Thailand Medical Visa for Indians: Hospital List, Costs & Invitation Letter Process (2026)
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-14
We cross-checked every fee, hospital name, and document requirement below against the Royal Thai Embassy’s published MT visa rules and VFS Global’s current schedule. The Thailand medical visa for Indians cost and hospital invitation letter process starts with the MT visa (Non-Immigrant Visa, Medical Treatment). The headline number is ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67). The catch is that the visa is only issued after a Thai-registered hospital sends you an official invitation letter.
This page walks through the exact fee, the hospitals that issue these letters to Indian patients, the documents you need before applying, and the step-by-step process. All prices in this article use the current rate (1 THB ≈ ₹2.8642) so you can sanity-check any quote a hospital or agent sends. For a broader overview of Thailand visa options for Indians, including visa-free entry and Visa on Arrival, see our complete guide.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: The government visa fee is fixed at ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) whether you apply in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, or Kolkata. If an agent quotes a higher figure — say ₹100,000+ or ₹65,000 — they’re folding their own service charge into the visa fee. Ask for an itemised breakdown: the embassy fee must be exactly ₹60,320.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa category | Non-Immigrant Visa “MT” (Medical Treatment) | , |
| Government visa fee | ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) | ₹60,320 (~$631.67) |
| Multi-entry MT (1 year) | ₹120,640 (~42,120 THB or ~$1,263.34) | ₹120,640 (~$1,263.34) |
| Processing time at embassy | 3–5 working days | , |
| Validity | 90 days from issue, stay up to 90 days per entry | , |
| Extension possible? | Yes, at Thai immigration, 30-day increments | ₹5,442 (~1,900 THB or ~$56.99) per extension |
| Mandatory arrival form | TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card) | ₹0 (free, mandatory) |
| Hospital letter required? | Yes, from a Thai-registered hospital, on letterhead | , |
The MT Visa: What It Is
The MT (Medical Treatment) visa sits inside Thailand’s Non-Immigrant Visa family. It exists specifically for foreign nationals entering the country to receive medical treatment at a Thai-registered hospital or clinic. Indians use it for everything from cardiac surgery and orthopaedic procedures to cosmetic surgery, dental implants, fertility treatment, and cancer care.
The visa comes in two flavours:
- Single-entry MT (90 days): Costs ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67). Lets you enter Thailand once and stay up to 90 days. You can extend at Thai immigration in 30-day increments (each extension is ₹5,442 (~1,900 THB or ~$56.99)) for as long as your treatment requires.
- Multiple-entry MT (1 year, stays up to 90 days per visit): Costs ₹120,640 (~42,120 THB or ~$1,263.34). Useful if your treatment plan requires returning multiple times within a year, which is common for cancer follow-ups, IVF cycles, or staged orthopaedic work.
The multi-entry option only makes sense if your hospital confirms in writing that you’ll need repeat visits.
The ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) figure is the visa fee, not the total cost of the process. It does not include VFS Global’s service charge (currently ₹1,400 (~$14.66) per applicant for Indian submissions through VFS) or the optional courier return fee (around ₹500 (~$5.24)).
Subodh’s Pro Tip: The MT visa’s biggest practical advantage over the regular 60-day visa-free entry is the extension pathway. Visa-free entries get one 30-day extension; MT visa holders can keep extending in 30-day chunks as long as a Thai doctor signs off that treatment is ongoing. For a 6-week recovery, that flexibility matters.
Who Should Use the MT Visa
Use the MT visa if any of the following apply:
- Your planned treatment exceeds 60 days (the current visa-free limit). Anything involving complex surgery plus recovery, or staged procedures, usually does.
- You want a longer single stay than visa-free allows without burning a future visa-free entry on a medical trip.
- You’re bringing a family member as a caregiver. The MT visa allows up to 3 accompanying dependents on the same application, with separate application forms but the same ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) fee per person.
- Your hospital wants proof of medical-visa status for its own compliance paperwork. Major Thai hospitals are familiar with the MT process and sometimes quote packages assuming MT-visa patients.
If your treatment fits within 60 days, you’re already on the visa-free entry scheme, and you don’t need follow-up visits, you can skip the MT visa entirely. The hospital invitation letter is still useful (it can speed up immigration questions), but the visa itself isn’t strictly required.
