Thailand's Cabinet voted on May 19, 2026 to cut the visa-free entry stamp from 60 days back to 30 days for roughly 54 countries and to 15 days for three island nations (Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles). The change takes effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, with no publication date confirmed at time of writing. For broader context on every 2026 policy shift, see our Thailand visa changes overview and the live visa news tracker.
TL;DR — What you need to know in 60 seconds
The Thai Cabinet ended the 60-day visa exemption introduced in July 2024. The rollback was approved on May 19, 2026 under Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, who cited security exploitation, illegal work under tourist entry, and the fact that average tourist stay was about 9 days — making 60 days excessive for genuine visitors.
- Cabinet decision: May 19, 2026
- Default visa-free stay: 30 days (down from 60)
- 15-day visa-free tier: Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles
- India: Loses standard visa-free entry — moved to visa-on-arrival tier
- Land border cap: 2 visa-free entries per calendar year via land
- Effective date: 15 days after Royal Gazette publication (TBA)
- Extension at immigration: Still +30 days for 1,900 THB (extension guide)
- Travelers already inside Thailand under the 60-day stamp keep their full stay
The Cabinet decision in one paragraph
On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, the Thai Cabinet approved a tiered rollback of the visa exemption framework that had been in place since July 2024. Government Spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek told reporters the current scheme "has allowed some people to exploit it" and that "security concerns have taken priority," according to Al Jazeera (May 19, 2026). Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow was named as the senior official driving the policy reset. Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul confirmed in Nation Thailand (May 19, 2026) that the emphasis "must be on quality tourists, not simply on making entry easy."
The new tier structure
Thailand is reverting from a flat 60-day scheme to the pre-2024 tiered structure. Below is the framework as published by the Cabinet, drawing on reporting from Nation Thailand, Bangkok Post, and the Visa Policy Committee.
| Tier | Stay | Who qualifies | Change from current |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day visa-free | 30 days | ~54 countries — US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, all EU/Schengen, Israel, UAE, GCC states, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore | Down from 60 |
| 15-day visa-free | 15 days | Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles | Down from 60 |
| 30-day visa-free (bilateral) | 30 days | China, Hong Kong, Macau, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam | Unchanged (was already 30 under bilateral terms) |
| 90-day visa-free (bilateral) | 90 days | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Korea | Unchanged |
| Visa-on-arrival | 15 days | Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, India | India moved into VOA tier from visa-free |
| Visa required | — | All other passports | Unchanged |
The "54 countries" figure is the most commonly reported headline number for the 30-day tier and is the figure used by Travel and Tour World and Visas Update. The full list of 93 countries that were on the 60-day scheme will be reissued under the new tiers via three Ministry of Interior notifications.
The 30-day tier — confirmed countries
Based on the Cabinet documents and pre-2024 baseline, the following countries are confirmed at 30 days under the new framework. This list aligns with the pre-July-2024 visa exemption list, less the three island nations moved to 15 days and India moved to VOA.
Americas: United States, Canada Europe — EU/EEA: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom Asia-Pacific: Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore Middle East: Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, UAE Africa: South Africa Other: Andorra, Vatican City
The 15-day tier — three island nations
Maldives, Mauritius, and Seychelles drop from 60 days to 15 days. This was confirmed in Nation Thailand's policy coverage (May 19, 2026) and corroborated by Travel and Tour World. No official rationale has been published for why these three specifically, beyond the general "tourism conversion data" justification.
The VOA tier — India joins
Indian passport holders, who had been included in the 60-day visa-free scheme, are moved into the 15-day visa-on-arrival tier at 2,000 THB. They join Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia. India has alternatives — e-Visa, Non-Immigrant O — covered in detail in our Thailand visa for Indian citizens guide and in the dedicated article Which countries lose Thailand visa-free entry in 2026?.
