New visa regulations for entry into Thailand

The number of entries with a 30-day visa is now limited to 2 people.

Due to the recent changes to entry requirements for Thailand by land, border crossings have been shortened. Foreigners who are exempt from the visa waiver list and enter Thailand without a prior visa via border crossings in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Malaysia will now receive a 30-day visa waiver stamp twice per calendar year, from January 1st to December 31st.

According to a spokesperson for the Thai Immigration Bureau, the new regulation is intended to encourage foreigners to obtain the necessary visas from a Thai embassy before entering the country. The new regulation is also meant to limit the number of visa extensions that foreigners attempt to prolong their stay by repeatedly trying to re-enter Thailand.

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This change applies only to visitors who have not applied for a visa in advance and are entering by land. Travelers arriving at the airport without a visa will still receive a 30-day stamp up to six times per calendar year. Extending the visa exemption through the Thai Immigration Bureau remains valid for 30 days and costs 1,900 baht.

The only exception to the new rule is Malaysian passport holders entering from Malaysia, as they will continue to receive the 30-day stamps for unlimited visa exemption.

Good news for tourists: According to the new regulation from the Thai immigration authorities, visitors can now regularly enter Thailand without limiting their stay to a total of 90 days within a six-month period.

The restriction has already been lifted, so tourists can now visit Thailand as often as they like, provided they receive a 30-day visa upon arrival at the airport and a 15-day visa when entering via land borders.

However, immigration authorities still recommend obtaining a visa before entering Thailand, reminding visitors that applying for several short-term visas in succession is not the right way to extend their stay in the country long-term.

This new regulation is likely to significantly benefit travel agencies, as the increasing influx of tourists wishing to extend their visas is expected to lead to more bookings of border crossings.