Thailand changed its visa-free rules on 15 September 2026. The 60-day visa exemption is gone. Most visitors who still get visa-free entry now get 30 days, for tourism only. Two passports get 15 days, three can get a visa on arrival, and some others keep separate bilateral deals.
The latest Thailand visa news for Indians is simple: Indian passport holders are on the new 30-day list. The same is true for British, American, Australian, Saudi, Emirati and EU passports. Many other passports, including Nigerian, Bangladeshi, Egyptian and Pakistani, are not on any visa-free list and need an e-Visa.
This guide sets out what each passport group gets, the conditions, and where officials have not published the detail. We checked every official page in the Sources list on 6 October 2026. Voyfaro is not affiliated with any government or embassy.
Thailand visa-free rules in 2026: short answer
- What changed: from 15 September 2026, Thailand revoked its 60-day visa exemption and gave each country or territory a single scheme (Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
- 30-day visa exemption: 60 countries and territories, for tourism. This includes India, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, the Philippines, Malaysia and all 27 EU countries.
- 15-day visa exemption: Mauritius and Seychelles, for tourism.
- Visa on arrival: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. The fee is 2,000 baht, at designated checkpoints.
- Bilateral agreements: 90 days for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru and South Korea; 30 days for nine places including China, Hong Kong and Vietnam; 14 days for Cambodia and Myanmar.
- Everyone else: apply for an e-Visa on the official website, thaievisa.go.th, before you travel.
- Already in Thailand, or arrived before 15 September? You can stay until the end of the stay you were given.
- Separate from all of this: every foreign visitor also needs a free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC). It is not a visa.
Who this applies to
This guide is for anyone planning a short trip to Thailand on an ordinary passport: a holiday, a beach break or a stopover that takes you through immigration. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summary covers ordinary passports only. If you hold a diplomatic or official passport, check with the Thai embassy.
It does not cover work, study, retirement or long-stay visas. The Thai government says those categories are not affected by this revision. If you plan to work, do business or stay longer, you need the right visa before you travel.
What changed, and when
| Date | What happened | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| 19 May 2026 | The Thai Cabinet approved a review of visa exemption and visa on arrival schemes | Thai Government Public Relations Department; MFA Department of Consular Affairs |
| 14 July 2026 | The Cabinet approved a 30-day tourism exemption for Indian passport holders | Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi |
| 31 August 2026 | The new rules were published in the Royal Gazette | Thai Government Public Relations Department; MFA press briefing of 3 September 2026 |
| 15 September 2026 | The new rules took effect | Thai Government Public Relations Department; MFA press briefing of 3 September 2026 |
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the changes do five things:
- one visa exemption arrangement per country or territory
- the 60-day visa exemption scheme is revoked. The MFA’s Department of Consular Affairs says it covered 93 countries and territories
- the 30-day tourism exemption now covers 60 countries and territories
- a new 15-day tourism exemption covers two
- visa on arrival now covers three
The MFA says it weighed national security, tourism and economic interests, reciprocity, overlapping privileges, and the convenience of the e-Visa system.
Transition rule: the Thai government says foreigners already in Thailand under the old schemes, or who travelled before 15 September 2026, may stay until the last day of their permitted stay. If you arrived on 10 September with a 60-day stamp, that stamp still counts.
What each passport gets now
All of the lists below come from the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs summary, “status as of 31 August 2026”, effective 15 September 2026.
30 days visa-free, for tourism (60 countries and territories)
| Region | Passports |
|---|---|
| Asia and the Pacific | Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan |
| Middle East and Gulf | Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE |
| Europe and Central Asia (outside the EU) | Georgia, Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Türkiye, UK, Ukraine |
| European Union (27) | Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden |
| Americas and Africa | Canada, USA, South Africa |
15 days visa-free, for tourism
- Mauritius
- Seychelles
Visa on arrival
- Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia
- The MFA summary says the fee is 2,000 baht, at designated immigration checkpoints, under criteria set by the Immigration Bureau. It does not list those criteria, and it does not state how long a visa on arrival lets you stay. Confirm both with the Thai embassy that covers where you live, or the Immigration Bureau, before you travel.