Effective date — Royal Gazette tracker
The new rules take effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. No publication date has been announced. Until publication, the current 60-day exemption remains in force at the border.
| Milestone | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet approval | 2026-05-19 | Done |
| Ministry of Interior notifications (3) drafted | Late May 2026 | In progress |
| Royal Gazette publication | TBA | Pending |
| Effective at border | Gazette + 15 days | Pending |
| Cutoff for current 60-day entries | Effective date | All current stamps honoured to expiry |
We are tracking the Royal Gazette publication daily. Live updates on the Thailand visa news tracker.
Land border cap — 2 entries per calendar year
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also reinstating the pre-2024 land border cap: two visa-free entries per calendar year via land crossings for the 30-day tier. This mirrors the rule that existed before July 2024 and was confirmed by Al Jazeera. Arrivals by air remain uncapped.
The implication for the visa-run economy is severe. Anyone running a back-to-back "border bounce" pattern through Nong Khai, Mae Sai, Aranyaprathet, or the Malaysian crossings to refresh a 60-day stamp will be limited to two such entries per year. For the legal framework on this, see what is a visa run.
Why the rollback — the government's rationale
The Cabinet cited three reasons: nominee-firm exploitation, illegal work under tourist entry, and a tourism conversion gap. Each is documented in the reporting record.
- Nominee and scam-firm exploitation. The May 12–14 Koh Phangan raids exposed 32 suspected nominee companies sitting on 150 million THB in land — most of which originated from foreigners using tourist entries to establish illegal corporate structures. Detailed coverage in our Koh Phangan crackdown article.
- Illegal work and call-centre crime. A string of high-profile arrests since late 2025 — drug offences, sex trafficking, unlicensed hotels and schools, and call-centre scam operations — were tied to foreigners on visa-free entries. Business Standard reporting (May 20, 2026) summarises the case stack the Cabinet cited.
- Tourism conversion gap. Tourism Ministry data shows the average actual stay was approximately 9 days — making 60 days more useful to non-tourists than to tourists, per Nation Thailand (May 19, 2026). Q1 2026 foreign arrivals also fell 3.4% year-on-year and Middle Eastern arrivals dropped nearly 30%, per Al Jazeera — undercutting the original tourism-boost argument for the 60-day scheme.
Impact per nationality — what to actually do
Tourists from the 30-day tier (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, etc.)
You lose 30 days but keep visa-free entry. Plan trips of up to 30 days; extend by 30 days at any immigration office for 1,900 THB (extension process). Maximum stay drops from 90 to 60 days. If you need longer than 60 days, apply for a tourist visa (TR) at a Thai embassy before travel or look at the DTV if you qualify.
Tourists from Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles
You drop from 60 days to 15 days. A 30-day extension still applies, taking maximum stay to 45 days. For longer stays, apply for a tourist visa at a Thai embassy.
Indian passport holders
You lose visa-free entry entirely. Options going forward: 15-day VOA at 2,000 THB on arrival, or the e-Visa for longer stays (single entry 2,500 THB, multiple entry 5,000 THB per Thai e-Visa portal). Indian-specific guide: Thailand visa for Indian citizens.
Frequent land-border crossers
You are capped at 2 visa-free land entries per calendar year. This is the rule most likely to disrupt long-term residents who rely on border runs to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, or Myanmar. The Thai-Cambodia land borders remain closed as of May 2026 in any case, so Cambodia is not an option. Plan visa-run alternatives via flights or apply for a longer-term visa.
Travelers already in Thailand on a 60-day stamp
Your stamp is honoured to its expiry date. The Cabinet explicitly confirmed that current entries under the 60-day scheme will be permitted to remain until the end of their approved stay period, per Travel Trade Journal (May 20, 2026) and Business Standard.
The proposed 300 THB landing fee
A separate measure on the table: a 300 THB landing fee for air arrivals. Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul told Nation Thailand the revenue would be directed to the Tourism Promotion Fund. The fee is not part of the May 19 Cabinet visa-exemption decision and has no implementation date.
