Thailand Targets High-Spending Tourists by Cutting Visa-Free Entry

I think this is a storm in a teacup. As others have pointed out, most genuine tourists don't spend more than 2-3 weeks in Thailand. A 30 day visa-exempt should be fine for the vast majority. And in any case, for those wishing to stay beyond 30 days, they can just get a 30 day extension (like before). IMHO, a 60 day visa-exemption was rather pointless - it didn't get them the 'quality' tourists they wanted, but instead became problematic. So they are reverting to 30 days. I really don't know what they can do to get more big spenders. More 30 day yacht rentals? I see Four Seasons Hotel group is now advertising that. But making more potential tourists apply for actual visas in their home countries is a huge disinsentive. A big mistake.

On 4/23/2026 at 5:29 PM, BritManToo said:

Suspend visa free entry, and Thailand will have almost no foreign visitors rich or poor.

I know.

GREAT IDEA.

I do NOT want Visa Free Entry here, please.

Once again the nabobs of delusion are incapable of providing a consistent policy. 30 days one week. Increased visa fees another week. No no visa fees and retention of 60 day visas. The biggest obstacle to long term visitors going into Q4 2026 and Q1 and Q2 2027 is the lack of clarity on the visas. Few people will be able to plan their visits if the visa rules are not clear.

23 hours ago, balo said:

Anyone over the age of 60 should get a 5 year retirement visa for free, it's the one group you can trust spending money in Thailand. They seem to think we all must be treated like potential criminals

Let me take a wild guess here. You're 61 years old, can still get it up, but you have limited financial resources.

4 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

I think this is a storm in a teacup. As others have pointed out, most genuine tourists don't spend more than 2-3 weeks in Thailand. A 30 day visa-exempt should be fine for the vast majority. And in any case, for those wishing to stay beyond 30 days, they can just get a 30 day extension (like before). IMHO, a 60 day visa-exemption was rather pointless - it didn't get them the 'quality' tourists they wanted, but instead became problematic. So they are reverting to 30 days. I really don't know what they can do to get more big spenders. More 30 day yacht rentals? I see Four Seasons Hotel group is now advertising that. But making more potential tourists apply for actual visas in their home countries is a huge disinsentive. A big mistake.

The bad tourists stay 2 to 3 weeks too. The weak euro has reduced the quality tourist numbers as they stay 2 to 3 months.

Changing back to 30 does not stop the idiots at all.

Japan gives out 90 days visa free and they don't have the problems Thailand has. If they want "higher quality" tourists, they need to demolish and completely rebuild cities like pattaya which is essentially an open air bar/brothel.

9 hours ago, captain_shane said:

Japan gives out 90 days visa free and they don't have the problems Thailand has. If they want "higher quality" tourists, they need to demolish and completely rebuild cities like pattaya which is essentially an open air bar/brothel.

I would guess that most tourists do not visit Pattaya at all.... But if you discourage visitors to go to Pattaya then indeed the average tourist might be of "higher quality". Getting rid of "low quality" tourists is however not equal to attracting "high quality" tourists.

On 4/23/2026 at 11:49 AM, The Oracle said:

A few ideas:
1) pay the police more;
2) treat all people the same with regard to the law;
3) accept that rich (sorry, "high value") tourists don't find Thailand attractive after their first visit, if they come at all.

Maybe stop treating people that met the requirements for long-stay visas like prison parolees in that they need to check in with their PO every three months and waste a tree's worth of paper every year.
Non-Imm O-A visa applicants/holders for retirement already require a clean criminal record from their home country to obtain one.
Applicants for a non-imm O visa for marriage visa require supporting statements from local office holders and statements from family and neighbours.

Just a thought.

Just a solid thought too !!… completely agreeable.

The issue isn’t really the visas (it never has been) - it’s the reputation. Thailand’s policing is widely seen as inconsistent, underpaid, and too often tangled up in “informal payments”. That creates a system where enforcement feels selective rather than fair.

It virtually enables crime through ineffective policing - so when people are caught undertaking minor offences, it becomes an opportunity to extract money rather than actually uphold the law. That undermines trust from both locals and foreigners.

Add to that:

• There’s a disconnect between policy and reality - rules look strict on paper, but enforcement is unpredictable. That uncertainty is what high-value tourists and long-stay expats really dislike.