Bilateral visa exemption agreements
These come from agreements between Thailand and each country, not from the new scheme.
| Stay | Passports |
|---|---|
| 90 days | Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, South Korea |
| 30 days | China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macao, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste, Vietnam |
| 14 days | Cambodia; Myanmar (international airports only) |
Not on any list
If your passport is not named above, the MFA summary gives you no visa-free or visa on arrival route. That includes Nigerian, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Kenyan and Pakistani passports. Not every country on the old 60-day list made it onto a new list, so do not rely on what worked on a past trip. Apply for an e-Visa before you book anything non-refundable.
Indian passport holders: the latest
The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi has published three relevant updates:
- 27 July 2026: the Cabinet approved, on 14 July, a 30-day visa exemption for Indian passport holders entering Thailand for tourism. Indians who need more than 30 days for tourism may apply for an e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th.
- 15 September 2026: the embassy said the 30-day exemption for Indian ordinary passport holders entering for tourism “officially takes effect on 15 September 2026”.
- Visa page, updated 16 September 2026: the exemption “remains effective from 15 September 2026 until further announcement”.
One wording difference to note: the embassy’s visa page describes the exemption as covering “tourism and short-term business engagements”. The embassy’s 15 September notice, the Thai government announcement and the MFA summary all describe a tourism exemption. If you are travelling from India for meetings, a conference or other business, ask the embassy or a Thai consulate before you go rather than assume the exemption covers you.
Conditions for visa-free entry
Officials have published some conditions in different places. Here is what we found, and what we did not.
| Condition | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Tourism. GOV.UK adds, for British nationals, that visa-free entry does not cover business travel, including conferences and meetings |
| Length of stay | Up to 30 days (15 days for Mauritius and Seychelles) |
| Extension | The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington says a 30-day stay can be extended for up to another 30 days, at the immigration officer’s discretion |
| Repeat entries | The official pages differ. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says the twice-a-year limit applies to entries through land-border checkpoints, for both 30-day and 15-day exemption users. Nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore, and other nationalities the Minister designates, are exempt from that limit. GOV.UK says visa-exempt entry for tourism is “normally limited to two entries per calendar year”, with no land-only qualifier, and that after two entries you may need a visa. If you have already used the exemption twice this year, by any route, get an e-Visa or check with the Thai embassy first |
| Money | TAT says visa-exempt visitors need 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 baht per family, and tourist visa holders need 20,000 or 40,000. Children under 12 are exempt. GOV.UK quotes the same 10,000 / 20,000 figures. The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington’s visa exemption page says 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 per family, in cash or equivalent. To be safe, carry the higher figure |
| Onward travel | GOV.UK says you may need evidence of onward or return travel |
| Passport | GOV.UK says it must be valid for at least 6 months after the date you arrive, with at least 1 blank page. The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington says at least 6 months on the date you return to your country of residence. Meet the stricter of the two |
| Arrival card | Every non-Thai visitor must complete the TDAC within 3 days before arrival (Royal Thai Embassy in Washington). A Royal Thai Embassy TDAC page says it is free of charge |
What officials have not published, as far as we could find: a full English text of the conditions for every nationality, the detailed visa on arrival criteria, and the length of stay a visa on arrival gives. We could not open the Royal Gazette notices directly. The figures above come from the government, MFA, embassy, TAT and GOV.UK pages listed under Sources.
Need longer than 30 days, or not on a list? Use the e-Visa
The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi says Thailand’s e-Visa system has been in effect since 1 January 2025, and that all applicants must apply through thaievisa.go.th. The New Delhi embassy points Indians who need more than 30 days to that site. The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington’s visa exemption page also links to it for visa applications.
- Type the address yourself. The official site ends in .go.th.
- Apply before you travel. The e-Visa is separate from the TDAC.
- Fees, documents and processing times depend on where you apply. Check the Thai embassy page for your country of residence.
For a worked example of the e-Visa process for one passport that needs a visa, see our Thailand e-Visa guide for Pakistani passport holders. The steps are similar for other nationalities, but the documents vary by embassy.
