Indian passport holders do not need a visa for a holiday in Thailand. As of today you are admitted visa-free for 60 days. That number is about to become 30 days — the Thai cabinet approved the cut on 14 July 2026, but it is not law yet, and until it is published in the Royal Gazette the 60-day rule you already know still applies at the airport.
That gap is the whole story, and most pages covering it get it backwards. Below is what is true today, what changes, and what triggers the change.
The state of play, in three lines#
- Today: 60 days visa-free, under the scheme in force since 15 July 2024.
- Approved on 14 July 2026: 60 days becomes 30 days for Indians.
- In force from: 15 days after the Royal Gazette publishes five Ministry of Interior announcements. As of 25 July 2026 that publication has not been confirmed.
So if you are flying in the next few weeks, plan on 60 days but do not build a trip that depends on day 45 — check again a week before you fly.
What was actually decided on 14 July#
The cabinet did not single out India. It scrapped the 60-day exemption for all 93 countries and territories that had it, and rebuilt the scheme on a "one country, one entitlement" principle:
Entitlement | Who gets it |
|---|---|
30 days visa-free | 59 countries and territories, including India |
15 days visa-free | Mauritius, Seychelles |
Visa on arrival | Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia |
Total coverage: 65 countries and territories, down from 93.
The Thai government's stated reasons are security screening and misuse of long visa-free stays — the National Security Council had warned that a 60-day window was being used by foreign criminal groups. Tourism officials also pointed at travel behaviour: Indian visitors stay 7.2 days on average, so a 60-day allowance was never the thing bringing them in.
Read carefully, this is a cut for Indians: India was on the original list of 93 that received 60 days in July 2024. Several outlets have described it as Thailand "restoring" or "granting" 30-day visa-free entry to Indians. That framing comes from the Thai side, where being kept in the 59 counts as a win — dozens of countries were dropped from the scheme entirely. From a Delhi or Mumbai passport, it is still 60 down to 30.
What has not changed#
You still need the TDAC. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is mandatory for every nationality on every entry route, including visa-free entry. It is free, it is filed online, and the window is 72 hours before arrival — you cannot do it earlier. It replaced the paper TM6 card and it is not a visa. Airlines have denied boarding over a missing one. We have a step-by-step TDAC guide if you have not filed one before.
You still need to be able to show money. Thailand's proof-of-funds rule dates to 1980 and was never repealed; it just went unenforced for years. On 6 July 2026 the Tourism Authority of Thailand put out a reminder, and on 2 July the Indian Embassy in Bangkok issued its own advisory to Indian nationals. The published thresholds:
Entry route | Per person | Per family |
|---|---|---|
Visa-exempt, transit, visa on arrival | THB 10,000 | THB 20,000 |
Tourist or non-immigrant visa | THB 20,000 | THB 40,000 |
The Indian Embassy advisory tells travellers to carry THB 20,000. Cash is what officers ask to see; a card statement is not a reliable substitute. Groups are asked for individual document sets — one person carrying everyone's papers is a common reason a family gets pulled aside.
You still need a return or onward ticket and a confirmed address for the first nights.
If you need longer than the visa-free stay#
Two routes, both applied for before you fly:
- Tourist visa (TR) through the official Thai e-Visa portal, thaievisa.go.th. Single-entry, longer stay, and it survives whatever happens to the exemption scheme. The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi and the consulates across India revised their fee schedule with effect from 27 April 2026 — check the current figure on the embassy's own page rather than a travel blog, because that schedule moved this year.
- Extension at immigration inside Thailand. Under the 60-day scheme you could apply for another 30 days at an immigration office, at the officer's discretion. Whether that provision carries over to the 30-day entitlement is one of the details still sitting in the unpublished announcements — treat it as unknown, not as a plan.
Which route is yours#
Your trip | Route | Cost |
|---|---|---|
Holiday under 30 days | Visa-free + TDAC | Free |
Holiday of 30–60 days, flying before the new rule takes effect | Visa-free + TDAC | Free |
Anything longer, or travel after the change | Tourist visa (TR) via e-Visa | Embassy fee schedule, revised 27 Apr 2026 |
Business meetings, short work | Visa-free covers business engagements and ad-hoc work | Free |
What to watch#
The trigger is mechanical: the Royal Gazette publishes the five Ministry of Interior announcements, and 15 days later the new entitlements take effect. Nobody can name the date until publication happens. Anyone telling you the 30-day rule "is now in force" without pointing at a Gazette date is guessing.
Two practical consequences:
- Book flexible for stays over 30 days. If your itinerary needs 45 days and the rule lands mid-trip, the entitlement at the moment you enter is what counts — but do not rely on that reading alone if a lot of money is on the line.
- Recheck within a week of departure. This is the single fastest-moving entry rule in the region right now.
Sources#
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand — visa exemption announcement, 93 countries, effective 15 July 2024
- Cabinet resolution of 14 July 2026, as reported by the Government of Thailand and Bangkok Post
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, notice of 16 July 2026: measures pending Royal Gazette publication, effective 15 days after
- Tourism Authority of Thailand, proof-of-funds reminder, 6 July 2026
- Embassy of India, Bangkok — advisory to Indian nationals, 2 July 2026
Rules verified on 25 July 2026. Entry requirements are the traveller's responsibility; confirm on the Royal Thai Embassy and immigration websites before you fly.