Is Thailand good for families with children?

It is one of the easiest places in Asia to travel with children. Bangkok with Pattaya needs no internal flight, transfers are short, and there is plenty built for children, from Coral Island to Safari World and the aquariums. Phuket works too, though the drive from the airport is long. Thai food is easily ordered mild, hotels are used to Indian families, and medical care in the tourist cities is good. The main things to watch are road safety and sun.

Is Thailand good for a honeymoon?

Yes, and it is usually the cheapest way to get a good beach honeymoon from India. Krabi and Railay give you the cliffs and quiet, Koh Samui has the better resorts, and Phuket suits couples who want things open in the evening. A common shape is two nights in Bangkok then four or five on an island. Because there is no visa to arrange and flights are frequent, it is also the easiest to book at short notice.

Is Thailand safe for solo women travellers?

Thailand is one of the most travelled countries in Asia and is generally considered safe for solo women, with the usual precautions. The practical risks are road accidents, particularly on rented scooters, drink spiking in nightlife areas, and overcharging rather than theft. Use a booking app rather than accepting street offers, agree prices before getting into a tuk-tuk, and keep an eye on your drink. Buses and trains between cities are well used by solo travellers.

Can you use Indian rupees or Indian cards in Thailand?

Indian rupees are not exchanged in Thailand, so carry US dollars to change or withdraw Thai baht from an ATM after you land. Thai ATMs charge a fixed fee per withdrawal on foreign cards, so take out larger amounts less often. Indian debit and credit cards work at ATMs, hotels, malls and larger restaurants. Street food, markets, tuk-tuks and the islands are largely cash. Authorised money changers in Bangkok, such as those around Sukhumvit, give better rates than airport counters.

What should you know about local customs in Thailand?

The monarchy is the one to take seriously: criticising the King or the royal family is a criminal offence and is prosecuted. Beyond that, remove your shoes before entering temples and homes, dress covered at temples with shoulders and knees, and never point your feet at a person or a Buddha image. The head is considered sacred, so do not touch anyone's. The wai, a slight bow with palms together, is the greeting and is returned rather than initiated with staff. Tipping is not expected but is becoming common.

Thailand Travel Guide & Tourism (2026)

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Thailand Travel Essentials

Region: Southeast Asia , Far East, Asia

Ideal Duration: 5 to 6 days for one region, 8 to 10 to add an island

Currency: Thai Baht (THB)

Best Time: November to February, and June to September for the Gulf islands

Accommodation Cost (per night in USD): Dorm bed: $5-15
Budget: $20-40
Mid-range: $50-100
Luxury: $150 and above

Budget for Food & Drinks (per day in USD): Budget: $10-20
Mid-range: $30-50

Visa Policy for Indians: Visa-free, but the Digital Arrival Card is required

Visa Policy for Other Nationals: Visa-free, on arrival or e-visa depending on nationality

Getting In Thailand: Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) in Bangkok, Phuket International Airport (HKT), Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX) Read More

Getting Around Thailand: Tuk-tuks, taxis, buses, trains, motorbikes, songthaews, and domestic flights for longer distances Read More

Tourist Places to Visit In Thailand

Bangkok

Phuket

Pattaya

Krabi

Koh Samui

Phi Phi Islands

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Must Know Before You Travel to Thailand

Digital arrival card: Everyone must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before arrival. It is free on the official government site, and can be filled up to three days before you fly.
The royal family: Insulting or criticising the monarchy is a criminal offence, including in posts made while you are in the country.
Songkran: 13 to 15 April. Prices and crowds peak, transport fills, and you will get soaked in the street.
Temples: The Grand Palace and the major temples turn people away for shorts or bare shoulders.

Thailand Tourism

Thailand is the easiest first trip abroad for an Indian traveller. Indians enter visa-free, there are more direct flights from more Indian cities than to anywhere else in Southeast Asia, and the tourist infrastructure is built for people who have not done this before. What you get for that ease is a country with three quite different holidays inside it: Bangkok with its temples and markets, the northern hills around Chiang Mai, and two separate island coasts that run on opposite seasons.

Bangkok is where most trips land and it rewards more than the one night people give it. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho sit by the river, Wat Arun is across it, and the markets run from Chatuchak at the weekend to the floating markets outside the city. Ayutthaya, the old capital, is a day trip north by train.

The north around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai is cooler, greener and slower. Temples on hilltops, night bazaars, cooking classes, and ethical elephant sanctuaries where the animals are observed rather than ridden. It is the part of Thailand that feels least like a beach holiday.

The Andaman coast in the south west is Phuket, Krabi, Phi Phi and Khao Lak: limestone cliffs straight out of the sea, long-tail boats and the best-known beaches. It runs dry from November to April.

The Gulf coast in the south east is Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, and it runs on the opposite calendar, roughly January to September. Koh Tao is where most people in Asia learn to dive.

How it compares. Thailand is the easiest country in the region to travel from India: no visa, the most flights, and everything set up for visitors. Vietnam gives you more variety per week and costs less on the ground. Bali gives you villas at better prices and a Hindu culture that feels familiar. Thailand's advantage is that nothing about it is hard, which is exactly what you want on a first trip or a short one.

Five to six days covers one region, usually Bangkok with Pattaya, or Phuket with Krabi. Eight to ten days lets you put a city and an island together, or add the north.

Beaches in Thailand

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Top Experiences in Thailand

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Doi Inthanon National Park

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

Best time to visit Thailand

The best time to visit Thailand is November to April. Dry days, calm seas, and it covers both the cool months and Songkran.November to February is the most comfortable, and the only stretch when Bangkok, Chiang Mai and both coasts work on one trip. March and April are hot inland but still excellent ... (Read More)

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Food in Thailand, and eating vegetarian

Thai food is built on a balance of sour, sweet, salty and hot, and it is chilli-forward in a way Indian travellers usually enjoy. Pad thai and green and red curries are the familiar ones. Tom yum is the hot and sour soup, som tam is a green papaya salad, and mango sticky rice is the dessert everyone orders twice.

Vegetarians need one word: jay. Written as a yellow and red sign, jay food is Buddhist vegan cooking with no meat, egg, dairy or garlic, and jay stalls are common in every city. If you eat egg and dairy, ask for mangsawirat instead.

The catch is that fish sauce and shrimp paste are the base of most Thai cooking, including dishes that look vegetarian. Pad thai usually has both. Say mai sai nam pla, no fish sauce, and mai sai gapi, no shrimp paste, and expect it to need repeating.

Indian food is easy to find. Bangkok has a long-established Indian quarter around Phahurat near Chinatown, and Phuket, Krabi and Pattaya all have Indian restaurants aimed at visitors. Tap water is not for drinking; bottled water is everywhere and cheap.

Bangkok, the north or the islands: choosing your Thailand

Thailand is really three holidays, and the first decision is which one you are booking.

Bangkok and the centre suits a short trip and a first visit. Temples, river boats, markets and rooftop bars, with Ayutthaya's ruins a day trip away and Pattaya two hours by road if you want a beach attached.

The north, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, suits people who want hills, culture and cooler air rather than a beach. Temples, cooking schools, night bazaars and ethical elephant sanctuaries. It is the quietest part of the country.

The Andaman coast, Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi, is the postcard Thailand of limestone cliffs and long-tail boats. Busiest and best connected, and dry from November to April.

The Gulf coast, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, is quieter, cheaper and runs on the opposite calendar, roughly January to September.

The seasons are the thing to plan around. The two coasts are dry at different times, so a trip that tries to do both usually gets rained on somewhere. Five to six days for one region, eight to ten to combine two.

What a week in Thailand looks like

The two trips most people from India actually book are a city and beach week, or an island week.

Bangkok and Pattaya, five to six days. Two nights in Bangkok for the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, a morning at a floating market and an evening on the river. Then two hours by road to Pattaya for the beach, Coral Island and the Sanctuary of Truth. This is the shape most of our packages follow and it needs no internal flight.

Phuket and Krabi, six to seven days. Fly into Phuket, three nights for Patong and the Phi Phi day trip, then a ferry or road transfer to Krabi and Railay for the limestone cliffs and the Four Islands tour. Both sit on the Andaman coast, so the season is the same for each.

Bangkok and Chiang Mai, eight days. The version for people who have already done the beaches, with a short domestic flight north to temples, markets and the hills.

Distances inside Bangkok are what people underestimate. Use the BTS Skytrain and the MRT rather than taxis at rush hour, and keep the Grand Palace for early morning.

The experiences people build a trip around

The Grand Palace and Wat Pho. Bangkok's centrepiece, with the Emerald Buddha next door and a 46 metre reclining Buddha a short walk away. Go at opening time and dress covered, shoulders and knees, or you will be turned away.

Phi Phi and Maya Bay. A day by long-tail or speedboat from Phuket or Krabi, through limestone islands to the bay the film made famous. It now has visitor limits and a swimming ban so the reef can recover.

Railay and the Four Islands. Krabi's cliffs rise straight out of the water, and Railay is reachable only by boat, which is what keeps it quieter than Phuket.

Learning to dive on Koh Tao. More people take their open water certification here than almost anywhere in the world, and it is among the cheapest places to do it.

An elephant sanctuary near Chiang Mai. Choose one where the elephants are fed and watched rather than ridden or bathed with, which is the standard the better camps now hold to.

Songkran, 13 to 15 April. Thai New Year, and the largest water fight on earth. Worth travelling for if you want it, and worth avoiding if you do not.

Thailand for families, couples and first-time travellers

Families. Bangkok with Pattaya is the easiest family trip in the region: no internal flight, short transfers, and everything from Coral Island to Safari World built for children. Phuket works too, though the drive from the airport is long. Thai food is easy to order mild, and hotels are used to Indian families and will do plain rice and dal on request.

Couples. Krabi and Railay for the cliffs, or Koh Samui for a quieter beach and better resorts. Phuket suits couples who want things to do in the evening; Krabi suits couples who want the view.

First-time travellers abroad. This is the country to start with. No visa to arrange, more direct flights from India than anywhere else in the region, English on signage, and a tourism industry that has been doing this for fifty years. The one thing to sort before you fly is the digital arrival card.

Groups. Bangkok and Pattaya is the standard group trip, and Phuket the island version. Book transfers in advance rather than negotiating at the airport.

Getting around Thailand

Between regions, fly. Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion, Nok Air and Bangkok Airways run cheap domestic routes. Bangkok to Phuket, Krabi or Chiang Mai is roughly an hour and a half, and booking a week or two ahead keeps fares low.

In Bangkok, use the BTS Skytrain and the MRT. They are the only reliable way to move at rush hour, when road traffic barely moves. The Chao Phraya express boats are cheap and cover the riverside temples.

To the islands, ferries. Phuket to Phi Phi is about two hours, and Krabi and Koh Lanta connect to the same network. On the Gulf side, boats to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao run from Surat Thani and Chumphon. Sea crossings get cancelled in rough weather, so leave a buffer before an international flight.

In towns, Grab covers cars and motorbike taxis and settles the fare in advance, which removes the meter argument. Tuk-tuks are for short hops and are agreed before you get in.

Renting a scooter is common on the islands but you need an international driving permit with a motorcycle endorsement, and riding without one voids most travel insurance.

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FAQs on Thailand

Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?

Indian passport holders can enter Thailand without arranging a visa in advance for a short tourist stay, which is the main reason Thailand is the easiest first trip abroad from India. Separately, everyone entering Thailand must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card online before arrival. It is free on the official government site, replaced the old paper TM6 form in May 2025, and can be filled in up to three days before you fly. Entry rules do change, so confirm the current allowance when you book.

How do you reach Thailand from India?

Thailand has more direct flights from more Indian cities than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are served non-stop from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and several others, and the flight from Delhi takes about four hours. Phuket has direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai, and Chiang Mai is usually a connection through Bangkok. Domestic flights within Thailand are cheap and frequent.

How many days do you need in Thailand?

Five to six days covers one region comfortably, which is why Bangkok with Pattaya, or Phuket with Krabi, are the two trips most people book. Eight to ten days lets you combine a city with an island, or add the north around Chiang Mai. Under four days, stay in one place; Thailand is bigger than it looks and internal flights eat half a day each.

Is Thailand or Vietnam better for a first trip?

Thailand, on almost every practical measure. Indians enter visa-free, there are far more direct flights from more cities, English is widely used in tourist areas, and the infrastructure has been built around visitors for decades. Vietnam needs an e-visa arranged in advance and involves more internal travel. What Vietnam gives you in return is more variety in a single week and lower costs once you land. If it is your first trip out of India, or a short one, Thailand is the safer choice.

Is it easy to find vegetarian food in Thailand?

Yes, with one word: jay. Jay food is Buddhist vegan cooking, with no meat, egg, dairy or garlic, and jay stalls display a yellow and red sign. If you eat egg and dairy, ask for mangsawirat instead. The catch is that fish sauce and shrimp paste are the base of most Thai cooking, including dishes that look vegetarian, and pad thai usually contains both. Say mai sai nam pla for no fish sauce and mai sai gapi for no shrimp paste. Indian food is easy to find too, particularly around Phahurat in Bangkok and in Phuket, Krabi and Pattaya.

When is the best time to visit Thailand?

November to April across most of the country and the Andaman coast, which covers Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi. The Gulf islands run on the opposite calendar: Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao are at their best from roughly January to September. That difference matters, because a trip trying to combine Phuket and Koh Samui will usually catch rain on one of them. April is the hottest month and holds Songkran, the Thai New Year water festival, from 13 to 15 April.

Phuket or Krabi: which should you choose?

Both sit on the Andaman coast and share a season, so it comes down to what you want the days to feel like. Phuket is the bigger, busier island, with the most hotels, the most flights, Patong's nightlife and easy day trips to Phi Phi and James Bond Island. Krabi is quieter and more scenic: Ao Nang as a base, Railay reachable only by boat, and limestone cliffs that are the reason people photograph this coast. Many trips do both, since they are a couple of hours apart by ferry or road.

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