Many Unruly Tourists Push Thailand to Trim Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Thai government has officially ended the 60-day visa-free policy for foreign tourists. The decision was taken by the Thai Cabinet on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, amid concerns over rising abuse of residence permits by foreigners.
Citing the Bangkok Post, Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the new rules will revert the immigration system to what it was before the 60-day visa-free programme was introduced.
Previously, the 60-day visa-free policy had been in place in Thailand since July 2024 to boost the tourism sector’s recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the government judged that policy produced unintended effects, including a rise in foreigners staying longer to conduct illegal businesses or engage in criminal activity.
Nevertheless, the Thai government emphasised that travellers already in Thailand or who entered before the new rules take effect will be able to stay in accordance with the visa permissions granted until expiry.
Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, said the new rules will take effect 15 days after official publication in the Royal Gazette of Thailand.
Under the latest rules, the 60-day visa-free facility will be withdrawn for all 93 countries and territories that had previously enjoyed it.
Indonesia Still Enjoys 30-Day Visa-Free Entry
Nevertheless, Indonesian travellers still remain eligible for a 30-day visa-free entry into Thailand.
Besides Indonesia, the same facility also applies to several other countries including Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States.
Thailand also introduces a 15-day visa-free scheme for certain countries, and simplifies the visa-on-arrival system. For visa on arrival, the number of eligible countries has been reduced from 31 to just four: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, and India.
Meanwhile, some countries retain special arrangements through bilateral agreements with Thailand. For instance, China, Russia, Vietnam, and Laos still enjoy 30-day visa-free entry. South Korea, along with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, still enjoy 90-day visa-free entries.
Foreign Tourists to Thailand Decline
The Thai government also disclosed that the number of foreign tourists continues to fall. As of 17 May 2026, foreign tourist arrivals were down 3.3% year on year to 12.9 million visitors.
For 2025, total foreign visitors to Thailand declined by 7% to 33 million people. The National Economic and Social Development Council even forecasts the figure to drop back to 32 million visitors this year.
The Thai government said the new visa policy will take into account various factors, including security, reciprocity between nations, and the future economic impact.