Thailand entry rules since 15 September 2026

The visa-free stay was cut from 60 to 30 days on 15 September 2026, and land entries are now capped. Everything else you will be asked about at the border, in one list.

Who needs the arrival card: Every foreign passport holder, on every entry by air, land or sea. Babies and children too. Transit passengers who stay airside do not.
When to file: Only inside the 72 hours before arrival. Filing earlier is not possible; filing at the airport is possible but slow.
Visa-free stay: 30 days for citizens of 60 countries and territories, since 15 September 2026. Before that date it was 60 days.
Extension: One extension of up to 30 days at an immigration office, 1,900 THB, applied for before the stamp expires.
Land borders: Visa-exempt entries by land are capped at two per calendar year. Citizens of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are not subject to the cap.
Longer trips: Apply for a 60-day tourist e-Visa before departure. Visa runs are no longer a plan.
Entry fee: A 300-baht tourist entry fee has been approved but is not being collected as of this update. Nobody should ask you for it at the border.
Overstay: 500 THB per day, capped at 20,000 THB. Overstays beyond 90 days lead to entry bans of one to ten years.
Passport: Valid for at least six months on the day you arrive, with a blank page.
Proof of funds: Spot checks happen: 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family, in cash or equivalent. Cards are usually not accepted as proof.

Thailand entry rules compared before and after 15 September 2026: until 14 September the repealed 2024 scheme gave 60 days visa-free to 93 countries, Visa on Arrival to 31 countries and no cap on land entries, and arrivals before the date keep their 60-day stamp; from 15 September the Royal Gazette notifications give 30 days visa-free to 60 countries and territories, Visa on Arrival to 3 countries, two visa-exempt land entries per calendar year and one extension of up to 30 days for 1,900 THB. The 300-baht entry fee is approved but not collected, overstay costs 500 THB per day up to 20,000 THB with entry bans beyond 90 days, and proof of funds spot checks ask for 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 per family. — The 2024 scheme and the rules in force since 15 September 2026 side by side, plus the three checks that did not change.

Travellers queuing at the foreign passport immigration counters in the arrivals hall of Suvarnabhumi Airport — Foreign passport counters at Suvarnabhumi: the QR code, the passport and the onward ticket are what officers ask for.

Who gets the 30 days

Citizens of 60 countries and territories, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union and EFTA states, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, the Philippines, India and Israel. If your passport is not on the list, you need a visa or an e-Visa before you travel. The full list by nationality, the bilateral 90-day treaties and Visa on Arrival are on the visa page.

Staying longer than 30 days

Two legitimate routes: extend once at an immigration office inside Thailand for 1,900 THB, or apply for a 60-day tourist e-Visa before you leave home. Leaving and re-entering by land to reset the stamp is limited to two entries per year and draws attention at the border.

What officers actually check

The arrival card QR code, the passport validity, the onward ticket, and sometimes funds. A one-way ticket with no plan, an address that is just a city name, and repeated visa-free entries are the usual reasons for extra questions.

Facts checked on 28 September 2026. Rules change; the Immigration Bureau and your embassy have the final word.