Thailand’s government has announced plans to reduce the visa-free stay period from 60 days to 30 days for citizens of 93 eligible countries. The change has not yet been formally enacted — as of the time of publication, the Cabinet has not approved the proposal — but named ministers from both the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism Ministry have confirmed the direction publicly.
Confirmed Change: Thailand Visa Policy
According to official statements from Tourism Minister Surasak and Foreign Minister Sihasak, the government is proposing to reduce the visa-free stay period from the current 60 days back to 30 days for citizens of 93 eligible countries.
This represents a reversal of the 60-day visa-free entry expansion, which was approved by Cabinet resolution on 28 May 2024 and took effect on 15 July 2024.
Readers can verify whether their nationality is currently covered under the existing 60-day scheme via the Royal Thai Consulate-General official visa exemption page. Note that this page reflects the current scheme and will be updated following any formal Cabinet approval of the proposed change.
Official Reasoning: Visa Abuse and Border Security
Ministers confirmed that the relevant ministries have agreed to end the 60-day free visa stay. The Foreign Ministry is currently preparing a formal proposal for Cabinet approval. As of 12 May 2026, Foreign Minister Sihasak indicated the proposal would be submitted to Cabinet the following week, though no formal approval had been confirmed as of the time of publication.
The stated justifications cover transnational crime, illegal working, and what officials described as “undesirable tourists.” The government also cited traveller data in support of the policy: official statements noted that the average tourist stay in Thailand is approximately 9 days — well below the 60-day limit — which ministers used to argue that a 30-day ceiling is sufficient for genuine tourists.
What This Means for Different Travellers
While the direction of the policy is clear, the practical impact depends on your travel style and nationality.
General Tourists
If you are a national of one of the 93 currently eligible countries, the practical outcome appears to depend on which list your nationality falls under. For the 57 countries on Thailand’s existing 30-day exemption list (P.30), the change is expected to be straightforward: your permitted stay would revert from 60 days to 30 days, with visa-free entry continuing. For nationals of the remaining 36 countries, the position is less clear — their eligibility under the new framework is currently under government review, and it has not yet been confirmed whether they will retain visa-free access at 30 days or will require a visa. Once the Cabinet formally cancels the P.60 scheme, Thailand’s existing P.30 framework will take effect immediately as the default for those 57 countries, while the remaining 36 remain subject to a separate screening review that has not yet concluded.
Zagdim Analysis
Digital nomads and long-term visitors who have been relying on back-to-back 60-day visa exemptions may need to consider transitioning to formal visa routes — such as the LTR, DTV, or retirement visa — to maintain extended stays under the new framework. Property scouts using visa-exempt entries for extended scouting visits may find that a 30-day window creates meaningful time pressure, and applying for an appropriate visa in advance of extended visits is worth considering. More broadly, this reversal suggests that the Thai government appears to be prioritising higher-spending tourists and border security over raw visitor numbers — a shift toward a quality tourism model alongside tighter immigration enforcement, consistent with the government’s own citation of a 9-day average tourist stay as justification for the 30-day cap.
Next Steps
As of the time of publication, the Cabinet has not yet formally approved the change. No implementation date has been confirmed by any official source — any specific date cited elsewhere originates from unverified secondary sources and should not be relied upon for travel planning.
Zagdim will continue to update this article as the proposal moves through the Cabinet process.
Sources:
Royal Thai Consulate-General Los Angeles – Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival to Thailand, effective 15 July 2024 / PRD.go.th – Cabinet resolution confirming 93-country visa exemption scheme, 28 May 2024 / PRD.go.th – Thailand plans to reduce visa-free stay to 30 days, March 2025 / Royal Thai Embassy Seoul – Thailand Visa Exemption Scheme page, updated 5 March 2026 / Reuters – Thailand to cut visa-free stay to 30 days for tourists from 93 countries, 13 May 2026 / Nation Thailand – Tourism Minister Surasak named; average tourist stay cited as 9 days, 11 May 2026 / Nation Thailand – Cabinet working group details; P.30 substitution mechanism confirmed, 12 May 2026 / Thansettakij – FM Sihasak quoted at Government House; proposal to go to Cabinet “next week”, 12 May 2026 / Thai Rath – FM Sihasak quoted directly; “60 days is too much”, 11–12 May 2026 / Thai PBS World – Cross-ministry agreement reported, 11 May 2026 / The Standard Thailand – Tourism Minister Surasak quoted on imminent Cabinet proposal, 26 April 2026 / The Star Malaysia – FM Sihasak quoted; MFA to submit to Cabinet but “did not say when”, 13 May 2026 / NHK World – Confirms plan and named ministers, 14 May 2026 / Thaiger – Cabinet vote expected within days; quotes both ministers, 13–14 May 202
This article is based on officially verified sources current as of 15 May 2026. Requirements change frequently. Always confirm your specific situation with a licensed immigration attorney or the relevant Thai government authority directly.
