Thailand Reinstates 60-Day Visa-Free Entry for 93 Nationalities
Thailand doubles its visa-free stay to 60 days for passport holders from 93 countries starting June 1, 2024, while also rolling out new visas to attract digital nomads and remote workers.
Faced with the need to kick-start its still-fragile economy, Thailand has made sweeping changes to its visa policies in a bid to attract large numbers of overseas visitors. After initially extending tourist stays to 45 days, then rolling back to 30, the country now recognises that a bold return to long-stay visa-free access is the fastest way to put tourism back on track.
Key visa policy changes in Thailand
From 1 June 2024, passport holders from 93 countries may enter Thailand for up to 60 days without a visa—double the previous 30-day allowance and a sharp increase from the 57-nation list that previously benefited. While the exact roster had not been published earlier, officials have now confirmed who qualifies. The slate covers:
Update 30 May 2024 › the complete list of eligible nationalities: Albania, Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bhutan, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam
Correction: “Thailand” is not eligible; it has been removed from the list. Those already in-country under tourist status are unaffected.
Who benefits from the 60-day waiver
Tourists: Travellers from 93 countries may now visit for up to 60 consecutive days without requiring any entry visa.
International students: The post-graduation grace period has been extended to 365 days.
Retirees: Health-insurance requirements for retirement stays have been relaxed.
The measures are designed to reboot Thailand’s vital tourism sector. With 14.3 million foreign visitors already recorded between January and May 2024, officials hope to surpass 40 million arrivals by year-end, generating roughly 3.5 trillion baht in revenue.
A five-year visa aimed at remote workers and digital nomads
Anticipating a post-pandemic shift in working patterns, Thailand is launching a new visa category called the Destination Thailand Visa targeted at remote professionals and digital nomads. Valid for five years, the visa caps each stay at 180 days per entry—three times the current tourist limit—and offers multiple re-entries for the full validity period.
Expanding visa-on-arrival access for freelancers
Thailand has also widened the roster of nationalities that may obtain a visa on arrival from 19 to 31 countries. The enlarged pool—now confirmed—includes:
Update 30 May 2024 › countries now eligible for visa on arrival: Armenia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Georgia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malta, Mexico, Namibia, Nauru, Paraguay, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam (a succession of nations that will facilitate easier entry and short-term stays for self-employed workers and freelancers)
Thailand to roll out Electronic Travel Authorisation in 2025
By December 2024 Thailand will begin phasing in an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, mirroring the pre-clearance models used by Australia, Canada and the United States. Full implementation is scheduled for mid-2025.
Starting June 2025, every traveller entering visa-free will have to secure an ETA before departure. The digital pre-screening is expected to smooth frontier checks and help authorities manage tourist inflows more efficiently.
Spécialiste de la veille réglementaire et experte en contenus destinations, elle analyse quotidiennement l’évolution des formalités d’entrée pour traduire la complexité administrative en guides pratiques. Son rôle combine expertise terrain et précision technique afin de garantir la fiabilité des informations délivrées aux voyageurs.
