For most travellers from Hyderabad, Bengaluru or Chennai, Thailand is the quicker, simpler and usually cheaper trip, and Bali is the better slow honeymoon. Thailand has daily non-stop flights of about four hours and visa-free entry; Bali is about seven hours away, non-stop only from Bengaluru, with a paid visa on arrival and a tourist levy. On the ground the two cost much the same, and our land packages for both start within ₹600 of each other. What usually settles it is your travel month and the kind of week you want. Here is the comparison line by line, as of September 2026.
Side by side
| Thailand | Bali | |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop flights | Daily from all three cities, about 3.5 to 4 hours | Bengaluru only, about 7 hours |
| Visa for Indians | Visa-free, up to 30 days | Visa on arrival, about ₹2,700 |
| Other entry costs | Free arrival card | Levy about ₹800, free arrival card |
| Best weather | November to April on the islands | April to October |
| Mid-range hotel a night | ₹4,500 to ₹9,000 | ₹4,500 to ₹10,000 |
| Our packages from | ₹27,250, 5 days | ₹27,800, 5 days |
| Best for | Variety: city, beaches, islands | Villas, temples, a slow pace |
Getting there: four hours against seven
Bangkok is the easy flight. Non-stops leave every day from Hyderabad (about 3 hours 45 minutes), Bengaluru (about four hours) and Chennai (3 hours 30 to 40 minutes), and Bengaluru also flies non-stop to Phuket. The cheapest non-stop economy returns to Bangkok average about ₹20,000 to ₹35,000 for most of the year, lowest from July to October.
At present Bali's only non-stop from South India is IndiGo's daily Bengaluru to Denpasar flight, which leaves just after midnight and lands mid-morning, about 6 hours 50 minutes. Hyderabad and Chennai have no non-stop at present, so you connect once; the quickest connections take about 8 hours 30 minutes from Hyderabad and 7 hours 35 minutes from Chennai. Typical returns run about ₹18,000 to ₹45,000 in February and March and ₹44,000 to ₹70,000 in July and August. All of these are typical ranges, not quotes, and flights are not part of our land packages for either destination.
Visa and entry costs
Thailand: nothing to buy. From 15 September 2026, Indians on holiday get up to 30 days without a visa, and the only form is the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, due in the 72 hours before you land. Immigration can ask to see funds, so keep about 20,000 baht per adult available in cash or on cards.
Bali: Indians need Indonesia's visa on arrival, IDR 500,000 (about ₹2,700), bought online at evisa.imigrasi.go.id up to 14 days before travel or at the airport counter, for a 30-day stay. On top come the free All Indonesia arrival card and Bali's IDR 150,000 tourist levy (about ₹800), paid once per trip. For two people that is about ₹7,000 in entry costs. The full steps are in Thailand visa for Indians and Bali visa for Indians.
What a week costs on the ground
Hotels cost about the same: typical mid-range rooms run ₹4,500 to ₹9,000 a night in Thailand and ₹4,500 to ₹10,000 in Bali. Bali's edge is the villa: a one-bedroom villa with its own pool commonly lists at about ₹4,900 to ₹13,600 a night. Street food in Thailand runs about ₹900 to ₹1,200 a day and a mix with restaurants ₹2,000 to ₹3,500; in Bali, warungs and cafes cost about ₹1,000 to ₹1,800 a day and restaurant dinners push it to ₹3,000 to ₹5,000. Bangkok has the BTS Skytrain, taxis and Grab; Bali has no practical public transport for visitors, so most people take a car with a driver for sightseeing days. Do not count on paying by UPI in either country yet.
| Length | Thailand, from | Bali, from |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | Bangkok Pattaya Honeymoon Retreat, ₹27,250 | Bali Ubud Kuta Honeymoon Retreat, ₹27,800 |
| 7 days | Phuket Krabi Bangkok Escape, ₹39,750 | Bali Family Getaway, ₹41,949 |
| 8 days | Bangkok Phuket Krabi Luxury Escape, ₹45,000 | Bali Temples Sunset Cruise Escape, ₹45,800 |
These are per-person prices on twin sharing from our September 2026 catalogue, with international flights quoted separately. The Thailand island trips also leave out a domestic flight, and the Bali visa and levy are paid separately; the planner helps with the paperwork.
The seasons run the other way
Thailand is at its best from November to February, and Phuket and Krabi stay good into April. The rains run from about mid-May to October, wettest on the islands in September and October, and Maya Bay is closed from 1 August to 30 September. Bali is dry from April to October: July and August are the driest, busiest and dearest weeks, and September and October are still dry with fewer people. Its wet season runs from November to March, wettest from December to February, when rough seas can cancel Nusa Penida boats. Travelling between July and October points to Bali, or to Bangkok and Pattaya; November to March points to Thailand; April works for both.
What Thailand does better
- Short leave: a four-hour non-stop from all three South Indian cities, and no visa to buy.
- Variety in one week: Bangkok's temples and shopping, Pattaya and Coral Island, then Phi Phi and Krabi.
- Families: Safari World and Marine Park, and a speedboat day to Coral Island.
- Indian food: dozens of Indian restaurants in Bangkok, including vegetarian ones, and more in Pattaya, Patong and Ao Nang.
- Nights out: Pattaya's cabaret shows and the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan, which our 8 Days Thailand Full Moon Party Adventure is built around.
What Bali does better
- Private-pool villas at mid-range prices, which is why villas feature in so many Bali honeymoon plans.
- Temples and rice terraces: Tirta Empul's water temple, Tegallalang's terraces, Tanah Lot at sunset and the Kecak dance at Uluwatu.
- A slower pace: Ubud's valley resorts, spa afternoons and seafood dinners on the sand at Jimbaran.
- July to October: dry weather in the months Thailand's islands are wet.
Who should pick which
- First trip abroad, or five days of leave: Thailand.
- Flying from Hyderabad or Chennai: Thailand, for the non-stop. From Bengaluru both are non-stop, so let the month decide.
- A honeymoon of villas and slow days: Bali. A honeymoon with more going on: Thailand's Phuket, Krabi and Bangkok.
- A family with children: Thailand for Safari World and Coral Island; Bali's calm Nusa Dua beaches suit small children too.
- The lowest total: usually Thailand, with no visa fee or levy and a shorter flight that is often cheaper.
Questions we are asked most
Is Thailand cheaper than Bali from India?
Usually, yes. Bangkok has daily non-stops from South India and visa-free entry, while Bali adds about ₹3,500 a person in visa and levy and dearer fares in July and August. Our land packages start close together: ₹27,250 for Thailand and ₹27,800 for Bali.
Which is better for a honeymoon, Thailand or Bali?
Bali, for private-pool villas at mid-range prices, rice terraces, temples and a slow pace. Thailand suits couples who want more going on: Bangkok evenings, the Phi Phi speedboat day and the beaches of Krabi in one week.
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand and Bali?
As of September 2026, Thailand is visa-free for tourism for up to 30 days, with a free arrival card. Bali needs a visa on arrival or e-VOA at IDR 500,000 (about ₹2,700), plus an IDR 150,000 tourist levy and a free arrival card.
To go deeper on either side, read the Thailand trip cost and Bali trip cost guides, or the Bali honeymoon guide. Then compare the routes on the Thailand tour packages and Bali tour packages pages and tell the planner your month, your city and who is travelling.
