Plan your trip · Before you go
Documents and entry
Visa-free entry for Bulgarian passports, the arrival card, flights from Sofia, when to come, and the etiquette worth knowing before you land.
Information changes. Check it again before you travel.
Entry rules for Bulgarian passports
Bulgarian citizens enter Thailand visa-exempt for 30 days (Approved by the Thai government on 14 July 2026; effective upon publication in the Royal Gazette.) for tourism, extendable once by 30 days at any immigration office (1,900 THB). Requirements at the border:
- Passport valid at least 6 months beyond arrival
- Proof of onward or return travel within the permitted stay
- An address in Thailand for the arrival card
- The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) — filed online within 72 hours before arrival; it replaced the old paper TM6
Immigration officers may ask for proof of funds (20,000 THB per person / 40,000 per family) — rarely, but it happens, and “I have a card” is not always accepted.
Getting there from Bulgaria
There are no year-round direct flights from Sofia to Bangkok. Every routing to Bangkok goes through one hub, and the full list — carriers, journey times and stop counts — is on the Flight routes page.
In short: Istanbul is usually the shortest and most frequent, Dubai adds an hour or two for a wider choice of departure times, and Vienna, Munich or Zurich suit you if you would rather connect inside the EU.
GullivAir flies direct from Sofia to Phuket. May, June and September are typically the cheapest months to fly; late December and Songkran week are the most expensive.
Bangkok has two airports: Suvarnabhumi (BKK) for most long-haul, Don Mueang (DMK) for low-cost and domestic. Allow 3 hours if you have to change between them.
When to go
November–February is the classic window: dry, 25–32 °C, low humidity. It is also the most expensive and the most crowded.
March–May is hot (up to 40 °C) and, in the north, smoky from agricultural burning. Songkran in mid-April is worth planning around either way.
June–October is the rainy season on most of the country — usually a heavy hour in the afternoon, not all day. Prices drop 30–50 %, everything is green, and the Gulf islands (Samui, Pha Ngan, Tao) are actually at their best because their rain arrives later, in October–December.
Etiquette, safety and scams
- The wai — palms together, slight bow. Return it, don't initiate it with staff or children.
- Head high, feet low. Never touch an adult's head, never point your feet at a person or a Buddha image.
- The monarchy is protected by strict lèse-majesté laws. Do not joke about it, online or offline.
- Temples — shoulders and knees covered, shoes off. Women should not touch monks or hand things to them directly.
- Keep calm. Raising your voice loses you all standing in the conversation.
Common scams: the “Grand Palace is closed today” tuk-tuk detour, gem shops, jet-ski damage claims, and rigged taxi meters. Insist on the meter, or use Grab/Bolt where the price is fixed in advance.
What to pack (and what not to)
Bring: light long sleeves for temples and air-conditioning, a rain shell in the wet season, reef-safe sunscreen, any prescription medicine with its box and prescription, an EU-to-Thai plug adapter (Thailand uses types A/B/C at 220 V — most Bulgarian plugs fit as-is), and a dry bag if you travel in April.
Don't bother: towels, toiletries, heavy shoes, or more than a few days of clothing. Laundry is 40–60 THB per kilo, everywhere, done same-day.