Thailand’s decision to reduce visa-free stays from 60 days to up to 30 days for visitors from more than 90 countries marks a significant shift in how the Thai government manages tourism. While the country remains heavily dependent on foreign visitors, the move reflects growing concern that the previous policy was being exploited by individuals involved in illegal activities, overstaying, or operating businesses without proper authorisation.

Get today's headlines by email

The change follows months of public frustration over a series of high-profile incidents involving foreign visitors. Reports of tourists refusing to pay restaurant bills, drunken street fights, public indecency and disrespectful behaviour towards locals have fuelled debate over whether Thailand’s reputation as a welcoming destination has encouraged some visitors to ignore local laws and customs.

Government officials have increasingly linked the issue to broader concerns about national security and immigration control. Authorities have highlighted cases involving illegal business operations, questionable land ownership arrangements and the use of Thailand as a base for activities extending beyond tourism. Government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said the previous visa system had created “a loophole for people without good intentions to take advantage”.

The tightening of visa rules has received support from many ordinary Thais, reflecting a noticeable shift in public sentiment. While tourism remains vital to the economy, there is growing pressure on authorities to ensure that economic benefits do not come at the expense of public order, local communities or cultural values. Social media discussions and repeated news coverage of tourist misconduct have amplified calls for stronger enforcement.

Industry representatives generally believe the impact on genuine tourists will be limited. Chutima Jeeramongkol, president of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Association, noted that most visitors stay well under 30 days, meaning the vast majority of holidaymakers are unlikely to be affected. Instead, the measure is viewed as a tool to improve screening and discourage long-term stays by people operating outside the law.

Some visitors questioned whether shorter visas will address the root causes of bad behaviour. Hungarian tourist Rudolf Guzsaly argued that disruptive tourists can create problems within days of arrival, suggesting that stricter enforcement may ultimately prove more effective than shorter permitted stays.

The policy also reflects a wider trend across popular tourist destinations in Asia, where governments are attempting to balance visitor numbers with community concerns. Thailand’s tourism sector contributes up to 20% of GDP and supports millions of jobs, making any restriction on visitor access a sensitive issue.

The Guardian reported that as authorities prepare to implement the new rules, attention will focus on whether the measures improve compliance and reduce abuse of the visa system without discouraging legitimate travellers. The government’s challenge will be maintaining Thailand’s appeal as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations while responding to growing domestic demands for tighter control and greater respect for local laws and culture.

Picture courtesy of The Guardian

Join the discussion?

Already a member?

Adapted by ASEAN Now TheGuardian 3 June 2026

View full article

Obviously the opposition to the Visa-free 60 days stay will gather and use all negative aspects!

(Tourists refusing to pay restaurant bills, drunken street fights, public indecency, disrespectful behavior towards locals, illegal activities, overstaying, or operating businesses without proper authorization.)

It is always easy to criticize...

It is true, it has happened more and more frequently - Well? What do you expect?!

Luring more and more tourists at all costs to reach the 30 million-target, to make it "more attractive" and to fight the competition (Vietnam etc.) doesn't guarantee the quality nor the level of education of a large mass of tourist!

The 60 days free Visa is (again) a short sighted solution to the ongoing problem of how to maintain and attract Tourism in Thailand.

Having worked myself for over 15 years in the Tourism Industry I can confirm the following:

Most tourists (coming for holidays) have an average stay of approximately 10 days. (From 1 week to 3 weeks Ergo 21 days)

In general, a person having a regular work, can take a vacation period of 4 to 5 weeks per year , which corresponds to 28-35 days!

So who can afford to leave his job for a holiday of 60+ days?

Some loyal employee might have the chance to take i.e. 1 month unpaid holiday. However this is a very small minority.

The only people who then would/could take advantage of a 60+ stay are: Independent People in search of new opportunities abroad, Working Nomads who have a remote job and Backpackers who are on "Adventure & Discovery" as long as possible on a defined, restricted budget.

Well, these category of "long-stay tourist" will for sure increase the capita volume, however not increase dramatically an economical impact. Additionally comes the "new generation attitude" which doesn't care nor is interested to learn and respect other cultures...

This is my "Salt & Pepper comment" to the dilemma of "what is the impact of giving long and free Visas".

30 days or 60 days will not influence much on the fate and quality of tourism.

What do you say fellows?

