Thailand 30-day visa exemption: current rules

Thailand replaced its 60-day visa exemption on 15 September 2026. Eligible travellers now receive up to 30 days under the revised tourism exemption; other nationalities have different entry arrangements.

What has actually happened

The Ministry of Interior announcements were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. The Tourism Authority of Thailand confirmed that the revised measures took effect on 15 September 2026, replacing the previous 60-day scheme.

Travellers admitted before 15 September retain the permitted stay recorded on their arrival stamp. For later arrivals, eligibility and the stay period depend on nationality and the applicable entry arrangement.

The current entry categories

The final tourism framework covers 60 countries and territories under the 30-day exemption, two under the 15-day exemption, and three under Visa on Arrival. Separate bilateral arrangements also apply.

• 30-day visa exemption — 60 countries and territories, including India, the United Kingdom, the United States and all 27 EU member states.
• 15-day visa exemption — Mauritius and Seychelles.
• Visa on Arrival — Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.
• Check the official nationality list before travel: eligibility under the old 60-day scheme does not automatically carry over.

Separate bilateral agreements and related arrangements are unaffected and will continue to provide visa exemption periods of 90, 30 or 14 days depending on the agreement, so a handful of nationalities will not see the 30-day figure apply to them at all.

What this means for your itinerary

Most trips are unaffected: the average Thailand holiday is well under 30 days. The travellers who need to plan around this are the ones building five-, six- or eight-week routes — the kind of multi-region trip that pairs the north with the Andaman and the Gulf islands.

For a trip longer than your permitted visa-exempt stay, check whether a Tourist Visa before departure or an extension in Thailand is appropriate for your nationality. Extensions require immigration approval.

The update also notes that the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system will be enhanced to support traveller screening and to verify entry and exit records. TDAC itself is unchanged for now: complete it through the official Immigration Bureau channels before you travel.

Follow the announcement and its effective-date context in our dated visa-exemption update.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand, 1 September 2026 — Thailand introduces new 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (publication date not stated); TAT Newsroom, 16 July 2026 — Thai Cabinet approves updated visa measures pending Royal Gazette publication (publication date not stated); Royal Thai Police — Immigration Bureau (publication date not stated).