Thailand's New 30-Day and 15-Day Visa Exemption Framework Takes Effect 15 September 2026

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced on 1 September 2026 that new visa exemption categories take effect on 15 September 2026. From that date, Thailand's 60-day visa exemption measure ends, and travellers previously covered by it are instead subject to a 30-day visa exemption, a 15-day visa exemption, Visa on Arrival, or other relevant entry arrangements, depending on nationality. TAT states that the related Ministry of Interior announcements were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026.

Under the new framework, holders of passports or travel documents from 60 countries and territories are eligible for visa exemption for tourism with a permitted stay of up to 30 days. The list published by TAT includes most European Union member states, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Israel, South Africa, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the ASEAN neighbours Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam, alongside Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. A 15-day visa exemption applies to holders of passports or travel documents from Seychelles and Mauritius, and Visa on Arrival applies to holders from Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.

For entry through land-border immigration checkpoints, TAT notes that travellers using the 30-day visa exemption may generally enter Thailand under that exemption no more than twice per calendar year. That limit does not apply to nationals of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Singapore, or to other nationalities as may be designated by the Minister. The same twice-per-calendar-year land-border limit applies to the 15-day exemption, again subject to ministerial designation. Separate bilateral and related entry arrangements continue to apply where relevant, providing visa exemption periods of 90, 30 or 14 days depending on the applicable agreement.

For businesses, associations and organisations that host visitors in Thailand, the practical effect is that short-stay planning assumptions built around a 60-day exemption no longer hold from 15 September 2026. This article is general orientation only and is not immigration advice. Entry conditions vary by nationality, purpose of travel and point of entry, and can change. Travellers and organisers should confirm the current conditions that apply to their own nationality with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate responsible for their country, or the Thai Immigration Bureau before travelling.