New visa regulations pending
Changes to Thailand’s visa policies will come into effect on 15 September 2026. The new regulations reduce the current visa-free stay period for many eligible nationals from 60 to 30 days. The countries eligible for Visa on Arrival has also been significantly reduced.
Under the new policy, nationals of 60 countries and territories will be eligible to enter Thailand visa-free for tourism for up to 30 days. This regulation is applicable to: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.
Travellers entering under the new 30-day exemption may apply for a one-time extension of up to 30 additional days, subject to approval by Thai immigration authorities. The new rules also reintroduce restrictions on land-border entries. In general, travellers using the 30-day visa exemption will be permitted to enter Thailand through a land border checkpoint no more than twice per calendar year. This restriction will not apply to nationals of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Additional exemptions may be announced in the future.
A separate regulation provides a 15-day visa exemption for nationals of Mauritius and Seychelles. The Visa on Arrival scheme will be limited to nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.
Existing bilateral visa exemption agreements with Thailand will remain in place. These include: 14-day visa-free stays: Cambodia and Myanmar; 30-day visa-free stays: China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste and Vietnam; 90-day visa-free stays: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea and Peru.
Nationalities that do not qualify under the new 30-day or 15-day exemptions, Visa on Arrival scheme or an existing bilateral agreement will need to obtain a Thai visa before travelling.
Visit our Thailand Fast Facts to stay up to date with the latest travel requirements.
For more information and enquiries, contact Asian Trails Thailand.