Visa exemption, visa on arrival, e-Visa and TDAC: not the same thing
| What it is | Do you apply in advance? | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa exemption | Visa-free entry for set passports, for tourism | No. Stamped on arrival if you meet the conditions |
| Visa on arrival | A visa issued at a designated checkpoint, for 3 passports | No, but you pay 2,000 baht on arrival |
| e-Visa | A visa you apply for online before travelling | Yes, at thaievisa.go.th |
| TDAC | A free online arrival card for every foreign visitor | Yes, within 3 days before arrival. See our TDAC guide |
Common mistakes and scams
- Planning around 60 days. That scheme ended on 15 September 2026. A trip of more than 30 days needs an e-Visa or an extension that the immigration officer may refuse.
- Relying on old blog posts or unofficial summaries. Pages written before 15 September 2026 may still describe the 60-day scheme. Check the date, and use the official lists. For example, the MFA puts South Korea under its 90-day bilateral agreement, not the 30-day list.
- Assuming business trips are covered. The new 30-day and 15-day exemptions are described as tourism schemes.
- Too many visa-free entries in one year. TAT limits land-border entries to twice a calendar year, and GOV.UK says visa-exempt tourist entry is normally limited to two entries a year, whether by land or air. Repeated border hops, or a third trip by plane, can mean you need a visa. If you have already used the exemption twice this year, get an e-Visa or check with the Thai embassy first.
- Paying a look-alike site. The official e-Visa address is thaievisa.go.th and the official TDAC address is tdac.immigration.go.th. The TDAC is free.
- Booking non-refundable travel before your e-Visa is issued, if your passport is not on a visa-free list.
- Forgetting the TDAC. Visa-free status does not replace the arrival card.
- Short passport validity. Less than 6 months left can cause problems at check-in or on arrival. Official pages measure the 6 months from different dates, so allow for the later one.
Planning your Thailand trip
- Flights: Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK) are the main gateways, with Phuket (HKT) and Chiang Mai (CNX) for the beaches and the north. On a 30-day exemption, book a return or onward flight inside your 30 days. Compare flights to Thailand.
- Hotels: the TDAC asks for your accommodation address, so keep your booking handy. Compare hotels in Thailand.
- Mobile data: a travel eSIM set up before you fly gives you data on landing, which helps if you need to pull up your e-Visa or TDAC. See eSIM options or read eSIM vs roaming vs local SIM.
- Travel insurance: visa-free entry does not include health cover, and hospital bills for visitors can be high. Compare travel insurance.
How Voyfaro can help
- Visas: we point you to the official Thai sources and explain them in plain English. We do not apply for, issue or guarantee visas, and only the Thai authorities decide. See our visa guidance.
- Bookings: we help you compare flights, hotels, eSIMs and travel insurance through partner links, including the Travelpayouts affiliate network. Partner links are never for visas.
- You stay in control: you book and pay directly with the partner. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
- Questions? Contact us with your passport, where you live, your dates and who is travelling.
FAQ
Do Indians need a visa for Thailand in 2026?
Not for tourism trips of up to 30 days. The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi says the 30-day visa exemption for Indian ordinary passport holders took effect on 15 September 2026. For more than 30 days, the embassy says to apply for an e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th.
Is the 60-day visa-free stay in Thailand still available?
No. The Thai government revoked the 60-day scheme from 15 September 2026. If you entered before that date, you can stay until the end of the period you were given.
How long can British, American or Australian visitors stay visa-free?
Up to 30 days for tourism. All three passports are on the MFA’s 30-day list. The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington says the stay can be extended for up to another 30 days, at the immigration officer’s discretion.
Which passports can get a Thai visa on arrival now?
Only Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia, according to the MFA summary. The fee is 2,000 baht at designated checkpoints. The summary does not say how long the stay is, so confirm that with the Thai embassy before you travel. Indian and Chinese passport holders are not on the visa on arrival list: Indians are on the 30-day exemption list and Chinese nationals have a 30-day bilateral agreement.
Can I use the visa exemption for a business trip?
The new 30-day and 15-day exemptions are described as tourism schemes, and GOV.UK says visa-free entry does not cover business travel for British nationals. The Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi’s visa page mentions “short-term business engagements” for Indians. If your trip involves business, confirm with the Thai embassy before you go.
My passport is not on any list. What do I do?
Apply for an e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th before you travel. Nigerian, Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Kenyan and Pakistani passports are among those not on the MFA’s visa-free or visa on arrival lists. Check the Thai embassy page for where you live for documents and fees.
