Thailand Cuts Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days to Combat Abuse

[PETERTHEEATER]

4 hours ago, Yagoda said:

More tourist attractions, better beaches, better marketing.

 

Here is how it works in Cambodia. You go to Angkor. You leave.

After paying your Angkor admittance fee in USD only🙄

[bullseye66]

2 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Nah, it has nothing to do with that foreigner are pesky because they come to Thailand and spend their money. It has to do with that to many arses comes here and behave like pure idiots. Did that help you to understand better?

If your statement is correct how does giving someone 30 days on entry as opposed to 60 days help?

[Colki]

BananaGuy no they have not and when they decide action has still got to be gazetted but that is not a long time frame.

 

I think this is ill thought out as many have stated this will not result in better behaviour. They need an efficient and active police system and that is never going to happen.

[khunjeff]

4 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I fail to see the correlation between visa free entry and working illegally and/or owning illegal businesses...

 

Am I missing something?

 

You're not missing anything. It's completely nonsensical and illogical, as is the fact that it's the tourism industry that's pushing to make it more difficult for tourists to come...

 

And here's more illogic: 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

the Thai Hotels Association linked these activities to the rise in condos being rented out illegally

 

Let's see, it's legal to rent out condos for over 30 days, but illegal to rent them out for less than 30 days. So how do we solve the illegal rental problem? Why, limit people's stays so that only illegal rentals are possible! (Though of course the reality is that the THA would prefer that all condo rentals be banned, and that all visitors be required to stay in hotels.)

[richard_smith237]

What difference is this going to make ???

 

Thailand is still going to get tourists who visit and make complete idiots of themselves... 

 

Most tourists are here for a few weeks.... 

 

 

[sparky666]

5 hours ago, Robert_Smith said:

...They would much rather tourists wire them the money from their home countries without ever even stepping foot on to their scared land.

 

regards,

bob.

It’s mainly the bloody Russians that cause most of the problems, they should just ban them altogether, also any foreigners causing serious problems should be banned for a minimum of 10 years.

Farangs with Thai wives should be allowed 90 days visa free with the possibility of extensions for a further 30 days

[thaibreaker]

4 hours ago, Gknrd said:

Not good news for me, I was going to come after June to stay for a while. But, I am not going through the 30 day tourist visa again.  That is a pain in the A$$.

Try Malaysia. They have 90 days visa free stay. 

Thailand is what Thailand does, as Forrest Gump would say.

[Kaopad999]

5 hours ago, Robert_Smith said:

They make it up as they go along.

 

Can they just do us all a favor though and blacklist the Vlads the same as the EU have done?

I would be very appreciative of that.

 

Pattaya is literally thronged with them. They are everywhere.

Enough is enough.

 

regards,

bob.

along with the Indians... 

[richard_smith237]

6 minutes ago, bullseye66 said:

3 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

Nah, it has nothing to do with that foreigner are pesky because they come to Thailand and spend their money. It has to do with that to many arses comes here and behave like pure idiots. Did that help you to understand better?

If your statement is correct how does giving someone 30 days on entry as opposed to 60 days help?

 

It doesn't...   an idiot who's going to get drunk and violent is equally as likely to do so within his first 30 days here as he is within an extra 30 days...    these guys are idiots and they'll likely be messing up in their first week !!!

 

 

The other issue is the long-termers who make the news here, but they are on different visa's anyway, so this wont impact them at all.

[kwilco]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

File photo courtesy of TTG Asia

 

Thailand is set to reduce its visa-free stay allowance from 60 days to 30 days, a move aimed at curbing the misuse of the visa exemption for illegal business activities. The decision, agreed upon in principle by relevant authorities, is spearheaded by the Tourism and Sports Ministry.

 

Sorawong Thienthong, the Tourism and Sports Minister, stated that the Foreign Ministry has acknowledged the issue following extensive discussions with stakeholders over the past weeks. They collectively decided to shorten the visa-free period, but more discussions are necessary before the official announcement.