• The constant reporting requirements - like 90-day check-ins - feel outdated in a digital world. It signals bureaucracy over efficiency.

• Immigration often treats compliant, long-term residents with suspicion rather than as contributors to the economy.

• The focus seems to be on controlling people who already follow the rules, instead of tackling organised crime or corruption.

• Public perception matters more than regulations - once a country gets labelled as inconvenient or “hassle-heavy”, it’s very hard to reverse.

If anything, Thailand would benefit more from:

• Modernising immigration systems (online reporting, less duplication).

• Raising police salaries tied to accountability and anti-corruption enforcement (better management of tax).

• Consistent application of laws - no grey areas depending on who you are.

• Shifting from a control mindset to a service mindset for tourism and long-stay residents.

....Because at the end of the day, people don’t avoid places just because of rules - they avoid places where the rules feel arbitrary, inconvenient, or unfairly applied....

And realistically - people aren't avoiding Thailand at all anyway - this is just more media hot air because it seems every time some tool from Kent gets in a flight with some loudmouth from Toowumba the media frenzy kicks in, claims netizen outrage about a story one would have heard of, and then people go on about visa, marijuana or whatever the latest buzz is about... its all a bit pathetic but comes down to a couple of basic points..

• (some) People and booze.

• Ineffective policing.

• Reputation (who / what Thailand attracts).

Whether secretly or not - Thailand covets the sex pests, the boozers, the party goers, back-packers full-mooners etc... while at the same time bleating on about 'high end tourists'.... its been the same broken record for well over 20 years.

This is just media amplification.

19 hours ago, NanLaew said:

On 4/23/2026 at 5:15 PM, balo said:

Anyone over the age of 60 should get a 5 year retirement visa for free, it's the one group you can trust spending money in Thailand. They seem to think we all must be treated like potential criminals

Let me take a wild guess here. You're 61 years old, can still get it up, but you have limited financial resources.

Let me take a wild guess here... You wanted to say something but didn't think.

Why 'shouldn't a retire get a 5 year visa for free ?- they are spending 'all' (most of) their money here - make it easier instead of treating them like convicts with trackers on their ankles.

Better still - offer a visa at a reasonable cost that allow retiree's to pay into the national health care system - thats a far better system for all around - it supports both medical care and ecounrages more 'mature' tourism.

If most of the boomers on here are correct- its the youngsters causing the issues anyway ? - so which is it ?

The reality is - a lot of rules for no solid reason - make things easier - and just deal with those who break the law - its not that hard - the constant announcement are pathetic.

You know, people that are well off, often are that way because they are smart shoppers, don't buy frivolous things, do bargain shopt etc. Read the book the Millionaire Next Door. I first went to Thailand because it was easy visa exempt on arrival, there was no need to get a visa in advance which was a problem with my contract work because I never really know when a job ends and when I would be available to travel. The fact the visa exempt on arrival was free was a nice feature.

Does anyone think this is just nonsense about going back to 30 days ? They do this every year. Go google Shinawatra in 2025 and similar things were being suggested then and nothing materialised. Then keep going back and it's always the same 'we are going to target better tourists' ... but instead all that happens is they open the draw bridges to more trash.

If anything, they have a fall in tourists again, they will double down on the panic and make it 90 days.

They don't have a strategy to attract quality tourists and keep trash away (and the harm it does to Thai society). In essence the only strategy is to open the borders to everyone, including criminals and less developed nations - an insane way to go about things.

I have sympathy for the tourist organisations, because the decisions to open the borders, allow long stays wasn't there. If you do a bit of digging it seems alot was buy property developers who seem to have a big say lately ... get foreigners in to buy the new condos being built (endless building, despite loads of stock that could be renovated).

Results have seen a fall in tourism twice, and revenue massively down. People don't go to holiday with trash around.Thai culture being eroded as enclases of foreigners build their own societies in Thailand, trampling on local thais.

The problem now for Thai government is now the public are waking up and getting sick too. Fatigue is real.

They can have tourism money (massive), make sure tourists go home - or enriching property developers.

On 4/24/2026 at 9:04 PM, BarraMarra said:

A week ago a post was put up on my Facebook from thai tourism saying Indians will be granted free Visas.

