Thailand to revoke 60-day visa exemption scheme, reduce visa on arrival eligibility

The number of countries and territories eligible for visa on arrival has been reduced significantly, from 31 to four.

Thailand will be making adjustments to its visa exemption and visa on arrival schemes, following Cabinet approval on 19 May 2026.

According to the Public Relations Department (PRD), citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the revised measures are intended to streamline Thailand’s short-stay entry arrangements, reduce overlapping privileges, and align visa policy with national security, tourism, economic and reciprocity considerations.

The changes will be published in the Royal Gazette on a yet-to-be-announced date and take effect 15 days after publication.

Key changes

The revised measures include:

• Each country or territory will be granted only one visa exemption scheme.
• The previous 60-day visa exemption scheme for all 93 eligible countries and territories has been revoked.
• Thailand has also revised its 30-day visa exemption scheme for tourism purposes. The list of eligible countries and territories has been reduced from 57 to 54.
• In addition, a new 15-day visa exemption scheme for tourism purposes has been introduced for three countries or territories.
• The visa on arrival scheme has also been revised. The number of eligible countries and territories has been reduced significantly, from 31 to four.

Reasons for the revision

According to the PRD, the revision was based on several considerations, including:

• national security;
• tourism and economic interests;
• reciprocity;
• the need to reduce overlapping visa exemption privileges, which may otherwise create confusion for foreign visitors; and
• the convenience now provided by Thailand’s e-Visa system.

Per a report by Bangkok Post, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the Cabinet decision means that entry rules for countries covered by the scheme will revert to the immigration regulations that applied before the 60-day visa exemption programme was introduced.

The minister did not specify when the change would take effect, stating only that the Cabinet’s decision would be communicated to the relevant agencies responsible for implementation.

Bangkok Post also reported that the Visa Policy Committee, chaired by the MFA, will assess which countries may qualify for eased visa measures in the future. In doing so, the committee is expected to consider both national security concerns and potential economic impacts.

Background

Thailand introduced the 60-day visa exemption and visa on arrival expansion on 15 July 2024 as part of a wider package of short-, medium- and long-term visa and travel measures aimed at boosting tourism and business travel.

Under that policy, citizens of 93 countries and territories were permitted to enter Thailand either visa-free or through visa on arrival and stay for up to 60 days per visit. The measure extended the permitted stay for travellers from countries and territories that had previously been eligible for 30-day visa-free entry, while also expanding visa waiver or Visa on Arrival privileges to additional markets.

At the time, the Thai government said the policy was intended to support an expected rise in international tourist arrivals, with preparatory measures put in place to accommodate increased travel from key global markets.

The broader package also included plans to streamline non-immigrant visas, establish the Visa Policy Committee and develop an Electronic Travel Authorisation system.

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