Thailand Visa Rule Changes
Thailand has announced it is moving to scale back one of its most generous tourist-entry policies, with Cabinet approval granted for a major revision of the country’s Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival rules.
Under the approved Thailand Visa Rule Changes, the 60-day visa-free entry scheme introduced in July 2024 for 93 countries and territories will be revoked. In its place, Thailand will return to a more tiered system: most eligible tourists will receive 30 days visa-free, three countries will receive 15 days visa-free, and the Visa on Arrival list will be reduced sharply.
Officials say these Thailand Visa Rule Changes are designed to reduce misuse of tourist entry privileges, address illegal work and security concerns, and simplify overlapping visa categories. Tourists already in Thailand, or those who enter before the new rules take effect, will be allowed to remain until the expiry of their current permitted stay.
New Country Classification by Category
Bilateral visa-exemption countries: Some countries will continue under separate bilateral arrangements of 14, 30 or 90 days, depending on their respective country treaty with Thailand.
The new rules relating to the Thailand Visa Rule Changes will not take effect immediately. Travellers are being advised to check updates from Thai embassies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Gazette before departure, especially if planning stays longer than 30 days.
Thailand Visa on Arrival process
- Check eligibility before travel
- Confirm that your passport country is still listed under Thailand’s Visa on Arrival category before departure.
- The recent policy revision is still tied to final official implementation through Thailand’s Ministry of Interior/Royal Gazette process, so travellers should verify rules close to the travel date.
- Prepare the required documents
- Complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card
- All non-Thai nationals entering by air, land or sea must complete the Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC, online within 3 days before arrival. TDAC is not a visa; it is part of the arrival procedure.
- Apply at the port of entry
- On arrival in Thailand, go to the Visa on Arrival counter before regular immigration.
- Submit your form, passport, photo, proof of accommodation, onward ticket, proof of funds and fee.
- If approved, the visa is stamped into the passport, after which the traveller proceeds through immigration.
- Stay limit
- Visa on Arrival is generally granted for up to 15 days and is for tourism only.
- It is usually not extendable, except in special cases such as illness preventing departure.
Travellers should carry:
- Passport, ideally valid for at least 6 months
- Completed Visa on Arrival application form
- One recent passport-style photo, usually 4 x 6 cm
- Confirmed hotel/accommodation details in Thailand
- Confirmed return or onward ticket showing departure within 15 days
- Proof of funds: normally 10,000 Thai Baht per person or 20,000 Thai Baht per family
- Visa fee of 2,000 Thai Baht, usually payable in cash and non-refundable. Thai embassy guidance confirms the 15-day stay period, proof-of-funds requirement, onward-ticket requirement and 2,000-baht fee.
Practical note
For a traveller from India, Azerbaijan, Belarus or Serbia, the key point is that Visa on Arrival is more restrictive than visa-free entry: it requires paperwork at arrival, a fee, proof of onward travel within 15 days, and evidence of sufficient funds. For stays longer than 15 days, they should consider applying for the appropriate Thai visa before travel.
