Overview
- Thailand’s cabinet, which approved the rollback on Tuesday, ended the 60-day visa-free scheme for travellers from about 93 countries.
- Under the new tiered plan, most nationalities will be allowed up to 30 days visa-free, with some limited to 15 days, decided country by country.
- The government says the change responds to abuses of the system tied to transnational crime and illegal work, and the foreign minister says no specific country is being targeted.
- The Foreign Ministry says it will enforce a cap of two visa-free entries per calendar year via land borders for the 30-day tier, and officials have not announced when the new rules will take effect.
- Tourism remains a major slice of the economy and arrivals are still below pre-pandemic levels, with Q1 2026 visitors down 3.4% year on year, which could force many longer-stay travellers to apply for visas instead of relying on visa-free entry.