Thailand has formally ended its 60-day visa-exemption scheme for 93 countries and territories, with a new 30-day visa-free entry rule taking effect on 15 September 2026.

The Ministry of Interior announcements were published in the Royal Gazette, Volume 143, Special Issue 207, dated 31 August. As the notices take legal effect 15 days after publication, travellers arriving up to and including 14 September will still receive the current 60-day stamp.

Foreigners already in Thailand will retain the period of stay stamped into their passport on arrival.

New 30-day list covers 60 nationalities

From 15 September, nationals of 60 countries and territories can enter Thailand visa-free for tourism for up to 30 days: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States.

For tourists and short-term visitors from countries including the UK, US, Australia and most of Europe, the practical change is that visa-free arrivals after 14 September will receive 30 days rather than 60. A one-time 30-day extension remains available inside Thailand, subject to immigration approval.

Tourism only, with land-border limits

The exemption is now explicitly limited to tourism. Earlier wording allowing short-term work or business has been removed.

Officials said the previous overlapping arrangements had caused confusion and were used by some people for short-term work or business while presenting themselves as tourists. The government described the new approach as a "one country, one entitlement" system intended to balance security checks with convenience for quality tourists.

Visa-free land-border entries under the 30-day scheme are generally limited to two per calendar year. This cap does not apply to nationals of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore.

Mauritius and Seychelles will have a separate 15-day visa-free tourism exemption, also normally limited to two land entries a year unless the Interior Minister allows an exception.

Visa on Arrival will be available to nationals of only Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia

Bilateral agreements remain unchanged

Existing bilateral visa-exemption treaties are not being repealed. They provide 14 days for Cambodia and Myanmar - with Myanmar limited to international airport arrivals - 30 days for China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam, and 90 days for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Korea.

Foreign nationals not covered by the new lists or a bilateral agreement will need a visa through Thailand's worldwide e-Visa system. Travellers should check their exact nationality status with a Thai embassy or the Department of Consular Affairs before departure.

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1 September 2026

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Will this end the queues too in Suvarnabhumi airport? The automatic gates could take over now for most countries

Edited 12 hours ago12 hr by ikke1959