1 hour ago, Pesche said:

Most tourists (coming for holidays) have an average stay of approximately 10 days. (From 1 week to 3 weeks Ergo 21 days)

In general, a person having a regular work, can take a vacation period of 4 to 5 weeks per year , which corresponds to 28-35 days!

So who can afford to leave his job for a holiday of 60+ days?

Some loyal employee might have the chance to take i.e. 1 month unpaid holiday. However this is a very small minority.

The only people who then would/could take advantage of a 60+ stay are: Independent People in search of new opportunities abroad, Working Nomads who have a remote job and Backpackers who are on "Adventure & Discovery" as long as possible on a defined, restricted budget.

I largely agree, but you forgot the large number of retirees who don't need a vacation from their jobs.

Edited June 3Jun 3 by BerndD

I don't blame immigration, it is all the idiots who come that spoil it for the rest of us

2 minutes ago, Expat68 said:

I don't blame immigration, it is all the idiots who come that spoil it for the rest of us

How is reducing the length of the stay will change the attitude of bad people? if someone is up for no good, he'll still be no good and do the wrong stuff, but I'm sure that that for those Thai policy makers it dose make sense,

we shall wait and see.

Edited June 3Jun 3 by ezzra

1 hour ago, Pesche said:

Obviously the opposition to the Visa-free 60 days stay will gather and use all negative aspects!

(Tourists refusing to pay restaurant bills, drunken street fights, public indecency, disrespectful behavior towards locals, illegal activities, overstaying, or operating businesses without proper authorization.)

It is always easy to criticize...

It is true, it has happened more and more frequently - Well? What do you expect?!

Luring more and more tourists at all costs to reach the 30 million-target, to make it "more attractive" and to fight the competition (Vietnam etc.) doesn't guarantee the quality nor the level of education of a large mass of tourist!

The 60 days free Visa is (again) a short sighted solution to the ongoing problem of how to maintain and attract Tourism in Thailand.

Having worked myself for over 15 years in the Tourism Industry I can confirm the following:

Most tourists (coming for holidays) have an average stay of approximately 10 days. (From 1 week to 3 weeks Ergo 21 days)

In general, a person having a regular work, can take a vacation period of 4 to 5 weeks per year , which corresponds to 28-35 days!

So who can afford to leave his job for a holiday of 60+ days?

Some loyal employee might have the chance to take i.e. 1 month unpaid holiday. However this is a very small minority.

The only people who then would/could take advantage of a 60+ stay are: Independent People in search of new opportunities abroad, Working Nomads who have a remote job and Backpackers who are on "Adventure & Discovery" as long as possible on a defined, restricted budget.

Well, these category of "long-stay tourist" will for sure increase the capita volume, however not increase dramatically an economical impact. Additionally comes the "new generation attitude" which doesn't care nor is interested to learn and respect other cultures...

This is my "Salt & Pepper comment" to the dilemma of "what is the impact of giving long and free Visas".

30 days or 60 days will not influence much on the fate and quality of tourism.

What do you say fellows?

I don't agree. I'm convinced a 30 days visa will keep a lot of riffraff off entering the country, unless they would apply for a visa with all the paperwork. The so called nomads (most without proper work, income, education) might look for other countries with easier access.

Let's try. Time will tell. Or implement in addition an entry fee and a health/travel insurance, to buy at the airport/harbor.

The police seem to investigate problem tourists Only when a police report is filed. This leads to MANY tourists who commit an illegal offense to go off scot free ( eg; Restaurant runners, shoplifters ). Blacklisting them is the best policy. If they were Not caught, they would be doing it again and again.

A few things cross my mind.. In no specific order..

I don’t think cutting the allowed time, in and of itself, is going to cure the problem.. Will it help? I’m sure it will have some incremental impact.. but I don’t think it’s the magic bullet that’s going to fix this larger issue alone.

I also think the decision must also be viewed through the lens of a populist policy. I’m sure the ruling party has done their “homework” and figured out what action(s) they can take that will be viewed positively by their political base. That’s another reality.

Lastly, I think the reality is that regardless of the time you allow in country, you will run the risk of “bad behavior” and unfortunately there really is no way to proactively identify those who will be trouble BEFORE they arrive or at passport control. It’s always going to be a reactive process. So, to that end, I agree with better enforcement of existing law, consistent use of “banning” reentry to those who’ve shown they are unwilling or unable to comply with law.

