Thailand’s Cabinet has approved the cancellation of the 60-day visa-free entry scheme for travellers from more than 90 countries and territories, said Thailand Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phancharoenworakul.
Speaking after the Cabinet meeting on May 19, 2026, Surasak said the decision would also apply to countries currently covered under multiple visa arrangements, with previous visa rules and entry criteria set to be reinstated.
Under the new framework, most affected countries are expected to return to the earlier 30-day visa-free entry structure, while some markets may eventually be shifted to a shorter 15-day visa-free arrangement following a detailed review by the government’s Visa Policy Committee.
At a press conference in Thailand, Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs, outlined the details of the revised visa measures approved by the Cabinet.
Mungkorn said the new framework introduces a policy allowing only one visa exemption arrangement per country or territory. The 60-day visa-free entry scheme for all 93 eligible countries and territories would be revoked.
The government will also revise the existing 30-day visa exemption scheme for tourism purposes, reducing the number of eligible countries and territories from 57 to 54.
In addition, Thailand plans to introduce a new 15-day visa exemption scheme for travellers from three countries or territories, while the visa-on-arrival programme will also be revised, reducing the number of eligible countries from 31 to four.
Mungkorn stated that the detailed criteria and conditions for the revised visa structure will be published through Ministry of Interior notifications in the Royal Gazette and will come into effect 15 days after publication.
He explained that the revisions were based on several factors, including national security considerations, tourism and economic interests, reciprocity agreements, the reduction of overlapping visa privileges and the growing convenience of Thailand’s e-visa system.
Travellers currently in Thailand under the existing visa exemption programme and those planning to enter before the revised regulations take effect will still be permitted to remain in the country until the end of their approved stay period.
After the new framework becomes effective, visitors will need to enter Thailand either under the revised visa schemes, existing bilateral visa exemption agreements or through appropriate visas applied for via Thailand’s e-visa platform.
Mungkorn also clarified that foreign visitors entering Thailand under visa exemption arrangements and certain other visa categories will still be allowed to undertake short-term business activities or urgent work assignments for up to 15 days through the country’s e-work permit system.
Those intending to work in Thailand on a longer-term basis will continue to require a non-immigrant Type B visa obtained through the e-visa system.
He further noted that the current review only applies to visa exemption and visa-on-arrival schemes and does not impact other visa categories at this stage.
Mungkorn also informed that the Thailand’s Prime Minister has also approved the establishment of a new Visa Policy Committee chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sirisa.
The committee will oversee future reviews of Thailand’s visa policies and submit recommendations to the Cabinet for approval.
The policy changes come amid growing concerns raised by Thai authorities over the misuse of the country’s visa-free entry system.
Security agencies have reportedly identified cases where certain foreign nationals allegedly entered Thailand as tourists before engaging in unauthorised employment, nominee business operations and transnational criminal activities including scam and call-centre networks.
Officials also highlighted that the majority of international visitors to Thailand stay for significantly shorter durations than the existing 60-day visa-free limit.
According to data from Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, foreign visitors currently spend an average of around nine days in the country, leading policymakers to conclude that shorter visa-free periods are unlikely to significantly impact core tourism demand.
