Thailand is set to scale back its visa-free tourist stay from 60 days to 30 from Tuesday, September 15, ending the broader allowance introduced last year. The change, published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, applies to nationals of 60 countries and territories, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and much of Europe, as part of a revised entry framework the Thai authorities say is designed to simplify border procedures and better target tourism policy. According to Thai government notices, the overhaul also reflects wider concerns including national security, reciprocity and the growing use of the country’s e-Visa system.

The new rules do not amount to a blanket cut for every traveller who currently receives 60 days. Instead, Thailand is moving towards a nationality-by-nationality system in which different passport holders are covered by different entry arrangements, with some bilateral deals continuing to provide stays of 14, 30 or 90 days depending on the passport presented. Updated embassy guidance places countries such as China, Russia, Hong Kong, Macao, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia and Timor-Leste under separate arrangements, while Cambodia and Myanmar remain subject to shorter bilateral entry terms.

A small number of countries are being treated differently again. Seychelles and Mauritius will move into a new 15-day visa exemption category, while citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia will be directed to Visa on Arrival rather than the standard visa-free channel. The revised approach means travellers are being urged to check the rules that apply to their own nationality rather than assuming that Thailand’s former 60-day allowance has simply been replaced by a universal 30-day stay.

Travellers already in Thailand before September 15 are not affected retroactively and will keep the length of stay stamped on arrival. Those entering after the change under the new 30-day exemption may apply for an extension of up to 30 more days, though approval remains at the discretion of immigration officers. Thai authorities have also tightened land-border use of the visa exemption system, limiting most travellers to two visa-free land crossings per calendar year, with Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore exempt from that cap.

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Source: Noah Wire Services