Thailand Visa Exemption 2026: Eligible Countries & Rules

Since 15 September 2026, Thailand's visa exemption gives 30 days to passport holders of 60 countries and territories, and 15 days to nationals of Seychelles and Mauritius. The stay can be extended once by 30 days at a Thai immigration office for 1,900 THB, so a 30-day entry can reach about 60 days in total (TAT Newsroom). The new rules were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and replaced the 60-day exemption that ran from 15 July 2024 until 14 September 2026.

The visa exemption lets passport holders from eligible countries enter Thailand without applying for a visa in advance. It is the simplest way to visit Thailand for tourism. If you hold a qualifying passport, you fly to Thailand and receive a stamp at immigration for a set number of days.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Visa Required	No
Stay Duration	30 days (60 countries and territories) or 15 days (Seychelles, Mauritius)
Extension	One 30-day extension available at Thai Immigration
Cost	Free (no visa fee at entry)
Extension Fee	1,900 THB
Purpose	Tourism only
Work Permitted	No
Application	None — stamp granted at port of entry
Entry Method	Air or land border (land-border entries capped at twice per calendar year for most nationalities)
Rules in Force Since	15 September 2026

Who Qualifies for Visa Exemption?

Looking for one passport? Our visa-free countries table lists every nationality's stay and the legal basis for it, and it's free to cite.

Thailand grants visa exemptions by Ministry of Interior announcement and through bilateral agreements. The duration of stay varies by nationality.

30-Day Visa Exemption (60 Countries and Territories)

From 15 September 2026, citizens of the following 60 countries and territories receive a 30-day visa exemption for tourism on arrival in Thailand:

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey (Türkiye), Ukraine, United Kingdom

Americas: Canada, United States

Asia-Pacific: Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan

Middle East: Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Africa: South Africa

Several of these nationalities, including India, Taiwan, Georgia, Bhutan, Fiji and Saudi Arabia, used to appear on Thailand's Visa on Arrival list. They now enter visa-free.

15-Day Visa Exemption

Nationals of Seychelles and Mauritius receive a 15-day visa exemption.

How the Rules Changed

From 15 July 2024 until 14 September 2026, the exemption was 60 days for 93 countries and territories. On 15 September 2026 that scheme was repealed and replaced by the 30-day and 15-day lists above. The change is not retroactive: if you entered before 15 September 2026, you keep the stay you were granted. For background, see Thailand's 30-day visa exemption.

Nationalities Not on the New Lists

Some nationalities that were on the old 60-day list are not on the new lists, including South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Hong Kong and Monaco. Thailand's separate bilateral arrangements continue and were not changed by the new Gazette announcements. Some countries were left off the new lists to avoid overlapping privileges. If your nationality is not listed above, check the current stay length with the Thai embassy or consulate before you travel.

Special Cases

ASEAN nationals: Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines are on the 30-day list. Other ASEAN nationals (e.g., Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam) enter under separate bilateral arrangements; check the current stay length with the Thai mission.
Indian passport holders are on the 30-day list.
Chinese passport holders are covered by a separate bilateral agreement, not the new lists. Check the current stay length with the Thai mission.

Entry Requirements

Even though no visa application is needed, you must still meet these requirements at the port of entry:

Documents Required at Immigration

Valid Passport — Must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry, with at least 1 blank page for the entry stamp (see full passport requirements)
Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) — The online TDAC replaced the paper TM.6 card. Submit it at tdac.immigration.go.th within 3 days before arriving in Thailand. It is free and it is not a visa.
Proof of Onward Travel — A confirmed return or onward ticket showing you will leave Thailand within the allowed stay period
Proof of Accommodation — Hotel booking or address where you will be staying
Proof of Sufficient Funds — At the officer's discretion, you may be asked to show at least 20,000 THB per person (or 40,000 THB per family) in cash or equivalent (Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC; Royal Thai Embassy, London)

Important: Fund Checks Are Real

While not every traveler is asked to prove their finances, Thai immigration does conduct random checks, particularly at land borders. If you cannot demonstrate sufficient funds, you may be denied entry. Carry the equivalent in cash or have bank statements readily accessible on your phone.

How the Visa Exemption Works: Step by Step

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility. Check that your nationality is on the 30-day or 15-day list above. If it is not, check with the Thai mission whether a bilateral agreement covers you.

Step 2: Book your travel. Ensure you have a round-trip or onward ticket. One-way tickets may cause problems at check-in or immigration.

Step 3: Arrive in Thailand. Proceed to the immigration counter at your port of entry (airport or land border).

Step 4: Present your documents. Hand over your passport, have your TDAC confirmation ready, and have your accommodation and return flight details ready if asked.

Step 5: Receive your entry stamp. The immigration officer will stamp your passport with the entry date and the date by which you must leave (30 days from entry for most eligible nationalities, 15 days for Seychelles and Mauritius). Verify the stamp is correct before walking away.

Step 6: Keep track of your permitted stay. Your allowed stay is calculated from the date of entry, not the date printed on your ticket. Count carefully.

Extending Your Visa-Exempt Stay

You can extend your visa-exempt stay once, by up to 30 days, at any Thai Immigration office. This means a 30-day visa exemption can become about 60 days total. Before 15 September 2026, when the exemption was 60 days, the same extension took a stay to 90 days. See the full visa exemption extension guide.

