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Thailand Cuts Visa-Free Stay to 30 Days: Samui Guide
· Luxy Samui
Since 15 September 2026, visitors from 60 countries enter Thailand visa-free for 30 days instead of 60.
Thailand has shortened its visa-free stay. Since 15 September 2026, travellers who enter under the visa exemption scheme receive 30 days instead of 60. The rule was published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026, after the cabinet approved it earlier in the year. It applies to all of Thailand, including arrivals who are on their way to Koh Samui.
Who gets 30 days
According to immigration firm Envoy Global and law firm Siam Legal, 60 countries and territories are on the 30-day list. The list includes the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, Singapore and most member states of the European Union, among them France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Switzerland is also listed.
- Travellers from Mauritius and the Seychelles receive 15 days.
- Visa on arrival is now offered to only three nationalities, down from 31: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia.
- Some countries have separate agreements with Thailand that give between 14 and 90 days.
Extensions and border rules
Siam Legal states that a visa-exempt visitor can ask for one extension of up to 30 more days at an immigration office. The standard fee is 1,900 baht. That gives a possible total of 60 days, but the extension is a request and not a right.
There is also a new limit at land borders. Visa-exempt travellers can enter by land only twice in a calendar year. Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exceptions. The limit does not apply to arrivals by air.
Why Thailand changed the rule
Envoy Global lists the stated aims of the government: national security, tourism and economic growth, more reciprocity with other countries, fewer overlapping immigration benefits and wider use of the e-Visa system.
What it means for your stay
Most holidays in Koh Samui last one to three weeks, so they fit easily inside 30 days. The change matters for long winter stays. If you plan to stay five to eight weeks, you have two options: apply for a tourist visa before you leave home, or plan a visit to the immigration office to request the 30-day extension. If you want to stay more than two months, a visa in advance is the safer choice. Rules differ by nationality, so check with the Thai embassy in your country before you book flights. Count your days from the day you land in Thailand, not from the day you reach the island. When your dates are fixed, you can check villa availability.
