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🇹🇭 Thailand

Temples, street food, islands and some of Asia's best-value hotels. Indian passport holders can visit visa-free for short tourism trips, but every visitor must file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) before landing.

Rank 10 of 50 by international arrivals (35.5 million, 2024) · Source: UN Tourism

Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0

Check your visa route for Thailand

Pick your passport and where you live — Thailand is already filled in.

Visas or permits I hold (optional)

Visa rules for your passport ↓

Explore Thailand: things to do, shopping, food and getting around

Bangkok first, with a few regional night markets. Every item links to its source: the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Grand Palace, BTS and the express boat operator.

Things to do

Places to visit

Shopping

Cheap ways to get around

Nightlife

Food

General tips

Summarised in our own words from the linked pages, official tourism boards and transport authorities first; items marked "Not official" come from other guides. Prices and opening times change, so check the source before you go. Last checked 23 Oct 2026.

Common tourist traps and how to avoid them

Scams and risky spots named in official travel advice for Thailand, plus a few reported in public visitor reviews (labelled), in our own words.

  1. Passport left as a rental deposit

    How it works: Jet-ski and motorbike rental shops keep your passport and then demand payment for "damage".

    How to avoid it: Never hand over your passport as a guarantee.

  2. Motorbike bag-snatching

    How it works: Thieves on motorbikes grab bags, including from people in open tuk-tuks.

    How to avoid it: Carry bags on the side away from the road and hold on in tuk-tuks.

  3. Drink spiking and assault

    How it works: Drinks are spiked in tourist areas, followed by sexual assault or robbery, of men and women.

    How to avoid it: Do not accept drinks from strangers, and pre-arrange your ride home.

  4. Methanol poisoning

    How it works: People have died from drinks containing methanol.

    How to avoid it: Drink only sealed, branded drinks from reputable places; get urgent help for symptoms.

  5. ATM skimming and card fraud

    How it works: Cards are skimmed at ATMs or copied when taken out of sight.

    How to avoid it: Use ATMs inside banks, cover your PIN and keep your card in view.

  6. "Too good to be true" job offers

    How it works: People are taken to neighbouring countries for high-paid jobs that turn out to be forced scam work; passports are confiscated.

    How to avoid it: Verify any job offer and never give your passport to an employer.

  7. Unregistered rental scooters

    How it works: Many tourist rental bikes are unregistered; riding without the right licence can void your insurance.

    How to avoid it: Check registration, your licence and your insurance small print, and wear a helmet.

  8. Theft while sleeping on buses and trains

    How it works: Items are taken from bags while passengers sleep.

    How to avoid it: Keep valuables on you and avoid sleeping with bags unattended.

  9. "The Grand Palace is closed today"

    How it works: Near the Grand Palace, a friendly stranger says it's closed (for a ceremony or lunch) and offers a cheap tuk-tuk tour instead; visitors report being taken to gem, tailor or other shops that pay commission.

    How to avoid it: Walk to the official entrance and check yourself; opening times are on the palace's own website. Turn down unrequested tuk-tuk tours. For help, call the Tourist Police on 1155.

    From visitor reviews, not official Grand Palace area, Bangkok. Sources: reddit.com · reddit.com · reddit.com · royalgrandpalace.th. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Areas flagged in official advice

  • Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat provinces and the Chana, Thepa, Na Thawi and Saba Yoi districts of Songkhla (all but essential travel)
  • Hat Yai–Padang Besar railway line
  • Within 20 km of the Cambodian border (all but essential travel; landmines)

Official advice: FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the far-south provinces bordering Malaysia and within 20 km of the Cambodian border.

Emergency numbers in Thailand

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: FCDO travel advice – Safety and security · FCDO travel advice – Warnings and insurance · FCDO travel advice – Getting help (emergency numbers) · FCDO page updated 28 Sept 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Customs rules for banknotes and other cash when you enter or leave Thailand.