 

Since July 2024, Thailand has permitted travellers from 93 countries to enter for up to 60 days without a visa, an extension from the previous allowance for 57 countries. Nevertheless, tourism operators have raised concerns, noting that most long-haul tourists typically stay for 14 to 21 days, while short-haul visitors average about one week.

 

The Association of Thai Travel Agents highlighted worries about the increased duration contributing to illegal work and businesses by foreigners. Concurrently, the Thai Hotels Association linked these activities to the rise in condos being rented out illegally.

 

A former MP from Phuket also called for a crackdown on foreign businesses circumventing Thai laws and urged a shortening of the visa-free period. In response, Natthriya Thaweevong, the ministry's permanent secretary, announced plans to enforce the Tourism Business and Tourist Guide Act more rigorously.

 

 

A special joint operational centre, involving six agencies including the Tourism Department and Tourist Police, is actively investigating such illegal activities in popular tourist hotspots like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, and Bangkok.

 

In 2024 alone, licenses of 40 tourism companies were revoked for misconduct, such as illegal alterations of company directorships or shareholding structures.

 

In Phuket, licenses for 15 tour companies were cancelled due to violations. There was even an instance involving a Thai committee member appearing as an owner across five different company names, further highlighting the exploitation of business regulations.

 

By tightening the visa-free stay duration, Thailand aims to deter illegal business operations while maintaining its appeal as a premier tourist destination. Details of the changes are expected soon, as authorities balance welcoming tourists with protecting against legal infractions and preserving the integrity of the Thai tourism industry, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2025-03-18

 

 

This will put Thailand out of line with a lot of countries around the world who offer 60 and 90 days as standard.

Hwever it does give immigration an opportunity to sell a lot more tourist visas.

They have been twiddling their thumps for the past year.

 

The interesting parts will be in the detail.

Will the 30 day extension end?

Will there be a limit on the number of entries per year?

How will the visa run companies cope?

 

Without doubt a lot of European tourists, whilst not staying for 60 days at a time, have been using the ease of access to use Thailand as a hub for visiting S E. Asia in general.

 

Will this require changes to the digital ETA and TM6 forms?

Will it slow down the flow through the air ports?

 

 

[Jumbo1968]

5 hours ago, Robert_Smith said:

They make it up as they go along.

 

Can they just do us all a favor though and blacklist the Vlads the same as the EU have done?

I would be very appreciative of that.

 

Pattaya is literally thronged with them. They are everywhere.

Enough is enough.

 

regards,

bob.

We were on Koh Larn last week, I thought we had landed in Russia, it was inundated with Eastern Europeans same as New Year was.

[kwilco]

1 minute ago, kwilco said:

This will put Thailand out of line with a lot of countries around the world who offer 60 and 90 days as standard.

Hwever it does give immigration an opportunity to sell a lot more tourist visas.

They have been twiddling their thumps for the past year.

 

The interesting parts will be in the detail.

Will the 30 day extension end?

Will there be a limit on the number of entries per year?

How will the visa run companies cope?

 

Without doubt a lot of European tourists, whilst not staying for 60 days at a time, have been using the ease of access to use Thailand as a hub for visiting S E. Asia in general.

 

Will this require changes to the digital ETA and TM6 forms?

Will it slow down the flow through the air ports?

 

I thought it was temporary but I thought it might last more than a year

 

[jcmj]

Great news. If you believe that any young or middle aged Chinese or Russian can afford to legally take 60-90+ days off a year and not find a way to make money here, or steal food from restaurants you’re not thinking clearly. Of course some have money, but I wouldn’t put that number up to high. And we all know that the Indians share everything, from a coke to a girl. Sad but true. 

[thaibreaker]

13 minutes ago, Robert_Smith said:

Enough is enough.

 

I'm sick to death of hearing their rotten accent/language at every turn.

 

regards,

bob.

Then you should definitely not watch this week's episode of The White Lotus (filmed in Thailand). I was begging for a Russian free season, but that episode really made my stomach turn.

