Thailand trip from India: cost, itinerary, visa and best time
Written by a Cura travel advisor · Checked
Short answer
Plan 6 to 8 days. A 7-day Thailand trip from India costs about ₹55,000 on a budget to ₹1,00,000 mid-range per person, flights included. Go November to February for Bangkok and the Phuket and Krabi beaches. Indians get visa-free entry for 30 days (since 15 Sep 2026) and must file the free Digital Arrival Card. Bangkok is a 3 to 4.5 hour flight from Indian metros.
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A Thailand trip is the easiest international holiday you can take from India: short flights, no visa paperwork, food for every diet, and a beach that costs less than Goa in December. The catch is choice. Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi, Samui and Chiang Mai all pull you in different directions, and most first plans try to do four of them in a week. This guide is the version we would actually book.
How much does a Thailand trip from India cost?
About ₹55,000 to ₹1,00,000 per person for 7 days, flights included. That assumes two people sharing a room, 3 nights in Bangkok and 3 nights in Phuket or Krabi, with one domestic flight between them. Checked Oct 2026 at THB 1 = about ₹2.85; prices move, so treat these as ranges.
| Item (per person) | Budget friendly-range |
|---|---|
| Return flight from Bengaluru | ₹34,000 |
| Return flight from Mumbai | ₹36,000 |
| Return flight from Delhi | ₹38,000 |
| Return flight from Pune (often one stop) | ₹40,000 |
| Domestic flight, Bangkok to Phuket or Krabi | ₹5,000 |
| Stay, 6 nights (your share) | ₹27,000 |
| Food, 7 days | ₹14,000 |
| Airport transfers, taxis, BTS | ₹7,000 |
| Temples, island tour, one show | ₹10,000 |
| Visa and Digital Arrival Card | Free |
| Total, 7 days from Bengaluru | ₹97,000 |
| Total, 5 days from Bengaluru (Bangkok and Pattaya, no domestic flight) | ₹73,000 |
Flights are the biggest swing. Fares are full-service economy for November to February dates outside the holiday weeks. Fares for Christmas and New Year week can be 50 to 80% higher than early December or mid-January. Book 6 to 10 weeks ahead for December. Kolkata and Chennai are usually the cheapest cities to fly from, Delhi and Pune the dearest.
The trip cost from Delhi has its own page with line-by-line numbers: Thailand trip cost from Delhi.
Should you book a Thailand package from India or plan a custom trip?
A package is cheaper to buy in one click; a custom trip is usually better value per night you actually enjoy. Packages from Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi are the most searched Thailand trip terms in India, so here is the honest comparison.
| Group or fixed package | Custom trip | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price, 5 to 6 nights, per person | Often ₹40,000 to ₹75,000 including flights | ₹45,000 to ₹90,000 depending on hotels |
| Hotels | Fixed, often "or similar" | You pick each one |
| Pace | Set by the group; early starts, shopping stops | Yours |
| Pattaya night | Almost always included | Only if you want it |
| Best for | First trip abroad, big family group, fixed budget | Couples, friends, anyone with a clear idea of what they want |
Three checks before you pay for any Thailand tour package from Mumbai, Delhi or Bangalore:
- Count the hotel changes. More than three in a week means you spend the trip packing.
- Ask what "Phi Phi tour" means. A big-boat ferry with 300 people and a speedboat with 30 are different days at very different prices.
- Check the flight times. Many packages use red-eye flights that arrive at 6 am, before you can check in.
The big Indian package sellers (online travel agencies and tour operators) all list Thailand; compare the same hotel names and the same number of nights across them, not the headline price. A good agency, package or custom, should answer three questions in writing: which hotels by name, which flights by time, and what happens if a flight is cancelled.
How many days do you need in Thailand?
- 4 to 5 days: Bangkok and Pattaya, or Bangkok and one beach with a flight. Good for a long weekend plus leave.
- 7 days: Bangkok 3 nights, then Krabi or Phuket 4 nights with one island day. This is the one we recommend for a first trip.
- 10 days: add Chiang Mai for the north, or split the beach between Phuket and Krabi.
When is the best time for a Thailand trip?
November to February. It is the cool, dry season in Bangkok and the north, and the calm-sea season on the Andaman coast (Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi). March to May is very hot. June to October is the rainy season on the west coast, when some boat trips are cancelled, but prices drop.
