You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

June 4, 2026

Thailand Tightens Visa Policies for Visitors

Subscribe to Updates

On May 19, 2026, the Cabinet of the Royal Thai Government approved, in principle, revisions to Thailand’s visa exemption scheme and visa on arrival (VOA) program, as proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. The revisions represent a tightening of Thailand’s immigration framework and will affect a broad range of short-term visitors.

Background

On July 15, 2024, Thailand expanded its visa exemption scheme by increasing the permitted period of visa-exempt stay from 30 days to 60 days in order to promote tourism, support the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery, and facilitate international travel.

Under this revised scheme, passport holders from 93 countries and territories (an increase from the previous 57 countries and territories) have been permitted to enter Thailand without a visa and remain in the country for up to 60 days per entry for purposes including tourism, business engagements, urgent work, and ad hoc assignments. In addition, eligible visitors may apply at the Thai Immigration Bureau for a further 30-day extension of stay.

Key Changes

The proposed revisions would revoke the current 60-day exemption and reinstate the previous stay period, thereby reducing the maximum permitted stay for eligible travelers to 30 days per entry. In addition, the number of countries and territories eligible under the 30-day visa-exemption scheme is expected to be reduced to 54.

The scope of the VOA scheme would likewise be significantly narrowed, with the number of eligible countries reduced from 31 countries to just four (Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, and India).

Further, Thailand is expected to introduce a new 15-day visa exemption category for nationals of Seychelles, the Maldives, and Mauritius.

The revised framework would also limit each country or territory to a single visa exemption privilege in order to simplify Thailand’s immigration framework and reduce overlapping immigration privileges.

Overstay Penalties

Foreign nationals are reminded that remaining in Thailand beyond their permitted period of stay constitutes an offense under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979). Overstay penalties may include imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to THB 20,000, or both. In practice, a fine of THB 500 per day, capped at THB 20,000, is generally imposed.

The duration of a re-entry ban can range from one to 10 years, depending on the length of the overstay and whether the individual leaves Thailand voluntarily or is arrested by the authorities. More severe consequences may apply where a foreign national is arrested while overstaying, including deportation and a prohibition on re-entering Thailand for five years when the overstay is one year or less, or 10 years when the overstay is more than one year.

Next Steps and Timeline

Although the Cabinet has approved the proposed revisions in principle, the new measures are not yet in effect. The detailed implementation framework is expected to be set out in Ministry of Interior notifications, which will become effective 15 days after publication in the Government Gazette.

Foreign nationals who enter Thailand before the new measures take effect may continue to remain in Thailand until the expiry of their existing permitted period of stay. Thereafter, foreign nationals entering Thailand will need to rely on (i) the revised visa exemption and VOA schemes, (ii) applicable bilateral visa exemption agreements, or (iii) an appropriate visa obtained through Thailand’s e-visa system.

Implications for Businesses and Foreign Nationals

The revisions to the visa exemption scheme and VOA scheme signal a significant shift in Thailand’s immigration policy toward stricter oversight of foreign nationals entering and staying in the country. The changes are expected to materially affect foreign nationals who currently rely on visa exemption privileges for business travel, project-related activities, or extended stays in Thailand.

In particular, foreign nationals who currently rely on the 60-day visa exemption may face shorter permitted periods of stay. Nationals of countries no longer eligible for visa exemption may be required to obtain a visa prior to travel, while nationals of countries removed from the VOA scheme may no longer be able to obtain entry permission upon arrival in Thailand.

Accordingly, it is suggested that businesses and foreign nationals should review their existing immigration arrangements, assess whether alternative visa categories may be more appropriate, and closely monitor the relevant notifications in the Government Gazette for implementation updates.

Foreign nationals intending to remain in Thailand for longer periods or engage in work-related activities should consider obtaining an appropriate visa category from the outset, such as a non-immigrant “B” visa, SMART visa, Destination Thailand visa, or long-term resident visa.