Extension Process

Visit a Thai Immigration office before your permitted stay expires
Bring the following:
- Passport
- Completed TM.7 extension application form
- One 4x6 cm passport photo
- Photocopy of your passport bio page and current entry stamp
- 1,900 THB fee
Extensions are typically processed on the same day, often within 1–2 hours
The new departure date will be stamped in your passport

Where to Extend

Immigration offices are located in every major city and tourist destination:

Bangkok — Immigration Bureau, Chaeng Wattana Government Complex
Chiang Mai — Chiang Mai Immigration, Promenada Mall area
Phuket — Phuket Immigration, Phuket Town
Pattaya — Pattaya Immigration, Jomtien
Koh Samui — Koh Samui Immigration, Nathon

Arrive early in the morning for the shortest wait times. Some offices accept online queue reservations.

Land Border Entries

The visa exemption applies at both air and land borders, but land entries now have a hard limit:

Twice per calendar year by land. Since 15 September 2026, entries on the 30-day exemption through land-border checkpoints are capped at twice per calendar year. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempt from this cap. The 15-day exemption for Seychelles and Mauritius has the same twice-a-year land limit.
Consecutive entries may still attract scrutiny. If immigration officers determine you are using repeated border runs to live in Thailand, they may deny entry or reduce your permitted stay.
Air entries have no published yearly cap, but a pattern of back-to-back entries still raises red flags.

If you plan to stay in Thailand long-term, consider applying for a proper visa such as the Tourist Visa (TR), Non-Immigrant O, or Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).

Cost Breakdown

Item	Cost
Visa exemption entry	Free
30-day extension at Immigration	1,900 THB (~$55 USD)
Photos at Immigration office	100–200 THB
Photocopies at Immigration office	5–20 THB

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not checking passport validity. Your passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining. Travelers have been denied boarding or denied entry for passports expiring within 6 months.

2. No proof of onward travel. Airlines may refuse to board you, and immigration may deny entry if you cannot show a flight or bus ticket leaving Thailand within your stay period. If your plans are flexible, book a refundable ticket or a cheap onward flight.

3. Overstaying. Even a single day of overstay results in a 500 THB/day fine and goes on your immigration record. Extended overstays lead to detention, deportation, and multi-year entry bans. Take your departure date seriously.

4. Confusing visa exemption with visa on arrival. These are different schemes. Visa on Arrival involves a fee and an application at the airport, and since 15 September 2026 it is only for nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. If your country is on the visa-exempt list, you do not need to go through the VOA process.

5. Relying on border runs for long-term stays. Land-border entries on the exemption are now capped at twice per calendar year for most nationalities, and repeated air entries are scrutinized. Immigration officers may refuse entry, shorten your permitted stay, or direct you to apply for a proper visa.

6. Planning around the old 60-day rule. Since 15 September 2026, the exemption is 30 days (15 days for Seychelles and Mauritius). Book your onward ticket inside the stay you will actually get.

7. Not verifying the entry stamp. Always check that the immigration officer stamped the correct date and entry type in your passport. Errors happen, and an incorrect stamp can cause problems when you try to extend or leave.

Visa Exemption vs. Other Entry Options

Feature	Visa Exemption	Tourist Visa (TR)	Visa on Arrival	DTV
Pre-Application	None	Required	At airport	Required
Stay Duration	30 days (15 for Seychelles, Mauritius)	60 days	15 days	180 days
Extension	+30 days	+30 days	None (except illness)	+180 days
Cost	Free	1,000 THB+	2,000 THB	10,000 THB
Best For	Short holidays	Longer holidays	Quick trips	Remote workers

Important Notes and Warnings

Visa exemption is not a visa. It is permission to enter and stay for a limited time. It does not appear as a visa sticker in your passport — only as an entry stamp.
Tourism only. The exemption is for tourism. Business or work activity is not permitted under it.
You cannot work on a visa exemption, including remote work or freelancing. For remote work, consider the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV).
90-day reporting applies to stays of more than 90 consecutive days. A 30-day entry plus one 30-day extension comes to about 60 days, so it does not normally apply to visa-exempt visitors.
Re-entry permits are not applicable to visa-exempt entries. If you leave Thailand, your permission to stay ends. You will receive a fresh entry stamp when you return.
Policy changes happen. Thailand's visa exemption list and duration have been updated several times in recent years, most recently on 15 September 2026. Always verify current rules before traveling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can I stay in Thailand on a visa exemption in 2026?

Since 15 September 2026, 30 days for nationals of the 60 listed countries and territories, and 15 days for Seychelles and Mauritius. The 30-day stay can be extended once by 30 days for 1,900 THB, for about 60 days in total. Other nationalities may be covered by separate bilateral agreements; check with the Thai mission.

I entered before 15 September 2026 with a 60-day stamp. Is it cut to 30 days?

No. The change is not retroactive. Anyone who entered before 15 September 2026 keeps the stay they were granted. Your entry stamp shows your permitted date.

Can I enter Thailand visa-free by land?

Yes, but only twice per calendar year on the 30-day exemption. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempt from that cap. Repeated land border entries may also be questioned by immigration officers.

What happens if I arrive without a return ticket?

You risk being denied boarding by the airline or denied entry by Thai immigration. Always have proof of onward travel, even if it is a flexible or refundable booking.

Can I extend more than once?

No. You can only extend a visa-exempt stay once for 30 days. After that, you must leave Thailand. You can then re-enter for a new visa-exempt stay, but land-border entries are capped at twice per calendar year for most nationalities, and repeated back-to-back entries may be refused.

Thailand Visa Exemption: Who Qualifies & How It Works