So what? You will need a visa to visit India but you don't need one for Leicester.

On 4/24/2026 at 9:53 PM, impulse said:

It looks like they're reducing the countries with visa exempt from 93 to 57 countries.

If they do this, it will have a greater positive impact on "quality tourism" than the 30 versus 60 day debate. Allowing people from countries with a lower GDP than your own to walk in and pitch a tent is lunacy, and reversing the policy is common sense.

7 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Let me take a wild guess here... You wanted to say something but didn't think.

Why 'shouldn't a retire get a 5 year visa for free ?- they are spending 'all' (most of) their money here - make it easier instead of treating them like convicts with trackers on their ankles.

Better still - offer a visa at a reasonable cost that allow retiree's to pay into the national health care system - thats a far better system for all around - it supports both medical care and ecounrages more 'mature' tourism.

If most of the boomers on here are correct- its the youngsters causing the issues anyway ? - so which is it ?

The reality is - a lot of rules for no solid reason - make things easier - and just deal with those who break the law - its not that hard - the constant announcement are pathetic.

Which regional immigration office in Thailand mandates ankle monitors? Sounds exciting but Udon doesn't so maybe I need to relocate?

Maybe those applying to pitch their Thai retirement tent long-time need to pass a test on computer or smartphone literacy in addition to showing adequate income.

Expecting boomers, most of them without a pot to piss in, to voluntarily sign up to a Thai government welfare scheme that can barely cope with their indigenous? And you're talking about opening one's yap with one's prefrontal cortex disengaged?

Who do you think should be dealing with these immigrant law breakers? Thailand's finest?

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Which regional immigration office in Thailand mandates ankle monitors? Sounds exciting but Udon doesn't so maybe I need to relocate?

Maybe those applying to pitch their Thai retirement tent long-time need to pass a test on computer or smartphone literacy in addition to showing adequate income.

Why - you think a lack of computer / smart phone literacy should exclude someone from living / retiring in Thailand ? - perhaps a test on daft bigotry would be better suited.

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Expecting boomers, most of them without a pot to piss in, to voluntarily sign up to a Thai government welfare scheme that can barely cope with their indigenous?

You missed this bit... >> 'Pay in to' - (i.e. as part of a visa Scheme - that boosts it) - foreign arrivals in general at a huge amount to Thailands GDP - and retirees are a part of that - just look at the stats of medical burden of foreigners here vs income from tourism.

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

offer a visa at a reasonable cost that allow retiree's to pay into the national health care system - thats a far better system for all around - it supports both medical care and ecounrages more 'mature' tourism.

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

And you're talking about opening one's yap with one's prefrontal cortex disengaged?

That shoe quiet adequately fit your previous comment.

2 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Who do you think should be dealing with these immigrant law breakers? Thailand's finest?

What immigrant law breakers ? the vast majority of retirees here are not 'immigrant law-breakers' niether are the vast majority of visitors in general.

You have simply fallen gullible to social medial amplification - what was that you mentioned about engaging ones prefrontal cortex ?

20 hours ago, captain_shane said:

Japan gives out 90 days visa free and they don't have the problems Thailand has. If they want "higher quality" tourists, they need to demolish and completely rebuild cities like pattaya which is essentially an open air bar/brothel.

Not really....tourists choice where they go, the airport runway is not in Pattaya. The quality tourists can go to Bangkok to avoid the open air bar/brothel..... hang on, let me put that another way.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why - you think a lack of computer / smart phone literacy should exclude someone from living / retiring in Thailand ? - perhaps a test on daft bigotry would be better suited.

If filing the 'ankle monitor' of a 90-day report online is beyond one's savvy, maybe best park you arse back home in Skegness. It's got naff all to do with daft bigotry, more like blissful ignorance. Luddites had fundamentally the same issues.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

You missed this bit... >> 'Pay in to' - (i.e. as part of a visa Scheme - that boosts it) - foreign arrivals in general at a huge amount to Thailands GDP - and retirees are a part of that - just look at the stats of medical burden of foreigners here vs income from tourism.

