Thailand has reduced the visa-exempt entitlement for UK passport holders, scaling back the 60-day visa-exempt entry that was introduced in July 2024. The new rule is published by the Thai Immigration Bureau and is reflected in updated Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel advice on gov.uk. The change is operational at all immigration checkpoints from the published effective date.
Last reviewed: May 2026
TL;DR: The Thai Immigration Bureau has cut the visa-exempt stay for UK passport holders from the 60 days that applied under the July 2024 regime back to 30 days per entry. The 30-day stamp may still be extended by 30 days inside Thailand at an immigration office for a THB 1,900 fee. Travellers planning a longer stay now need either a tourist visa (TR) obtained from a Thai embassy or e-Visa portal, the longer Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) for digital nomads and remote workers, or an Education / Retirement / Marriage visa as appropriate. The TM6 digital arrival card remains mandatory. Verify the current position on immigration.go.th and gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand before booking.
- UK passport holders receive a 30-day visa-exempt stamp on arrival under the new rule, down from the 60 days available since July 2024.
- An in-country 30-day extension remains available at an immigration office for a fee of THB 1,900, taking the maximum visa-exempt stay to 60 days.
- The Tourist Visa (TR) issued at a Thai mission abroad or via the official e-Visa portal continues to give 60 days, extendable in country.
- The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV), introduced in July 2024 for digital nomads and remote workers, is unchanged and grants up to 180 days per entry over a five-year validity.
- The TM6 digital arrival card is mandatory for all foreign arrivals and is filed online before boarding.
What changed at the Thai border in 2026
From the effective date published in the Thai Immigration Bureau notice, UK passport holders arriving without a pre-issued visa receive a 30-day permitted stay on the visa-exempt stamp. The previous 60-day stamp, granted under the regime announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 2024 and implemented across the immigration network shortly after, no longer applies on visa-exempt entry.
The change is procedural rather than substantive in the sense that a 30-day visa-exempt entry has been the historic norm for UK passport holders. The 60-day extension granted in July 2024 was a deliberate liberalisation that swept up 93 nationalities, and the Bureau's announcement frames the reversion as a response to enforcement and overstay data accumulated over the intervening period. The 30-day rule restores the framework that applied before July 2024 for UK arrivals.
UK passport holders flying into Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Don Mueang (DMK), Phuket (HKT), Chiang Mai (CNX), Krabi (KBV) and the smaller international gateways are processed under the new rule from the effective date. Land border entries at the Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia crossings continue to be permitted on the visa-exempt basis with the same 30-day permitted stay.
Why Thailand has scaled back the visa-exempt entitlement
The July 2024 expansion to 60 days was promoted by the Thai tourism authorities and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of a wider push to recover post-pandemic visitor numbers, with a target of 40 million annual international arrivals. The 60-day allowance was paired with the new Destination Thailand Visa for digital nomads, the expansion of e-Visa coverage, and a softening of in-country reporting requirements for long-stay residents.
The Immigration Bureau and the Royal Thai Police have flagged a rise in overstay and irregular work concerns during the 60-day period, with monthly data published on the Bureau's enforcement statistics page. Public commentary from the Bureau, summarised by Thai-language media and reported in the English-language Thai outlets, identifies undeclared work on the visa-exempt route, residence-pattern abuses among repeat visitors, and immigration office workload as the primary drivers of the policy reversal.
The Bureau has been clear in its statements that the change is not a tightening of visa policy generally and that visa-required nationalities, the e-Visa system, the DTV, retirement visas and education visas are unaffected. The Foreign Office's gov.uk travel advice page for Thailand carries the equivalent UK-government framing of the change.
The 30-day extension that keeps the 60-day option open
UK passport holders who arrive on the 30-day visa-exempt stamp may extend their stay by a further 30 days at an immigration office inside Thailand. The fee is THB 1,900 and the process requires one TM7 application form, a passport-size photograph and a copy of the passport bio page and the entry stamp. The extension is granted at the discretion of the immigration officer and the success rate for first-time tourist extensions is high in practice, but it is not a right.
The major immigration offices that handle tourist extensions are at Chaeng Watthana in Bangkok, at the Phuket office in Phuket Town, at Chiang Mai's Promenada and at Pattaya. Some smaller offices also process extensions. Queues lengthened at Chaeng Watthana in the months following the July 2024 expansion as the office absorbed a higher caseload, and the same queueing pattern is expected at the major centres now that more travellers will need to extend in country.
