Thailand still welcomes you to the Land of Smiles 🇹🇭
But the length of your smile just got shorter.
Thailand’s 60-day visa-free scheme is officially over.
As of September 15, 2026, the previous visa exemption covering 93 countries and territories has been revoked. This is not a rumor from a travel group. The new rules were published in the Royal Gazette on August 31 and confirmed by Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Here’s what changed.
For ordinary passport holders, 60 countries and territories now receive up to 30 days visa-free for tourism. That includes the US, UK, EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia and the UAE.
Mauritius and Seychelles receive 15 days.
Visa on Arrival has also been cut to just three countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. The fee is 2,000 baht and the permitted stay is 15 days.
If your passport is no longer covered by either arrangement, you may need to apply for an appropriate visa before travelling.
But there is an important layer many travel posts miss.
Bilateral agreements still exist.
Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Peru have agreements allowing up to 90 days. South Korea also has a 90-day bilateral arrangement listed by Thai authorities, but the current embassy guidance says that arrangement is suspended.
China, Hong Kong, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam remain eligible for up to 30 days under bilateral agreements.
Cambodia gets 14 days. Myanmar gets 14 days when entering through international airports.
So passport nationality alone does not tell the whole story. The legal basis for your entry matters.
And if you entered Thailand before September 15, you are not suddenly losing days.
Thailand’s MFA says people already in the country under the previous scheme can remain until the date stamped in their passport. The new rules are not retroactive.
For new arrivals, a 30-day visa exemption can generally be extended once for up to another 30 days at immigration, subject to approval and the applicable fee.
One more thing: TDAC is still mandatory for foreign travellers and it is FREE.
Submit it through the official Thailand Digital Arrival Card system within the three days before arrival, including the arrival date.
And remember what visa exemption actually means.
It is permission to enter under a specific exemption. It is not a work permit, not a remote-work visa and not permission to simply live in Thailand indefinitely.
For longer stays or different purposes, Thailand has separate visa categories such as DTV, LTR and Non-Immigrant visas.
The bigger picture?
Thailand has not closed the door.
It has changed the entry architecture.
The Land of Smiles is still open. 😊
The clock just got shorter.
#Thailand
#Visa