(THAILAND) – Thailand cut visa-exempt stays for nationals of 93 countries to 30 days per entry, reversing a 60-day policy introduced in mid-2024 as authorities stepped up a wider crackdown on repeat border runs, unauthorized work and illegal rentals.

The change takes effect in mid-May 2026, after Deputy Prime Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow announced it on April 21, 2026. It applies to travelers from countries including the UK, USA, EU nations, India and Australia.

Officials tied the rollback to abuse of the longer stay period. The concerns ranged from repeated “visa runs” and unauthorized remote work to cybercrime links and unlicensed property rentals in Phuket, Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Thailand had expanded visa-free stays on July 15, 2024, raising the period from 30 to 60 days for 93 nationalities. The move formed part of a tourism push after the pandemic-era slowdown and helped drive arrivals above 40 million visitors in 2025.

Many travelers used the extra time for longer holidays, retirement stays and remote work. Extensions also remained simple, with a 30-day top-up available for 1,900 THB, pushing total stays to 90 days.

Indian travelers gained particular ease after Thailand moved them from a fee-based Visa on Arrival arrangement into the visa exemption group in 2024. That shift helped turn Thailand into one of the region’s easiest entry points for Indian tourists.

Pressure built through mid-2025 as immigration authorities and local operators raised alarms over foreigners using tourist entry to live and work in Thailand for long periods. Condominiums in Phuket and expat districts in Chiang Mai drew complaints tied to unlicensed rentals and businesses operating outside the rules.

Authorities had already begun tightening entry before the latest cut. On November 12, 2025, the Immigration Bureau introduced nationwide enforcement limiting visa-exempt arrivals to two per calendar year, with the count resetting on January 1, 2026.

Land-border entries faced an additional restriction. They were capped at two per year with stays of 15-day, except for Malaysians, who remained exempt from that limit.

Same-day “out-and-backs” also drew scrutiny and possible refusal, while extension rules became narrower. Air arrivals could obtain one 30-day extension for 1,900 THB and, at most, a second 7-day grace period; land entries and repeat patterns no longer qualified for more time.

Thailand added further screening from May 1, 2025. Travelers had to show proof of funds through bank statements and complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, an online filing required 72 hours before arrival.

By May 12, 2026, the 60-day rule still applied until the mid-May start date, but officials had already begun closer questioning at borders. Airlines also received time to update Advanced Passenger Information systems before the new limit took effect.

Sihasak announced the rollback during a foreign-policy briefing, and Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul backed it with one figure: 90% of tourists stay under 30 days. That figure underpins the government’s case that shorter visa-free stays will hit repeat abusers more than ordinary visitors.

Cabinet officials from Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Immigration also pointed long-stay visitors toward formal visas rather than repeated tourist entries. Those options include the Destination Thailand Visa, which offers 180 days per entry on a 5-year multiple-entry permit for about 10,000 THB, or about USD 280.

The Destination Thailand Visa has gained traction among remote workers and activity-based visitors such as Muay Thai trainees and cooking students. Officials also kept the Long-Term Resident visa in place after updates in 2025 for wealthy retirees and skilled foreign professionals.

Under the Long-Term Resident route, wealthy retirees must show income of 800,000 THB/month, while skilled professionals need overseas income of USD 80,000/year. Thailand also consolidated non-immigrant categories into 7 types in September 2025, trimming some options while simplifying the system.

Visa on Arrival remains available to nationals of 19 countries, with stays of 15-30 days and a fee of 2,000 THB. Travelers from the 93 visa exemption countries, by contrast, will now return to a short-stay model centered on 30 days per entry.

Immigration checks are expected to stay heaviest in Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Koh Samui. Tourist Police, Immigration officers and local authorities have coordinated raids in those areas as part of the enforcement drive.

Remote workers are likely to face sharper questioning over whether their income comes from work performed overseas or from activity inside Thailand. Land routes, particularly near Cambodia and Myanmar, have drawn the closest scrutiny, and Cambodian nationals saw their own exemption reduced to 7 days in June 2025.

Travelers entering under visa exemption rules now face a narrower margin for error. Authorities require a return or onward ticket and expect travelers to show 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family in funds.

Overstays still trigger daily fines of 500 THB/day, up to 20,000 THB, and can lead to detention or deportation. The end of the cheaper Bronze tier in the Elite Visa program on June 30, 2025 has also reduced one of the easier paid routes for longer residence.

Thailand is making these changes from a position of tourism strength rather than weakness. Early 2026 arrival data showed demand holding up, and the government said a six-month review would examine the effect of the tighter entry rules after implementation.

Officials are betting that the shorter visa exemption period will not dent mainstream tourism because most visitors leave within a month. Hotels and travel businesses have already adapted by shaping packages around shorter stays, while demand for the Destination Thailand Visa has risen among travelers who want to remain longer without repeated entries.

The policy shift also marks a clear break from the looser approach Thailand adopted during its post-pandemic tourism recovery. The government is still welcoming visitors, but it is channeling them into separate tracks: short holidays under visa exemption, and longer stays under purpose-built visas.

That leaves Thailand with a narrower free-entry offer but a broader enforcement net. Travelers who once counted on repeated short exits and re-entries now face a system designed to stop exactly that pattern.