thailand's Visa on Arrival (15 days, THB 2,000) covers only Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. - The arrival card is compulsory. Every passenger must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) on the Thai Immigration Bureau site, which foreigners must submit 3 days in advance of their arrival date. If your trip is 30 days or less and is purely tourism or short business meetings, the TDAC is the only form you need. Everything below is for trips that go beyond that. ### Which visa fits each type of trip? The Embassy's fee table, applied at the Embassy and all Royal Thai Consulates-General in India from 27 April 2026, gives these options: Your planVisaFeeValidity and stayHoliday or short business, up to 30 daysVisa exemptionNone30 daysOne holiday longer than 30 daysTourist TR, single entryINR 3,0003 months validity, 60 days staySeveral trips within six monthsTourist TR, multiple entryINR 13,5006 months validity, 60 days per entryMedical treatmentTourist MT, single entryINR 3,0003 months validity, 60 days stayShort stopoverTransit TS, S or CINR 2,500 (TS double entry INR 5,000)30 days stayBusiness, conference or employmentNon-immigrant BINR 7,000 single; INR 13,500 (1 year); INR 30,000 (3 years)90 days per entryStudyNon-immigrant EDINR 7,0003 months validity, 90 days stayRetirement, aged over 50Non-immigrant O-AINR 13,5001 year, multiple entry, 90 days per entryRemote work, Muay Thai, cooking classesDestination Thailand Visa (DTV)INR 30,0005 years, multiple, 180 days per entryHigh earners and wealthy pensionersLong-Term Resident (LTR)INR 140,00010 years ### Tourist visa: single entry or multiple entry? Choose the single-entry TR at INR 3,000 for one long holiday. It is valid for 3 months and allows a stay of 60 days, which only matters if you plan to be in Thailand for more than 30 days. The multiple-entry TR at INR 13,500 is for frequent visitors: it covers visits within 6 months, up to 60 days each. The bar is higher. The Consulate-General in Kolkata, through VFS, asks for confirmed round-trip tickets, proof of accommodation, proof of occupation and a bank statement of the past six months showing Rs. 400,000. For a single-entry tourist visa, the Kolkata checklist asks for six months of statements with a minimum balance equivalent to USD 700 per person or USD 1400 per family. Both need a passport valid for at least 6 months with two blank pages, a return ticket, a confirmed hotel booking in your name and photos of 3.5 x 4.5 cm on a white background. ### Which visa covers work, study or retirement? - Working for a Thai employer: Non-immigrant B (Employment) or IB, INR 7,000 single entry. The employer supplies an invitation letter, a signed employment contract and the WP.3 (Thor Tor 3) from the Department of Employment, or a BOI approval letter. You still need a separate work permit: foreigners are not allowed to work without one. - Business meetings beyond 30 days: Non-immigrant B with an invitation from the Thai company and a bank statement holding at least THB 500,000 for 6 months, or your employer's guarantee. - Studying: Non-immigrant ED, INR 7,000. You need the institution's acceptance letter naming the course and its length, and a payment slip for at least the first semester's tuition. ED Plus applicants for a bachelor's degree or higher show at least 6 months of bank statements. - Retiring: Non-immigrant O-A, INR 13,500, for applicants over 50 who will stay up to 1 year without working. Funds can be a bank balance equivalent to THB 800,000, monthly income of at least THB 65,000, or a combination; health insurance must cover at least USD 100,000 or THB 3,000,000. ### When does the DTV or LTR make sense? The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a five-year multiple-entry visa allowing up to 180 days per entry for INR 30,000. The Embassy lists digital nomads, remote workers and freelancers as eligible, along with people joining Thai boxing, Thai cooking classes, sports training, medical treatment, seminars or music festivals. Spouses and dependent children of DTV holders also qualify. The Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa is a 10-year visa run by Thailand's Board of Investment (BOI) and costs INR 140,000 through the Embassy. It targets four groups. For example, Work-from-Thailand Professionals need average personal income of USD 80,000 a year over the past two years, and Wealthy Pensioners need to be 50 or over with passive income of at least USD 80,000 a year. You first apply to the BOI for endorsement, which is decided within 20 working days of complete documents. ### Which Thai mission handles your e-Visa? Since 1 January 2025 every Thai visa for applicants in