Thailand Eyes 30-Day Limit on Visa-Free Stay for Security Reasons

47 minutes ago, Robert Tyrrell said:

What about people who are married and have Thai Families here ?? never-do-wells ?? NOT !!

exactly people who have done their travelling and are settling down hardly ne'er do wells

2 minutes ago, Hakuna Matata said:

Yes, absolutely!

don't you get bored posting the same old message ? it must be over 100 times now

3 hours ago, Purdey said:

Someone thinks that any bad activities done in 90 days can't be done in 30 days, with an extension.

It will shorten timeframes and raise costs (extensions and visa runs), which will have an impact on lower level criminal activity and discourage people from working illegally. The facts are that illegal work and nefarious activity has increased after they introduced 60-days exempt from 93 countries, so they should role (both) back. Honest long term tourists can just get a proper visa like METV or DTV and not worry about duration.

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

as most tourists stay under 21 days.

I agree, with the current dreadful exchange rate, but should the rate greatly imrove, then many tourists may decide to stay longer and enjoy value for money!!

1 hour ago, Ironmike said:

I think this is a great idea it would cut down on most people that are working here illegally like the Russians but all as the Russians have now found an easier way of staying long term which I think needs to be stopped they are bringing there kids here and enrolling them in schools then applying for dependant visas which is also allowing them long term stays and these are the ones that are working illegally as they have no means to get money, let's face it we read all the time how these people are breaking the laws alongside the aribs coming and causing more problems time for change.

why do you care what others are doing ? personally i concentrate on my own immigration arrangements and keep my affairs in order to the satisfaction of the authorities,

I really couldn't care less what others are doing regarding their immigration status, it's not my country and its none of my business

It was significantly reduce income for condo owners and all the cities starting immediately and effect.

2 hours ago, loong said:

During covid, the Thai government decided that 90 days was the limit for real tourists, so why should it be different now?

What is the problem wit 30 days free visa? Nobody says you can' t or allowed to stay longer.. just apply for a longer stay visa, so that can be checked how you fund it.. Schengen does not have a 30 visa too and nobody complains

1 hour ago, mjakob007 said:

If most of the visitors are staying less than 30 days, how would this reduction of stay from 60 to 30 days reduce the risk of unlawful activates

always chasing the wrong shadows

its all a volume game here.

Chinese are the largest target visitors and they don't stay longer than 30, unless they have upto some games here. that is the only audience getting any attention

6 hours ago, JWNZ said:

Won't affect genuine tourists, who come for holidays, then go home but will affect those attempting to live here all year round on free entries, who pose as tourists.

Lets not forget the 'snowbirds' who own holiday homes and like to come for the winter.

I guess they don't really want to continue selling all those holiday apartments and houses because they're definitely making it a lot more hassle to visit your own luxury apartment when retired.

People hate paperwork and don't care what the criminals do - also the criminals will do whatever they want, if they get caught then they get caught - they don't care either.

3 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Is this a coincidence that Anutin gets elected and within days they're reducing the length of tourist visas?

I think it is just that , a coincidence , I doubt this is the main priority of the newly elected government,? even if it was there was no way it would have got to this stage so quickly This has been on the cards for a while it has certainly been mentioned before , its reversal back to 30 days been regularly mentioned since it started, i thought it was only a temporary thing anyway .

I hope your dislike of Trump isn't metastasising to a hatred of Anutin. you are starting to sound a little paranoid,

I don't particularly like any of them but Anutin did unlock cannabis so he can't be all bad, at least that's what i tell myself , and I genuinely don't care that he personally made money out of it why would I they are all lining their own pockets one way or the other

Those selfish individuals using visa-free entry for working have spoiled things for longer term visitors. Get the right visa if here for work!

6 hours ago, JWNZ said:

Won't affect genuine tourists, who come for holidays, then go home but will affect those attempting to live here all year round on free entries, who pose as tourists.

Not so!

Many of we "normal tourists" come for 60 days...I've been doing it for many years, before I retired and since.

Not everyone is constrained by some company telling us how to live our lives you know!

Obviously I and others like me can simply get SETV (as I used to do) but why the continuous changes for no clear reasons except the whim of a government lackey?

THAT'S what is so annoying 😡

32 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

I think it is just that , a coincidence , I doubt this is the main priority of the newly elected government,? even if it was there was no way it would have got to this stage so quickly This has been on the cards for a while it has certainly been mentioned before , its reversal back to 30 days been regularly mentioned since it started, i thought it was only a temporary thing anyway .

I hope your dislike of Trump isn't metastasising to a hatred of Anutin. you are starting to sound a little paranoid,

I don't particularly like any of them but Anutin did unlock cannabis so he can't be all bad, at least that's what i tell myself , and I genuinely don't care that he personally made money out of it why would I they are all lining their own pockets one way or the other

I don't think it's necessarily any sort of connection between Anutin and Trump, other than the fact that they're both politicians and therefore both reptilian and dishonest by nature. I can't say that I like any politician these days, regardless of what side of the aisle they're on.

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I don't think it's necessarily any sort of connection between Anutin and Trump, other than the fact that they're both politicians and therefore both reptilian and dishonest by nature. I can't say that I like any politician these days, regardless of what side of the aisle they're on.

me neither, i put them in the same category as estate agents,

23 hours ago, kinyara said:

The question that should be asked is if The Tourism and Sports Ministry don't think reducing visa free access from 60 to 30 days will significantly affect tourism, why did they bother increasing it in the first place ?