Step-by-Step: How to Apply
Step 1: Get a Treatment Plan and Cost Estimate from a Thai Hospital
Before anything else, you need a Thai-registered hospital willing to accept you as a patient. Most large hospitals in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai have dedicated international patient offices that handle MT visa coordination by email.
You’ll typically be asked to send:
- Recent medical reports and diagnosis
- Scans, blood tests, or imaging relevant to your case
- A short cover note explaining what you want treated and your proposed travel dates
The hospital responds with a treatment plan, an estimated cost, and a tentative admission date. This exchange is informal and carries no fee.
Step 2: Receive the Official Invitation Letter
Once you confirm you want to proceed, the hospital issues a formal invitation letter on its letterhead. This is the document the embassy requires. It must contain:
- Hospital name, address, and registration number
- Patient name, passport number, and nationality
- Diagnosis and proposed treatment
- Estimated length of stay
- Estimated total cost of treatment
- Hospital’s commitment to notify Thai immigration if the patient overstays
- Signature of the hospital director or international patient coordinator
The letter is usually sent as a PDF via email. Some hospitals will also courier a stamped original if you request it (VFS accepts scanned PDFs in most cases, but check before mailing).
Step 3: Gather Your Documents
You’ll need:
- Passport (valid 6+ months, 2 blank pages minimum)
- Completed visa application form (download from the Royal Thai Embassy website or fill online)
- 2 passport photos (4×6 cm, white background, taken within 6 months, same spec as VoA)
- Hospital invitation letter (the PDF)
- Proof of financial means (last 3 months’ bank statement, minimum balance around ₹2 lakh equivalent is typical)
- Flight reservation (round trip, not necessarily purchased)
- Proof of relationship for accompanying dependents (marriage certificate, birth certificates)
- VFS service charge and courier fee
Step 4: Submit at VFS Global
Indians apply through VFS Global’s Thai visa centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and a few other cities. Walk-in or appointment, depending on the city.
Pay the ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) visa fee in INR (VFS quotes the rupee equivalent on the day, based on the embassy-set exchange rate, typically around ₹60,000–₹60,500 for the single-entry). Pay the VFS service charge separately.
Step 5: Collect Passport and Travel
Processing takes 3–5 working days for straightforward cases. The passport comes back with the MT visa stamp. You’re now ready to fly.
On arrival in Thailand, complete the TDAC before boarding (free, mandatory for all entry types). At immigration, present your passport with MT visa, the printed hospital invitation letter, TDAC QR code, and proof of onward travel.
Recommended Hospitals for Indian Patients
These are the hospitals Indian medical tourists most commonly work with. All have dedicated international patient offices that issue MT visa invitation letters in English. Prices below are typical starting ranges; actual quotes depend on the procedure.
Bangkok
Bangkok is the hub for medical tourism in Thailand. Bumrungrad International Hospital (Bangkok) is the most well-known name in medical tourism for Indians. It has a full Indian patient coordination desk (Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Bengali speakers on staff in most shifts), JCI accreditation, and a separate international ward. Common Indian patient specialties: cardiac surgery, orthopaedics, oncology, cosmetic surgery, IVF.
Bangkok Hospital (the flagship of the BDMS network, with branches in Bangkok, Phuket, and Pattaya) handles end-to-end MT visa coordination for Indian patients across cardiac, neurological, orthopaedic, and cosmetic cases.
Other commonly used options in Bangkok include Samitivej Hospital and BNH Hospital. In Phuket and Pattaya, international hospitals within the BDMS network serve the beach-recovery market. Your medical reports and required specialty will determine which specific facility your case coordinator recommends.
Safety Alert: Avoid clinics that aren’t JCI-accredited or that don’t appear on the Thai Ministry of Public Health’s registered hospital list, even if their invitation letters look official. The Royal Thai Embassy reserves the right to verify any invitation letter with the issuing hospital, and a rejected verification is an automatic visa refusal.
