Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Thailand’s cabinet has approved a major revision of its visa exemption policy, effectively cancelling the 60-day visa-free entry scheme for tourists from 93 countries and territories, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the updated measures are aimed at streamlining entry procedures and are driven by considerations of national security, tourism management, economic impact, and diplomatic reciprocity.

The new regulations are set to take effect 15 days after their publication in the official Royal Gazette.

Key changes to Thailand’s visa framework include a stricter rule allowing only one visa exemption scheme per country or territory, in order to eliminate overlapping privileges, said Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, Director General of the Department of Consular Affairs.

The most significant change is the full cancellation of the 60-day visa-free entry scheme for all previously eligible 93 countries and territories, he said during a press briefing.

In addition, the government has reduced the number of countries eligible for the 30-day visa exemption from 57 to 54, with this scheme now explicitly limited to tourism purposes only.

A new 15-day visa exemption category has also been introduced for a small number of countries and territories, while the visa-on-arrival program has been significantly reduced, with eligible jurisdictions cut from 31 to just four.

An interesting aspect of these changes is that Thailand appears to be shifting toward a more controlled, short-stay tourism model—balancing its dependence on tourism revenue with growing concerns over long-term stays, border management, and regional competition for high-value travelers.