Since Tuesday 15 September 2026, travelers from 60 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, most of Europe, Australia, India, Singapore and Malaysia, can enter Thailand without a visa for tourism and stay up to 30 days (as of October 2026). The 60-day visa exemption that applied from mid-2024 no longer exists.
Visa exemption means you do not apply for anything in advance. You arrive with a valid passport, show immigration what they ask for, and receive a stamp (permission to stay) for a fixed number of days. How many days depends on your passport. Most visitors now get 30, a few nationalities get 15, and some countries with bilateral agreements get 14, 30 or 90 days.
This page explains the current rule as published by the Thai authorities, who is covered, what you may be asked to show at the border, and what to do if 30 days is not enough. Rules like these change. Everything below was checked against official sources on 1 October 2026, and you should check the official lists again before you travel.
Thailand visa exemption, October 2026
- Standard exemption
- 30 days, tourism only, 60 countries and territories
- Short exemption
- 15 days: Seychelles and Mauritius
- Bilateral agreements
- 90, 30 or 14 days, depending on the country
- In force since
- Tuesday 15 September 2026 (Royal Gazette, Monday 31 August 2026)
- Land-border limit
- Generally twice per calendar year on the 30- or 15-day exemption (not for Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia)
- Funds you may be asked to show
- 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family
- Also required
- Passport valid 6 months, onward or return ticket, a completed TDAC
- Official list
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs
The rule since 15 September 2026: 30 days for tourism
The Ministry of Interior's announcements were published in the Royal Gazette on Monday 31 August 2026 and took effect on Tuesday 15 September 2026. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's summary, holders of passports or travel documents from 60 countries and territories may now enter visa-exempt for tourism with a permitted stay of up to 30 days. The same date ended the 60-day measure.
Two words in that rule matter. "Tourism" means the exemption is for holidays and visits. The UK government's travel advice states plainly that visa-exempt entry does not cover business travel, including conferences, meetings or other business activities; for those you need the appropriate visa first. "Up to" means 30 days is the maximum, counted from the day you arrive, and the date in your entry stamp is what counts.
If you entered Thailand before 15 September 2026 under the old 60-day exemption, the UK Foreign Office says you will usually be allowed to stay for the period granted when you arrived. Check the date in your stamp rather than counting days yourself.
Which passports get 30 days
The 60 countries and territories on the 30-day list, as published from the Royal Gazette by TAT and in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list dated 15 September 2026, are:
| Region | Countries and territories (30 days) |
|---|---|
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom |
| Asia | Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Middle East and Caucasus | Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, United Arab Emirates |
| Americas | Canada, United States of America |
| Oceania and Africa | Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa |
The grouping by region is ours; the official list is alphabetical. Readers from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines are covered, as are travelers from India and Taiwan, which appeared on older visa-on-arrival lists.
Not every passport that had the 60-day exemption is on the new list. TAT says travelers previously covered by the 60-day scheme now fall under the 30-day or 15-day exemption, visa on arrival "or other relevant entry arrangements, depending on nationality". If your country does not appear anywhere on this page, ask a Thai embassy or consulate before you book, or use the nationality check on the official Thai e-Visa portal.
15 days, 90 days and the bilateral agreements
The 30-day list is a unilateral concession by Thailand. Separately, Thailand has bilateral visa-exemption agreements with some countries, and TAT confirms that these "will continue to apply". The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' list for ordinary passports gives:
| Stay | Passports | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 90 days | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Korea (Republic of), Peru | Bilateral agreement |
| 30 days | China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste, Vietnam | Bilateral agreement |
| 30 days | The 60 countries and territories listed above | Unilateral exemption |
| 15 days | Seychelles, Mauritius | Unilateral exemption |
| 14 days | Cambodia; Myanmar (international airports only) | Bilateral agreement |
Chinese citizens enter under the Thailand–China mutual visa exemption agreement, in force since 1 March 2024: up to 30 days per entry, with a total of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. Our guide to Thai visa rules for Chinese citizens covers that agreement and Hong Kong and Macao passports in more detail.
Visa on arrival is a different system and now applies to only three nationalities: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia, for up to 15 days. The long visa-on-arrival lists in older articles are out of date; see our page on visa on arrival in Thailand.
The limit on land-border entries
The 2026 rules add a cap. According to TAT, travelers using the 30-day or 15-day exemption may generally enter through land-border immigration checkpoints no more than twice per calendar year. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempt from that limit, together with any other nationalities the Minister designates.
Official sources do not word this identically. TAT ties the limit to land borders. The UK Foreign Office writes more broadly that visa-exempt entry for tourism "is normally limited to two entries per calendar year" and that you may need a visa if you have already used it twice in the year. We could not find an Immigration Bureau page that settles the question. If you plan a third visa-exempt entry in one year, by air or by land, get a visa first or ask a Thai embassy.
A third land crossing in the same calendar year can mean a refused entry. Border "visa runs" from Cambodia, Laos or Myanmar to reset a 30-day stamp are exactly what the land-border cap is meant to limit. Travelers coming overland from Malaysia on a Malaysian, Singaporean, Bruneian or Indonesian passport are not affected; everyone else should count their entries. Our guide to crossing from Malaysia covers the border posts.
