Thailand Restricts Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days Beginning September 15: Full List of 60 Countries

Thailand Restricts Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days Beginning September 15: Full List of 60 Countries
Thailand will replace its 60-day visa exemption with a new 30-day plan beginning September 15, 2026. Indian citizens continue to travel without a visa, but Visa on Arrival is limited to only three nationalities.
Thailand will reduce its usual visa-free stay from 60 days to 30 days beginning September 15, 2026, bringing an end to a temporary program that has been in existence since July 2024.
The new rules are now official. Thailand released four Ministry of Interior regulations in the Royal Gazette on August 31, setting off a 15-day transition period. The existing 60-day exception is valid until September 14.India stays visa-free for 30 days.
For Indian passport holders, the adjustment is actually better than the previous reform ideas.
India has been included in Thailand's new 30-day visa exemption, which means Indian tourists will no longer need to apply for a Visa on Arrival beginning September 15. The former 15-day Visa on Arrival policy for Indians would be replaced by visa-free admission for up to 30 days.
Travelers who wish to stay longer may request a one-time extension of up to 30 days, subject to Thai immigration authorities' approval.
Thailand's New 30-day Visa-Free List
Beginning September 15, citizens and passport holders from the following 60 countries and territories will be eligible for a 30-day tourist visa exemption:
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Belgium
Bhutan
Brunei
Bulgaria
Canada
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Maldives
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Oman
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Turkey
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Thailand's final list includes 60 countries and territories, despite initial government communications mentioning 59.
Land Border Entries Face a Limit.
The new guidelines reinstate a restriction that frequent overland travelers should be aware of. Visa-free visitors will typically be permitted to enter Thailand via a land border checkpoint no more than twice per calendar year.
The ban does not apply to Bruneians, Indonesians, Malaysians, or Singaporeans. Thailand's Interior Minister may also exempt additional nationalities in the future.
This rule does not impose an equivalent two-entry-per-year restriction for international air arrivals.
For Indians flying into Bangkok, Phuket, or other Thai airports, this indicates that the land-border restriction is not a blanket constraint on the number of air arrivals.

Mauritius & Seychelles Get 15 Days
Thailand will also introduce a second 15-day visa exemption for nationals of:
Mauritius
Seychelles
The Maldives, which was included in a previous proposal for a shorter exemption, has now been added to the more liberal 30-day visa-free list.

Visa-On-Arrival Reduces to Just Three Nationalities
Thailand is likewise drastically limiting its visa-on-arrival scheme. Beginning September 15, VoA will only be available to:
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Serbia
India has been removed from the VoA list, as Indian people are now eligible for the 30-day visa exemption.
That is a beneficial change for Indian travelers. Instead of obtaining a Visa on Arrival at the airport, eligible Indian tourists can benefit from the new visa-free initiative.

Bilateral agreements continue.
Thailand's existing bilateral visa exemption arrangements are not affected by the new policy.
These arrangements continue for a number of countries, including:
14 days: Cambodia and Myanmar, with Myanmar being restricted to international airport arrivals.
30 days: China, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Russia, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
90 days: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea, and Peru.
These agreements fall outside of the four regulations established on August 31.

Some travelers will need visas again.
The most significant change affects nationals who now enjoy the temporary 60-day exemption but do not appear on the new 30-day, 15-day, or Visa on Arrival lists.
Unless another bilateral or particular visa-free arrangement exists, those travelers will be required to get a Thai visa once the new restrictions take effect.
Thailand's global e-Visa system, which was implemented in 2025, enables visa applications to be submitted electronically to the relevant Thai diplomatic post.
What changes on September 15, 2026?
Thailand's short-stay entry scheme will broadly resemble this:
60 nations and territories offer 30-day visa exemption.
Mauritius and Seychelles offer a 15-day visa exemption.
Visa-on-arrival: Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia
Bilateral Visa Exemptions: Continue separately for the qualified nationalities.
Travelers who enter Thailand under the current 60-day plan before September 15 will not lose their existing entitlement. Their authorized stay stays the term allowed by Thai immigration upon entrance.

Traveunited Take:
We consider this as a favorable improvement for Indian tourists: 30 days visa-free is more convenient than VoA, and Thailand remains an easy, flexible option for both short and long vacations.