Thailand Tourist Visa Exemption Cut From 60 Days Back to 30: What You Need to Know

Here’s the one that actually matters. A new government notification, published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 31 August 2026 and in force since 15 September 2026, reverts the standard visa exemption stay back from 60 days to 30 days.

If you’ve been to Thailand any time in the last couple of years, you’ll probably remember getting a full 60 days stamped in on arrival without needing to apply for anything in advance. That’s over. As of 15 September 2026, tourists entering under the visa exemption for the 60 listed countries and territories are back to 30 days, which is what the rule was before the 60 day extension came in.

The notification also replaces the two earlier versions of the list, from 2019 and 2022, and tidies up exactly which countries and territories are covered. But the days change is the one to actually plan around, especially if you’ve been assuming the 60 day cushion is still there.

The Core Rule

If you hold a passport from one of the 60 listed countries or territories and you’re entering Thailand for tourism, you’re exempt from needing a visa in advance. What you get now is 30 days, not 60. That’s the core of what this notification does.

A limit has also been imposed on the number of land crossings allowed each year.

The List: 60 Countries and Territories

Here’s the full list, broken down for easier scanning.

If your country isn’t on that list, this notification doesn’t change anything for you and you’ll need to check the visa requirements that already applied.

The Land Border Rule That Actually Matters

This is the bit worth reading twice if you spend any time doing overland trips through the region.

Under Clause 3, if you’re using the visa exemption to enter Thailand through a land border checkpoint, you’re now capped at two entries per calendar year that way. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got a passport from a country with no cap on visa exempt stays generally, this specific limit applies to land crossings.

There’s an exemption built in. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore aren’t subject to the two entry cap, because of how much cross border traffic there is with those neighbours. The notification also leaves the door open for the Minister to name other countries for the same exemption down the track, so this list could grow.

A few things worth being clear on:

• The cap only applies to land border entries. Flying in doesn’t count towards it at all.
• It’s per calendar year, so it resets in January, not on a rolling 12 month basis.
• It applies specifically to the visa exemption category. If you’re travelling on an actual visa (tourist visa, retirement visa, marriage visa, whatever), this rule doesn’t touch you.

What This Means If You’re Coming to Pattaya

If you’re a fly in tourist, this changes basically nothing for your trip. You land at Suvarnabhumi or Utapao, you get your 30 days, you go home. The land border cap doesn’t apply to you unless you’re also planning side trips into Cambodia or Laos and back over land.

If you’re doing regional trips or visa runs by land, this is the one to plan around. The classic pattern for a lot of long stayers has been a land run to Cambodia through Poipet or Aranyaprathet, or up to Laos, to reset the 30 day clock. That’s now limited to two of those a calendar year if you’re relying on the visa exemption to re-enter.

The practical workaround is simple enough. If you need to cross more than twice in a year, do it by air instead of by land. A cheap flight to Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur or Vientiane and back doesn’t count against the land entry cap at all, because the restriction is specifically about land checkpoints. It’ll cost you more than walking across a land border, but if you’re doing runs three or four times a year it’s worth building into your planning now rather than finding out about it at the checkpoint.

If you’re a Malaysian, Singaporean, Bruneian or Indonesian passport holder doing the Malaysia land border run down south, none of this affects you. You’re exempt from the cap.

Need More Than 30 Days? Plan Ahead

If you are planning a trip to Pattaya or anywhere in Thailand that stretches beyond the 30-day stamp, you have two primary options:

• Apply for a 60-Day Tourist Visa (TR) Before You Fly: Sort this out through the official Thai eVisa portal prior to departing home. You arrive with a full 60 days stamped in your passport from day one with no visits to immigration required once you land.
• Extend for Another 30 Days at Thai Immigration: You can technically visit an immigration office inside Thailand (such as Jomtien Immigration for Pattaya visitors) to request a standard 30-day extension.

Our Advice: Avoid Extending In-Country If You Can

While the in-country 30-day extension exists, avoid it if possible.

Visiting local immigration means sacrificing almost an entire day of your holiday. Between gathering passport photos, filling out TM.7 paperwork, waiting in long queues in the heat, and paying the 1,900 THB fee, it is far more hassle than it is worth. You may also have issues with the airline before departure or on arrival. The visa waiver scheme requires you to have a ticket to depart the country within 30 days.

If you already know your holiday or winter stay will run longer than a month, applying for the standard 60-day tourist visa before leaving home is smoother, cheaper, and lets you enjoy your trip uninterrupted.

Bottom Line

For most people flying in for a Pattaya holiday, nothing about this notification changes your trip. Pack your bags, land, get your 30 days like always.

