Thailand's 60-day visa exemption ended on 15 September: why your stamp still counts

Thailand's 60 day visa exemption no longer exists for new arrivals: from 15 September 2026, visa exempt travellers get 30 days, but if you were admitted under the 60 day scheme before that date, you keep the stay stamped in your passport. The Royal Thai Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan states it plainly: foreigners already in Thailand under the current exemption schemes, and those who travel before the effective date, "may stay until the expiry of their permitted period of stay". The change was published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. So do not rebook a flight because of a headline. Read your stamp.

Is Thailand still 60 day visa free?

No, not for anyone landing on or after 15 September 2026. The 60 day exemption ran from 15 July 2024 and covered 93 countries and territories, with one extension of up to 30 days at an immigration office. On 19 May 2026 the Cabinet approved, in the words of the Royal Thai Embassy in Bandar Seri Begawan, "revoking the 60-day visa exemption scheme for all 93 countries/territories".

Three things replaced it, announced on 1 September 2026:

1. A 30 day exemption for 60 countries and territories, granted for tourism.
2. A 15 day exemption for Mauritius and Seychelles.
3. Visa on arrival for Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia only.

Does a 60 day stamp granted before 15 September 2026 still count?

Yes. The permission you received at the counter is the one that binds, and the new rules do not shorten it. The Bandar Seri Begawan embassy notice of 21 May 2026 covers both groups: people already in Thailand under the old schemes, and people who travel before the effective date. Both "may stay until the expiry of their permitted period of stay". Press coverage in September 2026 gives the same reading: travellers admitted before the new rules take effect keep the period of stay granted on entry.

The detail that matters is what your stamp says. The Royal Thai Embassy in London explains that "the immigration stamp will specify the last date on which travellers are permitted to stay in Thailand". It prints a date, not a number of days. That date is your deadline, whatever the rules say for people landing after you.

A few worked examples, counting the day of arrival as day one (the same method our Visa Check uses):

Always trust the date the officer printed over any calculation, including ours. If the two differ, the stamp wins.

What changed in the Thailand tourist visa exemption rules on 15 September 2026?

The stay per entry halved, the list of eligible countries shrank, and land entries became capped. The regulations were gazetted on 31 August 2026 and took effect on 15 September 2026.

The purpose has not changed. The new exemptions are granted for tourism, and you should not treat them as permission to work in Thailand. If you work remotely for months at a time, that is the point to take seriously. The land cap and its effect on visa runs are covered in our post on the end of the border run.

Can you still extend a 60 day visa exemption stamp?

Yes, you can apply for one extension of up to 30 days, but approval is at the officer's discretion. The 2024 framework you were admitted under allowed a 60 day stay "which can be extended at the Immigration Office for another period not exceeding 30 days", in the words of the July 2024 announcement. The 2026 embassy notice lets you stay until your permitted period ends and does not withdraw that option.

The extension works the same way as for the new 30 day entries, on the procedure in place on 5 September 2026:

1. Go in person to a Thai immigration office before your stamped date.
2. Fill in form TM.7 and bring your passport, photocopies of the photo page and the entry stamp, one 4 x 6 cm photo and proof of your Thai address, plus your TM30 residence notification if you have it.
3. Pay the fee of 1,900 THB for an extension of temporary stay.

Approval is not automatic, and the immigration officer makes the final decision. We would go early in the window, not on the last day. If something goes wrong, you still have time to book a flight. Missing the date means an overstay fine at departure, as our post on overstaying by three days explains.

Which countries are on the Thailand visa exemption list now?

Sixty countries and territories qualify for the 30 day exemption from 15 September 2026, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) publishes the full numbered list. It includes Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. If your passport was on the old 93 country list but is missing from the new one, check which tier now applies to you before you book, or plan on a visa.

Check your own passport against the TAT list, or run it through our Visa Check, which reads the same dated rules.

How can you still get 60 days in Thailand after 15 September 2026?

The simplest route is a tourist visa, which gives up to 60 days per entry. The Royal Thai Embassy in London states that the tourist visa "lets holders visit Thailand for tourism purposes for up to 60 days", in single entry and multiple entry (METV) versions, applied for online before you fly.

Your realistic options from 15 September 2026:

1. Enter on the 30 day exemption and extend once for up to 30 days at 1,900 THB. That reaches 60 days if the officer approves.
2. Apply for a tourist visa before travel for 60 days on entry, with the same 30 day extension available.
3. For stays of several months while working remotely, look at the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), which our Thailand visa costs table compares with the other routes.

If you want certainty about 60 days, we would take the second option: the first depends on an officer saying yes.

If you are already inside Thailand on an old 60 day stamp, none of this applies until you leave. Your next entry is judged under the new rules, and that is when the 30 day limit starts to matter for you.

Updated on 25 September 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm with the official source linked above before you act.