Thailand Business Visa for Indians 2026: Non-B Visa, e-Visa, Visa-Free Entry Rules and Fees

Thailand Business Visa for Indians - 2026 Quick Answer

Since 15 September 2026, Indian ordinary passport holders can visit Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days. Thailand publishes this as a tourism exemption, although the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi describes it as covering "tourism and short-term business engagements".

For meetings, trade fairs, a project or a job, the safer route is a Non-Immigrant B (Non-B) e-Visa applied for from India. Work of any kind needs a work permit, whatever the visa. Visa on Arrival is no longer available to Indians.

The main numbers as of October 2026:

• Non-B single entry: INR 7,000, valid 3 months, up to 90 days per entry
• Non-B multiple entry: INR 13,500 for 1 year or INR 30,000 for 3 years, up to 90 days per entry
• Processing: about 14 working days from receipt of the fee
• Application: on the official Thai e-Visa portal, while physically in India

Visarun helps Indian travellers prepare and check Non-B e-Visa applications. The embassy or consulate decides on the visa, and the immigration officer at the checkpoint decides on entry.

Visa-Free Entry for Indians - What Business Activity It Allows

The legal basis is a Ministry of Interior notification published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. Its title describes a visa exemption for foreigners who enter temporarily for tourism, with a stay of up to 30 days, and India is one of 60 countries and territories on the list. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) uses the same tourism wording.

Thai missions word it differently. As of October 2026:

• The New Delhi embassy visa page, updated 16 September 2026, says the exemption covers "tourism and short-term business engagements" until further announcement.
• The same embassy's September 2026 e-Visa FAQ and the English text of its 15 September announcement say tourism. The Thai text of that announcement adds short-term business contact.
• The Royal Thai Embassy in London calls the exemption tourism-only and strongly advises an appropriate visa for any other purpose.

Trade outlet TTG Asia also read the notification as tourism-only, though that is a press interpretation, not an official statement.

No official source settles whether a short meeting is allowed on the exemption. For meetings, a trade fair, a site visit or negotiations, we recommend a Non-B. The old 60-day scheme, replaced on 15 September 2026, explicitly listed business engagements and urgent or ad-hoc work. That wording did not carry over.

Work is a separate matter. Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) says foreigners may not work on any type of visa without a work permit, and they need the correct visa type to apply for one. Thai labour law has a notification procedure for urgent work finished within 15 days, filed with the Department of Employment, but we found no official 2026 source saying a visa-exempt Indian can use it.

Visa-exempt travellers can generally enter through land-border checkpoints no more than twice per calendar year. The London embassy notes that exempt visitors may request an extension of stay of up to 30 days and advises a visa for anyone coming more than twice a year. Frequent business visitors are better served by a multiple-entry Non-B.

Non-Immigrant B Visa - Who Needs It

The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi defines the Non-Immigrant B (Business/Employment) visa as the category to conduct business, be employed, do an internship or attend a conference. Investors in Board of Investment (BOI) projects use a separate category, IB. The MFA also lists a business-approved B-A.

A Non-B typically fits Indian travellers who plan to:

• meet Thai clients, suppliers or partners, or negotiate contracts
• attend a conference or training, or do an internship
• work on a project or secondment with a Thai company
• take up a job with a Thai employer

The visa alone does not allow work. According to the MFA, a Non-B holder who wants to work needs a work permit before starting.

Frequent visitors can choose a one-year or three-year multiple-entry Non-B. The MFA describes the three-year version as a visa for business visits as often as needed, up to 90 days each, with employment of any kind strictly prohibited.

Applying on the Thai e-Visa Portal

Since 1 January 2025, every Thai visa applicant in India applies on the official Thai e-Visa portal. The Indian missions issue visas only to applicants physically present in India for the whole process. You upload proof of current location, such as a house agreement, Aadhaar card or electricity bill, and apply to the mission covering where you are:

• Mumbai consulate: Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
• Chennai consulate: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Puducherry
• Kolkata consulate: Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• New Delhi embassy: Delhi and all other states and union territories

The New Delhi embassy flags two common form errors. Indian passports have no middle name, and applications with that field filled in are cancelled. The photo should be in colour, 630x810 pixels, on a plain white background.