The Gulf islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, Koh Tao) run on a different clock: their wettest months are October to December, and January to August is good.
| Region | Best | Okay | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok and Pattaya | Nov to Feb | Mar, Jun to Oct (short showers) | Apr and May if you hate heat |
| Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi | Nov to Apr | May, Oct | Jun to Sep, for rough seas |
| Koh Samui and the Gulf islands | Jan to Aug | Sep | Oct to Dec |
| Chiang Mai and the north | Nov to Feb | Jun to Oct | Mar and Apr, for burning-season haze |
Diwali and Christmas to New Year are the busiest weeks for Indian travellers, and fares show it. Month by month detail: best time to visit Thailand.
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?
No, not for a holiday of up to 30 days. Since 15 September 2026, Indian passport holders get a 30-day visa exemption for tourism (it was 60 days before). You can extend once, by up to 30 more days, at a Thai immigration office for THB 1,900.
What you need at the airport:
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC): free, filed online at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before you land. Any site that charges for it is not the official one.
- Passport valid for 6 months, a return or onward ticket within 30 days, and your hotel booking.
- Funds: officers can ask to see THB 10,000 per person or THB 20,000 per family, in cash or card. They do not always ask.
A plan for a paid visa on arrival for Indians was dropped in July 2026.
Where should you stay in Thailand?
Pick two bases: one city, one beach. Three if you have 10 days.
| Base | Nights | Who it suits | Mid-range per room |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok (Riverside, Siam or Sukhumvit) | 2 to 3 | Everyone. Temples, food, shopping | ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 |
| Krabi (Ao Nang or Railay) | 3 to 4 | Couples, scenery, island hopping, a calmer beach | ₹5,000 to ₹12,000 |
| Phuket (Kata, Karon, Kamala or Patong) | 3 to 4 | Families, nightlife, more hotel choice | ₹5,000 to ₹14,000 |
| Pattaya | 1 to 2 | Short trips from Bangkok, groups, budget | ₹3,500 to ₹7,000 |
| Koh Samui | 3 to 4 | Honeymoons, resorts, Jan to Aug | ₹7,000 to ₹18,000 |
Named hotels by area: where to stay in Bangkok and where to stay in Phuket. Krabi and Phuket each have their own guide: Krabi trip and Phuket trip.
What are the best things to do in Thailand?
- The Grand Palace and Wat Pho, Bangkok. Go at 8:30 am when the palace opens. Entry is THB 500 (about ₹1,425) for the palace and THB 300 for Wat Pho. Cover shoulders and knees.
The Grand Palace, Bangkok, lit up at dusk. Photo: Wikimedia Commons - Wat Arun at sunset from across the river, then a river-view dinner. Entry THB 200.
Wat Arun on the Chao Phraya river, Bangkok. Photo: Wikimedia Commons - A Phi Phi or Four Islands boat day from Phuket or Krabi. Leave at 7 to 8 am to reach Maya Bay before the crowds. The Maya Bay park fee is THB 400.
Ko Phi Phi Don, a stop on most island boat days. Photo: Wikimedia Commons - Railay by longtail boat from Ao Nang: cliffs, beaches and no roads.
Railay Beach and its limestone cliffs, Krabi. Photo: Wikimedia Commons - Shopping in Bangkok: Chatuchak on weekends, Pratunam for wholesale clothes, Siam for malls.
Stalls at Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok. Photo: Wikimedia Commons 
Siam Paragon mall, Siam, Bangkok. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The full ranked list with time and cost: things to do in Thailand. Weighing a beach?
How do you get to Thailand from India?
Fly into Bangkok. Nonstop flights run from most Indian metros on IndiGo, Air India, Thai Airways and Thai AirAsia. Bangkok has two airports: Suvarnabhumi (BKK) for most full-service flights and Don Mueang (DMK) for many budget flights. Check which one is on your ticket.
| From | To Bangkok, nonstop | Direct to the beach |
|---|---|---|
| Kolkata | About 3 hours | Check on your dates |
| Chennai | About 3.5 hours | Check on your dates |
| Bengaluru | About 4 hours | Phuket (Air India Express, about 3.75 hours) and Krabi (IndiGo) |
| Mumbai | About 4.25 hours | Krabi (IndiGo) |
| Delhi | About 4.5 hours | Phuket (IndiGo) |
| Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad | Nonstop on some days, otherwise one stop | One stop |
Flying straight to Phuket or Krabi and home from Bangkok (an open-jaw ticket) saves one domestic flight and half a day. Bangkok to Phuket or Krabi is about 1 hour 20 minutes by air.
Does the plan change if you fly from Chennai, Mumbai, Pune or Delhi?
