No surprise following poll:

https://shorturl.at/8p3PP

I personally don't mind as, I never stay longer than 3 weeks but some may have other ideas and feelings about that. 

When is this supposed to take effect?  I didn't see any specific start date mentioned in the article.  I arrive 2/20 and am planning to stay 7 weeks.  Will my arrival next Friday still be under the 60-day rule, or the new 30-day rule?   

3 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

When is this supposed to take effect?

Still is the discussion stage, I doubt it would move forward in a weeks time...

6 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

When is this supposed to take effect?  I didn't see any specific start date mentioned in the article.  I arrive 2/20 and am planning to stay 7 weeks.  Will my arrival next Friday still be under the 60-day rule, or the new 30-day rule?   

I thought of you when I read the news @jimmie50 and I don't think you'll be affected. As @floridarob says, it's still being discussed and my guess is it'll only be implemented after Songkran, the start of the low leason.

14 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

When is this supposed to take effect?  I didn't see any specific start date mentioned in the article.  I arrive 2/20 and am planning to stay 7 weeks.  Will my arrival next Friday still be under the 60-day rule, or the new 30-day rule?   

Check stamp in your passport and it will have " admitted till " date

8 hours ago, vinapu said:

Check stamp in your passport and it will have " admitted till " date

lol.  Thank you, @vinapu, for your sage advice.  🤣   I do know to check the stamp date.  I was just trying to prepare myself in advance in case I needed to go apply for an extension...hence my question regarding the start date.  lol.  

Any updates on this possible change?  I understand the new government was approved by the King and sworn in to office very recently.  It was stated that among their top ten priorities was changing immigration laws.  

If reduced to 30 days, how difficult is it to get the 30-day extension?  Tracking airfares for my return to Bangkok, but unsure as to whether I should book a flight for 60 or 90 days.  If it remains the current 60 days through most of 2026 with the possibility of a 30-day extension I will book a 90-day return ticket.  If it is reduced to 30 days, I will just book 60 days, but purchase fully refundable ticket that I can change if necessary.  

I also plan on pursuing the METV, but am wanting to keep all of my options open.  At present I am not considering a retirement visa in Thailand because long term would be retirement in Cambodia...which I need to investigate.  One step at a time.  lol.  

4 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

    

 

 

Would a short trip to a neighbouring country trigger a reset ? 

10 hours ago, hank75 said:

Would a short trip to a neighbouring country trigger a reset ? 

I am not sure if that would trigger a reset on a 30-day VOA, especially if a 30-day extension is available.  

A reset is possible on the METV.  A short trip to a neighboring country after 60 days will get you a reset of 60 days when returning to Thailand.  Between resets and extensions, I think it is possible to stay in Thailand for something like 9 months.  

15 hours ago, jimmie50 said:

Any updates on this possible change?  I understand the new government was approved by the King and sworn in to office very recently.  It was stated that among their top ten priorities was changing immigration laws.  

If reduced to 30 days, how difficult is it to get the 30-day extension?  Tracking airfares for my return to Bangkok, but unsure as to whether I should book a flight for 60 or 90 days.  If it remains the current 60 days through most of 2026 with the possibility of a 30-day extension I will book a 90-day return ticket.  If it is reduced to 30 days, I will just book 60 days, but purchase fully refundable ticket that I can change if necessary.  

I also plan on pursuing the METV, but am wanting to keep all of my options open.  At present I am not considering a retirement visa in Thailand because long term would be retirement in Cambodia...which I need to investigate.  One step at a time.  lol.  

If you google 'Asean now' and look for the 'Thai visas, residency and work permits' forum that tends to keep abreast of the news on extensions and all visa issues.  My impression is that the first extension on 60 days is easy to get and most second extensions get refused. The foreign minister was reported saying yesterday he will propose reducing 60 days to 30 to the cabinet but no timeline was mentioned.  

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3235598/review-seeks-quality-tourists

Are you a quality tourist? 😏

53 minutes ago, mauRICE said:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3235598/review-seeks-quality-tourists

Are you a quality tourist? 😏

Also under consideration is a proposed requirement that tourists produce evidence of acceptable healthcare insurance as a condition to entry.

