Thailand entry: 30-day exemptions, e-Visa and the TDAC

The September 2026 change: check the passport list

TAT’s update, read on 2026-10-07, says that the Ministry of Interior announcements were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and took effect on 15 September 2026. They ended the previous 60-day exemption measure. The new tourism exemption covers 60 countries and territories for up to 30 days. It is a permitted stay, not a visa you buy online.

The published list includes Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Malaysia, Maldives, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America.

Seychelles and Mauritius have a separate 15-day exemption. The same announcement names Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia for Visa on Arrival. It also says that separate bilateral and related arrangements continue, with stays of 90, 30 or 14 days depending on the agreement. Do not conclude that a nationality missing from the 30-day list necessarily needs a visa: check whether a separate arrangement applies. The embassy or immigration authority is the place to settle that question.

Land entries and a route that leaves Thailand

For the 30-day exemption, TAT says that entries through land-border immigration checkpoints are generally limited to twice per calendar year. It explicitly excludes nationals of Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Singapore from that limit, along with any other nationalities designated by the Minister. The 15-day exemption has a similar general land-entry limit, subject to designated exceptions.

That is a land-border rule in the cited announcement, not a blanket statement about every arrival by air. If your route crosses into Laos, Malaysia or another neighbour and then returns, check the entry route for each arrival. A single-entry visa and an exemption are different arrangements; do not assume the first stamp covers a second journey into the country.

We have not verified the operating hours or foreign-passport eligibility of individual land checkpoints for this guide. Choose the crossing only after checking it with the relevant authority and the transport operator. A border excursion should not be an improvised answer to a stay that is about to expire.

Use the official Thai e-Visa portal

TAT’s worldwide rollout notice identifies www.thaievisa.go.th as the official portal. From 1 January 2025, it says the electronic system operates across 94 Royal Thai Embassies and Consulates-General. The described process is to create an account, complete the application, upload documents, pay the applicable fee and receive the approved e-Visa electronically.

The article does not establish one fee or one processing time for every nationality and visa type, so neither is quoted here. Choose the visa that fits the purpose and length of your stay, follow the embassy’s current document instructions and apply early enough to resolve a mistake. A tourism route does not establish permission to work or study.

Keep the application and travel passport details consistent, and retain the approval in a form you can show while travelling. Before paying a website, check the address: a commercial service that appears in a search is not the official portal. This guide has not tested an application or payment.

The TDAC is the arrival card, not your visa

The Immigration Bureau’s Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) replaced the paper TM.6 from 1 May 2025. TAT’s launch guidance says it applies to foreign passport holders arriving by air, land or sea, including tourists, business travellers and long-term residents. The stated exceptions are transit or transfer without passing through immigration, and entry using a Border Pass.

TAT says submission can begin up to three days before the scheduled arrival. Its example is an arrival on 5 May with submission beginning on 2 May. Use https://tdac.immigration.go.th, rather than treating an agency form as the government system. Check the current instructions on the portal for your dates.

The information includes passport, personal and travel details, accommodation in Thailand and a basic health declaration. The guidance allows individual or group submission and updates before travel. Have your first accommodation details ready even if the rest of the route is flexible. Completing an arrival card does not replace a visa or change the permitted stay.

TAT describes exceptional help points at immigration checkpoints for travellers who cannot complete the form in advance and lack internet access. Treat that as a fallback, not the plan. We have not quoted a fee because this TAT article does not establish one, and the current portal FAQ has not been read for this guide.

Arrival day: check the stamp, then get to the right hotel

Our practical suggestion is to keep the day of arrival for immigration, the transfer, food and sleep. Check the permission recorded at entry and resolve any question with immigration before leaving the checkpoint. A long excursion booked for immediately after an overnight flight gives you very little room for delays.

Bangkok has two different airports: Suvarnabhumi (BKK) and Don Mueang (DMK). TAT’s 29 September 2026 travel update identified both, along with the Airport Rail Link and Red Line. That was a dated operating-status report, not an assurance about the day you fly. Check the code on the ticket and the actual route to your hotel; a domestic connection at the other airport needs a separate transfer.

For a first Bangkok stay, choose a lodging area for the next few days rather than simply the lowest room price. A riverside base can suit the old-city sights; a hotel near an urban rail station can suit a wider city route. Ask the hotel how to reach its actual entrance with luggage. No current airport-transfer fare or journey time has been verified here.

Before departure and before a change of plan

Use a final check shortly before departure: nationality and purpose of stay, passport requirements, visa or exemption, permitted length, arrival card, airport or border, and evidence the airline or authorities ask you to carry. The September 2026 exemption change is a good reason to prefer the current Thai authority over a saved screenshot from an older trip.

If you decide to stay longer, get advice from immigration or the responsible Thai authority before your permission expires. This guide does not quote extension fees or promise that an extension will be granted. Work, study and long-term residence need their own checks; a tourism exemption is not a substitute.

Book the longer route after entry is settled. Bangkok followed by one other region is a gentler first plan than an arrival, an immediate airport change and a ferry on the same day. A clear first night and an unhurried start give you room to make the rest of the holiday work.