Thailand cut the visa-free stay from 60 days to 30

Published 12 October 2026. This post explains a rule. It is not legal or tax advice.

What changed

New announcements of Thailand's Ministry of Interior were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and took effect on 15 September 2026. They ended the 60-day visa exemption that had applied since July 2024.

Holders of passports from 60 countries and territories now get 30 days on each visit, for tourism.
Citizens of Seychelles and Mauritius get 15 days.
Countries with their own agreement with Thailand keep the stay in that agreement: 90, 30 or 14 days.

If you entered before 15 September 2026

You keep the stay you were given. If your passport carries a 60-day stamp from before that date, you may stay until the stamped date. The date stamped in your passport is what binds you.

Entering by land

Entry through a land border checkpoint under the exemption is allowed no more than twice in a calendar year. This limit does not apply to citizens of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. Entry by air is not limited by number, but an officer who sees many visits in a row can ask questions and can refuse entry.

Staying longer

The stay can be extended by up to 30 more days at an immigration office. The immigration officer decides. You must also be able to show money for your stay: 20,000 baht for each person, or 40,000 baht for a family.

What to do now

Plan each visit for 30 days, not 60, unless your passport has its own agreement.
Check the stamp when you enter and count from it.
If you cross by land, count your land entries for the calendar year.

The full rule, with worked examples, is on the page Thailand Visa-Free Visit.

Official sources

The rules in this post

Thailand Visa-Free Visit: 14, 15, 30 or 90 days in one visit
Thailand Tax Residence: 179 days in each calendar year

Countr can count this for you.

It finds your past trips in your photos and counts the days for every rule you follow, on your phone.

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