Thailand ends 60-day visa-free stays for most tourists

Thailand's cabinet approved an end to the 60-day visa-free tourist scheme on 19 May 2026, according to briefings from the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The goal is to shrink overlapping entry rules and cut down on people treating a tourist stamp like a long-term work permit.

Nothing flips overnight. Officials said the new framework takes effect 15 days after an official announcement is published in the Royal Gazette. Until that notice is out, treat the July 2024 rules as still live on paper, but do not book multi-month trips assuming 60 days.

What is changing

• 60-day visa exemption ends for the 93 countries and territories that gained it in July 2024.
• 30-day visa exemption remains the main tourist band, but only for 54 countries and territories (down from 57 under the old 30-day list officials quoted).
• 15-day visa exemption is planned for Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius.
• Visa on arrival is being narrowed to four countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, and India (down from a much longer VOA list).
• One category per passport. Thailand wants each nationality on a single exemption or visa route, not stacked schemes.

Bilateral deals still sit on their own track

Countries with separate bilateral tourist rules are not the same as the cancelled 60-day batch. Examples officials listed in press briefings include:

• 30 days: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Timor-Leste, Vietnam (among others).
• 14 days (air only): Myanmar, Cambodia.
• 90 days: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and South Korea (separate from the standard 30-day list).

Always match your passport to the current MFA country list, not a blog table from last year.

If you are already in Thailand

Visitors who entered before the new measures take effect should be able to finish the stay they were granted. That is what MFA consular staff told reporters: existing conditions run until your permitted date ends. Still re-check your passport stamp and any extension slip.

Why this matters for relocation planning

• Tourism vs residence. A shorter visa-free window pushes more people toward TR visas, education visas, marriage extensions, or formal work permits. It does not replace them.
• Digital nomads and repeat border runs get riskier. Immigration has been vocal about overstay and informal work tied to long tourist stays.
• LTR and other BOI routes are unchanged by this headline. If you need years, not weeks, that is still a different file.

What I would do this week

1. Open the MFA summary of visa exemption and visa on arrival countries and read the row for your nationality: Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa exemption list.
2. Watch for the Royal Gazette notice, then confirm the start date with your airline and, if needed, the nearest Thai embassy before you fly.
3. If you wanted Thailand as a base beyond 30 days, skim our Thailand LTR residence guide and compare costs on the Thailand country page.

News summary only, not legal advice. Cabinet decisions still need gazette publication and immigration instructions at the border. Verify your passport category on the official MFA page before you book non-refundable flights.