I have seen on various social media sites that tourists from India are only going to be allowed 14 days visa free on arrival and are also going to have to pay for entry into Thailand.

Is that correct or just rage baiting as it seems very discriminatory even for Thailand?

the idiots have always been here and will always be, long or short visa. The social media mass posting is clearly organized to get public opinion in favour of changes they planned long time already. cheaper than advertising to win elections

4 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The change follows months of public frustration over a series of high-profile incidents involving foreign visitors. Reports of tourists refusing to pay restaurant bills, drunken street fights, public indecency and disrespectful behaviour towards locals have fuelled debate over whether Thailand’s reputation as a welcoming destination has encouraged some visitors to ignore local laws and customs.

It's laughable to assume that cutting tourist visas from 60 to 30 days will have an effect on any of this. I'd say short term visitors are more likely to engage in the mentioned activities.

My condo association hates short term visitors mainly because they're more unruly than long term visitors.

16 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I don't agree. I'm convinced a 30 days visa will keep a lot of riffraff off entering the country, unless they would apply for a visa with all the paperwork. The so called nomads (most without proper work, income, education) might look for other countries with easier access.

Let's try. Time will tell. Or implement in addition an entry fee and a health/travel insurance, to buy at the airport/harbor.

Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau all have 90 day visa free arrivals but aren't plagued with unruly tourists because they have comparatively uncorrupt police forces that do actual policing. The term of the visa has nothing to do with it.

Edited June 3Jun 3 by ftpjtm

Let us just admit that honesty and decency become a scares commodities, more and more people pride themselves on being able to cheat and bamboozle the system proudly telling their friends how they were 'smart and crafty' to get away with crimes, but this is the generation, in my time, we would never have thought to do such things, but now days,

it became a thing of a dare and being proud of cheating, stealing and defrauding others.

15 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

I don't agree. I'm convinced a 30 days visa will keep a lot of riffraff off entering the country, unless they would apply for a visa with all the paperwork. The so called nomads (most without proper work, income, education) might look for other countries with easier access.

Let's try. Time will tell. Or implement in addition an entry fee and a health/travel insurance, to buy at the airport/harbor.

I'm sure nomads are the problem.. Back to reality the people who will cause problems are crooks (who will abuse visa regulations no matter) and people who come for a week or two to party and get smashed everyday. The typical mid-length stayer is probably the most chill visitor overall. I don't really care, but just giving the reality.

I think the change in policy is more to address foreigners who come to Thailand and engage in illegal businesses and illegal work, staying for long periods gaming the visa process. A true tourist, as a previous poster mentioned, rarely visits a country for more than 21 days--a 30-day visa should accommodate most tourists. The renewal process for an additional 30-day extension should be rigorous, again to prevent people from using the tourist visa for non-tourist, illegal enterprises.

6 minutes ago, kevozman1 said:

I'm sure nomads are the problem.. Back to reality the people who will cause problems are crooks (who will abuse visa regulations no matter) and people who come for a week or two to party and get smashed everyday. The typical mid-length stayer is probably the most chill visitor overall. I don't really care, but just giving the reality.

Well, to make Thailand attractive for foreigners to stay longer and spend more money is: build some hurdles so that only people with some money to spend will come. Entry fee, insurance, visa. 👍

Those that come to party are likely to be the cause of most problems. The old adage of “I’m here for a good time, not a long time” comes to mind. 30 days vs 60 days won’t make one iota of difference.

This problem needs to addressed in another manner. This new legislation is, as usual, the easy way out and only means it will need to be addressed again once it proves to be a fruitless measure.

As a retiree the 60 days with a 30 day extension fitted my travel plans perfectly. There are ways around this, I know, but I loved the convenience of the current system. I never abused it. I came, I spent my money, I behaved and I moved on. You’d never see me in the news and never a problem.

15 minutes ago, ftpjtm said:

Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau all have 90 day visa free arrivals but aren't plagued with unruly tourists because they have comparatively uncorrupt police forces that do actual policing. The term of the visa has nothing to do with it.

555 If you can't change the enforcement of RTP then it's easier to change the entry rules.

I'm not alone with this view. The whole Thai govt got it.😁

37 minutes ago, mberbae said:

The police seem to investigate problem tourists Only when a police report is filed. This leads to MANY tourists who commit an illegal offense to go off scot free ( eg; Restaurant runners, shoplifters ). Blacklisting them is the best policy. If they were Not caught, they would be doing it again and again.

