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We skipped Phuket for Chiang Mai, and we don't regret it. Here's how we got from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, including the Thailand arrival form every Indian traveller now needs.
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The flight
We flew Bangkok → Chiang Mai, booked on Agoda: about ₹8,000 per person including luggage. The flight takes about an hour.
Live Trip.com search box. Prices and booking happen on Trip.com.
Open Trip.com →Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), step by step
Entry was visa-free for Indians when we went, but you must fill the TDAC online before arriving (link in our video description; check the current rules before you fly).
- Open the official TDAC website and click Arrival Card.
- Enter your family name, first name, passport number, citizenship (India), date of birth, gender and occupation.
- Skip the visa number. Enter country (India), state of residence and phone number.
- Enter your arrival date, where you're coming from, purpose (holiday), mode (air, commercial flight) and your flight number.
- Enter your departure date, mode and flight number.
- Accommodation type: hotel. Add the province and address. You can skip the district.
- Skip the health declaration, add your email, accept the terms and submit.
Your digital arrival card arrives by email.
Grab from the airport
Download Grab before you land. It works all over Thailand. Walk out to the Grab pickup point and your car comes there.
Where we stayed
Chiang Mai has the Old Town and everything outside it. We split our stay: three nights in the Old Town, then near the Night Bazaar. Our pool-access room (step off the balcony into the pool) in the Old Town, booked on Agoda, cost about ₹26,000 for three nights.
Live Agoda prices. Book on Agoda at the same price, and we earn a small commission.
Open Agoda →Saturday night: the Night Bazaar
The Night Bazaar is about a 25–30 minute walk from the Old Town, or 10 minutes by Grab. The food quality in Chiang Mai is the best we've had anywhere in Thailand, better than Bangkok and Phuket.
- Souvenirs, crockery, wooden earrings and handmade wooden goods, with live music. Bargain.
- Try khao soi, Chiang Mai's signature dish: noodles in coconut curry, topped with crispy fried noodles, often with chicken. Ask for less spicy if you need to.
- We also had coconut water and big momo-like dumplings.
Tip: the Sunday Night Market is even better than Saturday's. Here's our guide.
Planning the whole trip? 5-day Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai itinerary.
FAQs
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand?
When we travelled, entry was visa-free for Indians, but you must fill the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online before you arrive. Check the latest rules before you fly.
How long is the flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai?
About one hour.
TAGS: THAILAND · TDAC · CHIANG MAI · BANGKOK · VISA · KHAO SOI
💬 Questions & answers
NO QUESTIONS YET. ASK US ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TRIP.
Prashant & Sunaina
A travel couple from Pune with Kashmiri Pandit × Maharashtrian roots, 8+ countries and counting. Every rupee shared.
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