On September 15, Thailand officially ended its 60-day visa exemption scheme, reverting to a standard 30-day entry stamp for visitors from 54 countries, including the UK, Australia, and the US.
The 60-day exemption, originally introduced as a tourism stimulus in July 2024, lasted 22 months before the Cabinet voted to roll it back, according to Thai Visa Services. The shift is part of a broader move by Thai authorities to tighten entry rules and focus on "quality tourism," as reported by Skift.
Alongside the headline reduction to 30 days, the September 15 rollout includes a shorter Visa on Arrival list and tighter limits at land borders, according to The Thaiger.
Winners and losers in the new framework
While most Western passport holders see their initial stay halved, other nationalities face more drastic changes under the revised framework:
- India: Indian nationals are the biggest losers in the rollback, losing their standard visa-free entry entirely and moving to a 15-day Visa on Arrival scheme.
- Latin America and Cuba: Eleven Latin American countries have lost their 60-day visa exemptions. Similarly, Cuban citizens are now required to obtain a visa prior to travel.
- Kazakhstan: The temporary 60-day allowance for Kazakh citizens has been cut back to 30 days.
- Kyrgyzstan: In a rare easing of rules, citizens of Kyrgyzstan have been granted a new visa-free entry allowance for stays of up to 30 days.
What this means for you
If you are using a visa exemption to enter Thailand while you set up a company, hunt for a condo, or prepare an application for a long-term option like the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), your runway has just been cut in half.
You must now accomplish your initial relocation tasks within 30 days. If you need more time, you can still visit a local immigration office to apply for a one-time 30-day extension. This gives you a maximum of 60 days inside the country, down from the 90 days that was possible under the previous rules.
Check your passport stamp carefully at the immigration desk. Overstaying in Thailand carries a daily fine of 500 THB and, as British travelers were recently warned, significant overstays can lead to a mandatory 10-year ban from the country.
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