India is filed online at thaievisa.go.th. You apply to the mission covering where you are located and must stay physically in India throughout the process. MissionStates and UTs coveredRoyal Thai Embassy, New DelhiDelhi, Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, LakshadweepConsulate-General, MumbaiMaharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya PradeshConsulate-General, ChennaiTamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka, PuducherryConsulate-General, KolkataWest Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar IslandsThe Embassy states a processing time of approximately 14 working days from receipt of the visa fee payment. Fees are non-refundable, including when an e-Visa application is withdrawn. ### Mistakes that lead to the wrong Thai visa - Paying for a tourist visa you do not need. A 10-day Phuket holiday falls inside the 30-day exemption. - Working on a tourist visa or the exemption. Employment needs a Non-immigrant B or IB visa and a work permit. - Filling in a middle name. The Embassy's common-mistakes note says to enter given name and surname exactly as in the passport and leave the middle-name field blank. - Showing the e-Visa on your phone. Print it; airlines and Thai immigration do not accept phone copies. - Booking non-refundable flights early. A verifiable flight reservation works for the application. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or get in touch. ### Frequently asked questions #### Does Thailand's 30-day visa exemption cover business meetings for Indians? Yes, for short-term business engagements as well as tourism, according to the Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi. Taking up employment is different: it needs a Non-immigrant B or IB visa and a Thai work permit. #### Can I file my Thai e-Visa through VFS Global? Yes. The Embassy says applicants can apply themselves or through processing companies such as VFS Global, BLS International or DU Digital, or travel agents. VFS charges a service fee of INR 500 per application including GST, and its Bengaluru centre has had acceptance on hold since 6 August 2026. #### Can one thaievisa.go.th account apply for my whole family? Yes. The Embassy's e-Visa FAQ says one account can file up to 10 applications at a time for you and your family, and can be reused later. Each traveller still needs a separate application and fee. #### How do I pay the Thai visa fee to the Embassy in New Delhi? The Embassy accepts no cash. Pay by bank transfer or UPI to its DBS Bank account, or by cash deposit at a DBS branch, then email the slip and Payment Info Summary as instructed. Consulates-General publish their own payment options. ## FAQ ### Does Thailand's 30-day visa exemption cover business meetings for Indians? Yes, for short-term business engagements as well as tourism, according to the Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi. Taking up employment is different: it needs a Non-immigrant B or IB visa and a Thai work permit. ### Can I file my Thai e-Visa through VFS Global? Yes. The Embassy says applicants can apply themselves or through processing companies such as VFS Global, BLS International or DU Digital, or travel agents. VFS charges a service fee of INR 500 per application including GST, and its Bengaluru centre has had acceptance on hold since 6 August 2026. ### Can one thaievisa.go.th account apply for my whole family? Yes. The Embassy's e-Visa FAQ says one account can file up to 10 applications at a time for you and your family, and can be reused later. Each traveller still needs a separate application and fee. ### How do I pay the Thai visa fee to the Embassy in New Delhi? The Embassy accepts no cash. Pay by bank transfer or UPI to its DBS Bank account, or by cash deposit at a DBS branch, then email the slip and Payment Info Summary as instructed. Consulates-General publish their own payment options. ## Sources 1. [Royal Thai Embassy New Delhi - Visa](https://newdelhi.thaiembassy.org/en/page/visa) — Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi 2. [Revision of visa exemption and VoA schemes 2026](https://newdelhi.thaiembassy.org/en/content/the-revision-of-thailand-s-visa-exemption-and-voa?cate=614489aad04d1e09fa498c92) — Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi 3. [Updated fees for all visa applications (April 2026)](https://newdelhi.thaiembassy.org/en/content/the-updated-fees-for-all-visa-applications-legaliz?page=638454c5cb46fc6d5b5fc0a2&menu=614493e28d99e8319f20bc93) — Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi 4. [Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: qualifications and process](https://ltr.boi.go.th/) — Thailand Board of Investment