Thailand Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know
Thailand is one of the least demanding countries in Asia to travel in. The infrastructure works, English is widely spoken in tourist areas, and almost nothing requires advance planning.
Which is exactly why the things that do require it catch people out. A mandatory arrival form that didn't exist on your last trip, an ATM fee that has quietly climbed, a visa rule mid-change. This guide covers the practical layer. Where to go is a separate question, answered in our Thailand destination guide.
At a glance
- Currency Thai baht (฿) Roughly ₹2.85 to ฿1
- Best months Nov to Feb nationwide Coast varies by side
- Entry Visa-free for Indians Plus mandatory TDAC
- Daily budget ₹2,500 to ₹6,000 ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 mid-range
- When is the best time to visit?
- Visa and entry requirements
- Money, ATMs and costs
- SIM cards, eSIMs and getting around
- Safety, scams and packing
- The rest of our Thailand guides
- Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Thailand?
November to February is the reliable nationwide window: cooler, drier, and the north's clearest air. But the two coasts run opposite monsoons. The Andaman side (Phuket, Krabi) is best November to April, while the Gulf side (Koh Samui, Koh Tao) works January to September.
March to May is the hot season, and in Bangkok that means heat that genuinely limits how much sightseeing you can do in a day. It's also when agricultural burning makes air quality around Chiang Mai and Pai hazardous, the single most underreported seasonal problem in Thailand.
The monsoon split. Travelling in July? Go Gulf, not Andaman. Travelling in November? The reverse. January to March is the overlap when both coasts behave.
Visa and entry requirements
Indian passport holders can currently enter visa-free for 60 days, though a Cabinet-approved reform will reduce this to a 30-day visa exemption once published in the Royal Gazette, taking effect 15 days later. Separately, every traveller must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival.
The visa picture has been widely misreported. The Cabinet approved scrapping the 60-day exemption on 19 May 2026, and early coverage placed India in the 15-day Visa on Arrival tier. A review on 14 July changed that. The Tourism Authority of Thailand confirmed India would move to the 30-day exemption tier, citing trade importance and an average Indian stay of 7.17 days. As of mid-August 2026 nothing had been gazetted, so 60 days still applied at the border, and the change is not retroactive.
Confirm Royal Gazette status via the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and the TAT newsroom. This is the fastest-moving fact on this page.
The TDAC replaced the old paper form and is the thing most likely to trip up a repeat visitor, because it didn't exist a couple of years ago. It's free, takes minutes, and without it an airline can refuse boarding. Also carry: passport valid six months beyond entry, a return ticket, accommodation proof, and evidence of funds (THB 20,000 per person, THB 40,000 per family). Extensions cost THB 1,900 at an immigration office. If paperwork-light destinations appeal generally, our guide to visa-free countries for Indian passport holders is the wider view.
Money, ATMs and what things cost
Thai ATMs charge a flat foreign-card fee, long quoted at ฿220, but in 2026 some machines display ฿250 with Visa and up to ฿350 with certain Mastercards. Withdraw the maximum per transaction (usually ฿20,000 to ฿30,000), and always decline the ATM's offer to convert to your home currency.
That flat fee is charged per withdrawal, not per baht, so the arithmetic is simple: five withdrawals of ฿10,000 cost five times what one withdrawal of ฿25,000 does. Check the fee on screen before confirming. It varies by bank and machine, and AEON ATMs have historically been among the cheapest.
Always choose to be charged in baht. If a machine offers to bill you in rupees, that's dynamic currency conversion and the rate is worse, every time.
| Item | In baht | In rupees | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street food meal | ฿40–80 | ₹115–230 | |
| Beer at a tourist bar | ฿80–150 | ₹230–430 | |
| Grab across central Bangkok | ฿60–150 | ₹170–430 | |
| Hour-long Thai massage | ฿250–600 | ₹710–1,700 | |
| Tourist SIM, 8 days unlimited | ฿499 | ₹1,420 |
Thailand runs on a cash-card mix that shifts by location. Bangkok malls take contactless; island beach bars, tuk-tuks and market vendors want notes. Carry US dollars from India and convert on arrival rather than buying baht at an Indian airport counter, and check cash limits on international flights from India before you pack.