You missed that this is Thailand and thinking of them being capable of drafting farang-friendly social welfare schemes that benefit their nation while making life easier for the dwindling amount of old 'quality squatters' is unreal. Thanks for the giggle but.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

That shoe quiet adequately fit your previous comment.

Shoes come in pairs, so many thanks for filling the left one. Much appreciated.

1 hour ago, richard_smith237 said:

What immigrant law breakers ? the vast majority of retirees here are not 'immigrant law-breakers' niether are the vast majority of visitors in general.

You have simply fallen gullible to social medial amplification - what was that you mentioned about engaging ones prefrontal cortex ?

The immigrant lawbreakers that are the focus of these on-again, off-again debates on 60 versus 30. You know, the subject of THIS thread?

You are simply regurgitating the fallacy that the silver-haired farang quotient are a significant source of income to the nation's coffers and essential for Thailand's future. Carry on preaching that nonsense to the gullible but be aware that some are wearing hearing aids, or may already be down Big-C chasing bargains after their tiny, non-inflation adjusted pension checks have just dropped.

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why - you think a lack of computer / smart phone literacy should exclude someone from living / retiring in Thailand ? - perhaps a test on daft bigotry would be better suited.

If filing the 'ankle monitor' of a 90-day report online is beyond one's savvy, maybe best park you arse back home in Skegness. It's got naff all to do with daft bigotry, more like blissful ignorance. Luddites had fundamentally the same issues.

That’s missing the real point. Not everyone finds online systems easy - and that’s not “ignorance”, it’s just reality. Digital processes can be confusing, poorly designed, or inconsistent, especially for people who aren’t particularly tech-savvy.

When something like a 90-day report becomes mandatory online, it risks excluding a segment of people who are otherwise compliant. That’s not a failure on their part - it’s a usability issue.

If a system is required, it should be accessible. Otherwise, you’re not improving efficiency - you’re just creating a barrier.

I'm all for having 'everything online and optimised' but not at the cost of exclusion of 'some' - this is the same as the 'cashless argument' I'm all for online systems, and myself am 99% cashless, but I still argue the importance of cash - for those who prefer to use it - its a similar argument here.

So - be very careful about your luddite commentary - for with the speed of AI you might findyourself one day falling outside of an ecosystem unable to keep up - we need the option of backup and redundancy.

(More on this on the next comment / post).

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

You missed this bit... >> 'Pay in to' - (i.e. as part of a visa Scheme - that boosts it) - foreign arrivals in general at a huge amount to Thailands GDP - and retirees are a part of that - just look at the stats of medical burden of foreigners here vs income from tourism.

You missed that this is Thailand and thinking of them being capable of drafting farang-friendly social welfare schemes that benefit their nation while making life easier for the dwindling amount of old 'quality squatters' is unreal. Thanks for the giggle but.

Go there an ask them if you can fill out your TM6 the old fashioned way then - because the TDAC system already shows progress is taking place.

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

That shoe quiet adequately fit your previous comment.

Shoes come in pairs, so many thanks for filling the left one. Much appreciated.

(while we are clearly in argument - I quite liked the wit of that retort !).

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

What immigrant law breakers ? the vast majority of retirees here are not 'immigrant law-breakers' niether are the vast majority of visitors in general.

You have simply fallen gullible to social medial amplification - what was that you mentioned about engaging ones prefrontal cortex ?

The immigrant lawbreakers that are the focus of these on-again, off-again debates on 60 versus 30. You know, the subject of THIS thread?

That’s a lot of buzzwords doing the heavy lifting.

Calling people “immigrant lawbreakers” to frame a 60 vs 30-day debate is just a blanket label, not an argument.

Most are ordinary travellers working within the rules - not criminals.

And the logic doesn’t stack up. Do you really think someone allowed 60 days visa-free is more likely to commit a crime than someone allowed 30? By that reasoning, cut it to two weeks and crime disappears. It’s a flawed premise.

If there’s abuse, deal with it through policy and enforcement - not lazy labels.

9 hours ago, NanLaew said:

You are simply regurgitating the fallacy that the silver-haired farang quotient are a significant source of income to the nation's coffers and essential for Thailand's future. Carry on preaching that nonsense to the gullible but be aware that some are wearing hearing aids, or may already be down Big-C chasing bargains after their tiny, non-inflation adjusted pension checks have just dropped.