Payment is offline and differs by mission as of October 2026:

• New Delhi: bank transfer or UPI to the embassy's DBS account, or a cash deposit at a DBS Bank branch, after which the slip and Payment Info Summary are sent by email. The embassy does not accept cash at its premises.
• Chennai: a demand draft payable to "Royal Thai Consulate-General", handed in with the QR-coded offline payment document within 14 days of the online submission.
• Mumbai and Kolkata: we could not find current instructions on their websites, so we recommend confirming with the consulate first.

The approved e-Visa arrives by email. Airlines and Thai immigration check a printed copy, and a phone screen is not accepted.

According to the New Delhi embassy, you can apply yourself or through a visa processing company, a travel agent or another representative, though the embassy is not responsible for incomplete files sent by a representative. Visarun works as such an agency. We help prepare and check the documents, and the embassy makes the decision, with no guaranteed outcome.

Every non-Thai national files a free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) on the official TDAC website within 3 days before arrival, arrival day included, and a new one for each entry. It is an immigration requirement, not a visa.

Documents for Employees, Business Owners and Trade-Fair Visitors

We could not read the portal's own upload list, so the lists below follow the New Delhi embassy checklists still linked from its visa page, plus the MFA's Non-B page. The checklists are older PDFs (December 2023 and February 2021), their fee and timing lines are out of date, and the mission may ask for more.

Business meetings, training, projects and secondments

The New Delhi checklist for this Non-B category asks for:

• a passport valid for at least 6 more months, with two blank pages
• an original employer letter stating the intention to travel and naming the Thai counterpart company
• an original invitation on the Thai company's letterhead, signed by an authorised person
• a project or assignment contract with position and duration, if the stay exceeds 15 days
• the Thai company's licence and registration with shareholders, issued within 6 months, plus its PND 50, PP 30 and balance sheet in Thai
• confirmed tickets and a hotel booking
• a bank statement showing at least 500,000 THB held throughout 6 months, or an employer guarantee letter with the company's statement showing the same

The 500,000 THB figure dates from the December 2023 checklist, so it is not a 2026 change. Multiple-entry applicants also add proof of membership in an Indian trade organisation and proof of regular dealings with the Thai company. Other documents go in English unless stated otherwise.

Employees taking a job in Thailand

The New Delhi employment checklist, dated February 2021, lists:

• the original WP.3 (Thor Tor 3) from the Department of Employment, or a BOI visa approval letter, in Thai
• an invitation from a Thai company qualified to employ foreigners
• an employment contract signed by both sides, with position, salary and duration
• Thai company documents, including VAT registration (PP 20)
• a previous work permit and PND 91, if you worked in Thailand before

The MFA explains the WP.3 step. The employer can file for the work permit in advance, and the Department of Employment issues a pre-approval for the visa file. The work permit itself (Tor Thor 2) is collected after arrival.

Business owners and self-employed applicants

For conducting business rather than working, the MFA lists a letter from your own company with your position, length of employment, salary and purpose of the visit, correspondence with Thai partners, financial evidence if you are self-employed, and an invitation from the Thai partner with its corporate documents.

Trade-fair and MICE visitors

The New Delhi embassy lists the Tourist visa (TR) for participants of MICE events supported by TCEP, with a TCEP letter required. For other fairs, a Non-B is the safer choice, especially if you plan meetings at the event. We recommend asking the organiser whether the event has TCEP support.

At the border, immigration may check funds. A TAT reminder from July 2026 gives 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family for Non-Immigrant visa holders, and the requirement does not apply to children under 12. The final entry decision rests with the immigration officer.

Fees, Processing Time and Validity

Thai missions in India charge in rupees, under a schedule in force since 27 April 2026 at the embassy and all consulates until further announcement. The New Delhi fee table as of October 2026:

• Non-Immigrant single entry, including B: INR 7,000, valid 3 months, up to 90 days per entry
• Non-B multiple entry, 1 year: INR 13,500, up to 90 days per entry
• Non-B multiple entry, 3 years: INR 30,000, up to 90 days per entry, no employment allowed

Fees are non-refundable under all circumstances, including when an application is withdrawn.

Processing takes about 14 working days from the date the mission receives the fee, per the New Delhi embassy's September 2026 FAQ. The older PDF checklists print a much shorter time, now superseded. Our advice is to start at least three to four weeks before the trip.

