On May 19, 2026, Thailand’s Cabinet approved scrapping the 60-day visa-free stay for all 93 countries and territories that had been enjoying it since July 2024. Most nationalities revert to 30 days. The border run as a long-term strategy is effectively over. And the window to act before the change becomes law is still open, but it will not be open for much longer.
This guide covers exactly what was approved, what it means by nationality, which visa options make sense now, and what you should do depending on your situation.
What the Cabinet approved
The decision was framed around a “one country, one Thai visa exemption privilege” principle. Five things were approved in one session. The 60-day exemption, introduced in July 2024 as a post-pandemic tourism push, was revoked for all 93 countries.
The list of countries receiving a 30-day exemption was trimmed from 57 to 54. A new 15-day exemption category was created for three countries. The visa-on-arrival programme was cut from 31 countries to four. And a two-entries-per-year cap was introduced on visa-exempt entries.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul announced the decision at Government House: “The Cabinet has decided to cancel the 60-day visa-free regime for more than 90 countries and revert to the previous criteria.”
He framed it as a pivot toward quality tourism rather than volume, pointing out that the average foreign visitor stays only about nine days, well under the 30-day mark, let alone 60. Government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek was more direct: “The current scheme has allowed some people to exploit it.”
When does it actually take effect?
This is the most important thing to understand before panicking. The Cabinet approval is a political decision, not a legal one. The change becomes law only after three Ministry of Interior notifications are published in the Royal Gazette, at which point the new rules take effect 15 days later. As of mid-June 2026, that publication had not happened. The 60-day exemption remained legally in force at the border.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand confirmed in a May 21 advisory that the current conditions stay in place until Gazette publication. The change is not retroactive. Anyone already in Thailand on a 60-day stamp keeps that stay to its stamped date. Anyone entering before the effective date gets the 60-day entry as normal.
The practical instruction: check the Royal Gazette and your nearest Thai embassy on your actual travel date, not the date you booked the trip.
What the new framework looks like by nationality
For most travellers reading this, the situation is straightforward. If you hold a passport from the US, UK, any major EU country, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, or Israel, you fall into the 30-day exemption category. That stay is extendable once by 30 days at an immigration office for 1,900 baht, giving a maximum of 60 days visa-free. That is the new ceiling under the exemption.
South Korea keeps 90 days under a bilateral arrangement. China keeps 30 days under a separate Thailand-China reciprocal agreement signed in March 2024, so Chinese travellers are unaffected by the change. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru keep 90 days under bilateral treaties.
Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius drop to 15 days. India moves to visa-on-arrival alongside Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia. India’s reclassification is the single most significant individual impact: India was Thailand’s third-largest source market in 2025 with 2.48 million arrivals. Minister Surasak indicated the ministry was considering a separate 15-day visa-free arrangement for India given its importance, but nothing had been confirmed.
Why this happened
Three reasons were cited, and they overlap. First, visa misuse: foreigners using the 60-day window to work illegally, run nominee businesses, operate unlicensed accommodation, or, in some cases, work out of online scam operations. Second, the statistical argument that average stays of nine days make a 60-day exemption disproportionate. Third, a strategic push toward higher-spending visitors rather than volume arrivals.
The context matters. Thailand’s tourism arrivals fell 7.2% in 2025 to 32.9 million, the first non-pandemic annual decline in a decade, with revenue down 4.7% to about 1.53 trillion baht. Arrivals were down a further 3.34% year-on-year through April 2026. The government is not trying to attract fewer people. It is trying to attract a different kind of visitor, or at least make that argument publicly.
The border run is over
The two-entries-per-year cap is where this change cuts deepest for long-stayers who were cycling through Thailand on back-to-back tourist entries. Combined with the reversion to 30 days, the old logic of popping across the border every 60 days and coming back for the visa in Thailand no longer works.
The Immigration Bureau Commissioner announced in November 2025 that officers could deny entry to travellers using visa-exempt entries more than twice without a justifiable reason, and approximately 2,900 foreigners were refused entry in 2025 under those standards. All Thailand-Cambodia land crossings have been shut since the July 2025 armed conflict. Officials have been explicit about the intent: separating genuine tourists from people who were de facto residents living on rolling tourist entries.
For a fuller picture of why Thai locals and the government reached this point, that piece covers the background well.
The DTV: the main alternative for long-stayers
The Destination Thailand Visa is the clearest replacement for anyone who was using the 60-day exemption as the basis of a long stay. It was not changed by the May decision and sits on an entirely separate track.
The key numbers: a five-year multiple-entry visa, 180 days per entry, extendable once for another 180 days at immigration for 1,900 baht, giving up to 360 consecutive days. The application fee is 10,000 baht. The financial requirement is 500,000 baht in savings, with bank statements typically covering the prior three months. Some embassies now require that the balance have been held for 90 consecutive days, so parking funds the week before applying does not work.