SIM cards, eSIMs and getting around
Three networks matter: AIS, TrueMove H and dtac, all with 5G in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya, and solid 4G almost everywhere else. Tourist packages run roughly ฿299 to ฿1,250 depending on data and duration; True's 8-day unlimited plan sits around ฿499. Buy an eSIM before you fly. Airport kiosks are easy to find and consistently more expensive than sorting it in advance.
For transport, Grab is the default in cities and removes the haggling entirely. Bangkok's BTS Skytrain and MRT beat road traffic by a wide margin during rush hour. Between regions, domestic flights are cheap and frequent, with Bangkok to Phuket, Krabi or Samui taking about ninety minutes. Sleeper trains and buses are slower but genuinely comfortable, and overnight travel saves a hotel night.
Scooter rental is the cheapest way around islands and small towns, and also where a large share of traveller injuries happen. Ride only with a licence that actually covers you, and confirm your policy does too.
Safety, scams and what to pack
Thailand is safe for tourists by most measures, and the risks that exist are mundane rather than dramatic. Road accidents are the real one, especially on scooters, and especially during Songkran in mid-April, when accident rates spike sharply.
The persistent scams are old and easy to spot once named. Anyone who approaches you outside a major temple to say it's closed today is steering you toward a gem or tailor shop; the temple is open. Tuk-tuk drivers offering an all-day tour for a token price make their money on commission stops. And jet-ski operators who find damage on return are common enough at beach resorts that it's worth photographing the machine before you take it out.
Pack light: it's hot, laundry is cheap and everywhere, and you'll buy clothes. Bring covered shoulders and knees for temples, reef-safe sunscreen, a plug adapter, and any medication in original packaging. Travel insurance matters more here than in most destinations because of the scooter factor. Our complete guide to travel insurance covers what cover you actually need.
Alcohol sales are banned nationwide on major Buddhist holidays. Bars can't serve and shops lock the fridges.
Thailand's lèse-majesté provisions protecting the monarchy are enforced seriously against foreigners too. Don't joke about the royal family, and don't step on banknotes, which carry the King's image.
The rest of our Thailand guides
- Best places to visit in Thailand Which regions and islands, and when each works
- Thailand itinerary guide 5, 7, 10 and 14-day routes and multi-city pairings
- Best things to do in Thailand Diving, Muay Thai, island hopping, national parks
- Thai culture, food and local life Street food, festivals, Buddhism and etiquette
Frequently asked questions
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?
Not currently. The 60-day visa exemption remained in force as of August 2026, though a reform will reduce it to 30 days once published in the Royal Gazette. Everyone must complete the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours before arrival.
How much money should you carry to Thailand?
Carry US dollars and convert on arrival. Exchange ฿3,000 to ฿5,000 at the airport for your first taxi, SIM and meal, then use city exchange booths for larger amounts, which beat airport rates comfortably.
Is it better to buy a SIM at the airport or an eSIM?
An eSIM bought before you fly. Airport kiosks are convenient but consistently charge more than international eSIM plans arranged in advance.
What's the cheapest month to visit Thailand?
The wet season, roughly May to October, brings the lowest prices, but you need the right coast. In those months the Gulf islands work while the Andaman coast doesn't.
Sort the practical layer before you fly
Thailand is easy. Getting one detail wrong is easier: a form that didn't exist on your last trip, a visa rule mid-change, the wrong coast for the month you picked.
Artictern pins all of it to your actual dates. What's required, what's open, and what the weather is doing where you're headed, checked while you're still planning rather than while you're standing at a check-in desk.
