How to Reach (Thailand)

Flights

There are 2 ways in how to reach Thailand from India – by air and by road. The road route is long. If you love road trips and have more time, this can be fun. We will stick to air travel in our posts. There are direct flights to Bangkok from Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. It takes around 3-4 hours in a direct flight to Bangkok. Direct flights also operate to Phuket from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru. Kolkata being the cheapest.

Of course, the rates vary depending upon luggage, time, stops and route. Flights from Kolkata are the shortest and the cheapest. A return ticket from Kolkata to Bangkok can cost you around ₹10,500-24,000. Budget airlines do not offer check-in luggage. They only allow a cabin luggage of 7 kg. Please do not book it thinking that you might pack much more weight than that into it because some budget airlines weigh your cabin luggage also during your check in process. If you luggage happens to cross the limit, it will be a nightmare. You will have to pay much more than what you would if you booked a flight with check in luggage.

We always suggest that in order to keep the tickets affordable as well as comfortable buy extra luggage before checking in. This allows you to purchase luggage at affordable rates than what you would have to pay at the airport. Please check our research tip to learn more about how we book our flight tickets.

Visa

Good news to everyone planning a visit to Thailand! You can travel to Thailand without a visa, and stay up to 30 days, starting from 10 November 2023 to 10 May 2024.

Once you have decided how to reach Thailand, there is another very important point to remember. Since, Thailand is an international destination, you definitely require your passport and a visa to reach there. Here, we cover in detail the process, forms and documents, and the fees to obtain visa for Thailand. Sometimes Thailand includes India on the list of countries that do not require a visa to enter Thailand.

Process of VISA

Unfortunately, India is currently not on the visa exempt list of countries by the Thailand immigration department. It is always a relief because the cost of a Thai visa is on the expensive side. Indians have both visa on arrival (VoA) as well as eVoA facility in Thailand.

Visa on Arrival (VoA)

The complete process was lengthy in the past which required 2 page detailed form to fill and stand in a long queue waiting for your turn. It used to take 1-1.5 hours in that process at Bangkok airport. Now, the rules have been simplified and a special drive of visa in 10 minutes is continued to enable tourists visiting Thailand have a hassle free experience.

The process really takes less than 10 minutes at an added cost of 200 Baht. You only need to fill up a one page form and pay a fees of 2200 Baht to obtain the visa on arrival. You will need to carry a passport with more than 6 months validity, your boarding pass for flight details and a passport size photo with white/blue background. The visa is quite costly which comes around to ₹5,600 @₹2.5 but the validity of the visa is 15 days on a single entry.

eVisa on Arrival (eVoA)

India is on the list of countries that may apply for eVoA. It is not mandatory but saves you from the long queues at the airport immigration. It takes 24-72 hrs only to get approval so in our opinion, you do not need a express service. The process to apply for eVoA is detailed as under:

At present E-VOA is available at 4 airports in Thailand as listed below:

  • Suvarnabhumi International Airport
  • Don Mueang International Airport
  • Chiang Mai International Airport
  • Phuket International Airport

Register through this official website and follow the following 3 steps:

  • Step 1: Provide the Application details and upload the necessary Documents (
    • Passport cover page (accept .jpg file size not over 200KB)
    • Passport bio page (accept .jpg file size not over 200KB)
    • Departure and Return Airline tickets (accept .pdf file size not over 1024KB)
    • Full trip of accommodation (accept pdf file size not over 1024KB)
    • Photograph size 4×6 cm. (accept .jpg file size not over 200KB)
  • Step 2: Pay the fee online (non refundable)
    • Regular Visa fee: 2000 THB (same for express visa)
    • Regular Service fee: 500 THB ( additional 2500THB for express service)
  • Step 3: Download the pre- approved E-VOA

As soon as you arrive in Thailand with the pre-approved E-VOA, follow the steps mentioned below:

  • Go to the Visa on Arrival area in the immigration area and enter the dedicated E-VOA lane
  • Present your passport, your printed pre-approved E-VOA, and immigration’s receipt to the officer
  • Get the final immigration approval and enter Thailand
Tip

Keep a printout of your onward and return ticket along with your accommodation bookings with you for visa on arrival. At the time of checking in at your departure airport, you will be required to show these documents to the airport staff before you get your boarding pass and the proof of how much Thai currency you are carrying with you. Do not forget to carry them! Apart from these nothing else is required even at the immigration of the destination airport.

Travel insurance is not mandatory now post COVID. Notwithstanding, it is always advised to buy one while travelling abroad for emergency. You may purchase a travel insurance of at least $25,000, to be prepared in case of emergency. Medical expenses in a foreign country may not be very affordable. We have mentioned the required documents in our travel tips here.