What immigration can ask you to show
Visa-exempt does not mean no checks. Officers at the border may ask for proof that you can support yourself and that you will leave. TAT published a reminder on 6 July 2026 that the proof-of-funds rule, set in 2000, is not new: for visa-exempt and transit cases it is 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family. It does not apply to children under 12. You can show cash in baht, the same amount in foreign currency, or documents showing an equivalent sum.
The UK Foreign Office adds that you may also be asked for evidence of onward or return travel, and that British nationals have been refused entry for failing to show this evidence. It also requires your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive, with at least one blank page.
- Passport valid at least six months beyond arrival, with a blank page
- Onward or return ticket, printed or on your phone
- Funds: 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family, as cash or a statement
- TDAC: the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card, filed online within three days before arrival; see our guide to the TDAC
- Where you are staying: the TDAC asks for an address in Thailand, so have your hotel booking ready
Most visitors are never asked for any of this beyond the passport and TDAC. The point of carrying it is that the one time you are asked, you can answer at once. Note also that hotels register foreign guests with immigration; our article on why hotels ask for your passport explains why.
Extending a 30-day visa-exempt stay
An extension is usually possible at an immigration office inside Thailand, at the officer's discretion. Before the 2026 change, Thai embassies stated that a visa-exempt stay could be extended once for 30 days. We could not confirm the current extension length or fee for the new 30-day exemption on an Immigration Bureau page, because those pages could not be read in October 2026. Check the fee and the documents at the immigration office before you go, or call the Immigration Bureau's call center on 1178 (English available).
When you apply, immigration may want to see that your address has been registered. For hotel guests this is normally automatic; for condo and Airbnb renters it often is not. Our explainer on the TM30 address notification explains how to sort that out before your appointment.
Apply for the extension before your stamp expires, not on the last day. Immigration offices can be busy, and every day past the date in your stamp counts as an overstay.
Overstaying is expensive. The UK Foreign Office gives the fine as 500 baht a day, up to 20,000 baht, and warns of detention, deportation and re-entry bans of up to 10 years. Our guide to overstaying in Thailand explains the ban rules.
When 30 days is not enough: visas to consider
If you know before you travel that you will stay longer than a month, a visa is usually the better route than an extension or repeated entries. Visas are applied for online on the official Thai e-Visa portal, run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and only while you are outside Thailand.
- Tourist visa (TR): single entry, three months' validity, with financial evidence of at least 20,000 baht, according to the e-Visa portal. Thai embassies state a stay of up to 60 days with one 30-day extension; check the portal for current terms.
- Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): for remote workers and for people joining Thai activities such as Muay Thai or cooking courses; see our guide to the DTV.
- Retirement visas (Non-O, O-A, O-X) for people aged 50 and over; see our guide to Thai retirement visas.
- Long-Term Resident (LTR) visa: a ten-year visa for specific groups; see our page on the LTR visa.
Our older overview of long-stay visas and retirement in Thailand discusses visa runs and the education visa. For the rest of your preparations, the Plan Your Trip section covers money, weather, insurance and arrival.
How the rule got here: 30, then 60, then 30 days again
For many years the standard visa exemption for Western passports was 30 days. From mid-2024 Thailand widened the scheme to 60 days for 93 countries. In May 2026 the Cabinet approved revising that measure, further details followed in July, and the new 30-day and 15-day framework took effect on 15 September 2026.
That history explains why so much of what you read online is wrong. Blogs, forums and AI answers written between 2024 and September 2026 still say "60 days visa-free" or "93 countries". Neither is true any more. When a source gives a number, check its date, and when in doubt, check the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay in Thailand without a visa in 2026?
Since 15 September 2026, passport holders from 60 countries and territories, including the US, UK, most of Europe, Australia, India, Singapore and Malaysia, can stay up to 30 days for tourism. Seychelles and Mauritius get 15 days, and bilateral agreements give some countries 14, 30 or 90 days.
Is the 60-day visa exemption still valid?
No. The 60-day visa exemption ended on 15 September 2026, when the new 30-day and 15-day categories took effect. If you entered before that date, the UK Foreign Office says you will usually be allowed to stay for the period stamped in your passport on arrival.
Can I extend the 30-day visa exemption?
An extension is usually possible at an immigration office in Thailand, at the officer's discretion. The length and fee for the new 30-day exemption were not published on a page we could read in October 2026, so confirm both at the office or through the Immigration Bureau call center on 1178.
Do I need to show money or a return ticket at Thai immigration?
You may be asked. The rule is 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family, as cash or documents, and the UK Foreign Office says travelers can be asked for proof of onward or return travel. British nationals have been refused entry without it, so carry both.
Can I use the visa exemption for a business trip or conference?
No. The exemption is for tourism. The UK Foreign Office states that visa-exempt entry does not cover business travel, including conferences, meetings or other business activities. Apply for the appropriate visa on the official Thai e-Visa portal before you travel.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Department of Consular Affairs – List of countries exempted from visa (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Bilateral visa exemption agreements, ordinary passports (checked October 2026)
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – Thailand entry requirements (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Entry reminder on proof of funds (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Visa-free access for tourists from China and Kazakhstan (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Thai e-Visa official website (checked October 2026)
- Thai e-Visa – Tourist visa (checked October 2026)