Thailand's visa-exemption rules are in the middle of a change — here's what's actually in force right now, and what's coming.
As of this update, travelers from the roughly 93 eligible countries and territories can still enter Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days under the current exemption scheme, and that is still what's being stamped at the border.
Thailand's Cabinet approved a rollback of that 60-day exemption in May 2026, moving most of those nationalities to a standard 30-day visa-free stay, with a smaller group of island nations moving to 15 days. The change takes legal effect 15 days after it's published in the Royal Gazette — as of this update, no publication date had been set, so the 60-day rule remained in force in the meantime.
Alongside the exemption changes, the visa-on-arrival list is set to shrink sharply to a small handful of nationalities rather than the broader list available previously.
Some countries hold their entry terms through bilateral agreements sitting outside this rollback entirely — several South American nations and South Korea keep longer 90-day stays, neighboring countries like Laos and Vietnam keep their own separate arrangements, and China's mutual exemption agreement is unaffected.
None of this touches Thailand's long-stay visa categories — retirement, marriage, work permits, student visas, the Thailand Privilege programme, or the Destination Thailand Visa all continue to operate under their own separate rules.