Cost Comparison: Thailand vs India for Common Procedures
These are typical package prices from Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital published price lists, rounded. Indian private hospital equivalents are typical Apollo/Fortis/Max ranges for the same procedures.
| Procedure | Thailand (starting) | India (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) | ₹3,437,040 (~1,200,000 THB or ~$35,992.66) | ₹450,000 (~$4,712.40) |
| Total knee replacement (single) | ₹1,288,890 (~450,000 THB or ~$13,497.25) | ₹280,000 (~$2,932.16) |
| Hip replacement (single) | ₹1,374,816 (~480,000 THB or ~$14,397.06) | ₹300,000 (~$3,141.60) |
| IVF cycle (own eggs) | ₹859,260 (~300,000 THB or ~$8,998.17) | ₹180,000 (~$1,884.96) |
| Cosmetic rhinoplasty | ₹429,630 (~150,000 THB or ~$4,499.08) | ₹120,000 (~$1,256.64) |
| Dental implants (per tooth) | ₹28,642 (~10,000 THB or ~$299.94) | ₹25,000 (~$261.80) |
Thailand is not always cheaper than India. Where Thailand wins is package transparency, English-speaking staff, JCI standards, and recovery environment. Where India wins is raw cost on most procedures.
The MT visa fee (₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67)) is a small fraction of any of these procedures, so it doesn’t factor into the cost comparison. What it buys is legal status for a longer stay than visa-free allows.
Step-by-Step: Visa-Free vs MT for Medical Stays
Most Indian patients don’t need the MT visa at all. Here’s how to choose:
Use visa-free entry (60 days, extendable +30 days) if:
- Your treatment + recovery fits within 60 days
- You don’t need a specific visa stamp for your hospital’s paperwork
- You might want to combine the trip with tourism during recovery
- You’ve never entered Thailand visa-free in the past 12 months (there’s no limit, but staying within the spirit of the rule matters)
Use the MT visa if:
- Treatment plan exceeds 60 days
- Hospital specifically requires MT visa status
- You’re bringing multiple accompanying dependents
- You want to extend in 30-day increments beyond the standard 30-day visa-free extension
For most cosmetic surgery, dental work, or single-event orthopaedic cases, visa-free is the right call. For cardiac surgery, cancer treatment, or staged procedures, MT is worth the extra cost and paperwork. If you’re combining treatment with leisure, check our Thailand island hopping route guide for recovery-friendly destinations.
At the Airport / Border
At Thai immigration, you’ll go through the standard foreign passport line. The officer will check:
- Passport validity (6+ months required)
- MT visa stamp page
- TDAC QR code (digital or printed)
- Hospital invitation letter (carry the printed PDF, even if you’ve emailed it earlier)
- Return/onward ticket
- Proof of funds (occasionally asked)
The officer may ask a few questions about your treatment plan (which hospital, which doctor, how long you intend to stay). Answering in English is fine; major international hospitals provide a contact number the officer can call to verify if needed.
If you entered visa-free and decided to pursue MT status from inside Thailand, that’s not possible. MT is an embassy-issued visa, and switching from visa-free to MT requires leaving Thailand and re-entering with the MT stamp.
Land border crossings work the same as airports for MT visa holders. The TDAC is mandatory at land borders too, and you should carry the same document set.
Extensions & Overstay
If your treatment runs longer than 90 days, extend at any Thai immigration office (Bangkok’s Chaeng Watthana is the main one; provincial offices exist in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, etc.). Each extension is ₹5,442 (~1,900 THB or ~$56.99) and covers 30 days. Bring:
- Passport
- Hospital letter confirming ongoing treatment
- Proof of funds
- Completed TM.7 extension form
You can extend up to the maximum stay your treatment requires. There is no hard cap on extensions as long as a hospital continues to certify that treatment is ongoing. A gap between treatments typically requires a new MT visa application.
Overstay fines are ₹1,432 (~500 THB or ~$15) per day, capped at ₹57,284 (~20,000 THB or ~$599.88). Overstays also trigger immigration blacklisting, which can affect future Thai visa applications. The MT visa is generally treated more leniently than tourist overstays if you can show treatment records, but don’t rely on this; extend on time. For general budgeting tips on travelling Thailand on a budget, see our cost guide.
Common Mistakes & Rejection Reasons
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Quoting treatment duration in the application that doesn’t match the hospital letter. If your application says 30 days but the hospital letter says 90 days, expect a refusal or a request for clarification that delays you.
