It is now official. Thailand is ending its 60-day visa exemption scheme and reverting to a 30-day stay for nationals of 60 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and most of the European Union. The four Ministry of Interior regulations behind the change were published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, setting the effective date at September 15, 2026.
What is changing
Since July 2024, travelers from eligible countries have been able to enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days, a scheme introduced to help revive tourism after the pandemic. From September 15 onward, that period is cut to 30 days for tourism purposes. The change affects only the length of stay, not the process itself: eligible nationalities still enter without applying for a visa in advance.
Travelers arriving on or before September 14 remain under the current 60-day rule for that entry, even if their stay extends past the cutoff date. The new 30-day limit applies only to entries made from September 15 onward.
Who is affected
The reform sorts nationalities into several tiers. Sixty countries and territories, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, Germany and most other EU members, receive a 30-day tourist exemption. Two nationalities, reportedly Mauritius and the Seychelles, move to a 15-day exemption, while three others remain on the Visa on Arrival track.
This finalizes a process that had been under discussion since March 2025, when Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry first floated the idea of scaling back the 60-day scheme over concerns it was being used for unauthorized work, informal business activity, and overstays. The Cabinet approved the principle of the rollback on May 19, before the exact terms were settled and published.
The 30-day extension option
The shorter exemption does not fully close the door on longer stays. As was the case before 2024, travelers can apply for a 30-day extension at a Thai immigration office, generally for a fee of around 1,900 baht and a TM.7 application form. That brings the maximum visa-free stay to 60 days in total, down from the 90 days previously available under the 2024 scheme, but only if the traveler completes the extension in person.
Why Thailand is scaling back
Thai authorities have framed the rollback as a response to abuse of the extended exemption, including unauthorized remote work, informal businesses run without a work permit, and cases where the extra time was used to facilitate illegal activity. Industry groups had also raised concerns that the looser 60-day rule made it easier to bypass proper visa channels altogether. The reform comes as Thailand’s tourist arrivals continue to run behind the government’s targets for the year, a backdrop that shaped months of internal debate before the final texts were signed.
What this means for travelers
For a standard two- to three-week holiday, the change makes no practical difference: a passport valid for at least six months, a completed Thailand Digital Arrival Card filed within 72 hours of arrival, and proof of onward travel remain the only requirements. The impact falls mainly on travelers who had grown used to two full months without paperwork. Anyone planning to stay longer than 30 days from September 15 onward will need to either apply for the extension locally or arrange an appropriate visa before departure.
