The Thai Cabinet has agreed to reduce the free visa exempt policy for tourists from two months to one month on arrival. The Tourist and Sports Ministry made the announcement to the Thai press but did not give a date for the introduction of the reduction.
The current policy dates from July 2024 when tourists from 93 countries were allowed to stay in Thailand for 60 days without prior approval or filling in forms on arrival. They could also increase their holiday for 30 more days, a total of 90, by applying for an extension at Thai immigration for 1,900 baht (US$54).
The change from 60 to 30 days has been predicted for months following scandals of tourists working illegally, fraudulent use of nominee trading companies and illegal short-term renting of foreign-owned condominium units. Many of the exposed abuses have involved Chinese passport holders, who provide more entries to Thailand than any other nationality, but singling out nationals of specific countries is unlikely at this stage.
Although a date for the new restriction is unknown, one possibility is May 1 2025. This is the date when the new digital TM6, or landing card, is to be introduced for all foreigners to complete online. It is not known at this stage whether visa-exempt tourists will be able automatically to extend their 30 days by a further month at immigration, bringing a new total of 60 days. Nor is it known whether these tourists will be able to complete a one day border hop to receive a further month’s stay.
Immigration sources say that the current lax controls over tourist arrivals has meant that many foreigners have not bothered to obtain proper visas for longstay visits. They say that genuine tourists do not need two or three months, or even more, to enjoy a vacation. The consequence has been a boom in illegal working without authorization, even in areas specifically reserved for Thais such as tour operators, barbers and taxi drivers.