Related Professionals

Practices

Corporate/M&A

Employment

Location

RELATED INSIGHTS​ 

September 30, 2025
Over the past several years, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, Thai employees and labor unions have faced reductions in benefits and welfare from their employers. Consequently, they have pursued various strategies to enhance their compensation packages. One such approach involves establishing employee committees to negotiate with employers regarding benefits and welfare. Additionally, companies with existing unions typically nominate representatives to serve on these employee committees. Many employers, however, remain unfamiliar with both the committee’s role and the heightened procedural requirements that apply when disciplinary measures are contemplated against committee members. Because any violation of a committee member’s statutory rights can expose the employer—and its directors or authorized representatives—to criminal liability, a clear understanding of the relevant legal framework is essential. The Labor Relations Act B.E. 2518 (LRA) provides the statutory foundation for establishing employee committees. The purpose of the committee is to promote harmonious industrial relations and create a formal channel through which employees and employers can discuss workplace matters on a regular basis. Any workplace that employs at least fifty employees must, upon request by employees or the labor union, facilitate the creation of a committee. Members may be elected directly by employees or, where applicable, appointed by the labor union. Each member serves a three-year term. The LRA prescribes minimum committee sizes based on the employer’s headcount, as shown in the table below. If union members constitute more than 20 percent of the total workforce, the union must appoint at least one more committee member than the number of nonunion members elected by the general workforce. If union membership exceeds 50 percent of the workforce, the union acquires the exclusive right to appoint every committee member. Where multiple unions exist and their combined appointments would exceed the statutory committee size, the employer may lawfully refuse to
Read More
September 30, 2025
Vietnam’s higher education system is at a pivotal stage of reform, with the government taking decisive steps to strengthen its policy and regulatory framework. In response to obstacles encountered during the implementation of the Law on Higher Education, issued in 2012 and amended in 2018, the third draft of the amended Law on Higher Education (Draft Law) is scheduled for submission to the National Assembly in October 2025. The Draft Law reflects the state’s commitment to aligning the education sector with international standards while addressing persistent structural challenges. The Draft Law emphasizes clarifying institutional mandates, enhancing accountability, and modernizing governance models to enable higher education institutions to operate with greater autonomy and efficiency. Against this backdrop, we outline below several notable provisions of the third draft and their potential implications for higher education institutions (HEIs) in Vietnam. Applicable Entities In addition to HEIs as defined and covered under existing legislation, the Draft Law extends its scope of applicable entities. The current Law on Higher Education does not regulate training institutions under state agencies, the armed forces, or political and social organizations, nor does it provide specific provisions for institutions offering only postgraduate education. To address this, the Draft Law introduces the term “institutions with higher education activities,” expanding its scope to include: (a) academies and research institutes established by the prime minister, mandated to provide doctoral-level training; (b) educational institutions affiliated with state agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations, and the people’s armed forces, authorized to offer higher education programs in their specialized fields; and (c) institutions established pursuant to international treaties or by decision of the prime minister, with authorization to deliver certain levels of higher education. The inclusion of “institutions with higher education activities” represents a significant development both legally and institutionally. In an increasingly diversified higher education
Read More
September 29, 2025
In September 2019, the government of Vietnam issued Decree No. 75/2019/ND-CP on Administrative Sanctions in the Field of Competition (Decree 75) to address the urgent need for clear sanctioning mechanisms following the implementation of the new Law on Competition in July 2019. However, after five years of enforcement, various gaps and inconsistencies have been exposed that hinder its application. These shortcomings have reduced the deterrent effect of the sanctioning regime, and created legal uncertainty for market participants. A recent case involving Duc Giang – Lao Cai Chemicals’ acquisition of another chemical company—one of the first cases of economic concentration violation to be sanctioned by the National Competition Commission (NCC) since the Law on Competition took effect—highlights the practical difficulties under Vietnam’s competition law enforcement regime. In this case, although the transaction exceeded the statutory notification thresholds of economic concentration set out in the law, the parties failed to submit the required notification. This violation resulted in the NCC imposing aggregate fines of VND 1,423,982,880 (approximately USD 54,770) on the companies in September 2024. On appeal, Duc Giang – Lao Cai Chemicals argued that the chairman of the NCC was legally entitled to issue a warning as the key punishment instead of a monetary penalty. However, the chairman rejected the appeal, citing Article 14 of Decree 75, under which the specific penalty and level for “failure to notify economic concentration” is a fine, not a warning. While the chairman of the NCC is generally empowered to impose penalties, a warning cannot be applied if the specific regulation for a particular violation does not provide for it as a sanction. This example shows the inadequacy and inconsistency of the regulations on penalties for violations of competition law, and underscores the need for an amendment of Decree 75 to resolve such conflicts
Read More
September 26, 2025
As Vietnam accelerates its digital transformation, data centers have emerged as critical infrastructure supporting the shift toward a digital government, digital economy, and digital society. For businesses targeting Vietnam’s rapidly growing data center market, a clear understanding of the evolving regulatory landscape, compliance obligations, and government incentives is key to successful market entry and operation. This article provides a strategic overview of investment opportunities and key compliance requirements in Vietnam’s dynamic data center sector. Investment Incentives to Boost Data Center Growth Since July 1, 2024, organizations and individuals across all economic sectors have been encouraged to invest in and contribute to the development of data centers. By law, there are no restrictions on shareholding ratios, capital contributions, or foreign investor participation in data center and cloud computing services under business cooperation contracts. Currently, investment in AI data centers is classified as a specially incentivized industry, qualifying for preferential treatments and incentives in terms of investment, taxation, land use, and other related areas. Large-scale data centers, together with AI and cloud computing, are currently considered as strategic technologies and products for which Vietnam offers significant fiscal, tax, and land incentives to promote investment. Additionally, these large-scale projects may receive direct financial support from local development budgets for facility construction, technical infrastructure, and equipment procurement, subject to state budget provisions and applicable laws. AI data center construction projects also enjoy preferential treatment under customs regulations. Regulatory Approvals for Providing Data Center Services The 2023 Telecom Law and its guiding documents marked a significant milestone by classifying data center services as value-added telecom services. Under the law, a data center service is defined as a telecom service that enables users to process, store, and retrieve information via a telecom network through the leasing of part or all of a data center. A
Read More