Bali vs Thailand for Indian travellers: visa, cost and verdict

Bali vs Thailand at a glance

Bali vs Thailand for Indian passport holders, checked October 2026

Factor	Bali (Indonesia)	Thailand
Visa	VoA or e-VOA IDR 500,000 (about ₹2,690), 30 days, extendable once	Visa-free up to 30 days; free TDAC
Extra entry charge	Bali tourist levy IDR 150,000 (about ₹810) per trip	None
Flight time	Bengaluru–Bali non-stop about 6h 35m–6h 55m	Kolkata 2h 35m; Delhi 4h 10m to Bangkok
Non-stop routes from India	Few; most cities connect via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur	Many, from most metros
6-day cost for two, budget	About ₹1.22 lakh from Bengaluru	About ₹96,250 from Kolkata; ₹1.02 lakh from Delhi
6-day cost for two, mid-range	About ₹1.87 lakh from Bengaluru	About ₹1.52 lakh from Kolkata; ₹1.76 lakh from Delhi
Best months	April–October (dry season)	November–February
Best for	Couples, slow travel, temples and rice terraces	Families, groups, shopping, first trip abroad

The costs come from our cost guides: Bali trip cost from Bengaluru, Thailand trip cost from Kolkata and Thailand trip cost from Delhi.

Visa and entry: which is easier?

Thailand is easier. Indian ordinary passport holders can currently stay up to 30 days visa-free for tourism, under the rule in force from 15 September 2026. The only step is the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, filled in within 3 days before arrival on the official site. Rules changed several times in 2025 and 2026, so check the Thailand visa for Indians guide before booking.

For Bali, Indians pay IDR 500,000 for a 30-day visa on arrival, or apply in advance for the e-VOA on the official Indonesian immigration site (evisa.imigrasi.go.id), which saves time in the airport queue. The visa can be extended once for another 30 days. Separately, every foreign visitor pays the IDR 150,000 Bali tourist levy through the official Love Bali portal or at the airport. Indonesia also asks arrivals to complete an electronic customs and arrival declaration before landing. Rules change, so confirm on the official sites before you travel.

Which is cheaper for Indians?

Thailand, by about ₹25,000–35,000 for two on a 6-day trip. Most of the difference is the flight and the entry charges: Bali flights are longer, there are fewer non-stop routes, and the visa and levy add about ₹7,000 for two.

Daily costs on the ground are close. Bali guesthouses run about IDR 350,000–800,000 a night (₹1,900–4,300), while Thai budget hotels are about THB 1,000 (₹2,870). A meal at a local warung in Bali costs about IDR 25,000–60,000 (₹135–325), similar to Thai street food at THB 40–100 a dish (₹115–290). Bali's private pool villas are better value than Thailand's, which is one reason honeymooners choose it.

Typical daily costs compared

Item	Bali	Thailand
Budget room per night	₹1,900–4,300	About ₹2,870
Private pool villa per night	From about ₹6,000–10,000	From about ₹10,000 in Phuket or Krabi
Local meal	₹135–325	₹115–290
Getting around	Hired car with driver for the day	BTS, ferries, Grab, buses

Getting around: car-dependent Bali vs public-transport Thailand

Bali has almost no useful public transport for visitors. Most people hire a car with driver for each sightseeing day, at about IDR 600,000–800,000 for 8–10 hours, or use Grab and Gojek for short trips. Traffic between Seminyak, Ubud and Uluwatu is slow, so 30 km can take over an hour.

Thailand is easier on your own. Bangkok has the BTS Skytrain and river ferries, Pattaya has baht buses, and buses or short flights link the beach towns. This matters more for families with elderly parents, who do better with short, predictable transfers.

Which has better beaches?

Thailand's Andaman coast (Krabi, Phi Phi, Phuket) has clearer water and more island day trips from November to April, and Pattaya's Coral Island is an easy family beach. Bali's south coast (Uluwatu, Kuta, Seminyak) is better for surfing, sunsets and cliff views than for swimming, as many beaches have strong waves and currents. Nusa Dua and Sanur are calmer. For snorkelling, Bali's Nusa Penida and Thailand's Phi Phi are both good, but Thailand has more options at more price levels.

Culture, food and the feel of each place

Bali is Hindu, with temples in every village, daily offerings and festivals, which many Indian visitors find familiar and moving. Ubud's rice terraces, Tanah Lot and Uluwatu temples and the Kecak fire dance at sunset are highlights. The pace is slow.

Thailand offers more variety in one trip: Bangkok's temples and markets, nightlife in Pattaya, and islands in the south. Indian food is easy to find in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket; in Bali, it is available in Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud, but less common.

Which is better for couples, families and groups?

• Honeymooners: Bali. Private pool villas in Ubud and Seminyak, temple sunsets at Uluwatu and a slower pace.
• Families: Thailand. Short flights, Pattaya or Phuket beaches, Safari World and easy Indian food.
• Groups of friends: Thailand. Cheaper, more nightlife, more non-stop flights.
• First trip abroad: Thailand. No visa application, and short flights from most metros.
• Travellers from Bengaluru: Bali becomes more attractive, because the non-stop flight removes the connection.

When to go

Best months, Bali vs Thailand

Months	Bali	Thailand
November–March	Wet season; heavy showers, humid, lower prices	Best season; dry and cooler
April–June	Dry season begins; good value	Hot; Songkran in April
July–August	Peak dry season, busiest	Rainy season; Andaman coast rough
September–October	Dry, fewer crowds; very good	Wet

The two complement each other: Bali for the May–June summer holidays and the Diwali break, Thailand for December–February winter trips.

Our verdict

Choose Thailand if you want the simplest, cheapest international beach trip from India, especially for families and first-timers. Choose Bali for a honeymoon or a slower couples' trip, travel between April and October, and fly from Bengaluru if you can. See the day plans in our Thailand 6-day itinerary before you book.

Sources we checked

Checked on 20 October 2026. Official sources win if anything here differs.

• https://evisa.imigrasi.go.id/
• https://lovebali.baliprov.go.id/
• https://newdelhi.thaiembassy.org/en/content/latest-update-on-revision-to-thailand-s-visa-exemp
• https://tdac.immigration.go.th/
• https://www.tourismthailand.org/

Prices checked October 2026. We re-check every 90 days. Spotted something out of date? Write to taazeem@choose4choice.com.