Thailand is preparing to significantly scale back its visa-free entry program, with the government moving to restore the original list of 57 eligible countries and territories — cutting out 36 nations that were added when the previous administration expanded the scheme to 93 in July 2024.
Thailand is reviewing its visa-free entry policy, with plans to reduce eligible countries from 93 to 57 as authorities tighten screening over security and overstay concerns. Photo Courtesy Siam Legal International
The government is finalizing the proposal for Cabinet submission, according to several news sources. If approved, travelers from the 36 countries removed from the list would need to apply for tourist visas at Thai consulates before travel — a process that requires documentation, time, and fees.
The 60-day visa-free scheme was introduced by the Pheu Thai-led government as a post-pandemic economic recovery measure designed to maximize arrivals. It worked, at least initially. But the current Bhumjaithai administration says the policy has outlived its intended purpose and is now creating problems that outweigh its benefits.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul has been the most prominent voice pushing for the change. He’s made clear that the review isn’t about targeting any specific nationality, but about tightening screening across the board. The ministry has been gathering data on visitor behavior and patterns, and the picture it paints is, by the government’s account, concerning.
Officials say a portion of the people entering Thailand under the 60-day window aren’t tourists at all. Some are working illegally. Others are using the country as a base for criminal activity, including transnational scams. In some resort areas, large concentrations of foreign nationals have formed semi-permanent communities, raising questions about land ownership, nominee arrangements, and the strain on local infrastructure.
The Association of Thai Travel Agents is backing the rollback. Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, the group’s honorary president and senior adviser, put it plainly: genuine tourists don’t need 60 days. Most short-haul visitors stay between five and twelve days. Long-haul European visitors rarely exceed a month. The current window, he argued, isn’t serving tourism — it’s serving people who don’t intend to leave.
The numbers paint a complicated picture. Thailand recorded just over 10.8 million foreign arrivals between January 1 and April 19, 2026, a decline of 3.34% compared with the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Revenue from international visitors reached approximately 529 billion baht. The top five source markets were China, Malaysia, Russia, India, and South Korea. ATTA has revised its 2026 arrival forecast down to between 30 and 32 million, citing ongoing Middle East tensions as the primary drag on travel demand.
For the 36 countries losing visa-free access, travelers will need to check with Thai embassies and consulates for updated entry requirements. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hasn’t announced an implementation date yet — that will come once the Cabinet acts on the proposal. The current 60-day framework remains in place for all eligible nationalities until a formal change is published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette.
The revision also comes alongside a broader tightening of immigration enforcement, with stricter scrutiny of back-to-back entries and so-called visa runs already underway at land borders.
