Thailand visa from 15 September: visa-free stay cut to 30 days
From 15 September 2026, travellers from Russia, Kazakhstan and 60 other countries can stay in Thailand without a visa for 30 days instead of 60. Here is how to extend your stay in Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket, what changes for visa runs and which visa Belarusians now need.
From 15 September 2026, Thailand has cut visa-free stays for Russians and travellers from other countries from 60 to 30 days. The rule also applies to citizens of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, the EU countries, the UK, the US and several dozen other states. For Russians and Kazakhs, the 30 days are granted under bilateral agreements with Thailand; for everyone else, under the government's new list of 60 countries. Visa-free entry is for tourism only: you cannot work or do business on it.
If you arrived before 15 September, there is nothing to recalculate: you can stay until the date in your entry stamp. If the border officer gave you 60 days on 14 September, all 60 days remain valid.
If 30 days is not enough, you can extend your stay once by up to 30 more days without leaving the country. The fee is 1,900 baht, and the immigration officer decides whether to grant the extension and for how long. Bring:
1. Your passport and a copy of the photo page and the entry stamp.
2. A 4×6 cm photo.
Extensions are handled at the immigration office in the city where you are staying:
Pattaya - immigration office in Jomtien
Bangkok - Immigration Division 1 at the Chaeng Watthana Government Complex, Building B
Phuket - immigration office in Phuket Town
The offices are open on weekdays from 8:30 with a lunch break. The queue for extensions closes well before the end of the working day, so it is best to come in the morning.
The second restriction concerns land borders. Visa-free entries through land checkpoints are now limited to two per calendar year; there is no such limit for arrivals by air. This is how the authorities are curbing overland visa runs.
Citizens of Belarus no longer qualify for visa-free entry. Instead, they can get a 15-day visa on arrival for a fee of 2,000 baht.
Before you fly, prepare three things:
1. The TDAC arrival card - fill it in for free on the official immigration website no earlier than 72 hours before arrival. Websites that charge for it are fake.
2. A return or onward ticket - with a departure date within your permitted stay.
3. The address where you will be staying. At the border you may also be asked to show that you have enough money for the trip.
Do not stay longer than permitted. Each day of overstay costs 500 baht, up to a maximum of 20,000. If you overstay by more than 90 days and report to immigration yourself, you will be banned from entering the country for one year; for more than a year, for three years. If an overstayer is arrested, the ban is 5 years even for an overstay of less than a year.
If you plan to live in Thailand longer, you need to get a visa before your trip on the official e-Visa portal of Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Remote workers, athletes coming to train in Muay Thai and people travelling for medical treatment can apply there for the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV). It is issued for 5 years, allows stays of up to 180 days per entry and costs 10,000 baht, with at least 500,000 baht required in your bank account. Since 31 August, DTV applications must include a criminal record certificate and be submitted through the consulate of your country of citizenship or permanent residence.
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