Thailand Just Cut Visa-Free Stays From 60 Days to 30

On 14 July 2026, Thailand's cabinet approved scrapping the 60-day visa-free scheme that had covered 93 countries and territories since July 2024, replacing it with a tiered system that caps most nationalities at 30 days. The change takes effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, and as of early August 2026 travelers are already being told to plan around the shorter window rather than wait and see.

If you were planning an extended trip through Bangkok, Chiang Mai and the southern islands on the assumption of a 60-day stay, this is the rule that just moved under you. Here's what actually changed, sourced from Thailand's own Cabinet resolution as reported by Bangkok Post and The Nation, not from a travel-forum guess.

What the new tiers actually are

Under the revised system, reported by The Nation on 14 July 2026, a total of 65 countries and territories keep some form of visa-free or visa-on-arrival access, replacing the previous 93-country, flat-60-day list:

• 30-day visa-free: 59 countries and territories, including all 27 EU member states and a large share of the countries that previously got 60 days.
• 15-day visa-free: 2 countries — Mauritius and Seychelles.
• Visa-on-arrival: extended to 3 additional nationalities — Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.

Reporting on India's specific tier has been inconsistent between outlets in the days since the Cabinet resolution — some coverage places India in the 30-day band, other Thai domestic reporting describes a 15-day exemption replacing India's prior visa-on-arrival entitlement. Anyone from a nationality near a tier boundary should check Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or their nearest Royal Thai Embassy directly rather than rely on any single article, this one included.

Why Thailand made the cut

Government spokesperson Rachada Dhanadirek told reporters the 60-day window had been "exploited," according to Al Jazeera's 19 May 2026 report on the initial proposal — officials cited grey-market business activity, unauthorized foreign workers, and scam-call and trafficking operations using the long stay as cover. Tourism accounts for over 10% of Thailand's GDP, and foreign arrivals were down 3.4% year-on-year in Q1 2026, with Middle Eastern visitor numbers down nearly 30% — so the reform is explicitly framed as trading some visitor volume for tighter screening, not as a straightforward crackdown on tourists.

The 60-day scheme being scrapped was itself only two years old: Al Jazeera's reporting notes it was introduced in July 2024 for nationals of the United States, Israel, several South American countries, and the 29-nation Schengen zone specifically to stimulate post-pandemic tourism. That's the group most affected by this reversal — travelers from those markets who got used to planning two-month Thailand trips around the 2024-2025 rules now need to re-check their entitlement before booking flights, because the entitlement they may remember is the one being withdrawn.

When it actually takes effect

The rule takes effect 15 days after it's published in the Royal Gazette, and as of the Cabinet's 14 July 2026 approval, that publication date had not been confirmed — meaning the exact start date was still not locked down as recently as end of July, per Travel Off Path's 31 July 2026 report. In practice, the safest assumption for anyone traveling now is that the 30-day cap is either already in force or imminent, not months away. Nationals who need more than 30 days should apply for a formal tourist visa before departure or plan a border run — a "visa run" — rather than count on the old 60-day allowance being honored on arrival.

This uncertainty around the exact publication date is itself the practical risk here: a rule that's approved but not yet gazetted can still take effect mid-trip, with no personal notice to travelers already in the country. If you booked flights months ago on the assumption of 60 free days, check your specific nationality's status again close to departure rather than relying on what you read when you first booked.

What doesn't change

Separate bilateral agreements that grant 90-day, 30-day or 14-day exemptions to specific nationalities remain unaffected by this reform, according to reporting on the Indian traveler-specific rules. The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) — the mandatory pre-arrival online form that replaced the old paper TM6 form — is unrelated to this visa change and still has to be filed by every foreign arrival, free of charge, at tdac.immigration.go.th, ideally within three days of arrival. Only the official site issues a QR code; Thai immigration has repeatedly warned about lookalike sites charging a fee for the same free form.

The 300-baht landing fee is a separate, still-unconfirmed proposal

Don't confuse this visa reform with Thailand's long-discussed 300-baht (about US$9) tourist landing fee. That proposal — 300 baht for air arrivals, 150 baht for land or sea — has been floated on and off for years to fund visitor insurance, infrastructure and emergency assistance, and The Nation's 3 April 2026 report on its latest revival describes it as still awaiting a firm Cabinet decision on the collection mechanism, with implementation "repeatedly delayed." As of this writing it has not launched. Treat any headline claiming it's already being charged as premature until Thailand's Tourism and Sports Ministry confirms a start date.

Whatever your stay length ends up being, arriving with data ready matters more when entry rules are shifting under you — a prepaid Thailand eSIM gets you online at the airport to pull up hotel confirmations, translation apps or embassy contact details without hunting for a SIM counter first.

FAQ

When did Thailand cut its visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days?

Thailand's cabinet approved the change on 14 July 2026. It takes effect 15 days after publication in the Royal Gazette; as of end of July 2026 that exact date had not been publicly confirmed, so travelers should plan around a 30-day cap already being in force or close to it.

Which countries are affected by Thailand's new visa rules?

The new tiered system replaces the old 93-country, 60-day scheme. 59 countries and territories, including all 27 EU states, get 30 days; Mauritius and Seychelles get 15 days; Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia move to visa-on-arrival. A total of 65 nationalities retain some visa-free or visa-on-arrival access.

Do I still need to file Thailand's Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)?

Yes — TDAC is a separate, unrelated requirement. Every foreign arrival must file it free of charge at the official site, tdac.immigration.go.th, before or on arrival, regardless of visa-free status.

What if I need to stay in Thailand longer than 30 days?

Apply for a formal tourist visa at a Thai embassy or consulate before you travel, or plan a border run to renew your entry. Some bilateral agreements still grant longer exemptions to specific nationalities, so check your own country's terms directly with Thai authorities.

Has Thailand's 300-baht tourist landing fee started?

No. As of this writing it remains a proposal — the Tourism and Sports Ministry has repeatedly delayed implementation and had not confirmed a collection mechanism or start date as of the Nation's 3 April 2026 report. It is unrelated to the visa-free stay changes.

Sources: The Nation Thailand, "Thailand revamps visa rules for 65 countries and territories," 14 July 2026; Al Jazeera, "Thailand to slash tourist visa-free stays," 19 May 2026; Travel Off Path, 31 July 2026; NDTV, 15 July 2026; The Nation Thailand, "Why Thailand is reviving its 300-baht tourist fee plan," 3 April 2026.