Short frequent flights, value for money and a fast-growing Indian community make Phuket an increasingly natural choice from India. Here is the practical picture for 2026 — flights, your visa, what it costs versus home, and the community you will be joining.
*Currently 60 days; an approved cut to 30 is pending — verify before you travel.
Strong and expanding direct service: Delhi–Phuket (~4h55, very frequent), Mumbai direct, plus new 2026 routes from Chennai and Kochi. Phuket International (HKT) sits in the island’s north — see our getting-around guide for the airport run.
Your nationality currently gets Thailand's 60-day visa exemption, with an approved cut to 30 days pending publication in the Royal Gazette — so verify the current limit before you travel. For anything longer you'll want a proper long-stay visa (retirement, DTV, LTR and more) — see our full visa comparison. India was upgraded from visa-on-arrival to the exemption scheme — confirm the current terms on each visit.
Phuket is the most expensive place to live in Thailand, but still far cheaper than most Western home countries — a single person lives comfortably on ฿50,000–70,000/month and a couple on ฿70,000–95,000, excluding international-school fees. Your home currency is the INR (roughly 1 INR ≈ 0.345 THB in 2026); the whole site has a currency switcher so you can see every price in INR. Full numbers are in our Phuket cost-of-living guide.
A fast-growing newer cohort, with rising family-relocation and property interest (major developers now run India-based sales teams) and a booming wedding-tourism market feeding longer stays. Find your area in the neighbourhoods guide.
Time zone: India is UTC+5:30, so Phuket is 1.5 hours ahead.
Sort your visa pathway on the visa comparison, set a realistic budget with the cost guide, pick an area in the neighbourhoods guide, then run the free Phuket planner. When you land, the first 30 days checklist covers TDAC, the 90-day report, banking and a SIM.
Strong and expanding direct service: Delhi–Phuket (~4h55, very frequent), Mumbai direct, plus new 2026 routes from Chennai and Kochi.
Your nationality currently gets Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption, but an approved reduction to 30 days is pending publication in the Royal Gazette, so verify the current limit before travelling. For longer stays, use a long-stay visa such as retirement, the DTV or LTR — see the visa comparison.
Phuket is the most expensive hub in Thailand but still well below most Western costs — a comfortable single budget is ฿50,000–70,000 a month and a couple ฿70,000–95,000, excluding international-school fees. The currency switcher shows every price in INR.
A fast-growing newer cohort, with rising family-relocation and property interest (major developers now run India-based sales teams) and a booming wedding-tourism market feeding longer stays.