The Tourist Visa (TR) and the e-Visa portal
UK travellers who plan a stay of more than 30 days, or who would prefer to lock in a 60-day permission before flying, can apply for a single-entry Tourist Visa (TR) at a Thai embassy or consulate, or through the official Thai e-Visa portal at thaievisa.go.th. The TR grants 60 days on arrival and may be extended by a further 30 days in country for the THB 1,900 fee, taking the maximum stay to 90 days.
The e-Visa portal accepts UK applications and issues the visa electronically before travel. The standard fee is in the range of GBP 30 to GBP 40 depending on the embassy, and processing is normally completed within five to ten working days. The visa is annotated electronically in the e-Visa system and the traveller presents the electronic confirmation at check-in and at the Thai border.
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) for longer stays
For UK travellers who plan extended stays, the Destination Thailand Visa launched in July 2024 remains the headline long-stay product. The DTV is a multiple-entry visa valid for five years and grants up to 180 days per entry, renewable in country for a further 180 days. It is aimed at digital nomads, remote workers for foreign employers, freelance professionals and cultural activities such as Muay Thai or Thai cookery study.
The DTV fee is THB 10,000 (approximately GBP 230). Applicants need to evidence financial standing of at least THB 500,000 (approximately GBP 11,500) and submit evidence of remote work, employer attestation or course enrolment. The visa is granted at the Thai embassy or via the e-Visa portal and is not affected by the visa-exempt change.
What UK travellers need to do before flying
Before flying to Thailand on a UK passport, travellers should confirm three things. First, that the trip fits within the 30-day visa-exempt stamp, or that an appropriate visa has been issued before departure. Second, that the passport has at least six months of validity from the date of arrival in Thailand and at least one blank page for the entry stamp. Third, that the mandatory TM6 digital arrival card has been completed online ahead of boarding.
The TM6 digital arrival card is submitted on the official portal and is required for all foreign arrivals by air, land and sea. The form captures passport details, the address in Thailand and the planned departure date. The traveller carries the QR-code confirmation to the border, where it is matched against the passenger record.
UK travellers are also expected to be able to evidence onward travel and sufficient funds. Spot checks at the border are not common but the legal basis exists, and airlines are required by the Bureau's carrier guidance to confirm an onward ticket before boarding for any visa-exempt entry. A return ticket or a confirmed onward ticket out of Thailand satisfies the carrier check.
Enforcement and overstay penalties
Overstay penalties in Thailand are unchanged by the new rule. The Bureau's schedule sets a fine of THB 500 per day of overstay up to a cap of THB 20,000. Overstays beyond 90 days trigger an automatic ban of one to ten years depending on the length of the overstay, and overstays that come to light at the airport on departure are processed at the immigration desk before the traveller is permitted to board.
The gov.uk travel advice page for Thailand sets out the British government position on consular assistance in overstay cases. The Foreign Office cannot intervene in immigration enforcement decisions and travellers who overstay are processed under Thai law. Carrying a printout of the entry stamp or the e-Visa confirmation makes resolution easier in the small number of cases where the passport stamp is unclear.
Frequently asked questions
How many days can UK citizens stay in Thailand visa-free in 2026?
UK passport holders arriving without a pre-issued visa receive a 30-day visa-exempt stamp from the effective date of the Immigration Bureau's 2026 change. The previous 60-day stamp introduced in July 2024 no longer applies on visa-exempt entry.
Can I extend the 30-day visa-exempt stamp in country?
Yes. The visa-exempt stamp may be extended once by 30 days at a Thai immigration office for a fee of THB 1,900, on a TM7 form with a passport photograph and copies of the passport bio page and entry stamp. The extension is at the immigration officer's discretion but is granted routinely.
Is the Destination Thailand Visa affected by this change?
No. The Destination Thailand Visa launched in July 2024 is unchanged. It remains a five-year multiple-entry visa for digital nomads and remote workers with up to 180 days per entry and a THB 10,000 fee.
Do I still need to file a TM6 digital arrival card?
Yes. The TM6 digital arrival card is mandatory for all foreign arrivals to Thailand. It is filed online before boarding on the official portal and the QR-code confirmation is presented at the border.
What is the overstay penalty in Thailand?
The Immigration Bureau's overstay fine is THB 500 per day capped at THB 20,000. Overstays beyond 90 days trigger an automatic ban of one to ten years depending on length. The fine and any ban are processed at the airport immigration desk on departure.
Which nationalities are affected by the visa-exempt change?
The Immigration Bureau notice covers the same nationalities that received the 60-day allowance in July 2024, including UK passport holders. The full updated list of visa-exempt nationalities and their permitted stays is published on the Bureau's English-language page and is reflected in the gov.uk travel advice.
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