Different government I guess, after the latest elections

23 hours ago, kinyara said:

The question that should be asked is if The Tourism and Sports Ministry don't think reducing visa free access from 60 to 30 days will significantly affect tourism, why did they bother increasing it in the first place ?

I agree – I think given the nature of those in power, it may represent their inability to deal with security matters and look round for a scapegoat issue – and the visa-free entry fits in nicely with an essentially xenophobic attitude of the old men in grey in power

Just another way to harm tourism. Great job guys!

16 minutes ago, Bday Prang said:

me neither, i put them in the same category as estate agents,

The difference being that estate agents actually provide a function and a service! Political crocodiles don't. They just suck money and oxygen.

35 minutes ago, Ajarnbrian said:

Those selfish individuals using visa-free entry for working have spoiled things for longer term visitors. Get the right visa if here for work!

You sound like a retired school teacher, even your user name implies it actually it could soon be "get the right visa if you intend to stay more than 30 days" bear that in mind before issuing your instructions

10 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

The difference being that estate agents actually provide a function and a service! Political crocodiles don't. They just suck money and oxygen.

Agreed but its a $hit job and somebody has to do it politics I mean not estate agents, Buying or selling a house or condo need be no more difficult than buying or selling a car, and there are far more potential customers on the internet , than ever walk past an estate agents window.

16 minutes ago, giants49 said:

Just another way to harm tourism. Great job guys!

Do you predict a multi million baht shortfall in tourist revenue as a result of this , ( if it goes ahead) I don't ,

Most of those whinging about this are expats here on non o extensions, it won't affect any of them , and anybody seriously intending to spend 60 days here as a tourist can easily obtain a tourist visa online , Its not difficult or particularly onerous

In fact this is a positive sign , things must be improving, if the usual serial complainers are reduced to wasting their time moaning about this

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

f you need longer there is no problem to apply for a longer visa... Why should it be a problem???

My experience with the ball ache of visa application process and bureaucracy, having to go into immigration and get a visa extension... not for me, it is enough to see me on a plane and leaving for other places. I see the guy on YT retireandgo thinks much the same. That was my point, if only 1%-2% of tourists think similarly then they will be elsewhere and have seemingly zero impact on crime, the reason given for the change

29 minutes ago, BumGun said:

My experience with the ball ache of visa application process and bureaucracy, having to go into immigration and get a visa extension... not for me, it is enough to see me on a plane and leaving for other places. I see the guy on YT retireandgo thinks much the same. That was my point, if only 1%-2% of tourists think similarly then they will be elsewhere and have seemingly zero impact on crime, the reason given for the change

No extensions possible only for the long term visas as retirement, work and marriage.. a tourist never need to extend the visa except if they are unable to travel...so in fact hospitalization, family business, and than extension can be done for a few weeks....

On 2/13/2026 at 5:06 PM, kinyara said:

The question that should be asked is if The Tourism and Sports Ministry don't think reducing visa free access from 60 to 30 days will significantly affect tourism, why did they bother increasing it in the first place ?

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Problem was it got abused. Then they found out the tourists they wanted only stay a couple of weeks.

What is so typically Thai in regard to this, is not the balancing security concern with tourist dollars, it's the back and forth, it's that they are incapable of making up their minds and then sticking to it.

Coming out of the Covid lockdowns, VE was first 30 days, then they upped it to 45 days to bring back the tourists (I thought tourists stay only a maximum i of 4 weeks), then out of security concern it was back down to 30 days, then tourism revenue trumped security again , and up again, this time 60 days.

Now security is winning the day, and we are back down to 30 days.

And round and round we go, like in a madhouse.

So they'll change it back to 30 days, and in six months time they'll lament a decline in tourism (that won't have anything to do with that of course, as most tourists stay less than two weeks) and flip-flop again.

I think their headless chicken flip-flopping is the actual problem. Other countries manage to keep their visa rules for tourists unchanged for many years. For example, I have been able to enter Malaysia and Singapore visa exempt for 90 days for as long as I can remember. Cambodia and Laos with a 30-day tourist visa on arrival for as long as I remember. Consistency!

This time arriving on thailand getting 60 days tourist visa, i was almost kicked out of thailand for 99 years.

Reason: i was staying in house of me and my thai wife.

" if not stay hotel you are no tourist" !!

Yeah, let's punish millions for the actions of a few! Totally makes sense!

5 hours ago, thecyclist said:

What is so typically Thai in regard to this, is not the balancing security concern with tourist dollars, it's the back and forth, it's that they are incapable of making up their minds and then sticking to it.

Coming out of the Covid lockdowns, VE was first 30 days, then they upped it to 45 days to bring back the tourists (I thought tourists stay only a maximum i of 4 weeks), then out of security concern it was back down to 30 days, then tourism revenue trumped security again , and up again, this time 60 days.

Now security is winning the day, and we are back down to 30 days.

And round and round we go, like in a madhouse.

same for weed....they allow it one period, then not allow it....then for alcohol...now they lift the ban, they added different ban....it is crazy bipolar country if you ask me...just a <deleted> show...i dont know any other country changing it law so much...you need a freaking app just for all these laws that change from day to day...so in morning you wake up and see all the freaking changes and spend 1 hour reading them

Full support for this.