The DTV is for remote workers employed by or freelancing for non-Thai companies, participants in Thai soft power activities such as Muay Thai, Thai cooking, or medical wellness programmes of six months or more, and their dependents. You cannot work for Thai companies or Thai clients. You must apply from outside Thailand.
There are real issues in 2026 worth knowing about. Rejection rates have climbed. Common triggers include recently deposited funds, vague freelance documentation, and applications through non-qualifying soft power providers. Language schools were removed as a qualifying soft power activity in 2025. Some DTV holders report extension refusals at immigration and end up flying out and re-entering for a fresh 180-day stamp. Some Thai banks are now declining DTV holders for accounts. And if you stay 180 days or more in a calendar year, you become a Thai tax resident, with foreign income remitted to Thailand potentially assessable under post-2024 rules.
The DTV Thailand Visa 2026 guide on Thaiger covers the regulatory details if you are going deeper into the application process.
Other visa options worth knowing
For anyone wanting more than 30 days without the DTV’s requirements, the Tourist Visa (TR or SETV) is the most straightforward option. It is a single-entry visa giving about 60 days in Thailand, extendable by 30 days at immigration for a total of 90 days. It costs roughly 1,000 baht or US$35 to US$40, applied for at a Thai embassy or via the e-Visa portal before travel. It was unaffected by the May decision and remains the cleanest route for anyone planning a trip of 60 to 90 days.
The Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is becoming more attractive as visa-free entry shrinks. Six months’ validity, unlimited entries, 60 days per entry, extendable by 30 days, costs around 5,000 baht. Requires proof of funds of roughly US$7,000 and must be applied for outside Thailand.
For longer-term options, the Thailand Privilege Card (formerly Thailand Elite) runs from 650,000 baht for a five-year Bronze membership, available until September 30, 2026, up to 5,000,000 baht for a 20-year Reserve membership. One year per entry, fast-track immigration, no income proof required. No work rights, no PR pathway, 90-day reporting still applies.
The LTR (Long-Term Resident) Visa runs for 10 years at a 50,000 baht government fee, targeting wealthy global citizens, pensioners, remote workers, and highly skilled professionals. It requires documented income or assets, mandatory health insurance, and includes a digital work permit.
The retirement visa (Non-O-A) requires 800,000 baht in a Thai bank or 65,000 baht per month in pension income, is renewable annually, and requires health insurance and a clean criminal record.
For a full breakdown of all current options, the overview of Thailand’s visas and key visa and immigration changes in Thailand both remain useful reference points, noting that they predate the May 2026 decision and should be read alongside this piece.
The 300 Thai baht arrival fee
This has been widely reported alongside the May changes, but its status is more uncertain than most coverage suggests. A 300 baht air-arrival fee has held in-principle Cabinet approval since February 2023, but as of late May 2026, the collection mechanism, final amount, and start date remained unresolved. The Nation Thailand and Khaosod English both reported it as still pending after the May session. Minister Surasak indicated in a May 21 statement that the final fee could exceed 300 baht, with two collection methods under consideration. Treat this as a separate, still-unsettled measure and check for updates before your trip.
What you should do right now, depending on the situation
If you are already in Thailand on a 60-day visa stamp, nothing urgent is required. Your stay is valid to its stamped date, regardless of when the Gazette publishes. Use the window to gather documents for whatever visa you move to next: three months of bank statements, work or income proof, and insurance.
If you are planning a trip of 30 days or less, you are essentially unaffected. Complete your TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card) at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before arrival and travel as normal.
If you want 31 to 90 days, apply for a Tourist Visa (TR/SETV) at a Thai embassy or via the e-Visa portal before you travel. This gives the visa 60 days in Thailand, extendable to 90, is unaffected by the reversion, and is the cleanest option for a longer holiday or slow travel trip.
If you are a digital nomad or long-stayer, the DTV is the most sensible path. Season your funds for at least three months before applying, prepare robust work documentation, and apply through a reliable embassy. The METV is the fallback if DTV requirements are out of reach.
If you are a retiree, the Non-O-A retirement visa or LTR Wealthy Pensioner category is unaffected and remains the stable long-term route.
The four things to watch
The situation is still moving. The four key developments that change the picture: Royal Gazette publication, which triggers the 15-day countdown to the effective date; the final per-country list from the Visa Policy Committee confirming who gets 30 versus 15 days; official clarification of whether the two-entry cap applies to all border crossings or land only; and the final mechanism and start date for the arrival fee.
Monitor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at mfa.go.th, the TAT at tourismthailand.org, and your nearest Royal Thai Embassy for the most current status.
The story Thailand scraps 60-day visa-free stay: what changes, who is affected, and what to do as seen on Thaiger News.
