Most EU, UK and US passport holders still enter Thailand without a visa, but the free stay got shorter this year: since 15 September 2026 the exemption covers 30 days, not the 60 you may remember from an earlier trip. Miss that window and you either leave the country or apply for a visa before the trip that needs one.
The 30-day exemption, and what changed
Thailand’s visa-exemption scheme lets passport holders from a list of eligible countries, including EU member states, the UK and the US, enter for tourism without applying for a visa first. The scheme itself is not new; the length of stay is. The Dutch government’s travel advisory and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office both confirm the cut: from 15 September 2026, a visa-exempt entry gives you up to 30 days in Thailand for tourism only, down from 60 days before that date.
If your passport is not EU, UK or US, check the exempt-country list before you rely on any of this: the 30-day rule applies to nationalities on that list, not to every visitor.
Entries and the arrival card
Visa-exempt entry under the scheme is normally limited to two entries per calendar year. If your trip involves hopping out to a neighbouring country and back, count how many visa-exempt entries you have already used that year before you plan a third.
Thailand also now asks every arriving traveller to complete a Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) within 3 days of arrival. Fill it in online before you fly rather than at the airport, so you are not doing paperwork on your phone in the arrivals queue.
Where the US position needs a second source
For US passport holders specifically, this page currently relies on the UK government’s summary of the scheme rather than a US-government page: travel.state.gov and the US Embassy in Bangkok’s site did not load when this page was researched. The 30-day figure for US travellers is corroborated by secondary reporting naming the US among the exempted nationalities, but it has not yet been confirmed against a direct US-government source. If you hold a US passport, cross-check the current rule on travel.state.gov or with the Thai embassy before you book, and treat the 30-day figure here as provisional until that confirmation lands.
If you need a visa
Anyone who is not on the exempt list, or who wants to stay longer than the exemption allows, applies for a visa at a Thai embassy or consulate before travelling, or for a longer-stay category such as a non-immigrant visa if the trip is for work, study or another non-tourist purpose. Apply through your nearest Thai mission well before your travel dates; processing and required documents vary by consulate and by visa type, so confirm both directly with the mission you plan to use rather than assuming they match another country’s list.
Practical tips
- Count your 30 days from the entry stamp or TDAC record, not from your booking date, and plan any onward or return travel to land inside that window.
- If your trip crosses the 15 September 2026 change date, don’t assume 60 days just because an older itinerary, blog post or forum thread says so.
- Submit your TDAC online before departure; it is one less thing to do with a queue behind you.
- Keep a note of how many visa-exempt entries you have used this calendar year if you are making more than one trip to Thailand in the same year.
What to check before you go
- That your passport is on Thailand’s current visa-exemption list and that 15 September 2026 does not fall inside a trip you’re assuming is still under the old 60-day rule.
- Your TDAC, completed online within the window before arrival.
- How many visa-exempt entries you’ve already used this calendar year, if this isn’t your first Thailand trip in 2026.
- US travellers: the current rule on travel.state.gov or with the Thai embassy, since this page’s US figure is not yet confirmed against a US-government source.
- Current travel advice on Thailand from the facts box on this page before you finalise the trip.