# Thailand’s Visa-Free Stay Drops from 60 to 30 Days Starting September 15, 2026

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/visa/326116-thailands-visa-free-stay-drops-from-60-to-30-days-starting-september-15-2026
- Published: 2026-09-01T18:43:15+07:00
- Author: Fujiko Takahashi

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](https://www.thailand-business-news.com/travel/151905-thailand-extends-visa-durations-to-stimulate-the-economy).
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.

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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.

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### 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.