From 15 September 2026, Thailand will halve its standard visa-free stay from 60 days to 30 days. The change, confirmed in new regulations published in the Royal Gazette, touches nationals of 60 countries and territories and will shape how trade partners plan Thailand itineraries for the upcoming high season. Here is what agents need to know, and how it affects the way trips should be built.
The timing is worth noting. The change takes effect just as Southeast Asia moves into its dry season, when booking volumes for Thailand and the wider region typically pick up through November to February. With client enquiries for this window already coming in, now is the moment to update how Thailand stays are quoted and confirmed, particularly for the longer, slower-paced trips that this market has always done well.
Visitors from 60 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, along with major source markets such as Austria, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Switzerland, will now receive 30 days visa-free on arrival rather than 60. This is the figure to build itineraries around from mid-September onward.
Travellers who enter Thailand before 15 September and are already granted a 60-day stay keep that original allowance. The new 30-day rule applies to arrivals from that date forward, so early-season bookings and any clients currently in-country are unaffected.
Clients who need more time have an option: a further 30-day extension can be requested through Thai immigration authorities once in-country. For itineraries that push close to or past the one-month mark, whether that is an extended Thailand stay or a longer multi-country route with Thailand as a base, this extension should be factored into planning and communicated to clients well ahead of travel, since it requires an in-person application rather than happening automatically.
For itineraries that cross into Thailand overland, a new cap applies. Visa-exempt travellers may now use land border checkpoints no more than twice per calendar year under the general rule. This is a meaningful change for circuit itineraries that move repeatedly between Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia by road, and it is worth flagging early to clients whose trip design relies on multiple land crossings.
The cap does not apply to nationals of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, who can continue crossing land borders without that restriction.
Not every route is affected. Thailand’s bilateral arrangements with several markets remain untouched by this change:
Nationals of China, Hong Kong, Laos, Russia, and Vietnam continue to receive their existing 30-day exemptions. Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and South Korea retain their 90-day access, which remains a real advantage for agents building longer, slower-paced itineraries for clients from those markets.
A handful of smaller categories also sit outside the general rule. Mauritius and Seychelles nationals receive a 15-day exemption. Visa on Arrival, meanwhile, is now limited to nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia only.
Taken together, these carve-outs mean the new 30-day rule is not universal, and it is worth checking a client’s nationality against the exemption list rather than assuming the general rule applies. A South Korean or Brazilian client, for instance, still travels on a 90-day allowance under existing bilateral terms, unchanged by this update.
For most standard leisure bookings out of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe, a 30-day allowance comfortably covers the great majority of Thailand and Southeast Asia itineraries, and for many clients this change will make little practical difference. A two- or three-week Thailand and Vietnam combination, for example, or a Golden Triangle circuit paired with a Mekong river cruise, sits well inside the new limit without any adjustment needed.
Where it matters is at the edges: extended multi-country journeys, slow travel itineraries, and overland routes through Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia that were previously built around the old 60-day cushion. Gap-year style trips, retirees travelling for a full month or more, and clients combining Thailand with an extended stay in a neighbouring country before or after are the itineraries most likely to need a second look.
For those trips, three things are worth building into the planning conversation with clients. First, confirm whether the itinerary’s total time in Thailand, including any pre- or post-tour extensions, sits within 30 days, and if not, discuss the extension process in advance rather than leaving it to be sorted in-country. Second, for circuit itineraries with multiple Thailand entries by land, check the crossing count against the new twice-yearly limit before finalising the route. Third, remember that South Korea, and the Latin American markets retaining 90-day access, still have more flexibility for longer-form itineraries, which may make them a stronger fit for clients wanting an extended stay without the extension step.
Our reservations team is factoring this change into every Thailand itinerary from now on, and we are happy to talk through how it affects a specific route, particularly for overland circuits or longer stays. Contact your Trails of Indochina representative to discuss how the new visa rules apply to your client’s itinerary.
Inspired to start planning your customised journey to Southeast Asia? Share your ideas with us at hello@trailsofindochina.com or submit a request below.
