Citizens of the People's Republic of China with an ordinary passport can visit Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days per entry, under a mutual visa exemption agreement in force since 1 March 2024. The total time spent in Thailand must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period. Hong Kong and Macao passport holders also get 30 days, and Taiwan passport holders 30 days under Thailand's general exemption (as of October 2026).
The agreement works both ways: Thai citizens can visit China visa-free on the same terms. For a Chinese traveler, it means you book a flight, fill in the free online arrival card and go. What it does not allow is working, studying or living in Thailand, and it does not give unlimited back-to-back stays. This page explains the terms, what immigration may ask for at the border, and the rules for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan passports.
Thailand–China mutual visa exemption
- Signed
- Sunday 28 January 2024, in Bangkok
- In force
- Friday 1 March 2024
- Passports covered
- Chinese ordinary passports and passports for public affairs
- Stay per entry
- Up to 30 days
- Overall limit
- No more than 90 days in any 180-day period
- Not allowed
- Residence, employment, study, media work, activities needing prior approval
- Before arrival
- Free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)
What the agreement says
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand's announcement on the day it took effect, Thailand and China signed the agreement on 28 January 2024 and it came into force on 1 March 2024. It exempts holders of valid Chinese ordinary passports and passports for public affairs from the visa requirement "for entering, exiting, or transiting" Thailand for a stay of up to 30 days. Cumulative stays must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs' consular list of mutual visa exemption agreements, as published in October 2025, still lists the Thailand agreement as in force from 2024.03.01 for Chinese ordinary passports and passports for public affairs. Thailand's own Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists China among the countries with a 30-day bilateral agreement for ordinary passports, in its list dated 12 December 2025, which was still linked from the ministry's visa page when it was updated on 15 September 2026.
Before the agreement, Thailand had given Chinese tourists a temporary visa exemption from 25 September 2023 to 29 February 2024, and before that most Chinese visitors used the visa on arrival. That visa on arrival is now available only to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia; see our page on visa on arrival in Thailand.
The 90-days-in-180 rule in practice
The 30-day limit applies to each entry; the 90-day limit applies to all your entries together in any rolling 180-day window. Count back 180 days from the day you plan to arrive, add up the days you spent in Thailand in that period, and make sure the new trip keeps the total at 90 or below.
| Example | Days in Thailand in the last 180 days | Within the rule? |
|---|---|---|
| One 2-week holiday a year | 14 | Yes |
| Three 30-day stays with short trips home in between | 90 | Yes, but no more until days fall out of the window |
| Four 30-day stays in six months | 120 | No |
Immigration officers can see your past entries. A string of 30-day stays with only a day or two outside Thailand between them invites questions about whether you are really a tourist, even before you reach 90 days.
The land-border limit introduced on 15 September 2026, twice per calendar year, is worded by TAT for the general 30-day and 15-day exemptions, not for bilateral agreements such as China's. For Chinese citizens the binding limit is the 90-days-in-180 rule. If you plan repeated land crossings from Laos or Malaysia, ask a Thai embassy or consulate to confirm.
What you cannot do on the exemption
The agreement excludes stays for "residing or engaging in employment, study, media activities or other activities that require prior approval". In practice that means:
- No work, paid or unpaid, while you are in Thailand. The official TDAC site also reminds foreigners that they may not work without a work permit.
- No study on a course that requires a student visa.
- No journalism or filming without the correct media visa.
- No long-term residence. For that, you need a visa such as a retirement visa or the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), applied for through the official Thai e-Visa portal before you travel.
What Thai immigration may ask to see
Visa-exempt does not mean no questions. Have these ready, on paper or on your phone:
- Passport with enough validity for your stay; check the requirement with your airline before you fly.
- TDAC: the free arrival card at tdac.immigration.go.th, filed within three days before arrival. The site is available in Chinese, but all answers must be typed in English letters (pinyin for names). Do not pay a website that charges for it.
- Return or onward ticket within your permitted stay.
- Funds: TAT reminded visitors in July 2026 that the rule for visa-exempt travelers is 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family, as cash or documents showing an equivalent amount. Children under 12 are not counted.
