- Thailand is currently reviewing its visa-free policy but has not yet enacted any changes to the current system.
- The current program allows citizens from 93 countries to enter for stays of up to 60 days.
- Proposed revisions include reducing the 60-day stay to 30 days or shrinking the list of eligible nations.
(THAILAND) — Thailand is reviewing whether to scale back its expanded visa exemption program, but the current rules still allow citizens of 93 countries to enter without a visa for stays of up to 60 days, with no implementation date announced for any change.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworrakun said on April 22, 2026 that the government was examining the scheme after complaints that some visitors were using it for illegal work, low-spending trips and business activity that undercut local operators.
Officials are weighing several options, including restoring the older visa-free list of 57 countries, cutting permitted stays to 30 days while keeping access for 93 countries, or creating special visas aimed at higher-spending and longer-stay visitors.
Thailand expanded the program in July 2024, raising the visa-free list from 57 countries with stays of 30 days to 93 countries with stays of 60 days. The move was part of a broader effort to lift post-pandemic tourism.
The current visa exemption covers tourism and short-term business. Most eligible nationalities receive 60 days, while some receive 30 days, and neighboring ASEAN countries follow separate arrangements that can allow up to 90 days.
On February 10, 2026, the Cabinet acknowledged problems tied to the policy and reappointed a visa policy committee. Any revision still requires Cabinet submission, formal approval and public notice before it can take effect.
No change has been enacted. The 60-day scheme remains in force as of April 27, 2026.
That distinction matters in a system that has generated weeks of speculation about whether Thailand had already decided to shrink its visa-free list. It has not. The review is active, but the rules at airports and land borders remain the same for now.
Eligible visitors entering under the present policy must carry a passport valid for at least 6 months, proof of an onward or return ticket, proof of funds of 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family, and a Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC, now required at major airports and land crossings.
Visitors admitted under the exemption can also seek a 30-day extension at immigration offices for 1,900 THB. In practice, that can stretch a stay to as much as 60 days total for travelers who entered under a shorter initial period.
Surasak’s comments laid out the government’s concern that a policy designed to attract tourists had opened space for activity beyond ordinary leisure travel. Officials have pointed to illegal work, low-spending visitors and business models that affect local companies, including Chinese tour operators mentioned in the debate.
Another part of the review centers on spending patterns. Authorities have cited average stays of only 2-3 weeks, a mismatch with a program that grants up to 60 days to most travelers on the current list.
That gap helps explain why ministers are discussing more selective entry rules rather than a simple return to pre-2024 policy. A shorter visa-free period for all 93 countries would preserve broad access while tightening the window for long stays. A narrower list of 57 countries would go further by removing roughly three dozen countries from the expanded program.
A third option would target what officials call “higher-quality” tourists who spend more and stay longer. That approach would shift Thailand away from a wide visa-free opening and toward purpose-built visas for visitors the government sees as more valuable to hotels, restaurants and local businesses.
Domestic tourism also sits in the policy discussion. Officials have paired the visa review with plans to encourage local travel and related tax measures, tying foreign-entry rules to a broader push on tourism revenue.
The debate has sharpened because the 2024 expansion was one of the most visible changes to Thailand’s border regime after the pandemic. It widened access across Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan, while preserving separate arrangements for ASEAN neighbors.
Those regional differences remain part of the practical picture. Even if Thailand were to return to the older visa-free framework, not every visitor would see the same outcome, because some nationalities already receive different lengths of stay under the current system and ASEAN nationals operate under other rules.
Nordic countries, including Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, would likely remain on the exempt list if the government restores the 57-country model. That point has drawn attention because travelers from Europe account for a visible share of long-haul tourism during Thailand’s high season.
Border enforcement has already tightened in some areas while the policy review continues. Officials have increased scrutiny in re-entry cases, including questions directed at some education visa holders, even though the visa exemption rules themselves have not changed.
That has left airlines, hotels and repeat visitors watching for a formal decision rather than relying on rumor. In Thailand’s immigration system, a ministerial review is not the same as an enacted rule, and a Cabinet process is still required before any revision reaches the public.
Travelers planning entry under the current policy still need to prepare for the requirements already in force, not for a proposal that has not been approved. A valid passport, onward travel, proof of funds and the TDAC remain the operative checklist at the border.
Anyone expecting to stay beyond the initial period also needs to account for the extension process and fee. Immigration offices currently offer the additional 30 days for 1,900 THB, and that remains part of the system unless authorities announce a different rule.
What happens next depends on decisions inside government, not on the speculation that has surrounded the review since Surasak’s April 22, 2026 remarks. Cabinet approval and public notice would come before any new policy takes effect.
Until then, Thailand’s expanded visa-free list stays in place: 93 countries, most with stays of up to 60 days, under a program now under scrutiny but not yet rolled back.