What this article supersedes
This article supersedes our earlier 60-day visa exemption update. That article documented the permanent 60-day scheme that the May 19, 2026 Cabinet decision now reverses. We are leaving the prior article live as a historical record for the period July 2024 – May 2026 but it no longer reflects current policy.
For analysis of why the 60-day window was reversed and the 2024 → 2026 timeline, see Thailand 60 vs 30-day visa-free: what actually changed.
Frequently asked questions
When does the new 30-day rule take effect?
15 days after publication in the Thai Royal Gazette. As of May 22, 2026, no publication date has been confirmed. Until publication, the 60-day exemption is still issued at the border.
Will my 60-day stamp from before the change still be valid?
Yes. The Cabinet explicitly confirmed that anyone already inside Thailand on a 60-day exemption stamp, and anyone entering before the effective date, will be allowed to stay the full 60 days plus any standard 30-day extension.
Can I still extend my visa-free stay by 30 days?
Yes. The 30-day extension at immigration for 1,900 THB is unchanged. Under the new rules, your maximum stay becomes: 30 + 30 = 60 days (most countries) or 15 + 30 = 45 days (Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles). See the visa exemption extension guide.
What if I am Indian and arrive after the effective date?
You will need to use the 15-day visa-on-arrival (2,000 THB at the airport) or apply for an e-Visa in advance. Full breakdown in which countries lose visa-free entry.
Is this permanent or temporary?
The Cabinet framed it as a permanent reset to the pre-2024 framework, not a temporary suspension. There is no expiry clause in the Ministry of Interior notifications.
Does this apply at land borders too?
Yes — and with the added constraint of two visa-free entries per calendar year via land crossings for the 30-day tier.
Will the 300 THB landing fee apply to me?
The 300 THB landing fee is a separate proposal — not part of the May 19 visa exemption decision and not yet approved. If implemented, it will apply to foreign tourists arriving by air, with revenue directed to the Tourism Promotion Fund per Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul. No effective date announced.
Does this change anything for DTV, LTR, or retirement visa holders?
No. The May 19 decision only affects the visa exemption tier. The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), Long-Term Resident (LTR), retirement visa, Non-Imm O, and all paid visa categories are unaffected. If you are a long-stay foreigner currently relying on back-to-back visa-free entries, the new framework is your trigger to switch to a proper long-term visa.
Practical timing — three scenarios
The Royal Gazette publication is the date everything pivots on. Here is how to think about timing if you have a trip planned in the next 90 days.
Scenario 1: trip starts in next 2–3 weeks (before May 31)
Almost certainly enters under the old 60-day rules. The fastest the Royal Gazette could publish and the 15-day effective clock could run is mid-June. Travel as planned.
Scenario 2: trip starts in June or July
You are in the grey zone. Watch the news tracker daily for the Gazette publication. If your stay is over 30 days and you want the safety of the old 60-day stamp, consider rebooking your departure earlier — or apply for a tourist visa (TR) at a Thai embassy as a fallback.
Scenario 3: trip starts after July or you do not know your dates yet
Plan as if the new rules apply. Tourists from the 30-day tier should keep trips at or under 30 days, or budget the 1,900 THB extension to reach 60 days. Indians should plan around the 15-day VOA or apply for the e-Visa in advance.
Sources
- Al Jazeera, "Thailand to slash tourist visa-free stays" (May 19, 2026)
- Nation Thailand, "Thailand scraps 60-day free visa, restores old exemption rules" (May 19, 2026)
- Nation Thailand, "Thailand updates visa-free rules after scrapping 60-day scheme" (May 20, 2026)
- Bangkok Post, "Thailand ends 60-day visa-free stay" (May 19, 2026)
- Bangkok Post, "Thai visa exemptions cut by cabinet" (May 20, 2026)
- Business Standard, "Thailand ends 60-day visa-free entry in major tourism policy rollback" (May 20, 2026)
- Travel Trade Journal, "Thailand to roll back 60-day visa-free scheme" (May 20, 2026)
Need help planning around the new rules? See our agency reviews before paying anyone for visa advice.
