Thailand
Bangkok's temples and markets, Pattaya's shows and islands, Phuket's beaches — Gujarat's favourite first international holiday.
Thailand is where most Gujarati families take their first trip abroad, and it remains one of our best-selling international packages. Flights are short, hotels are excellent value against the rupee, and the country is genuinely easy for a first-timer: English signage at airports, organised day tours for every sight, and enough Indian and Gujarati restaurants in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket that no one in a group of grandparents and children ever goes hungry.
Our standard group departs on the Bangkok–Pattaya circuit — five nights that cover the Grand Palace, a Chao Phraya dinner cruise, Safari World, Coral Island and the famous Alcazar show. Couples and smaller families who want beaches and islands go for Phuket and Krabi instead. Both routes run on direct or one-stop flights from Ahmedabad and Indians currently enter Thailand visa-free for short stays, which keeps the paperwork light.
What to see in Thailand
Grand Palace and Wat Pho, Bangkok
The glittering royal complex and the Emerald Buddha, followed by the 46-metre Reclining Buddha next door — Bangkok's essential half-day, best done early before the heat and the crowds.
Safari World and Marine Park, Bangkok
A full-day drive-through safari plus a marine park with dolphin and orangutan shows — the single most popular outing for Gujarati families travelling with children and grandparents.
Chao Phraya dinner cruise
A buffet dinner cruise past the illuminated Wat Arun and the riverside temples of old Bangkok; vegetarian buffet counters are standard on the larger cruise boats.
Coral Island speedboat, Pattaya
A 30-minute speedboat ride to Koh Larn for a beach morning, with parasailing, banana boat and glass-bottom boat options for those who want them.
Alcazar or Tiffany's cabaret show, Pattaya
An elaborate, family-friendly cabaret show — spectacle and costume rather than anything risque; a fixture of almost every Pattaya evening itinerary.
Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Pattaya
Landscaped gardens, a cultural show with elephants, and one of the better half-day outings for a mixed-age group that wants a slower pace than the speedboat circuit.
Phi Phi Islands, Phuket
A full-day boat trip to Maya Bay and Phi Phi Don — the beach made famous by 'The Beach' — with snorkelling stops at Bamboo Island; long day, but the standout Phuket excursion.
James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay
A longtail-boat cruise through limestone karsts and mangrove channels to Koh Tapu, plus a stop at a floating Muslim fishing village — usually combined with sea-canoeing.
Three ways to do Thailand
Every plan is customised. These are the shapes most families start from — each has a full day-by-day page and a PDF you can keep.
Classic Bangkok & Pattaya
The standard Gujarati group package: two nights in Pattaya for the islands and shows, three in Bangkok for the temples, markets and dinner cruise. This is what most of our groups book.
Phuket & Krabi Islands
Three nights each in Phuket and Krabi, built around island-hopping rather than city sightseeing. Suits couples and families who want beaches, boats and a slower pace over palace visits and shows.
Grand Thailand
The full circuit for families who want to see everything in one trip: Bangkok's temples and markets, Pattaya's islands and shows, and three nights on Phuket's beaches to close the holiday.
Getting there from Ahmedabad
Fly: no non-stop Ahmedabad–Bangkok service runs at present; the usual routing is Ahmedabad–Mumbai or Ahmedabad–Delhi on IndiGo, then a Thai Airways, IndiGo or Air India onward flight to Bangkok, total travel time about 4.5–6 hours including the connection. Phuket and Krabi are usually one-stop via Bangkok. Check current schedules when we book, as direct Ahmedabad–Bangkok flights are added and dropped from time to time.
Visa: Indian passport holders currently get visa-free entry to Thailand for short tourist stays. Rules on the exact number of days and any re-entry conditions do change, so check current rules before travel — we handle the paperwork and any online arrival registration for every group.
Money: carry US dollars or a forex card from Ahmedabad and convert to Thai Baht (THB) on arrival — Bangkok's Super Rich exchange counters offer noticeably better rates than the airport counters. ATMs are widely available but charge a foreign-transaction fee of around ₹250–350 per withdrawal.
