BANGKOK - Thailand has officially ended its broad 60-day visa exemption on Sept. 15, replacing it with nationality-specific rules that give travelers from 60 countries and territories up to 30 visa-free days for tourism.
The Foreign Ministry said the implementing measures were published in the Royal Gazette on Aug. 31 and became effective on Sept. 15. Unlike the former 60-day exemption, the revised 30-day and 15-day exemptions and Visa on Arrival arrangements apply for tourism purposes only.
Under the final 2026 arrangements, ordinary passport holders from 60 countries and territories are eligible for visa-free stays of up to 30 days. Mauritius and Seychelles receive a separate exemption of up to 15 days, while nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia may obtain Visa on Arrival at designated immigration checkpoints.
The framework does not mean every nationality previously covered by the 60-day scheme has simply moved to a 30-day stay. Thailand also maintains bilateral visa-waiver agreements with certain countries and territories, under which permitted stays vary according to the relevant agreement.
Myanmar ordinary-passport holders, for example, retain a separate bilateral exemption allowing stays of up to 14 days when entering through international airports. Myanmar was not among the 93 countries and territories covered by the former 60-day exemption.
The repealed scheme, introduced in July 2024, had allowed nationals of 93 countries and territories to stay for up to 60 days for tourism, business engagements or urgent or ad-hoc work. The revised tourism-only framework therefore changes both the length of stay and, for affected travelers, the activities covered by the exemption.
Travelers who entered Thailand under the previous arrangements before Sept. 15 may remain until the end of the period already granted by immigration, the Foreign Ministry said. Arrivals from Sept. 15 are subject to the new exemption applicable to their nationality, a relevant bilateral agreement or another appropriate visa category.
The measures were published in the Royal Gazette on Aug. 31 after the government approved a review of Thailand’s visa privileges. Officials said the revision considered national security, tourism and economic interests, reciprocity, overlapping exemptions and the availability of the country’s e-Visa system.
For people traveling for purposes other than tourism, the Foreign Ministry said they “must refer to the relevant visa category and the applicable laws and regulations.”
