BANGKOK, THAILAND – Thailand’s Foreign Ministry moved to roll back visa-free stays for visitors from 93 countries, proposing a cut from 60 to 30 days over concerns about abuse, fraud and security risks.
What exactly was planned
According to the Foreign Ministry, a high-level meeting broadly agreed to reduce the current 60-day visa exemption to 30 days for eligible tourists. The change would affect travellers from 93 countries that had benefited from the extended stay.
At the same time, the familiar procedure for extending a stay at immigration for an additional 30 days would remain in place. The fee of ฿1,900 for this extension was expected to stay unchanged under the proposal.
Why the government wanted to tighten the rules
The ministry referred to “loopholes” in the existing system and noted that some entries were not primarily for tourism. Officials argued that the long visa-free period encouraged uses beyond standard holiday trips.
As its main argument, the ministry pointed to fraudulent structures and individuals classified as security risks. These groups were seen as being able to exploit the extended visa-free time in a targeted way.
The 20 March meeting and the role of the visa commission
The issue was discussed on 20 March at the Foreign Ministry, where Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkaew outlined the government’s position. He set out why the administration believed the existing regime should be scaled back.
The trigger was a review by the visa commission, which is attached to the ministry and had examined how the 60-day rule was working in practice. Its assessment formed the basis for the latest policy push.
Background to the 60-day rule and growing criticism
The 60-day visa-free stay had been introduced under the government of Prime Minister Settha Thavisin. The aim was to boost tourism and allow longer visits without a formal visa application.
After its later review, however, the commission concluded that 60 days as a standard period was too generous. It said the rule tended to favour workaround arrangements rather than classic leisure travel.
What would stay the same for travellers – and what would not
If the cabinet approved the proposal, the main change would concern the initial period granted on arrival. The first visa-free stay would be capped at 30 days instead of 60.
In practice, though, the maximum stay could still reach up to 60 days via the paid extension. The logic was that anyone wishing to remain longer would have to apply actively and appear in the control system, rather than automatically receiving two visa-free months.
Link to online scams and cross-border movement
The foreign minister drew a connection to online scams and cross-border crime. He argued that criminal groups were using longer visa-free periods to move between Thailand and neighbouring countries.
A shorter initial visa-free duration was therefore intended as a preventive measure. It was meant to give authorities more opportunity to identify abusive patterns at an earlier stage.
No discrimination and no start date yet
Sihasak Phuangketkaew rejected accusations of possible discrimination. He stressed that the measure was not directed against specific countries and would not be applied differently by nationality.
Concrete changes were not yet in force, as the 60-day rule remained valid until a cabinet decision. The ministry said there would be “sufficient lead time” before any new regulations actually took effect.
Open questions for travellers
The debate raised concerns about whether the planned cut to 30 days would be an effective tool against abuse. It also prompted questions about its impact on long-stay tourists, family visits and digital nomads travelling legally.
Uncertainties remained over experiences with immigration extensions and how they would work under tighter rules. The discussion also touched on how much advance notice would be needed so travellers and residents from German-speaking countries in Thailand could plan fairly.