A little. The trip is the same; the flights decide which end you start at.
- Bengaluru: the most choice. Nonstops to Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi mean you can fly into the beach and out of Bangkok without backtracking. Thailand trip packages from Bangalore often use the Phuket nonstop for exactly this reason.
- Chennai and Kolkata: short, cheap flights to Bangkok, so start in Bangkok and fly down to the beach.
- Mumbai: nonstops to Bangkok and Krabi. Krabi first, Bangkok last works well, because Bangkok has more late flights home.
- Delhi: the longest flight, about 4.5 hours, and many departures are overnight. Pick a daytime flight if you can, or keep the first day light. Delhi also has a nonstop to Phuket.
- Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad: check for a nonstop on your dates; otherwise one stop via Mumbai, Delhi or Bengaluru adds 3 to 5 hours. Thailand packages from Pune usually fly via Mumbai.
Is Thailand good for vegetarians and Indian food?
Yes, with two words to learn. Bangkok has dozens of Indian restaurants, many pure vegetarian, around Pahurat (Little India) and Sukhumvit. At Thai places, ask for "jay" (vegan, no meat, fish or egg) and say "mai sai nam pla" (no fish sauce), because fish sauce and shrimp paste go into many curries and salads that look vegetarian. Phuket and Krabi beach towns all have Indian restaurants. Jain food is possible in Bangkok with notice.
Money and safety tips
- Thailand uses the baht (THB). THB 1 is about ₹2.85. A forex card works at ATMs, but most Thai ATMs charge about THB 220 per withdrawal, so take out larger amounts less often.
- Cards work in hotels and malls; carry cash for street food, taxis and boats.
- Use Grab or Bolt in Bangkok and Phuket instead of street taxis. In Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT beat traffic.
- Temples need covered shoulders and knees. Carry a light scarf and trousers.
- Skip tiger photo spots and elephant rides. Pick an elephant sanctuary that does not allow riding.
- Travel insurance is worth it for boat trips and scooters. Most policies exclude scooter accidents without a valid licence.
Plan your Thailand trip
How Cura plans a Thailand trip
Cura is an AI + human travel agent. For Thailand, the planning that matters is choosing one beach instead of three, the flight timings on both ends, and which island day fits the sea that week. We also watch flights through the night.
FAQ
What is the average cost of a Thailand trip from India?
About ₹55,000 to ₹1,00,000 per person for 7 days with flights, mid-range hotels, one domestic flight and an island tour. Budget travellers can do 5 days in Bangkok and Pattaya for about ₹45,000 to ₹52,000.
Is Thailand visa free for Indians?
Yes, for tourism stays of up to 30 days since 15 September 2026. You must file the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival and carry a return ticket.
Which month is best for a Thailand trip?
November to February for Bangkok, Phuket and Krabi. For Koh Samui, January to August is better, because its rains come from October to December.
Is a Thailand package from Bangalore cheaper than booking myself?
Sometimes, for budget hotels and group tours. Once you want specific hotels or fewer hotel changes, booking a custom trip usually costs about the same and fits you better. Compare the same hotels and nights, not the headline price.
Is 5 days enough for Thailand?
Five days covers Bangkok and one beach if you fly between them, or Bangkok and Pattaya by road. For Bangkok plus Krabi or Phuket without rushing, take 7.
How should I plan the route for a Thailand trip?
City first, beach last: India → Bangkok → Krabi (or Phuket) → India. You see the temples while you have energy, and end the trip relaxed on the beach. Book an open-jaw ticket (into Bangkok, home from Krabi or Phuket) so you never backtrack.
- India to Bangkok (3 to 4.5 hours). Land at Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK). Stay 3 nights.
- Bangkok to Krabi or Phuket by air (about 1 hour 20 minutes). Krabi airport to Ao Nang is about 40 minutes by road.
- Island day from the beach base. Ao Nang to Railay is about 15 minutes by longtail boat. Krabi or Phuket to Phi Phi is about 1.5 to 2 hours by ferry, less by speedboat.
- Home from Krabi or Phuket, nonstop to Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi on some days, otherwise via Bangkok.
For 5 days, do Bangkok and Pattaya (about 2 hours by road). For 10 days, go Bangkok → Chiang Mai (about 1 hour 15 minutes by air) → Krabi or Phuket. Avoid adding a third beach in a week: every move between islands costs half a day in boats and transfers.
Can I use Indian rupees in Thailand?
Not for spending. Carry a forex card or some baht from home, and change rupees only at a few big exchange counters in Bangkok, which give poor rates.
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