In a bid to curb the misuse of visa-free stays for illegal business activities, the Thai government has decided to halve the number of days tourists can remain in Thailand without a visa.
Llast year, Thailand decided to allow passport holders from 93 (instead of the previous 57) countries to stay in the country visa-free for up to 60 days in a bid to attract more travellers. However, the Southeast Asian nation is now reversing that decision by reducing the duration of visa-free stays to 30 days.
According to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, most tourists stay in the country for between seven and 21 days. This suggests that the impact of the change on overall tourism numbers and revenue should be limited, though not negligible. Thai officials are aiming to surpass 39 million tourist arrivals in 2025. Data from ForwardKeys indicates that approximately seven per cent of bookings to Thailand in January and February 2025 were for stays of over 22 nights, according to data from Forward Keys.
“The Foreign Ministry has acknowledged concerns raised by stakeholders, and while the change has been agreed upon in principle, further discussions will finalise the details before an official announcement”, the Public Relations Department wrote in a statement.
Thailand received 7.66 million foreign tourists from 1 Jan to 9 Mar 2025, generating roughly USD 11.25B, according to Govt. Dep. Spokesperson Sasikarn. Top visitors included China, Malaysia, Russia, South Korea & India. Q1 GDP is projected to exceed 3.3% due to strong tourism. pic.twitter.com/sttqZL4qed
— PR Thai Government (@prdthailand) March 12, 2025
Main purposes of the shortened visa-free stay
The move is expected to limit the number of foreigners illegally working and operating businesses, a concern raised by the Association of Thai Travel Agents. The amount of illegal condo rentals to foreign visitors, which has been on the rise since the implementation of the 60-day visa-free stay according to Thai Hotels Association, should be diminished as well.
“The Tourism Department has been instructed to strictly enforce regulations, particularly the Tourism Business and Tourist Guide Act. A special joint task force—including the Tourism Police—is investigating illegal business activities in major tourism hubs such as Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, and Bangkok. In 2024, 40 tourism business licenses were revoked, including 15 tour companies in Phuket, due to regulatory violations”, the statement continues.
At present, it remains unclear when the new 30-day visa-free period will take effect.