[factual monk]

I'm not surprised by this article... I am patiently waiting for next week or next month when the authorities will come up with another more fascinating news... they will flip flop again... well I will go Vietnam in case Thailand does 30 days as Vn gives 3 month evisa with cheaper rooms and lovely beaches and room rentals... xin chao... 😍

[malibukid]

6 hours ago, quake said:

Flip Flop Thailand, at it again.

Them pesky foreigners coming here and spending there money.

 

and acting like idiots, good riddance 

[factual monk]

Anyone who has to do illegal activity will continue to do it... they will manage a different category of visa and stay long... 60 to 30 days won't make any difference... any law can be circumvented... it's just a news to create sensation... incidents were happening regularly from all types of tourists irrespective of country and it will continue to be... whether you have VOA or Free visa or paid visa... 

[Polaky]

Might not even happen, it has to be put to the board members for a vote, if it does happen it won't happen overnight going by past experiences,  as far as the Russian's go, if Trump and vlad do a deal then there will be a mass exodus back to mother Russia, USA is not in Thailand's best interests atm, imposing sanctions, fat lot of good sanctions did on Russia, except for the very rich.

[Jabberwocky]

Here is what really happened. Somebody didn't fail in Math.

A legal retirement visa costs 1900 THB plus perhaps s.th. for the income confirmation at the embassy. 

Each exit stamp is another 1000 THB 

Retirees who like to travel would save money by just leaving every 60 days, or even after an extension once in a while. No other paperwork anymore.

 

[thaibreaker]

Instead of actually addressing the problem, which would be to reduce the 60 days to 30 for the trouble countries, Russia and China, they punish us all.

 

Can't stir up relations with Putin and BRICS, now they have become a partner, can they...

Cowards.

[crazykopite]

Does that mean we will see less vads I doubt it where there is a will there is a way !

[thaibreaker]

1 minute ago, crazykopite said:

Does that mean we will see less vads I doubt it where there is a will there is a way !

Doubt it. But you might see more vlads on overstay, is my guess.

[cowellandrew]

4 hrs to go to see what a certain HRH put on his visa form!

☻☻🥳🥳😁

[oustaristocrats]

5 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

I fail to see the correlation between visa free entry and working illegally and/or owning illegal businesses...

 

Am I missing something?

 

I don't see a lot of benefit from this turning back the clock measure. Long free visa will indeed not helping to fight illegal work and businesses, but the problem is that the good ones have to suffer the new rules caused by the bad ones. I come here to stay in my house for 5 weeks, now i have to start that hussle with a visa application again. 

 

Why not looking at the root cause of trouble makers ? Which countries do they come from ?  How did some manage to set up illegal businesses ?  By whom the illegal workers got employed ? 

Deepdiving and solving these root causes is much more effective than punishing the entire travel population.

 

[sandyf]

28 minutes ago, Polaky said:

if it does happen it won't happen overnight going by past experiences,

What past experiences would that be.

When Thailand was changing the regulations every month, it was virtually overnight.

[ThailandGuy]

How about Tourist that already had bought their tickets spending more than 30 days?  They are f.... !

[biggles45]

Nice move guys. People make international travel plans well in advance. Today I booked a return ticket for 16th May, giving my partner and I 35 days in Thailand. 

To get a visa we have a 2 hour + trip to Manila, and pick it up 2 business days later, not an easy or cheap process. 

Hopefully they will give this change their usual effective implementation. 

[JJ-Thailand]

An expected U-turn!

[Shocked farang]

7 hours ago, quake said:

Flip Flop Thailand, at it again.

Them pesky foreigners coming here and spending there money.

 

The target is to give 0 (zero) days on the Visa on arrival, the tourists will just send their money and stay home. Much safer for the Kingdom. 

[GammaGlobulin]

Why don't more of these people just head for Florida?

There is much more to do in Florida.

 

Florida is a very cool place, with hundreds of miles of beaches.

And, the women there hardly wear anything on them.