Thailand's cabinet approved the final version of its revised visa-exemption framework on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, settling months of uncertainty about how far the country would roll back its generous entry rules. Under the new framework, 59 countries and territories — including all 27 EU member states and, in a late change, India — will be eligible for 30-day visa-free entry for tourism. The 60-day visa exemption that currently applies to 93 countries and territories is withdrawn entirely. The changes take effect 15 days after five Ministry of Interior announcements are published in the Royal Gazette, a date that has not yet been set. For anyone planning an extended stay in Thailand later this year, the practical ceiling for visa-free tourism drops by half.
Background
The 60-day visa exemption was introduced in 2024 to accelerate Thailand's post-pandemic tourism recovery, and it made the country one of the easiest major destinations in the world to enter. It also drew persistent criticism from Thai security agencies, who argued the long stay was being used by some foreigners to run unregistered businesses and commit other offenses while nominally visiting as tourists. The cabinet first approved a rollback on May 19, 2026, but the implementing announcements never reached the Royal Gazette, and the government continued reviewing the country lists. The July 14 decision is that review's outcome. It is more generous than the May version in one significant way: reporting at the time indicated roughly 54 countries would keep 30-day access, with India relegated to visa on arrival and the Maldives to a 15-day tier. Both are now included in the 30-day exemption, alongside Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta, which brings every EU member state onto equal footing.
What exactly changed
The new framework covers 65 countries and territories in total, organized on what deputy government spokesperson Ploytalay Laksameesangchan described as a one-country, one-entitlement principle, meaning no nationality holds overlapping privileges under different schemes. The 30-day visa-free tier for tourism covers 59 countries and territories, with India, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Malta and the Maldives newly added. A 15-day visa-free tier covers Mauritius and Seychelles. Visa on arrival, which currently serves travelers from 31 countries, is cut to three: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Everyone else will need a visa before traveling, including Thailand's e-visa options. The government says the review balances economic stimulus, ease of travel for tourists, international relations and national security, and that security agencies will upgrade the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system to screen foreign nationals' records and track movements in and out of the country.
Before vs after
- Old: 60-day visa-free entry for 93 countries and territories, plus visa on arrival for 31 countries.
- New: 30-day visa-free entry for 59 countries (tourism only), 15-day visa-free for Mauritius and Seychelles, visa on arrival for Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia only.
- Timing: rules apply 15 days after the five Ministry of Interior announcements appear in the Royal Gazette; no publication date yet.
- Transition: anyone who entered under the old rules before the change keeps their originally permitted stay.
Who it affects
The biggest impact falls on travelers who built plans around the 60-day stay: long-stay tourists, remote workers testing Thailand before committing to a visa, and people visiting family for extended periods. A traveler from Germany, the UK or the US who could previously arrive with no visa and stay two months will be limited to 30 days once the rules take effect. Nationals of the roughly 28 countries that keep no entitlement at all under the new framework lose visa-free access entirely and will need to apply in advance. Travelers from India gain certainty in the other direction: after the May framework suggested a demotion to visa on arrival, India lands in the 30-day visa-free tier. Anyone already in Thailand when the change lands is unaffected for the remainder of their permitted stay.
What this means in practice
If you are planning a stay in Thailand longer than 30 days once the new rules take effect, plan on a visa rather than an exemption. Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa, tourist visas with extensions, and other long-stay categories remain available, and 30-day visa-exempt entries are expected to remain extendable at immigration offices, as they are today. Watch the Royal Gazette: the 15-day countdown to the new rules only starts at publication, and until then the current 60-day scheme remains in force. If a trip is imminent, entering before the effective date secures the stay you are granted on arrival. For the full picture of entry options, costs and long-stay routes, see our Thailand country guide at /country-guides/thailand.
When it takes effect
Approved by the cabinet on July 14, 2026. The new rules apply 15 days after the five Ministry of Interior announcements are published in the Royal Gazette. As of July 15, 2026, publication has not happened, so the current rules — including the 60-day exemption — still apply.
What is not yet confirmed
The complete official list of the 59 countries in the 30-day tier has not been published in English; it arrives with the Royal Gazette announcements. Reported figures also leave a small gap: outlets describe 65 countries and territories in total, while the named tiers add up to 64. The gazette publication date, and therefore the effective date, is unknown. Check with a Royal Thai Embassy or the official Thai e-visa site before relying on visa-free entry for travel later in 2026.
Key Takeaway
Thailand's 60-day visa-free era is ending: once the new rules are published in the Royal Gazette, most visitors get 30 days, visa on arrival shrinks to three countries, and stays longer than a month will need a visa.