Visa validity is the window for entering Thailand, while the stay granted at entry runs up to 90 days from arrival. A single-entry holder who leaves and wants to return within the permitted stay should get a re-entry permit first, from an immigration office or an international airport.

After Arrival - Extensions and Work Permits

According to the MFA, a Non-B holder can apply to the Immigration Bureau to extend the 90-day stay for up to one year from the date of first entry. The detailed conditions could not be confirmed on an official page as of October 2026, so we recommend checking them with the Thai employer or the Immigration Bureau.

Working needs a work permit. After entry, the applicant or a representative applies at the Office of Foreign Workers Administration, Department of Employment, or at the provincial Employment Office, and income tax is payable on the work.

Since 13 October 2025, applications go through the Department of Employment's e-WorkPermit system. It runs online around the clock nationwide and ends with a biometric appointment at a service centre. The portal lists these application types:

• BT.32: the employer applies for a skilled worker who is still abroad (Section 60, paragraph 2)
• BT.25: a Non-Immigrant visa holder applies for skilled work (Section 59)
• BT.38: workers under BOI investment promotion (Section 62)

A one-year work permit on BT.32 is reported to cost THB 3,000, according to a November 2025 chamber-of-commerce alert citing a law firm. We could not check the Department of Employment's fee schedule directly.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 1 January 2025: the e-Visa became mandatory for all Thai visa applicants in India
• 1 May 2025: the TDAC became required for all non-Thai arrivals by air, land or sea
• 13 October 2025: the online e-WorkPermit system was launched
• 27 April 2026: new visa fees took effect at all Thai missions in India
• 31 August 2026: the new exemption notifications were published in the Royal Gazette
• 15 September 2026: the 30-day tourism exemption replaced the 60-day scheme, and Visa on Arrival was limited to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia
• 16 September 2026: latest update of the New Delhi embassy visa page, which mentions short-term business engagements

Under the July 2024 rules, Indians and nationals of 92 other countries could stay visa-free for up to 60 days for tourism, business engagements or urgent or ad-hoc work. The new notification names tourism only. That is why we now recommend a Non-B for business trips, and checking the embassy visa page shortly before applying.

FAQ

Can Indians attend business meetings in Thailand without a visa?

Official sources disagree as of October 2026. The New Delhi embassy says the 30-day exemption covers short-term business engagements. The Royal Gazette notification and TAT describe a tourism exemption, and the London embassy calls it tourism-only. A Non-B is safer for meetings.

Is Visa on Arrival still available for Indians?

No. From 15 September 2026, Visa on Arrival covers only passport holders from Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Indians use the 30-day exemption or get a visa in advance.

How much is a Thailand business visa for Indians in 2026?

As of October 2026, Indian missions charge INR 7,000 for single entry, INR 13,500 for one-year multiple entry and INR 30,000 for three-year multiple entry. All fees are non-refundable.

How long does a Non-B e-Visa take from India?

About 14 working days from the date the mission receives the fee. We recommend applying three to four weeks before travel.

Can I apply for the Non-B while outside India?

Not through the Indian missions. They issue Thai visas only to applicants physically present in India for the whole e-Visa process.

Can I work on a three-year Non-B?

No. The MFA strictly prohibits employment on the three-year Non-B, which is for business visits of up to 90 days each. A job needs the correct visa type plus a work permit.

Can my family join me on a Non-B?

According to the MFA, the spouse, parents and unmarried children under 20 of a Non-B holder can apply for a Non-Immigrant O visa, with a stay of 90 days but no longer than one year.

Can I enter visa-free and switch to a Non-B inside Thailand?

We found no official rule allowing it for visa-exempt entrants. The MFA says Tourist or Transit visa holders who want to do business may apply to the Immigration Bureau for a change to a Non-Immigrant visa, at the officer's discretion. We recommend getting the Non-B from India.

Is the Destination Thailand Visa an option for business travellers?

It is a different visa. The New Delhi embassy lists the DTV at INR 30,000, multiple entry, valid 5 years, 180 days per entry, for digital nomads, remote workers, freelancers, activity participants and their families. It does not replace a business visa.

Do I need the TDAC if I have a business visa?

Yes. Every non-Thai national files a free TDAC within the 3 days before arrival, one per entry.