Thailand Ends 60-Day Visa-Exemption Scheme, Moves to 30-Day Regime From September 15

Thailand is preparing for a significant change to its immigration policy, with the country’s 60-day visa-exemption scheme set to be withdrawn and replaced by a revised 30-day system from September 15, 2026.

The change follows a broader review of Thailand’s visa policies aimed at balancing tourism promotion with national security, reciprocity and clearer immigration rules. Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on September 3 that the necessary regulations had been published in the Royal Gazette on August 31, clearing the way for the new system to take effect.

Under the revised framework, travellers from 60 countries and territories will be eligible for visa-free entry for tourism for up to 30 days. Thailand is simultaneously abolishing the existing 60-day exemption scheme that had covered 93 countries and territories.

India Remains on Visa-Free List

Importantly for Indian travellers, India is included among the 60 countries and territories covered by the new 30-day visa-exemption arrangement.

Thailand’s Department of Consular Affairs has published an official summary of the new regime for ordinary passport holders showing India within the 30-day visa-exemption group. The revised rules become effective on September 15.

This means Indian tourists will continue to be able to visit Thailand without obtaining a tourist visa in advance, but the standard visa-free stay will be reduced from the present 60 days to 30 days.

Why Thailand Is Changing the System

Thailand introduced the expanded 60-day visa-exemption regime in July 2024 as part of efforts to revive tourism and stimulate the economy. Under that framework, nationals of 93 countries and territories, including India, could enter without a visa for up to 60 days.

The Thai government subsequently reviewed the system. The Cabinet approved changes on May 19, 2026, including the abolition of the 60-day exemption and restructuring of the shorter visa-exemption and Visa on Arrival categories.

According to Thailand’s Foreign Ministry, the review considered several factors, including national security, tourism and economic interests, reciprocal treatment of Thai travellers, removal of overlapping visa privileges and the increasing convenience of Thailand’s e-Visa system.

The government also wants each country or territory to generally fall under a single visa-exemption arrangement, reducing situations where travellers qualify simultaneously under different schemes.

New Visa Structure Takes Shape

The September 15 reforms extend beyond the main 30-day exemption.

Thailand will introduce a separate 15-day visa-exemption category for two countries and territories, while the Visa on Arrival programme will be reduced to three eligible countries.

The new 30-day category, however, will become the principal tourist visa-exemption arrangement and will cover the largest group — 60 countries and territories.

The reforms apply specifically to the visa-exemption and Visa on Arrival schemes for tourism and do not automatically alter Thailand’s other visa categories.

Travellers Entering Before September 15 Keep Existing Permission

Thailand has also provided a transition arrangement for travellers arriving before the new rules take effect.

Foreign nationals who enter Thailand under the existing visa-exemption system before September 15 will be allowed to remain until the date already granted by immigration authorities and recorded in their passport.

In other words, the introduction of the new 30-day regime will not retroactively shorten the permitted stay of travellers who entered under the earlier system.

A Shift From Expansion to Consolidation

The new policy marks a notable change in Thailand’s tourism strategy.

The 2024 measures were designed primarily around expanding access and encouraging longer visits after the disruption experienced by the tourism industry earlier in the decade. The 2026 reforms retain broad visa-free access but place greater emphasis on shorter stays, streamlined categories and immigration oversight.

For Indian travellers, therefore, the most important point is that visa-free travel to Thailand is continuing. What changes from September 15 is the permitted duration: the general exemption available to Indian ordinary passport holders will move from 60 days to 30 days.

With India remaining one of Thailand’s important tourism markets, the new system preserves the convenience of spontaneous and short-duration travel while bringing Indian visitors under Thailand’s revised and more uniform immigration framework.

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