Thailand Visa Rules in 2026: 30 Days Visa-Free, and How to Stay Longer
Updated September 2026
Thailand cut its visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days on September 15, 2026. Nationals of 60 countries, including the US, UK, most of the EU, Canada and Australia, still enter without a visa, but the stamp now grants 30 days, extendable once by another 30 at an immigration office.
This guide covers who still enters visa-free, how the 30-day count works, the one-time extension to roughly 60 days, the Digital Arrival Card you must file before boarding, and what to have ready at the airport.
6 min read
The short version
- From September 15, 2026, visa-exempt entry grants 30 days, down from 60. The change was published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, 2026 and applies to all new arrivals; anyone who entered before September 15 keeps the full 60 days stamped on entry.
- 60 countries and territories remain on the visa-exemption list, including the US, UK, most of the EU, Canada, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The list shrank from 93, so check your passport is still on it before booking.
- You can extend once by 30 days at any Thai immigration office for 1,900 baht, taking a tourist stay to roughly 60 days per entry. Longer stays need a proper visa, such as the 60-day tourist visa or the DTV.
- Every foreign passport holder must file the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) online within 72 hours before arrival. It is free at tdac.immigration.go.th; third-party sites charging for it are scams.
What changed on September 15, 2026
Thailand's 60-day visa exemption lasted a little over two years. Introduced in July 2024 to boost tourism, it was rolled back after concerns that the long window was being used for illegal work and visa runs. The new rules were published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, 2026 and took effect on September 15, 2026: visa-exempt tourists now get 30 days per entry.
The cut came with a second change that got less attention: the list of eligible countries shrank from 93 to 60. Passports that stayed on the list get 30 days; those dropped from it now need a tourist visa before flying.
If you entered Thailand before September 15, 2026 under the old rule, nothing changes mid-stay. The 60 days stamped in your passport remain valid, and you can still extend that stay at an immigration office.
Who still enters visa-free
The 60-country list keeps the big tourism markets: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and most EU states, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and the Nordics. India moved onto the 30-day exemption list on the same date, having previously needed a visa on arrival.
Thirty-three countries lost visa-free access. From September 15 their citizens apply for a tourist visa before flying via the eVisa portal at thaievisa.go.th. If your passport was borderline, verify against the official list on a Thai embassy site before you book, not a blog post.
Airlines enforce this at check-in. If your nationality is off the list and you have no visa, you will be denied boarding, not argued with at a Thai counter.
Staying past 30 days: the extension
The 30 days is extendable once. Any Thai immigration office takes the application: form TM.7, your passport, a photo and 1,900 baht in cash, and most offices process it the same day. The extension adds 30 days, so a visa-exempt trip tops out at roughly 60 days per entry.
Planning longer than that from the start, book a visa instead: the 60-day tourist visa (also extendable by 30) via thaievisa.go.th, or the five-year Destination Thailand Visa if you work remotely. Back-to-back border runs to reset the 30 days are exactly the pattern the new rules target, and officers can refuse entry on repeat visa-exempt arrivals.
The Digital Arrival Card (TDAC)
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card replaced the paper TM6 form and has been mandatory for all foreign passport holders since May 1, 2025, whatever visa or exemption you travel on. You file it online at tdac.immigration.go.th within 72 hours before arrival and get a QR code to show at immigration.
It is free and takes a few minutes: passport details, flight number, accommodation address. Airlines increasingly check for it at check-in. Only use the official immigration.go.th site; paid TDAC websites are reselling a free form.
What to have ready at the airport
Your TDAC QR code
Filed within 72 hours of arrival, saved as a screenshot so it opens without Wi-Fi. It covers the accommodation-address question too, since the form already asked for it.
Proof of onward travel
Officers and airlines can ask for a ticket out of Thailand within the 30 days you will be granted. It is checked inconsistently at the border but routinely at check-in, and a cheap refundable booking beats a denied-boarding argument.
Bookings and funds
Your first nights' accommodation confirmation and access to proof of funds, 10,000 baht per person on paper. Both are rarely requested, but when they are, you want them on a phone that has data.
Staying online: roaming and eSIM
Everything about Thai entry now lives on your phone: the TDAC QR code, your onward ticket, your accommodation booking. Roaming in Thailand on most US, UK and EU plans still costs serious money, and the airport SIM counters mean queueing after a long-haul flight.
A Thailand eSIM installed before departure is the simple route: you land with data already working, show the TDAC at immigration, order a Grab from arrivals, and keep your home number active for calls and bank codes.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay in Thailand without a visa in 2026?
30 days per entry since September 15, 2026, for nationals of the 60 countries on the visa-exemption list. One 30-day extension at an immigration office (1,900 baht) takes it to roughly 60 days.
I arrived before September 15, 2026. Do the new rules cut my stay?
No. Entries made under the old rule keep the full 60 days stamped on arrival, and the usual 30-day extension remains available.
Is my country still visa-exempt for Thailand?
60 countries remain on the list, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea and most EU states. 33 countries were removed, so check the official list on a Thai embassy website before booking if you are unsure.
How do I extend the 30 days?
Apply once at any Thai immigration office with form TM.7, your passport, one photo and 1,900 baht. Most offices issue the extra 30 days the same day.
What is the Thailand Digital Arrival Card and do I need it?
A free online arrival form at tdac.immigration.go.th, mandatory for every foreign passport holder since May 1, 2025. File it within 72 hours before arrival and keep the QR code on your phone.
Do I need an onward ticket for Thailand?
Have one. Airlines check onward travel at check-in more reliably than Thai officers do at the border, and your ticket out should fall within the 30 days you will be granted.
Does my phone work in Thailand?
Thai networks cover the country well, but roaming on a US, UK or EU plan is expensive. A Thailand eSIM installed before you fly gives you local data the moment you land, with your home SIM still in place for calls and codes.
Flying to Thailand? Stay connected with eSIMPal
Your TDAC, onward ticket and bookings all live on your phone. Install an eSIMPal eSIM before you fly and land in Bangkok with internet that works from the immigration queue, no roaming bill and no SIM counter.
Last updated September 2026. Based on the Royal Gazette announcement of August 31, 2026 (in force September 15, 2026), Thai embassy visa-exemption pages, and the official TDAC portal at tdac.immigration.go.th. Immigration rules change quickly, so confirm the latest details with a Thai embassy or immigration.go.th before you travel.
