Thailand vs Indonesia.
Direct comparison for Indian travellers, visa, cost, best months, sights. Thai Cabinet on 19 May 2026 reverted the 60-day visa-exemption back to 30 days, effective 21 May 2026, same FREE stamp, half the duration. TDAC online card mandatory within 72h of arrival. Longer stays: paid e-Visa (~INR 3,000 single-entry) or DTV digital-nomad visa (180 days/entry, multi-entry). Meanwhile in Indonesia: Most Indonesian SIMs don't roam outside Bali; buy a fresh Telkomsel SIM for ₹400 if going to Lombok/Java.
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa for Indian passport | visa-free 30 days (reverted from 60 on 21 May 2026); TDAC mandatory | visa-on-arrival 30 days |
| Visa cost (per person) | Free | ₹2,800 |
| Round-trip flight (Chennai) | ₹14k | ₹22k |
| Daily mid-range cost | ₹3.0-6.0k | ₹2.5-5.5k |
| Best months | Nov-Feb | Apr-Oct |
| Top city | Bangkok | Bali |
- 1. Grand Palace
- 2. Chiang Mai temples
- 3. Phi Phi islands
- 4. Pad thai at Thip Samai
- 1. Ubud rice terraces
- 2. Tanah Lot
- 3. Komodo dragons
- 4. Nusa Penida cliffs
Thailand still wins on flight-cost-to-vibe ratio (₹14k Chennai-BKK) and the 30-day visa-free is free at the airport. For 14+ day trips the 60→30 day reversion makes it operationally annoying, consider the paid e-Visa, the DTV, or /destinations/vn / /destinations/lk instead.
Bali alone is ~₹4,000/day mid-range and the only place in SE Asia where a foreign passport (US/EU/AU) sees the same ₹ price-tag, see /destinations/id. For Indians, Indonesia and /destinations/th run close on cost; pick Indonesia for surf + volcanoes, Thailand for food + temples.
Thailand or Indonesia for first-time Indian travellers?
Thailand has the simpler visa for Indian passport (visa-free 30 days (reverted from 60 on 21 May 2026); TDAC mandatory). Thailand has cheaper flights from India (~₹14k). If budget is the constraint, pick the one with the lower combined visa+flight cost.
Which is cheaper to travel daily, Thailand or Indonesia?
Indonesia is cheaper at mid-range (₹3k/day baseline vs ₹3k). The gap is biggest on stays + food; transit costs are roughly similar.
When should I visit Thailand vs Indonesia?
Thailand is best in Nov-Feb. Indonesia is best in Apr-Oct. Different windows means you can do both as a multi-country trip if windows align.