Not yet confirmed — check the official customs page. We couldn't confirm Thailand's cash limits on an official page yet, so we don't show a number. Check the current rules on en.customs.go.th →

Official source: en.customs.go.th · bot.or.th · Last checked 4 Oct 2026

Photos

Wat Arun, Bangkok
Wat Arun, Bangkok© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 3.0
Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok
Grand Palace & Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok© Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok
Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok© Jarcje at en.wikipedia · CC BY 2.5
Phi Phi Islands, Krabi
Phi Phi Islands, Krabi© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0

Where to stay in Bangkok

Bangkok is huge, cheap to stay in and generally safe — the main risks are scams and traffic rather than violent crime. Choose your base by its Skytrain (BTS), metro (MRT) or river-pier access.

  • Siam Square

    Best for: Shopping, central transport

    Many mid-range and upscale hotels next to the main malls and BTS interchange.

  • Sukhumvit

    Best for: Nightlife, food, all budgets

    Long BTS-served corridor with the city's widest choice of hotels.

  • Silom / Riverside

    Best for: Luxury and river views

    Home to some of the world's best-ranked riverside hotels, plus mid-range options.

  • Khao San Road (Banglamphu)

    Best for: Backpackers

    Bangkok's backpacker hub, close to the Grand Palace area.

Best places for shopping

  • Siam Square, MBK Center, Siam Paragon

    Fashion, electronics, luxury

    💡 Siam Square's small sois hold dozens of designer boutiques; MBK is the bargain mall.

  • Chatuchak Weekend Market

    Everything — ~8,000 stalls

    💡 Weekends only; one of the largest markets in Southeast Asia.

  • Pratunam

    Garments (wholesale)

    💡 Weekday alternative to Chatuchak; cheaper in bulk.

  • ICONSIAM, EmQuartier, Central Embassy

    Upscale malls

    💡 Quieter, luxury-focused.

  • Yaowarat (Chinatown) & Phahurat

    Gold, fabrics, local commerce

    💡 Phahurat is the best place for fabrics.

Areas to avoid & theft risks

Pickpocketing, mugging and scam hot-spots, each linked to its source.

Getting around Bangkok

  • BTS Skytrain & MRT

    Fastest way around central Bangkok; pick a hotel near a station.

  • Taxis

    Hail moving taxis on main roads or use a ride-hailing app; insist on the meter.

  • Tuk-tuks

    Agree the price first, and never accept 'tours' from drivers who approach you.

  • Chao Phraya express boats

    Scenic, cheap link between the riverside hotels and the Grand Palace area.

Text adapted from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0); safety items from official travel advice (UK FCDO, Open Government Licence v3.0). Sources: Wikivoyage – Bangkok · UK FCDO – Thailand travel advice. Last checked 3 Oct 2026.

Thailand embassies & visa centres

Verified locations only. Choose your country of residence above for the full list.

Pins use coordinates from OpenStreetMap (ODbL). Teal = embassy/consulate, blue = visa centre.

  • Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi

    Embassy

    50 N Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021

    Not needed for visa-free tourist trips of up to 30 days.

    Open in map ↗Source ↗

Visa check for Thailand: Indian passport by country of residence

Thailand visa rules by passport

The general rule for each passport, from official sources. Open a passport to see conditions and options that depend on where you live.

Visa-free78 passports
Visa on arrival3 passports
eVisa117 passports

Verified rules for Thailand: 198 of 198 passports; awaiting verification: 0; not yet covered: 0. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet.

Requirements for all visitors to Thailand

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • Arrival cardThailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)

    Applies to: all non-Thai nationals entering by air, land or sea (not airside transit). In force from 1 May 2025.

    Official source: tdac.immigration.go.th · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

  • HealthYellow fever certificate if arriving from a WHO yellow-fever risk country

    Applies to: travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from a country WHO lists as a yellow-fever risk country; also after an airport transit of more than 12 hours in such a country.

    Official source: cdn.who.int · Also checked: wwwnc.cdc.govNot official · Last checked 25 Oct 2026

Nearby destinations

Official travel advice

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Plan your trip to Thailand

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 2 Nov 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.