- Thailand plans to end its 60-day visa-free scheme and replace it with a country-by-country system.
- Officials want to restore visa exemption to 57 eligible countries, down from the current 93.
- The proposal may add a THB 300 tourism levy and shorten stays to 30 days.
(THAILAND) – Thailand’s government is preparing to end its 60-day visa-free entry scheme and replace it with a more restrictive, country-by-country framework, a shift that would narrow access for foreign visitors as officials tighten screening and recast tourism policy around higher-spending arrivals.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul announced the move on April 25. Officials are preparing to withdraw the blanket exemption and restore a differentiated system that would treat eligible nationalities differently rather than extending the same visa-free terms across a broad group of countries and territories.
The current policy applies to citizens from 93 countries and territories. Thailand introduced it in July 2024 under former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, expanding visa-free access in a bid to stimulate arrivals and keep the tourism recovery moving.
Under the plan now under review, the government would reinstate the earlier framework covering 57 eligible countries and territories for visa exemption. That would mark a clear rollback from the current arrangement and signal that Bangkok no longer wants the wider, one-size-fits-all entry model introduced less than two years ago.
Authorities are also weighing a shorter permitted stay. The visa-free period would be reduced from 60 days, with reports indicating a possible shift to 30 days, though the final duration has not been set.
A separate part of the proposal would impose a THB 300 (approximately US$8) tourism levy on all foreign arrivals. Taken together, the changes would make entry somewhat more selective and somewhat more expensive, even as Thailand continues to market itself as one of Asia’s most accessible tourism destinations.
Officials have tied the overhaul to how visitors actually use the policy. Government data shows that about 90% of tourists stay no more than 30 days, a figure that undercuts the case for keeping a 60-day visa-free stay as the default for such a large list of countries.
That usage pattern has fed a second concern inside government: abuse of longer stays. Authorities have linked extended visa-free periods to overstaying and undeclared work, and they now want visa policy to function as an initial screening tool rather than simply a tourism promotion measure.
Surasak has framed the policy shift as part of a broader change in strategy. Officials want to attract “quality tourists“ who spend more per day and deliver longer-term economic value, instead of focusing mainly on headline arrival numbers.
He also said the wider aim is “sustainable tourism growth built around safety, confidence and greener development”. The language points to a tourism model that promises more direct benefits for local communities and the broader economy, while giving the government room to argue that tighter entry rules are compatible with growth.
Cabinet approval is still required. The proposal will be submitted “in the coming weeks”, and ministers must sign off because the existing 60-day arrangement itself came from an earlier Cabinet decision.
Foreign Ministry discussions are already under way, and the government expects any approved change to take effect after the peak summer season. That timing would allow Thailand to avoid disrupting one of the busier travel periods while still moving this year to revise the rules.
Bangkok is not shutting the door on longer stays altogether. Officials are promoting other routes for visitors who want to remain in the country for extended periods, including the Destination Thailand Visa, which allows stays of up to 180 days, the Thailand Elite card, and the 10-year Long-Term Residence scheme.
Those options serve a different market from mass short-haul tourism. Each is aimed more at travelers, remote workers, investors or long-stay residents willing to commit more money, more paperwork or both, a contrast that fits the government’s effort to separate standard tourism from longer-term residence.
At the same time, authorities are preparing domestic tourism measures to cushion any disruption and sustain travel demand inside the country. The package includes “quick win” steps and possible tax-relief measures designed to lower the cost of travel within Thailand.
The domestic push matters because Thailand is trying to refine, not shrink, one of its most important industries. Officials are tightening visa-free access for foreigners from 93 countries while looking for fresh spending at home, a twin-track approach that suggests the next phase of Thai tourism policy will count visitors differently and judge success by what they spend, how long they stay, and how closely they fit the government’s new definition of value.