And how to catch? At night there are no police on the roads if ever.

37 minutes ago, ezzra said:

How is reducing the length of the stay will change the attitude of bad people?

Such people are more likely then to do bad now than later when they "disappear" from immigration beyond a 30-day visa stay by unreported places of residences or into the "wild." They become more traceable and apprehensive.

6 minutes ago, wmorris61 said:

Those that come to party are likely to be the cause of most problems. The old adage of “I’m here for a good time, not a long time” comes to mind. 30 days vs 60 days won’t make one iota of difference.

This problem needs to addressed in another manner. This new legislation is, as usual, the easy way out and only means it will need to be addressed again once it proves to be a fruitless measure.

As a retiree the 60 days with a 30 day extension fitted my travel plans perfectly. There are ways around this, I know, but I loved the convenience of the current system. I never abused it. I came, I spent my money, I behaved and I moved on. You’d never see me in the news and never a problem.

So for you and others it's not a problem to apply for a proper visa, is it?

22 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Let us just admit that honesty and decency become a scares commodities, more and more people pride themselves on being able to cheat and bamboozle the system proudly telling their friends how they were 'smart and crafty' to get away with crimes, but this is the generation, in my time, we would never have thought to do such things, but now days,

it became a thing of a dare and being proud of cheating, stealing and defrauding others.

That's true. So how to make Thailand to a desired quality destination for families and spenders?

How to eliminate the bad apples?

To describe the reality is no solution.

So what is your plan?

Hungarian tourist Rudolf Guzsaly argued that disruptive tourists can create problems within days of arrival,

I fully agree with this Hungarian tourist. Visa restrictions will not prevent these bad behaving tourists. We will see once the 30 day rule is implemented these type of tourists will continue causing problems in every sector of tourism. Stricter measure of control police and deportation of these trouble makers will reach those are intending to visit Thailand will get the message. They will know that if they misbehave, disrespectful for Thai laws and customs will make their holiday cut to a short one.

I’d like to see the government collect some statistics, cold hard facts. One database of all crimes committed by foreigners, sortable by type of crime from petty crime to traffic incidents, to financial crimes, to rape and murder. Include the type of initial entry visa and current visa status. Maybe also note if TM-30 and TM-47 are up to date and accurate.

Use data to implement new visa regulations.

Monitor the data to see if the changes to visa regulations has any effect or not.

Modify visa regulations based upon data. Try to minimize the effects of perceptions, feelings, social media, and sensational news headlines.

49 minutes ago, Issanraider said:

I have seen on various social media sites that tourists from India are only going to be allowed 14 days visa free on arrival and are also going to have to pay for entry into Thailand.

Is that correct or just rage baiting as it seems very discriminatory even for Thailand?

Not visa free but visa on arrival. And yes they will pay for it. Saves them applying in India before leaving and is a return to the previous entry policy.

1 hour ago, BerndD said:

I largely agree, but you forgot the large number of retirees who don't need a vacation from their jobs.

IMHO, the Thai authorities have no great interest to attract foreign retirees - they simply look for the short-term profit from cashed-up tourists who spend money and then f cuk off back home....

People are entering Thailand without adequate means to sustain their stay (money). Hence the unlawful activities in many cases.

16 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

That's true. So how to make Thailand to a desired quality destination for families and spenders?

How to eliminate the bad apples?

To describe the reality is no solution.

So what is your plan?

Plan? I never professed to have a plan, if i were the tourism minster, I would have come up with a plan, but since I'm not, let those who gets paid to manage tourism in this country to come up with a plan, but so far they aren't doing a good job, and what with the filling of entry forms with million questions in them? what use they bring to better

and more tourists?

Wow ! Watch the crime rates fall and drunken/drug induced incidents stop now the 60 day visa has gone ! All the idiots will stop coming now that they can't stay 60 days ! 😆

5 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Plan? I never professed to have a plan, if i were the tourism minster, I would have come up with a plan, but since I'm not, let those who gets paid to manage tourism in this country to come up with a plan, but so far they aren't doing a good job, and what with the filling of entry forms with million questions in them? what use they bring to better

and more tourists?

So business as usual, EZZRA?

Just criticizing what is not good? Not any ideas how to improve the current situation?

Hmmmh 🫤