How many times a year can I enter visa-free?
The official pages do not agree. The Tourism Authority of Thailand says 30-day and 15-day exemption users can generally enter through land-border checkpoints no more than twice per calendar year. Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and other nationalities the Minister designates are exempt. GOV.UK says visa-exempt entry for tourism is normally limited to two entries per calendar year in general, including by air, and that after two entries you may need a visa. If you have already used the exemption twice this year, by any route, get an e-Visa or check with the Thai embassy first.
Do I still need the TDAC if I am visa-exempt?
Yes. Every non-Thai visitor needs a Thailand Digital Arrival Card, submitted within 3 days before arrival. A Royal Thai Embassy page says the TDAC is free of charge, and the official website is tdac.immigration.go.th. See our TDAC guide.
Can Voyfaro get me a Thai visa or an extension?
No. Only the Thai authorities decide. We point you to official sources and help you compare flights, hotels, eSIMs and insurance.
Sources
Official pages we checked on 6 October 2026:
- Thai Government Public Relations Department, Revision of Thailand’s visa exemption and visa on arrival schemes (4 September 2026: Cabinet approval on 19 May 2026, Royal Gazette publication on 31 August 2026, effective 15 September 2026, 60-day scheme revoked, 60/2/3 countries, transition rule, other visa categories unaffected)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Summary of the weekly press briefing, 3 September 2026 (five changes, criteria used, transition rule)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Summary: the revision of Thailand’s visa exemption and VoA schemes, 2026 (PDF) (an infographic, status as of 31 August 2026, effective 15 September 2026: the 30-day, 15-day, visa on arrival and bilateral lists, including Myanmar “International Airports only”; 2,000 THB visa on arrival fee at designated checkpoints under Immigration Bureau criteria; ordinary passports only; no visa on arrival stay length given)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Department of Consular Affairs, Review of Thailand’s visa exemption and visa on arrival schemes (in Thai, 20 May 2026: Cabinet approval of 19 May 2026; 60-day scheme covering 93 countries and territories revoked)
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Department of Consular Affairs, Summary of Thailand’s visa exemption and VoA privileges 2026 (in Thai, 1 September 2026: effective 15 September 2026, ordinary passports)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand News, Thailand introduces new 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (1 September 2026: the 60 countries and territories on the 30-day list; land-border limit of twice per calendar year for 30-day and 15-day users, and its exceptions; 15-day and visa on arrival countries; bilateral stays of 90, 30 or 14 days)
- Tourism Authority of Thailand News, Thailand entry reminder on proof of funds for foreign visitors (6 July 2026: 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 per family for visa-exempt and visa on arrival entry; 20,000 or 40,000 for tourist visas; children under 12 exempt)
- Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, Latest update on the visa exemption scheme for Indian passport holders (27 July 2026: Cabinet approval on 14 July 2026; 30-day tourism exemption; effective 15 days after the Ministry of Interior’s announcement is published in the Royal Gazette; e-Visa for longer stays; transition rule)
- Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, The revision of Thailand’s visa exemption and VoA schemes, 2026 (15 September 2026: 30-day exemption for Indian passport holders takes effect)
- Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi, Visa (updated 16 September 2026: exemption effective until further announcement; “short-term business engagements” wording; e-Visa in effect since 1 January 2025)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC, New visa exemption and visa on arrival to Thailand (updated 17 September 2026: 30-day stay, extension of up to 30 days at the officer’s discretion, 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 per family, passport valid for 6 months on return to your country of residence, link to thaievisa.go.th)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC, Visa information (updated 17 September 2026: 30-day tourism exemption for US citizens; TDAC within 3 days before arrival for all non-Thai nationals)
- Thailand Electronic Visa, official e-Visa website
- GOV.UK (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office), Thailand entry requirements (British passport holders: 30 days for tourism only, no business travel, normally two entries per calendar year, 10,000 baht per person or 20,000 per family, onward travel, 6 months’ passport validity, TDAC)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abuja, Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) (TDAC is free of charge; official website tdac.immigration.go.th)
We could not open the Royal Gazette (ratchakitcha.soc.go.th) notices directly when we checked. The Gazette dates above come from the Thai government and MFA pages listed.