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Submitting bank statements with insufficient funds. The Royal Thai Embassy wants to see you can cover treatment plus stay. A balance of ₹2 lakh minimum is typical; more is safer. Last-minute large deposits are a red flag.
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Using a hospital invitation letter from a clinic, not a registered hospital. Only Thai-registered hospitals can issue valid MT invitation letters. Cosmetic clinics, dental clinics, and wellness centres that aren’t hospital-registered will get your application refused.
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Not completing TDAC before boarding. TDAC is mandatory for all arrivals and is checked at the gate. Airlines can deny boarding without it.
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Forgetting to mention accompanying dependents. If your spouse or parent is travelling with you, they need their own MT visa application, separate fee, and proof of relationship. Adding them at the airport is not possible.
Getting Connected
You’ll want connectivity the moment you land, especially if your hospital is arranging pickup at the airport. Tourist SIMs from AIS or TrueMove are available at Suvarnabhumi and Phuket airport kiosks and at any 7-Eleven. Compare the 15-day and 30-day plans on the day to pick the best fit for your stay length.
If you’d rather not queue at the airport, the eSIM alternative is faster: you scan a QR code, you’re online before wheels-up. For more on Thailand SIM options and real prices, including 7-Eleven tourist packages, see our SIM card breakdown. Indian carriers charge roughly ₹800-₹1,200 (~$8.38-$12.57) per day for international roaming on a Thailand trip, so an eSIM is a fraction of that.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Thailand medical visa cost for Indians?
The Thai embassy charges ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) for a single-entry MT visa (90 days), or ₹120,640 (~42,120 THB or ~$1,263.34) for the multiple-entry one-year version. Add the VFS Global service charge of around ₹1,400 (~$14.66) per applicant.
Can I get a Thailand medical visa on arrival?
No. The MT visa is only issued at Thai embassies or consulates (via VFS Global in India). There is no medical-treatment visa on arrival. The two arrival-time options for Indians are visa-free entry (60 days) or the standard Visa on Arrival / VoA (15 days), and neither is specifically tied to medical treatment.
Which hospital in Thailand is best for Indian patients?
Bumrungrad International Hospital in Bangkok has the most established Indian patient programme, with Hindi-speaking staff and end-to-end MT visa coordination. Bangkok Hospital and Samitivej are strong alternatives in Bangkok; Bangkok Hospital Phuket leads in Phuket.
How long does the invitation letter take?
Once you send your medical reports to the hospital’s international patient office, expect the formal invitation letter within 2–5 working days. Bangkok hospitals are typically faster (2–3 days); Phuket and Pattaya hospitals may take a day or two longer due to lower volume.
Can I bring my family on the same medical visa?
Yes. Up to 3 accompanying dependents (spouse, children, parents) can apply on the same MT visa framework. Each person fills their own application and pays the ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) fee. You’ll need proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificates).
Do I need TDAC if I have an MT visa?
Yes. TDAC is mandatory for every arrival in Thailand regardless of visa type. Complete it at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before departure.
What happens if my treatment goes beyond the 90 days?
Apply for a 30-day extension at Thai immigration before your current stay expires. Cost is ₹5,442 (~1,900 THB or ~$56.99) per extension. You can keep extending in 30-day chunks for as long as the hospital certifies ongoing treatment.
Subodh’s Take
The MT visa is the right tool for Indians who need serious treatment in Thailand, but it’s overkill for a lot of people who get steered toward it. If your procedure is a single dental implant, a cosmetic touch-up, or anything that fits within 60 days plus a 30-day extension, you’re better off on the visa-free 60-day entry. It costs nothing, has no paperwork, and you’ll be at the same hospitals with the same doctors. The MT visa earns its keep when treatment runs longer than 90 days, when you’re bringing family as caregivers, or when the hospital specifically wants MT status for its own compliance. Don’t let an agent sell you a ₹60,320 (~21,060 THB or ~$631.67) visa you don’t need.
One more thing: the hospital’s international patient office will do most of the paperwork for you. Use them. The MT visa process is bureaucratic, the staff at Bumrungrad and Bangkok Hospital handle MT applications all day, and they know exactly which embassy clerk wants which document format. Trying to do it yourself through VFS without their guidance is how people end up with rejected applications and missed surgery dates. For more on Southeast Asia backpacking routes and logistics, visit the SEA Backpacking Hub.