That’s a pretty sweeping and biased take - and it leans heavily on a false binary.

No one is claiming retirees are “essential to Thailand’s future” or some dominant pillar of state revenue. That’s a strawman you’ve introduced so you can argue against it.

The more grounded point is this: people choosing to spend their retirement in Thailand generally have significantly more disposable income than the average local wage. That spending doesn’t vanish - it circulates through local economies - housing, food, healthcare, services - especially in regional areas outside the main tourist hubs.

It’s not about being “the backbone of the nation”, it’s about being a net contributor at a local level.

Also, framing retirees as bargain-hunting burdens living off tiny pensions is just caricature. Sure, that segment exists - but so does a large group spending steadily and supporting businesses year-round, which is something short-term tourism doesn’t always provide.

Tourism and long-stay foreigners aren’t a magic switch where Thailand thrives or collapses without them - but equally, they’re not the drain you’re implying either.

Reality sits in the middle: they complement the economy, they don’t define it.

10 hours ago, NanLaew said:

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why - you think a lack of computer / smart phone literacy should exclude someone from living / retiring in Thailand ? - perhaps a test on daft bigotry would be better suited.

If filing the 'ankle monitor' of a 90-day report online is beyond one's savvy, maybe best park you arse back home in Skegness. It's got naff all to do with daft bigotry, more like blissful ignorance. Luddites had fundamentally the same issues.

I’m very tech-savvy and I’ve still hit serious roadblocks with “simple” online systems where no backup existed.

• A UAE stopover visa via Emirates - the system wouldn’t recognise a valid PNR. What should’ve taken 5 minutes dragged on for weeks to resolve.

• An urgent trip to Saudi Arabia - clunky visa platform, multiple devices, browsers, retries… something that should take 10 minutes took 6 hours.

That’s not user ignorance - that’s flawed systems.

So if people who are comfortable with tech hit these issues, others will too. The answer isn’t “go home”, it’s having proper fallback options.

Digitisation is great and I'm 100% behind it - it reduces queues and improves efficiency. But online systems should complement the process, not replace it entirely. In-person options aren’t a crutch - they’re a necessary backup to keep the system fair and accessible.

When considering the above your 'go back to Skegness' response is hardly the sharp witted retort you wanted it to be

I have to laugh at some of the comments made by the government. And we all know that today they will say one thing and tomorrow they will say the opposite. Whatever.

T.A.T. will do anything to keep the tourist arrivals numbers up. It's all very short sighted. That's how they've ended up with tourists from countries like China, India, Russia. I don't mean to paint everyone with one brush but they are generally undesirable visitors.

Want more high end tourists? Get investors who will develop high end properties that will attract them.

Try initiating zoning policies in one or two places and see how it goes. Nobody wants to build a luxe property and have a shanty village right next door. Clean up the messes that are everywhere. Enforce the laws, especially those affecting safety.

Stop promoting places like Pattaya. Shut down the bars at a reasonable hour instead of thinking about letting them stay open until 5:00 AM. Who was it that said "Nothing good ever happens after 1:00 AM."

Just some random thoughts. Yes, I know that probably none of them would ever come to fruition here.

A significant number of Thai people is making a living from "low quality" tourists: street food vendors, cheap guesthouse owners and staff, old girls,...

20 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

When considering the above your 'go back to Skegness' response is hardly the sharp witted retort you wanted it to be

It wasn't intended as a sharp witted retort. It's intended as an admonishment.

I agree for the most part of both your posts. I know my limits when it comes to new tech but like yourself, I make the effort. The crux of my joust is against those who repeatedly complain about online 90-day reports being difficult. Those that liken it to probation have never served any probation. As for feeling entitled to a free 5 year visa just because they think they deserve it... puleeze?

The digitisation of how we do things in life is progressing at a pace commensurate with the abilities of everyone that came after the Boomers. That's the younger generations with plenty more years to burn than me so they're shaping their world.

The main issue for Boomers is their resistance to change. Nobody really likes change, that's totally natural. However, they're on a limited-stop bus ride till sunset so best pipe down, hang on and try a bit harder.

So Thai ministers want high end Tourism why are they giving free Visas to Indians who can't afford to live in a hotel and sleep on Beaches ??