Thailand plans to cut visa-free stay to 30 days

Thailand is officially planning to cut its visa-free stay from 60 days to just 30, in a bid to crack down on foreigners using the extended stay to run businesses illegally. The decision has already been agreed to in principle by several ministries, including the Foreign Ministry and the Tourism and Sports Ministry, but an official start date hasn’t been announced yet.

The change comes just months after Thailand expanded visa-free access to 93 countries, up from 57, and doubled the allowed stay from 30 to 60 days. But it didn’t take long for concerns to surface. Industry groups like the Association of Thai Travel Agents warned that some foreigners were using the visa to work illegally or run businesses without the proper permits. The Thai Hotels Association also linked the longer stays to a spike in illegal condo rentals being used as makeshift short-term accommodations.

In response, the government has ramped up enforcement. A special task force made up of six agencies is already investigating suspicious activity in hotspots like Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Koh Samui, and Bangkok. This year alone, 40 companies had their licenses revoked—15 of them in Phuket—for irregular changes in their leadership structures, which authorities suspect were attempts to disguise foreign-run businesses.

This visa change is the latest in a busy few months for Thailand’s immigration policies. In May, the country is expected to roll out Digital Arrival Cards for international travelers. It recently launched a streamlined Thailand eVisa application system, and earlier introduced relaxed visa rules for wealthy foreign professionals looking to live and work in the country long-term.

Despite the policy shifts, Thailand still hopes to hit its target of over 40 million international arrivals this year. But with tighter rules on the horizon, the country is clearly drawing a firmer line between tourism and business.