Thailand weighs visa-free stay changes to curb illegal acts
Tourism Minister Surasak says Thailand is reviewing the visa-free stay period for over 90 countries amid concerns over illegal work and nominee activity.
- The Thai government is considering reducing the visa-free stay period for tourists from the current 60 days down to 30 days.
- This proposed change aims to curb illegal activities by visitors who misuse the long stay period to work illegally or engage in improper business.
- The government states the reduction would not affect the majority (90%) of tourists who typically stay for less than 30 days.
- The policy's goal is to attract "genuinely high-quality tourists" and shift focus from visitor quantity to quality and income generation.
At a joint sitting of Parliament on April 10, 2026, at Parliament House, Surasak Phancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, said during the Cabinet’s policy statement to Parliament that the government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was conducting a preliminary study into reviewing visa exemptions, or visa-free entry, for tourists from more than 90 countries to attract genuinely high-quality visitors to Thailand.
“On the visa-free issue, Thailand has, over the past period, granted visa-free entry to tourists from more than 90 countries, allowing them to stay in Thailand for 60 days. Over the past period, however, the Visa Policy Committee has gathered data and studied whether a 60-day stay in Thailand is appropriate,” Surasak said.
Surasak explained that 90% of tourists stay in Thailand for between one and 30 days, meaning that nearly 10% remain for more than 30 days. The committee, therefore, has a clear direction that the 60 days allowed under the visa-free scheme should be reduced so that it better reflects actual travel behaviour.
He said allowing tourists to stay for too long meant some were no longer really tourists. Some groups had come in to take jobs from Thais, acted as nominees in certain cases and engaged in improper activities. The study therefore indicated clearly that reducing the visa-free stay to 30 days would not affect most tourists visiting the country. As for the remaining nearly 10% who stay longer than 30 days, there is another visa category, the Destination Thailand Visa, or DTV, which allows a stay of up to 180 days.
“This measure will limit the period of stay to ensure that Thailand attracts genuinely high-quality tourists. It is not only about regulating the duration of stay. In the end, all countries that currently enjoy visa-free entry must also be reviewed to determine which ones remain appropriate, because we want quality tourists. The policy is clear that we want to raise quality rather than quantity, and generate income rather than simply focus on volume. This is one of the mechanisms the ministry must pursue,” Surasak said.
On the issue of the proposed tourist entry fee, he said Thailand would not be the first country to implement such a measure. Only a few countries had yet to do so, while many others were increasing similar charges. The money collected would go into a fund to support tourism management as well as life and accident insurance for tourists. If such a fund were in place, he said, it would not come from the state budget or place a burden on medical treatment costs for people in the country, because tourists would be clearly covered by life and accident insurance.
The Tourism and Sports Minister said he believed the measure would help build confidence among tourists. The money collected could also be used to improve tourist attractions, toilets and safety, or be returned on a per-head basis to communities and local areas that receive large numbers of visitors.
On efforts to encourage more Thais to travel within the country by supporting the upgrading of tourism destinations, he said it must be acknowledged that, under current global conditions, with high living costs and rising fuel prices, measures were still needed to encourage Thais to travel domestically in order to stimulate tourism. The focus would be on greater use of mass transit, including rail and shared transport, which he said was a policy the ministry would move forward with and push immediately.
At the same time, the government will restructure the Ministry of Tourism and Sports by placing tourism under cultural administration and management, while separating sports into a standalone ministry. He said tourism and culture were closely aligned, while separating sports would give the sector a clearer direction and allow athletes to be developed more seriously into professional competitors. Likewise, the development of athletes towards excellence would become more clearly defined.
On concerns raised by senators over abandoned sports stadiums in many provinces, he said this government, under his leadership, would have to turn disused stadiums back into functioning facilities. The solution, he said, was not just a matter of budget, but also involved transfer issues and land ownership, with many matters requiring committees to work together seriously.
On support for athletes, he said he agreed that the current structure of daily allowances and related support should be reviewed to improve morale among athletes.
On sports, the government will focus on sports science and a clearer separation of the sports sector. The organisation of various events must genuinely benefit the country. Value for money must be considered, rather than staging events simply because we want to, without looking at anything else. Every world event in Thailand can be held, but it must be worthwhile in many respects. If it is not worthwhile, it must be considered very carefully at a time like this, given the state of the economy. Even so, support will be given to the fullest extent, with value for money as the main principle,” the minister said.
