Tourism Authority of Thailand
Thailand's government tourism promotion agency, which also issues entry-regime guidance.
Thailand's shorter visa-free stay took effect on 15 September 2026, cutting citizens of 60 countries from 60 days to 30, a change the Tourism Authority of Thailand had tracked since the Cabinet approved it on 19 May.
Last refreshed: 3 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Has Thailand officially published the 30-day visa-free cut in the Royal Gazette yet?
Timeline for Tourism Authority of Thailand
Mentioned in: Thailand limits land border runs to two
Nomads & CommunitiesConfirmed the 30-day cut was not yet in force and would provide updates once published
Nomads & Communities: Thailand's 60-day visa window still openBackground
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is the state agency that promotes Thailand as a destination and communicates official tourism policy to international audiences. Established in 1960, it operates under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and runs offices in major source markets abroad.
Its TAT Newsroom is the official English-language channel for government-approved tourism communications. Travel agents, airlines and immigration advisers cite its entry-condition guidance, which gives its bulletins weight on entry rules even though the binding instrument is publication in the Royal Gazette.
The agency's mandate to grow arrivals sits awkwardly with recent policy. The Cabinet framed its May 2026 decision to halve visa-free stays around higher-spending visitors after arrivals fell 3.4% year on year in the first quarter of 2026, leaving TAT to explain a rule that narrows access.
Thailand's 30-day stay took effect
On 31 August 2026 the Royal Gazette published four Interior Ministry announcements, and from 15 September citizens of 60 countries received a 30-day visa exemption instead of 60 days, with Seychelles and Mauritius cut to 15 days.
The gazetted text added a clause missing from reports of the Cabinet decision: land arrivals may claim the exemption no more than twice in a calendar year, a limit that does not apply to citizens of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and other designated countries. Travel agents and airlines rely on TAT's English-language bulletins for such changes. The priced long-stay route remains the Destination Thailand Visa, which sits outside the cut.
TAT confirmed the open 60-day window
On 23 June 2026 TAT confirmed that Thailand's 60-day visa-free entry remained in force at every border. The Cabinet had approved the cut to 30 days on 19 May, but the change waited on three Interior Ministry notices in the Royal Gazette and applied only from the 15th day after they appeared.
Until that publication, the 60-day window stayed valid for the 93 countries that had used it since July 2024. TAT's newsroom was the main English-language source confirming the gazette requirement, which made its bulletins the practical signal for travellers planning summer stays. The announcements finally appeared on 31 August, and the countdown ran to 15 September.
Has Thailand's 30-day visa limit been published in the Royal Gazette?
What is the Tourism Authority of Thailand and what does it do?
Where can I check whether Thailand's new visa rule has taken effect?
Why did Thailand cut its visa-free entry from 60 days to 30 days?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 3 October 2026. Editorial standards.