Thailand has 60→30 day visa-exempt rollback:
what we know and when
The Thai Cabinet is reviewing a proposal to halve visa-exempt entry from 60 days back to 30. Here is what\'s been announced, what hasn\'t been enacted yet, and how to plan if you are flying in next month.
As of April 2026, the 60-day visa-exempt rule is still in effect. The Foreign Affairs Ministry announced on March 20 a proposal to revert to 30 days. The proposal is heading to Cabinet ratification but has NOT been enacted. We\'ll update this post when (and if) the change becomes official policy.
What changed in 2024 and what may change in 2026
In July 2024, Thailand expanded visa-exempt entry from 30 days to 60 days for citizens of 93 qualifying countries (US, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, etc.). It was sold as a tourism-recovery measure post-COVID. Tourist arrival numbers improved.
By March 2026, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul publicly stated that 90% of tourists actually depart within 30 days regardless of how long they\'re permitted. Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow announced a Cabinet proposal to revert visa-exempt to 30 days.
The official reasoning: enforcement burden, overstay control, alignment with regional norms. The unofficial concern: the 60-day rule was being used by some travelers as a backdoor for digital nomading without proper DTV/long-stay visas.
What the proposal contains
- Visa-exempt cut from 60 → 30 days for the 93 listed countries
- The "+30 day extension" remains — visit any immigration office, pay ฿1,900, get 30 more days. So total possible stay stays at 60 days, just with a paperwork step.
- Land border 2/year cap continues — November 2025 rule limiting visa-exempt land entries to 2 per calendar year
- Stricter enforcement on back-to-back entries — already happening in practice at major airports
If the rule changes, when?
Cabinet proposals in Thailand typically take 4-12 weeks to ratify. If approved in mid-2026, the new rule could take effect within 30-60 days of publication in the Royal Gazette.
We expect the new rule to apply to entries on or after the effective date. Travelers already in Thailand on a 60-day stamp would not be retroactively shortened.
What to do based on your situation
Trip planned May or June 2026
The 60-day rule is still in effect. Use it. If you fly in next week, you get 60 days visa-exempt.
Trip planned July - December 2026
Plan for 30 days. The rollback is more likely than not by mid-year. The "+30 day extension" at any immigration office (฿1,900) will still get you to 60 days total, but adds a paperwork day.
Doing visa-exempt rotations as a long-stay strategy
The land border 2/year cap (since November 2025) already broke this strategy. Combined with the rollback, ad-hoc visa runs are no longer a sustainable long-stay path. Switch to a proper visa: DTV (฿10,000 one-time, 5 years for remote workers), Education ED (Thai language or Muay Thai school), or Tourist METV (60 days × multiple entries within 6 months).
Long-stay visa holder (Non-O, LTR, Privilege, DTV)
No impact. The visa-exempt rollback only affects visitors entering without a visa. Your existing long-stay visa keeps working as before.
Why we don\'t panic about Thailand visa policy changes
Thailand has gone through dozens of visa policy adjustments over the past 20 years. Each time the news cycle gets dramatic; the actual implementation is usually less dramatic than the announcement, and Thailand has tourism economy keeps absorbing changes.
Patterns we have seen:
- "Strict crackdown on visa runs" — implemented gradually, with grandfathering for legitimate cases
- "Ban on dual visas" — never happened
- "Mandatory health insurance for everyone" — applied only to O-A and O-X visas
- "Foreign tax on remitted income" — became Royal Decree 743 LTR exemption + the post-2024 residency rule
The 60→30 day change is real and likely. It\'s also not catastrophic: 30 + 30 (extension) = same 60 days you could get before, just with one trip to immigration.
What we are watching
- Cabinet ratification announcement (when, if, what details)
- Effective date specifics
- Any grace period for in-progress travelers
- Whether the +30 day extension fee changes
- Whether the land border 2/year cap is also adjusted
Subscribe to our blog feed (/feed.xml) for updates the moment this becomes official.