Signing you in

The Royal Gazette, signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, sets out a new list of 60 countries and territories whose passport holders can enter Thailand for tourism without a visa and remain in the country for up to 30 days.

Thailand’s Cabinet approved an overhaul of its visa-exemption system in May, citing national security, tourism and economic interests, reciprocity, overlapping visa privileges and the availability of its e-Visa system. Thai media have also reported concerns that longer visa-free stays were being misused by some foreign visitors.

Thailand introduced its 60-day visa-exemption scheme in July 2024, expanding eligibility to passport holders from 93 countries and territories, including India. The scheme covered tourism, business engagements and urgent or ad-hoc work, and allowed immigration authorities to grant an extension of up to another 30 days at their discretion.

For several years, Thailand has allowed visitors from 56 countries to stay in the nation for 30 days, and two years ago the visa-free exemption was extended to 60 days and eligibility expanded to 93 countries. The Thai authorities have said that due to longer stays in the country, there’s been an increase in illegal activities by foreign nationals, Bangkok Post reported.

Indian passport holders will continue to be able to enter Thailand without obtaining a visa in advance for tourism, but their permitted visa-free stay will be reduced from 60 days to 30 days under the new system.

Indians who want to stay in Thailand for longer than 30 days can apply for an appropriate Thai e-Visa, according to the Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi.