My Thailand checklist

The things that set the price and the paperwork

• Check your passport has six months left

  Thai immigration expects at least six months' validity on the date you fly. Renewals in India can take weeks, so check this before you book anything.

• Fix your dates against the weather and the crowds

  Pick a month and we will tell you what the weather and prices do.

  Month by month
• Set a rupee budget everyone agrees on

  Separate what you commit before you fly from what you spend on the ground, so the trip does not quietly grow.

  Trip cost estimator
• Read the entry rules for your length of stay

  Visa-free entry covers most holidays, but longer trips need a tourist e-visa or an extension. Check the rule that applies to your nights, with its source and date.

  Entry requirements

Book while there is still choice

• Book flights

  Fares from Indian metros firm up sharply inside two months, and more so around Diwali, Christmas and Songkran.

  Route benchmarks
• Book the first hotel, at least

  Immigration can ask where you are staying, and a confirmed first night makes arrival much easier.

Money, cover and the day-to-day plan

• Buy travel insurance

  Cover medical treatment, and check that scooters, diving and adventure activities are included if you plan them.

• Plan how you will carry money

  A mix works best: some baht bought in India, a forex card, and one card that does not charge a mark-up abroad. Thai ATMs charge a fixed fee per withdrawal.

• Pin down the two or three things you really want to do

  Book only those, and leave the rest of the days open. Over-scheduled Thailand trips are the most common regret.

Documents, data and packing decisions

• Complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card

  It is filed online shortly before you travel, for every traveller including children. Save the confirmation offline.

  What is needed
• Buy an eSIM or plan your SIM

  An eSIM activated before you land means Grab and maps work from the terminal. Otherwise budget for an airport tourist SIM.

• Save your documents offline

  Passport, tickets, hotel bookings, insurance and arrival card in one offline folder on your phone, plus one printed set.

• Carry enough for the first day

  Immigration can ask you to show funds. Have some baht in hand rather than relying on an ATM at 2am.

  Funds expected

What matters on a Thailand trip from India

• Light clothes, plus temple cover

  Shoulders and knees covered for temples and palaces — one long skirt, trousers or a scarf saves buying one at the gate.

  Full packing list
• Medicines in their original packaging

  Carry prescriptions with you. Bring rehydration salts, motion sickness tablets and any regular medication — not everything is easy to match in Thailand.

• Chargers, adapter and power bank

  Thai sockets take Indian two-pin plugs in most hotels, but bring a universal adapter and keep power banks in hand luggage.

The first two hours

• Get online before you leave the terminal

  Activate the eSIM or buy a SIM at arrivals, then order transport through an app rather than the touts at the exit.

• Use the meter, the app or the hotel car

  Insist on the meter in a taxi, or use Grab or Bolt. Agreeing a flat fare at the kerb is where most first-day overcharging happens.

  Scams and safety
• Avoid the arrivals hall exchange counters

  Rates inside the terminal are the worst you will see. Change a small amount if you must, then use a city exchange or an ATM.

The rules behind the paperwork items