The cabinet on Tuesday approved the termination of Thailand’s 60-day visa-free entry scheme for foreign visitors, although the exact enforcement date has yet to be finalised.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the decision would return entry rules for affected countries to the immigration framework that existed before the 60-day exemption was introduced.
Thai officials have spent months reviewing the extended stay policy, which was originally launched to support the country’s post-pandemic tourism recovery.
However, authorities said the measure had also created unintended problems, including cases of foreigners using long stays to establish businesses or become involved in criminal activity.
Mr Surasak did not specify when the revised rules would begin, saying the cabinet’s resolution would first be forwarded to the relevant agencies for implementation.
Travellers who are already in Thailand, or who enter the country before the new rules take effect, will be permitted to stay until the end of their current authorised period.
Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, later said the changes would take effect 15 days after the official announcement is published in the Royal Gazette.
Under the revised system, each country or territory will be placed under only one visa exemption category, while the 60-day exemption will be removed for all 93 countries and territories currently covered by the programme.
The number of countries eligible for 30-day visa-free entry will be cut from 57 to 54, Mr Mungkorn said, although he did not identify the three countries being removed from the list.
He added that a 15-day visa exemption would apply to selected countries, while the visa-on-arrival process would also be simplified.
Multiple Factors Behind Policy Shift
Mr Mungkorn said the changes were proposed after authorities considered several factors, including reciprocity, national security concerns, and overlapping visa measures that had caused confusion among visitors.
The Visa Policy Committee, chaired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will review which countries may qualify for relaxed entry measures in the future, based on security considerations and economic benefits.
Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaeow recently said officials would also assess Thailand’s wider visa structure, including whether the current number of visa categories remains necessary or whether some could be consolidated.
Thailand had previously allowed nationals from 56 countries to enter without a visa for up to 30 days.
In July 2024, the government extended the visa-free stay to 60 days and expanded eligibility to 93 countries and territories as part of efforts to boost tourism.
Foreign arrivals to Thailand reached 12.9 million as of May 17, down 3.3% from the same period last year.
Tourist arrivals fell 7% to 33 million last year, while the National Economic and Social Development Council expects the figure to decline further to 32 million this year.
Entry Eligibility by Country
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released an unofficial list of tourist entry eligibility after the planned removal of the 60-day visa-free scheme.
54 countries and territories eligible for 30-day visa exemption:
Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Asia and Oceania: Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, Georgia, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey.
Middle East: Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.
Americas: Canada, United States.
Africa: South Africa.
Three countries will qualify for a 15-day visa exemption: Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius.
Four countries, reduced from 31, will remain eligible for visa on arrival: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, and India.
Bilateral Agreements
A 14-day visa exemption will apply to Myanmar nationals arriving by air and to Cambodian nationals.
A 30-day visa exemption will apply to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
A 90-day visa exemption will apply to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and South Korea.