6 hours ago, Mavica said:

Also under consideration is a proposed requirement that tourists produce evidence of acceptable healthcare insurance as a condition to entry.

government is working overtime to make entering Thailand easier and easier . What's next? proof of sufficient funds in cash, say 1000 baht per day of intended stay, to make things easy in 20 baht notes only ?

On 4/12/2026 at 4:02 PM, vinapu said:

government is working overtime to make entering Thailand easier and easier . What's next? proof of sufficient funds in cash, say 1000 baht per day of intended stay, to make things easy in 20 baht notes only ?

"..to make things easy in 20 baht notes only ?"

 

Coins, surely?

6 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

"..to make things easy in 20 baht notes only ?"

 

Coins, surely?

Surely not a problem for most forum members who could easily show the immigration officers the precious florins and farthings they've accumulated from their days of youth. 😏

On 4/12/2026 at 9:55 AM, hank75 said:

Would a short trip to a neighbouring country trigger a reset ? 

Yes. A second entry on VE should be no problem, but from your third entry it's probably that you will be questioned by immigration about your reasons to come to Thailand.

On 4/12/2026 at 5:13 AM, jimmie50 said:

At present I am not considering a retirement visa in Thailand because long term would be retirement in Cambodia...which I need to investigate.

In that case, I recommend spending a long visa run from Thailand in Cambodia. You might find a way to spend your time Thailand and Cambodia that works both for 60 days VE in Thailand or 30 days.

Reported by Thaiger today - no date for changes yet: The Thai Cabinet has approved the cancellation of the 60 day visa-free entry scheme for over 90 countries. Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul announced that the policy will revert to previous criteria, primarily limiting visa-free stays to 30 days.

This decision follows concerns regarding national security and the misuse of long-term visa exemptions for illegal employment or criminal activities. Authorities intend to curb these risks while maintaining Thailand’s reputation as a secure destination for genuine tourists.

A newly established committee on visa policy will now review entry requirements for each country on an individual basis. The government expects this assessment to balance economic interests with national security requirements before finalizing future regulations.

As far as I know, the Thai Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is still available so people (like myself) will still be able to stay in the Kingdom for 2 months with the possibility of a 30-day extension, as long as they are willing to go through the application rigamarole & pay the fee (currently $200 US).

AS per BBC, link underneath.

 

UK citizens are among dozens of nationalities who will soon have to apply for a visa if they wish to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days.

Tourists from 93 countries have been able to visit without needing a visa for 60 days since July 2024, as part of a government effort to boost the economy following the Covid pandemic.

But it approved plans on Tuesday to revoke this exemption, with how long travellers can stay to now be decided on a country-by-country basis. It cited security and a confusing visa scheme among reasons for the change.

There have been a series of high-profile arrests of foreigners in the south-east Asian nation, including cases linked to drugs and sex trafficking.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government found the policy needed revising "to be more suitable for the current situation, both in terms of the economy and national security".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78q3qjqnn5o

my DTV got approved a week ago ✅

9 hours ago, tm_nyc said:

As far as I know, the Thai Multiple Entry Tourist Visa (METV) is still available so people (like myself) will still be able to stay in the Kingdom for 2 months with the possibility of a 30-day extension, as long as they are willing to go through the application rigamarole & pay the fee (currently $200 US).

The multiple entry visa is indeed still in effect, and costs $200, as @tm_nyc said.

There is also a single entry visa that costs $40, and is good for 60 days, with the possibility of a 30 day extension, for a fee of 1,900 baht, and a visit to immigration.

If you enter Thailand without a visa (visa exempt stamp), you can extend your stay for 30 days for a fee of 1,900 baht, and a visit to immigration.

The information posted here is current, from the Royal Thai Embassy, Washington,DC website:

 

 

The information provided above by @daydreamer is correct according to what the immigration officer recommended for me to do on future visits when I entered the kingdom in early May, as the 60 day visa on entry is definitely being reduced to 30 days.  The only question at the present time is when the new 30-day rule takes effect.  The immigration officer was unsure, but believed it will be around July 1.