Getting around. Group tours travel by AC coach with a guide for all scheduled sightseeing and transfers. In Bangkok, the BTS Skytrain and MRT are fast and easy for anyone who wants to explore independently in free time; metered taxis and Grab (Thailand's ride-hailing app) work well everywhere and are inexpensive. In Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi, tuk-tuks and songthaews (shared pickup taxis) cover short hops; always agree the fare before boarding a tuk-tuk.
When to go
| Season | Months | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Best | November – February | Cool and dry across the country, 24–32°C, low humidity. The best months for sightseeing in Bangkok and Pattaya and for calm seas around Phuket and Krabi. Peak season — book flights and island resorts 8–10 weeks ahead. |
| Hot | March – May | Hot and increasingly humid, 33–38°C in Bangkok. Islands are still doable but the middle of the day is uncomfortable for sightseeing; carry water and plan outdoor visits for morning or late afternoon. |
| Rainy | June – October | Southwest monsoon; short, heavy afternoon downpours are typical rather than all-day rain. Phuket and Krabi in particular see rough seas and some island-tour cancellations in this window — we avoid booking the islands routes for these months where possible. |
| Shoulder | October, early November | Rain easing, greener landscapes, fewer crowds and better hotel rates than peak season, though a few showers are still likely. |
Permits, rules and packing
No visa needed for short tourist stays under the current visa-free arrangement for Indian passport holders — check current rules and timelines with us before booking. No special permits are needed for any sight in this guide. The Grand Palace and Wat Pho enforce a strict dress code — shoulders and knees covered, no sleeveless tops, no flip-flops; sarongs are available for hire at the gate if needed. Thailand takes respect for the monarchy seriously: avoid any comment or joke about the royal family, in person or on social media. Vaping and e-cigarettes are illegal in Thailand and carry real fines and even confiscation at customs — leave vapes at home.
What to pack
- Light cotton clothing; Bangkok and the islands are hot and humid most of the year
- A modest outfit with covered shoulders and knees for the Grand Palace and Wat Pho
- Swimwear and a rash guard for island days
- Comfortable walking sandals that can get wet, plus one pair of closed shoes for city sightseeing
- A light raincoat or umbrella, especially June–October
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat — island-tour days are long and shade is limited on the boats
- A universal or Type A/C/O adapter; Thailand runs on 220V
Veg and Jain food in Thailand
- Bangkok's Sukhumvit and Pahurat areas have well-established Indian and Gujarati restaurants — Pahurat (Bangkok's Little India) in particular has several pure-veg kitchens; Pattaya's Central Road and Phuket's Patong also have Indian restaurants that cater to Gujarati tour groups.
- Group tours we run usually include Indian dinners at these restaurants on most nights, with a Thai buffet built into the Chao Phraya cruise for those who want to try it.
- At Thai kitchens, always say 'no fish sauce' and 'no oyster sauce' clearly — Thai vegetable dishes are cooked with these by default even when they look and are described as vegetarian, so this is worth repeating at every meal.
- Fresh tropical fruit — mango, dragon fruit, rambutan, mangosteen — is inexpensive and sold everywhere; a good way to snack safely between meals.
What it costs
Indicative per-person costs on twin sharing for a 5–8 night Thailand trip including flights from Ahmedabad, hotels, transfers and the standard island/city tours. Actual quotes depend on dates, hotel category and group size; GST and TCS apply as per current rules.
3★ hotels, standard group tours, economy flights booked 8+ weeks ahead, Bangkok–Pattaya only
4★ hotels, private or small-group tours on key days, flexible flight dates, Bangkok–Pattaya or Phuket–Krabi
5★ hotels and beachfront resorts, private vehicles throughout, business-class option, the full Grand circuit
Where the money goes
- Flights are 40–50% of the trip: an Ahmedabad–Bangkok return via Mumbai/Delhi runs ₹22,000–32,000 booked early, ₹45,000+ in the December/Christmas window.
