Our verdict
Pick Thailand for a first international trip, a short 5-night break or a family holiday: non-stop 4-hour flights, easy Indian food and land costs from about ₹20,000. Pick Vietnam if you have 7–9 nights and want dramatic landscapes — Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Ninh Binh — fewer Indian tour crowds and low daily costs, with 7-night land packages from about ₹40,000.
Side by side
| Factor | Thailand | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Visa for Indians | Visa-free entry for tourism; online TDAC arrival card | E-visa, USD 25 (about ₹2,200), up to 90 days, about 3–5 working days |
| Flight time from Delhi/Mumbai | About 4–4.5 h non-stop to Bangkok or Phuket | About 4.5–5.5 h non-stop to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City |
| Starting trip cost (per person) | 5N land from ₹20,000; about ₹40,000+ with flights | 7N land from ₹40,000; about ₹62,000+ with flights |
| Best months | November to February (Andaman coast until April) | February to April for a north-to-south trip |
| Vegetarian and Indian food | Indian restaurants in every tourist hub | Buddhist chay restaurants help; Indian food limited outside big cities |
| Landscapes | Limestone islands at Krabi and Phi Phi | Ha Long Bay, Sapa terraces, Ninh Binh, Hai Van Pass |
| Culture and history | Royal temples, Ayutthaya ruins | Hoi An old town, Hue citadel, Cu Chi tunnels |
| Beaches | Island-hopping on the Andaman coast | Long city beaches in Da Nang; Phu Quoc island |
| Nightlife | Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket | Livelier in Ho Chi Minh City; calmer elsewhere |
| Getting around | Short distances, ferries and cheap domestic flights | About 1,600 km north to south; needs 1–2 domestic flights |
| Crowds of Indian tour groups | Heavy in Pattaya and Phuket | Growing, but still lighter |
Which one is for you?
Choose Thailand if…
- It is your first trip abroad, or you are travelling with elderly parents
- You have only 4–5 nights
- Indian vegetarian or Jain food is a daily requirement
- You want beaches and island-hopping as the main event
Choose Vietnam if…
- You have done Thailand already and want somewhere less familiar
- You have 7–9 nights and enjoy landscapes and old towns
- You want low daily costs for food, coffee and local transport
- You prefer fewer Indian tour groups around you
Which is better for a first trip abroad?
Thailand. It has more non-stop flights from more Indian cities, no visa fee, shorter transfers and Indian restaurants in every tourist hub. A 5-night Bangkok–Pattaya or Phuket–Krabi trip starts around ₹20,000 per person on land, twin sharing, and about ₹40,000 with return flights. It is set up for Indian travellers in a way Vietnam is still catching up with.
Vietnam rewards travellers who have done Thailand or Singapore and want something less familiar. The landscapes are bigger — Ha Long Bay's limestone islands, the terraces of Sapa, the river valleys of Ninh Binh, the Hai Van Pass — and the old towns of Hoi An and Hue have no real equivalent in Thailand.
Cost and trip length
Vietnam is long and thin, about 1,600 km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, so a sensible first trip is 7 nights with one or two domestic flights. Land packages for that start around ₹40,000 per person, or about ₹62,000 with return flights. Daily spending is low — a vegetarian meal in a local restaurant costs VND 60,000–120,000 (₹200–400) — but an overnight Ha Long cruise adds ₹10,000–17,000. Thailand works out cheaper because the trip is shorter, not because daily costs are lower. Compare Vietnam trip cost and Thailand trip cost.
Visas and flights
Thailand lets Indian passport holders in visa-free for tourism, with the online TDAC arrival card. Vietnam needs an e-visa: USD 25 (about ₹2,200) for a single entry, valid up to 90 days, usually issued in 3–5 working days. Use only the official portal; look-alike sites charge several times more. See our Vietnam visa guide.
Non-stop flights from Delhi and Mumbai, mainly on VietJet and Vietnam Airlines, take about 4.5–5.5 hours to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Book an open-jaw ticket: into Hanoi, out of Ho Chi Minh City, or the reverse.
Food for vegetarians
Thailand is easier. In Vietnam, fish sauce goes into most dishes, and Indian restaurants thin out beyond Hanoi, Da Nang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. Look for chay (Buddhist vegetarian) restaurants, which are common and cheap, and carry a card saying no fish sauce: "không nước mắm".
Weather is trickier in Vietnam
Thailand's main season is simple: November to February, with the Andaman coast good until April. Vietnam has three climates. The north is cool and grey from December to February (Hanoi around 14–20°C, Ha Long often misty), central Vietnam gets heavy rain and flooding in October–November, and the south is driest from December to April. February to April is the best compromise for a north-to-south trip. Details in best time to visit Vietnam.
Can you combine Thailand and Vietnam?
Yes. Bangkok to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City is under 2 hours by air, with several flights a day. A 10–11 night plan could be 3 nights in Bangkok followed by 7 nights in Vietnam, or Vietnam first with a beach finish in Phuket or Krabi. You will need the Vietnamese e-visa before leaving India.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vietnam cheaper than Thailand for Indians?
Is Vietnam good for vegetarians?
Do Indians need a visa for Vietnam?
How many days do you need in Vietnam?
How we checked this page
Last reviewed
Written and fact-checked by the Elitech Travels editorial desk in New Delhi, drawing on our consultants' day-to-day booking work and the official sources below. Rules, fares and fees change — always confirm anything critical with the issuing authority before you travel. Our editorial policy.
