Thailand‘s cabinet on Tuesday approved terminating the 60-day visa-free program for foreign visitors, reverting to a stricter framework as authorities seek to curb the rise of foreign-run businesses and criminal activity linked to extended stays.
As per repotted by the Bangkok Post, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the decision returns immigration rules for all countries covered by the scheme to those in place before the 60-day program took effect.
The change will come into force 15 days after an official announcement is published in the Royal Gazette, according to Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, director-general of the Consular Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. No firm effective date has been set.
Thai authorities have for months signaled that the 60-day exemption, introduced to support the country’s post-Covid tourism recovery, had produced unintended consequences. Chief among them was an increase in foreign nationals settling in Thailand to run businesses or engage in criminal activity — concerns that have intensified amid wider regional scrutiny of grey-market and illicit operations often associated with gaming, scam compounds, and unlicensed enterprises.
Under the updated framework, each country or territory will be limited to a single visa exemption category, and the 60-day exemption will be revoked for all 93 eligible countries. Eligibility for the 30-day visa exemption will be reduced from 57 to 54 countries, with Mr. Mungkorn declining to identify the three to be excluded. A 15-day exemption will be introduced for Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius, while the visa-on-arrival scheme will be streamlined and reduced from 31 to four countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, and India.
Bilateral agreements remain in place, including 30-day exemptions for China, Hong Kong, Macau, Russia, and Vietnam, among others, and 90-day exemptions for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and South Korea.
The Visa Policy Committee, led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will determine which countries may benefit from eased measures in the future, weighing security and economic factors. Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaeow said authorities would also review the broader visa framework to assess whether the current number of categories remains necessary.
Foreign tourist arrivals as of May 17th were down 3.3 percent year-on-year at 12.9 million. Arrivals fell 7 percent in 2025 to 33 million, and the National Economic and Social Development Council projects a further decline to 32 million this year.
Visitors already in Thailand or arriving before the new measures take effect will be permitted to remain under their existing visa conditions until their authorized stay expires.