- Hotels: 3★ ₹3,500–5,500 per room per night in Bangkok/Pattaya, 4★ ₹6,500–11,000; Phuket and Krabi beachfront hotels run 20–30% higher for a comparable category.
- Island tours: Coral Island speedboat ₹1,800–2,800 per person, Phi Phi Islands full-day ₹3,500–5,500, James Bond Island ₹3,000–4,500, Four Islands Krabi ₹3,000–4,500.
- Shows and parks: Alcazar/Tiffany's show ₹1,800–2,800, Safari World & Marine Park combo ₹3,500–4,500 including transfers.
Prices are indicative for 2026 and change with dates, group size and hotel choice. We confirm every price in writing before you pay anything.
Travelling with parents and children
- Speedboats to Coral Island, Phi Phi and the Four Islands bounce hard on open water — seat seniors and anyone with a back or knee problem toward the centre of the boat, and mention any mobility concerns to us when booking so we can suggest a calmer alternative like the James Bond Island longtail-boat route instead.
- Safari World and Marine Park is the single best day for a group with children — the drive-through safari can be done from inside the coach, so it works even for grandparents who cannot walk far, and the shows are seated.
- Pattaya's Walking Street is a nightlife strip best avoided with children or senior parents; our itineraries route the group away from it, and we brief families who want to explore Pattaya independently in the evening on where to walk instead.
- Buy travel insurance for every traveller, seniors especially — it is the only way to avoid a large out-of-pocket hospital bill if a minor accident or stomach upset needs a clinic visit, and Thai hospitals expect payment or an insurance guarantee upfront.
- Carry printed and digital copies of passports and hotel bookings; immigration and hotel check-in both ask for the passport, not a photocopy of Aadhaar as within India.
- Group sizes of 15–20 get noticeably better rates on island tours and shows, since these are usually priced per group as well as per person — if your extended family can coordinate with another Gujarati family or two, ask us about combining departures.
Questions families ask us about Thailand
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?
Indian passport holders currently get visa-free entry for short tourist stays. The exact permitted duration and any online arrival-registration requirement do change from time to time, so we always check the current rules before your travel dates and handle the arrival formalities for the whole group.
Is Thailand safe for a family with senior parents and children?
Yes. Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket are set up for mass tourism with organised day tours, English-speaking guides and hospitals used to foreign visitors. The main precautions are ordinary ones: agree tuk-tuk fares before boarding, keep valuables in the hotel safe, and take travel insurance for every traveller.
Can we get Jain food in Thailand?
Gujarati and Jain-friendly restaurants exist in Bangkok (Sukhumvit and Pahurat especially), Pattaya (Central Road) and Phuket (Patong), and our group tours build Indian dinners into most evenings. For Thai restaurants on free days, always specify 'no fish sauce, no oyster sauce, no onion-garlic' clearly, since these are used by default in dishes that look vegetarian.
Which month should we travel?
November to February is best — cool, dry, and calm seas for the island tours. March to May is hot but workable. Avoid June to October if your itinerary includes Phuket or Krabi island-hopping, since rough seas can cancel boat tours during the monsoon.
Is Pattaya suitable for a family trip, given its nightlife reputation?
Yes, for the sights we include. Coral Island, Nong Nooch, the Sanctuary of Truth and the Alcazar/Tiffany's cabaret shows are all family-oriented and heavily visited by tour groups from India. Walking Street, Pattaya's nightlife strip, is a separate area that our itineraries simply do not route through — it is easy to avoid entirely.
Where should we exchange money?
Carry US dollars or a forex card from Ahmedabad; exchange counters in Bangkok (Super Rich and similar chains) give better rates than the airport or hotel counters, and better than exchanging inside India. ATMs are everywhere in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket but charge a foreign-transaction fee, so one or two larger withdrawals work out cheaper than several small ones.
Ready to plan Thailand?
Send us your dates and who is travelling. We reply with a day-by-day plan, hotel names and a price — usually within 24 hours.