For the smaller group doing regular land border runs to keep a long stay going, this is worth actually paying attention to. Two land crossings a calendar year, then you need to either fly for the rest or look at a proper visa if you’re planning on being here longer term.

If you wish to stay longer than 30 days you can either apply for a tourist visa before leaving home or get an extension after arrival. I recommend avoiding the latter option ifpossible.

I’ll keep this page updated if anything changes on enforcement at specific checkpoints once it’s had a bit of time to bed in.

A Translation of the Official Notice

Royal Thai Government Gazette

31 August 2026

Notification of the Ministry of Interior

Re: Designation of the List of Countries and Territories Whose Passport Holders or Holders of Documents in Lieu of Passports Entering the Kingdom Temporarily for Tourism Are Exempt from Visa Requirements and Permitted to Stay in the Kingdom for Not More Than Thirty Days

Whereas it is deemed appropriate to revise the list of countries and territories whose passport holders or holders of documents in lieu of passports who enter the Kingdom temporarily for tourism purposes are exempt from visa requirements and permitted to stay in the Kingdom for not more than thirty days, to ensure suitability and consistency with current circumstances, taking into account national security, the economy, and the promotion of national tourism;

By virtue of Clause 13 of the Ministerial Regulation Prescribing Rules, Procedures, and Conditions for Visa Inspection, Exemption, and Change of Visa Category, B.E. 2545 (2002), the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior, with the approval of the Cabinet on 14 July B.E. 2569 (2026), hereby issue the following notification:

Clause 1. The following shall be repealed:

1. Notification of the Ministry of Interior Re: Designation of the List of Countries Whose Passport Holders or Holders of Documents in Lieu of Passports Entering the Kingdom Temporarily for Tourism Are Exempt from Visa Requirements and Permitted to Stay in the Kingdom for Not More Than Thirty Days, dated 4 March B.E. 2562 (2019).
2. Notification of the Ministry of Interior Re: Designation of the List of Countries Whose Passport Holders or Holders of Documents in Lieu of Passports Entering the Kingdom Temporarily for Tourism Are Exempt from Visa Requirements and Permitted to Stay in the Kingdom for Not More Than Thirty Days (No. 2), dated 21 June B.E. 2565 (2022).

Clause 2. The list of countries and territories whose passport holders or holders of documents in lieu of passports entering the Kingdom temporarily for tourism are exempt from visa requirements and permitted to stay in the Kingdom for not more than thirty days is designated as follows:

1. Commonwealth of Australia
2. Republic of Austria
3. Kingdom of Bahrain
4. Kingdom of Belgium
5. Republic of Bulgaria
6. Kingdom of Bhutan
7. Brunei Darussalam
8. Canada
9. Republic of Croatia
10. Republic of Cyprus
11. Czech Republic
12. Kingdom of Denmark
13. Republic of Estonia
14. Republic of Fiji
15. Republic of Finland
16. French Republic
17. Georgia
18. Federal Republic of Germany
19. Hellenic Republic (Greece)
20. Hungary
21. Republic of Iceland
22. Republic of Indonesia
23. Republic of India
24. Ireland
25. State of Israel
26. Italian Republic
27. Japan
28. Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
29. State of Kuwait
30. Kyrgyz Republic
31. Republic of Latvia
32. Principality of Liechtenstein
33. Republic of Lithuania
34. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
35. Republic of Malta
36. Malaysia
37. Republic of Maldives
38. Kingdom of the Netherlands
39. New Zealand
40. Kingdom of Norway
41. Sultanate of Oman
42. Republic of the Philippines
43. Republic of Poland
44. Portuguese Republic
45. State of Qatar
46. Romania
47. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
48. Republic of Singapore
49. Slovak Republic
50. Republic of Slovenia
51. Republic of South Africa
52. Kingdom of Spain
53. Kingdom of Sweden
54. Swiss Confederation
55. Taiwan
56. Republic of Türkiye
57. Ukraine
58. United Arab Emirates
59. United Kingdom
60. United States of America

Clause 3. Holders of passports or documents in lieu of passports who are exempt from visa requirements for tourism and permitted to temporarily enter the Kingdom under Clause 2, in the case of entering through authorized immigration checkpoints or border checkpoints adjacent to land borders, shall be permitted to enter the Kingdom not more than twice per calendar year. This restriction shall not apply to nationals of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, the Republic of Indonesia, and the Republic of Singapore, or nationals of other countries designated by the Minister, who may enter the Kingdom more than twice per calendar year.

Clause 4. This Notification shall come into force upon the expiration of fifteen days from the date of its publication in the Government Gazette.

Announced on 26 August B.E. 2569 (2026)