Vietnam vs Thailand.
Direct comparison for Indian travellers, visa, cost, best months, sights. Vietnam ended its 30-day visa-free for Indians in 2026; mainland now needs a paid 90-day e-Visa ($25). Only Phu Quoc island keeps a 30-day visa-free exemption. Meanwhile in Thailand: 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).
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa for Indian passport | paid e-Visa 90 days (visa-free for Phu Quoc only, 30d) | visa-free 30 days (reverted from 60 on 21 May 2026); TDAC mandatory |
| Visa cost (per person) | ₹2,100 | Free |
| Round-trip flight (Chennai) | ₹16k | ₹14k |
| Daily mid-range cost | ₹2.5-5.0k | ₹3.0-6.0k |
| Best months | Oct-Apr | Nov-Feb |
| Top city | Hanoi | Bangkok |
- 1. Halong Bay
- 2. Hoi An old town
- 3. Saigon street food
- 4. Phu Quoc beach
- 1. Grand Palace
- 2. Chiang Mai temples
- 3. Phi Phi islands
- 4. Pad thai at Thip Samai
For first-time Indian travellers Vietnam is the cheapest paid e-Visa to clear ($25 / ₹2,100) and pho-and-banh-mi food costs sit at ₹150-300 a meal, half what you'd pay in Thailand post-tourism-hike. Pair it with the /architect Vietnam plan for a 7-day Hanoi→Hoi An→Saigon route.
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.
Vietnam or Thailand 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, Vietnam or Thailand?
Vietnam 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 Vietnam vs Thailand?
Vietnam is best in Oct-Apr. Thailand is best in Nov-Feb. Different windows means you can do both as a multi-country trip if windows align.