Thailand to officially cut visa-free stay to 30 days on September 15, 2026

The timeline is no longer tentative: publication in the Royal Gazette finally establishes the official effective date.

Just hours after VisasNews revealed that the regulations had been signed and forwarded to the Royal Gazette, Thailand officially published the four Ministry of Interior regulations reshaping its visa exemption policy.

The regulations appear in the August 31, 2026 edition of the Royal Gazette, Volume 143, Special Issue 207 Ngor. The first of them repeals the special 60-day visa exemption scheme currently in effect.

All four regulations provide for their entry into force after a 15-day period from the date of publication. The current rules will therefore remain in effect through September 14, with the new provisions taking effect on September 15, 2026.

Thailand officially ends the 60-day visa exemption

The first regulation published by Thai authorities officially repeals the July 15, 2024 measure that introduced the special 60-day visa exemption for 93 countries and territories.

Under the current scheme, eligible travelers may enter Thailand for tourism, certain short-term work activities or business engagements, with an initial stay of up to 60 days.

Repealing that measure is the first legal step required for the new system to take effect.

Travelers admitted to Thailand before the new rules take effect will retain the period of stay granted to them upon entry. In other words, someone who enters under the 60-day scheme before September 15 will not have their authorized stay automatically reduced to 30 days. The Thai government had already confirmed this when approving the reform.

60 countries and territories will receive 30 days visa-free

The main new regulation officially establishes the list of countries and territories eligible for a 30-day visa exemption for tourism.

Its publication also resolves a discrepancy in government communications from July. While Thai authorities had previously referred to 59 countries and territories, the final list published in the Royal Gazette contains 60.

Starting September 15, 2026, Thailand’s 30-day tourist visa exemption will apply to:

For Americans, Britons, Canadians, Australians and many other travelers currently eligible for 60 days visa-free, the initial stay granted upon entry will therefore be cut in half.

The new regulation also specifically frames the exemption as applying for tourism purposes. It does not retain the reference to certain short-term work activities and business engagements included under the special 60-day scheme that is now being repealed.

Land border entries limited to twice per calendar year

The new 30-day regulation also reintroduces an important rule for travelers entering Thailand through land borders.

Travelers using the visa exemption will generally be permitted to enter Thailand through a land border checkpoint no more than twice per calendar year, as specified in the regulation establishing the new 30-day visa exemption.

This restriction will not apply to nationals of:

• Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

Thailand’s Minister of Interior may also decide to exempt additional nationalities from this restriction in the future.

The rule applies specifically to land border crossings and does not impose a general two-entry-per-year limit on international arrivals by air.

A 30-day extension will remain available

Reducing the initial visa-free stay to 30 days does not necessarily mean travelers wishing to spend more than one month in Thailand will have to obtain a visa in advance.

Under the reform approved by the government, travelers eligible for the 30-day visa exemption will be able to request a one-time extension of up to an additional 30 days, subject to approval by Thai immigration authorities.

This extension option is not detailed in the regulation establishing the list of 60 countries. It stems from the broader framework approved by the Thai Cabinet.

Mauritius and Seychelles receive a 15-day visa exemption

A second category has been created for short tourist stays.

A separate regulation grants a 15-day visa exemption to nationals of Mauritius and Seychelles.

The two countries are:

• Mauritius and Seychelles

The initial proposal presented in May also included the Maldives. Bangkok ultimately decided in July to place Maldivian nationals under the more favorable 30-day visa exemption instead.

Under the 15-day exemption, entries through land border checkpoints will also generally be limited to twice per calendar year, unless the Minister of Interior specifically exempts additional nationalities from this restriction.

Visa on Arrival will be limited to three nationalities

The reform will also sharply reduce the number of travelers eligible to obtain a Visa on Arrival (VoA) upon entering Thailand.

The new regulation officially limits Visa on Arrival eligibility to three nationalities:

• Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia

India, which was still included in early versions of the reform as a Visa on Arrival nationality, has been removed from the VoA scheme after ultimately being added to the new 30-day visa exemption list.

By comparison, the scheme currently in effect still allows nationals of 31 countries and territories to obtain a Visa on Arrival.

Bilateral visa exemption agreements will remain in place

The end of the general 60-day visa exemption for 93 countries does not mean that every nationality excluded from the three new lists will automatically need a visa.

Several countries have bilateral visa exemption agreements with Thailand that are legally separate from the scheme now being repealed.

According to the latest list published by Thailand’s Department of Consular Affairs, these agreements notably include:

• 14 days: Cambodia and Myanmar, with the latter limited to arrivals through international airports.
• 30 days: China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.
• 90 days: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea and Peru.

These bilateral agreements are not repealed by the four regulations published on August 31.

This reflects Bangkok’s broader “one country, one scheme” approach, designed to prevent individual nationalities from simultaneously benefiting from multiple entry arrangements.

Some nationalities will once again need a visa

Conversely, several countries currently covered by the exceptional 60-day visa exemption do not appear on the new list of 60 nationalities eligible for 30 days, the 15-day exemption list, or the new Visa on Arrival list.

Unless another visa-free arrangement applies to their specific situation, nationals of those countries will therefore need to obtain a Thai visa once the reform takes effect.

Since January 2025, Thailand has operated an e-Visa system available worldwide, allowing travelers to submit visa applications online to the relevant Thai diplomatic mission.

What changes on September 15, 2026

Starting on that date, Thailand’s short-stay tourism entry policy will therefore revolve around three main new schemes:

• 30-day visa exemption: 60 countries and territories
• 15-day visa exemption: Mauritius and Seychelles
• Visa on Arrival: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia

These arrangements will continue to coexist with visa exemptions granted under bilateral agreements between Thailand and certain countries.

Travelers who remain eligible for the current 60-day visa exemption will still be able to use it through September 14, 2026. Those already admitted to Thailand will retain the period of stay granted by immigration authorities upon entry.