Overview
- The Cabinet-approved regulation was published in the Royal Gazette on Aug. 31 and becomes law 15 business days later, so arrivals from Sept. 15, 2026 will receive the new 30-day visa-free allowance.
- The revised scheme narrows eligibility to passport holders from 60 countries who may stay up to 30 days without a visa, reverting many nationalities from the 60-day arrangement introduced in 2024.
- Land-border visa-exempt entries will be limited to two entries per calendar year for most nationalities while air and sea arrivals are not capped and ASEAN neighbours Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempted from the land limit.
- Visa-on-arrival will be restricted to nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia, and visitors from Peru, Brazil and South Korea will receive 90-day visa-free stays under separate exceptions.
- Travellers who enter Thailand on or before Sept. 14 will keep the 60-day permission stamped on arrival, extensions remain possible at immigration officers' discretion, and the change is expected to alter planning for long-stay tourists, backpackers and remote workers.