## What changed
Thailand has revised its visa exemption and visa-on-arrival (VoA) schemes for ordinary passport holders, effective **15 September 2026**. The Government Public Relations Department, citing the Department of Consular Affairs, reports that the revised measures were published in the Royal Gazette as of 31 August 2026, after Cabinet approval on 19 May 2026.
According to that official summary:
- The 60-day visa exemption scheme is **revoked**. - **One visa exemption scheme applies per country or territory.** - The **30-day** tourism exemption covers **60 countries and territories**. - A **15-day** tourism exemption is introduced for **two** countries or territories. - **Visa on arrival** is reduced to **three** countries or territories. - Only these schemes are reviewed. Other visa categories are not affected.
## Which countries
The summary above does not list the countries in text. The July 2026 government announcement of the Cabinet decision, on the national government portal, named some of them. It says India moves from visa on arrival to the 30-day exemption and that treatment is aligned across all 27 EU member states. It says Mauritius and Seychelles receive 15 days, and that visa on arrival remains for nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. That July page gave 59 countries for the 30-day group where the later summary says 60, so treat the later figure as the count and the July page as a guide to the groups.
Thai embassies publish the full list as an infographic image. We could not read that image as text, so we do not reproduce a list here. Check your own nationality on the Thai embassy or consulate page that serves you, linked below.
## What the official pages say about limits
- **Tourism.** The Royal Thai Embassy in London describes the 30-day exemption as for tourism only. - **Twice a year.** The London embassy states that the visa exemption scheme allows entry only twice within a calendar year. The government pages we read do not say whether this applies at land borders, airports or both, and press reports describe it differently. Ask the embassy that serves you before you plan around it. - **Transition.** Travellers already in Thailand, or arriving before 15 September 2026, may stay until the end of the period shown on their immigration stamp. - **Existing agreements.** The July government page says separate bilateral arrangements continue to provide exemption periods of 90, 30 or 14 days, depending on the agreement. If your country is not in the new groups, check whether such an agreement covers you.
## The Destination Thailand Visa also changed
From 31 August 2026, individual Thai missions published two new requirements for DTV applications. You must be a national or legal or permanent resident of the country where you apply, and apply at the mission covering it. You must also supply a criminal-record or police clearance certificate. The age limit for that certificate differs by mission. The Washington D.C. embassy and the Los Angeles consulate state 3 months, and the London embassy states 6 months, with UK applicants using the ACRO certificate. Missions also now list proof of permanent residence in their area.
We found these on individual mission pages, not in a single published instrument from the foreign ministry, so confirm the current checklist with the mission that will handle your application. The mission pages we read are linked below. The core terms of the visa, five years and multiple entry with up to 180 days per entry, were not changed by these notices.
## If you are planning to rent in Thailand
A shorter exemption means a tighter window to view, choose and move in. If you are coming to find a home, line up viewings before you land. If you already know you are moving, compare the long-stay routes in our visa guides rather than relying on repeated short entries. Immigration officers apply the rules at their discretion and the rules change, so confirm your own situation with a Thai embassy or the official e-Visa portal before you travel.
## Sources
All sources below are Thai government pages. We read them on 11 October 2026.
- Revision of the Thai Visa Exemption and VoA Schemes 2026, effective 15 Sep 2026, national government portal, 2 September 2026 - Thai Cabinet approves updated visa measures pending Royal Gazette publication, national government portal, July 2026 - Royal Thai Embassy, London: visa exemption scheme - Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi: revision of visa exemption and VoA schemes
- DTV mission pages: Washington D.C., Los Angeles, London, Moscow, Rome, Osaka
BAANLYY is a listing portal, not a law firm, and this is not legal advice.