- Hotel booking, since the TDAC asks for your address in Thailand.
Fake "TDAC" and "Thailand visa" sites target Chinese travelers too. The Immigration Bureau said in March 2026 that at least 10 percent of arrivals had used fraudulent TDAC sites, some charging fees and some posing as e-visa services. The only arrival card site is tdac.immigration.go.th, and the only visa site is thaievisa.go.th. Both end in .go.th.
Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan passports
Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR passports are on Thailand's list of bilateral agreements for ordinary passports, with a stay of up to 30 days. We did not find an official statement of any cumulative limit for these two agreements, so do not assume the 90-in-180 rule applies or does not apply; plan stays within 30 days per entry and ask a Thai consulate if you visit often. We also found no official guidance on British National (Overseas) passports; holders should check with a Thai embassy which rule applies to them.
Taiwan passport holders are covered differently. Taiwan is on Thailand's unilateral 30-day visa-exemption list (number 55 on the MFA list dated 15 September 2026), the same list as Japan, Singapore or the United States. That means the land-border rule applies: entries on this exemption through land checkpoints are generally limited to twice per calendar year. Our page on the Thai visa exemption covers that list in full.
| Passport | Basis | Stay per entry | Known extra limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| China (ordinary, public affairs) | Bilateral agreement, since 1 March 2024 | 30 days | 90 days in any 180 |
| Hong Kong SAR | Bilateral agreement | 30 days | None found |
| Macao SAR | Bilateral agreement | 30 days | None found |
| Taiwan | Unilateral visa exemption, since 15 September 2026 | 30 days | Land borders: generally twice per calendar year |
If you want to stay longer than 30 days
We could not confirm on an Immigration Bureau page whether a stay under the China agreement can be extended inside Thailand, or for what fee. If you know you need more than 30 days, apply for a tourist visa on the Thai e-Visa portal before you leave China. Its tourist-visa requirements include a travel booking, proof of accommodation and financial evidence of at least 20,000 baht. Never stay past the date in your entry stamp: the fine is 500 baht a day up to 20,000 baht, and longer overstays bring re-entry bans; see our guide to overstaying in Thailand.
For the practical side of the trip, our guide to flights from China, Hong Kong and Singapore compares routes, and our page on using cards in Thailand covers payments. Bangkok's Chinatown (Yaowarat) is a natural first stop, especially around Chinese New Year. Our older overview of visas and retirement in Thailand covers longer stays.
Frequently asked questions
Do Chinese citizens need a visa for Thailand?
Not for short visits. Under the Thailand–China mutual visa exemption agreement, in force since 1 March 2024, Chinese ordinary and public-affairs passport holders can stay up to 30 days per entry, with a total of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
Do Chinese tourists get 60 days in Thailand?
No. China was never on Thailand's 60-day exemption list, which ended on 15 September 2026 in any case. Chinese citizens enter under the bilateral agreement, which gives 30 days per entry and a cap of 90 days in 180 days.
How long can Hong Kong passport holders stay in Thailand without a visa?
Up to 30 days per entry, under Thailand's bilateral agreement for Hong Kong SAR ordinary passports, as listed by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Macao SAR passports have the same 30 days. Check with a Thai consulate if you plan frequent visits.
Can I work in Thailand on the China visa exemption?
No. The agreement excludes residence, employment, study, media activities and other activities that require prior approval. Working in Thailand needs the correct visa and a work permit, applied for through the official channels.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Visa-free access for tourists from China and Kazakhstan (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China – List of agreements on mutual visa exemption (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand – Bilateral visa exemption agreements, ordinary passports (checked October 2026)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand – 30-day visa exemption list, 15 September 2026 (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (checked October 2026)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Entry reminder on proof of funds (checked October 2026)
- Immigration Bureau – TDAC facts and questions (checked October 2026)
- Khaosod English – 10% of foreign arrivals used fake TDAC sites (checked October 2026)
- Thai e-Visa – Tourist visas (checked October 2026)