Thailand: Government Revises Visa Exemption and VoA Schemes

Source: Thailand Government Public Relations Department

Thailand’s Cabinet first approved the revised framework on 19 May 2026 and the measures were formally published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. Under the country’s standard 15-day rule for gazette notifications, the new rules will take effect on September 15, 2026. The objective is to ensure that travel facilitation for foreign tourists reflects the current circumstance, prevents misuse of visa privileges and adheres to the principle of “one country, one entitlement.”

Under the revised measure, Thailand will withdraw the current 60-day visa exemption for 93 countries and territories. The revisions take into account economic and security considerations, international relations and the principle of reciprocity. For frequent visitors, this will reduce the flexibility of relying on repeated short-term entries to stay in Thailand.

Catamaran moored off an island — Thailand is a popular cruising destination in South East Asia, so visiting cruisers should make sure they understand how the Visa changes may affect their plans.

Summary of Changes

Reduction of Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days: Citizens of 59 countries and territories will be granted visa-free entry for tourism purposes for stays up to 30 days ((including the US, UK, Canada, Australia). This entitlement includes six countries – India, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta, and the Maldives – resulting in 27 European Union member states that will receive the same privilege. The Government expects this change to strengthen international relations, support negotiations for Schengen visa exemptions for Thai nationals and facilitate bilateral economic agreements.

Shorter Exemptions and VOA Adjustments: Mauritius and Seychelles are cut to a 15-day visa exemption.

Visa on Arrival (VOA) is restricted to just three specific nationalities: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. India’s VoA will be removed to eliminate the overlapping visa privilege.

Land/Sea Border Restrictions: Use of visa exemptions via land or secondary borders is heavily restricted (typically capped at twice per calendar year for most nationalities to clamp down on casual border hopping).

After the revision, a total of 65 countries and territories will be covered under Thailand’s various visa measures.

Travelers who entered Thailand before the new measures come into force will continue to be allowed to remain in the country for the remainder of their stay permitted under the previous regulations.

In addition, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system will improve its background screening and monitoring of the entry and exit of foreign nationals. The Government emphasizes that this review is not intended to discourage tourism, but rather to prevent Thailand’s visa policies from being used as an opportunity for illegal activities.

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