Thailand entry rules changed on 15 September 2026. For short tourism visits on an ordinary passport, mainland Chinese travellers can use the bilateral exemption for up to 30 days per entry, with a total limit of 90 days in any 180 days. Eligible US ordinary-passport tourists have up to 30 days under a different exemption category. Other passports and purposes may have different rules; see the official-source examples below.
Before you book: confirm your own passport's visa/exemption category, submit the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) within the permitted arrival window, and check the actual stay-until date granted at the border. TDAC is not a visa or an extension.
Visa-free stay examples by passport (rules from 15 September 2026)
Chinese ordinary passport, tourism: Thailand's Royal Thai Consulate-General in Chengdu explicitly says that, from 15 September 2026, Chinese ordinary-passport tourists may stay for up to 30 days under the Thailand–China bilateral visa-exemption agreement. The Royal Thai Embassy in Beijing separately confirms the bilateral route; it is not the same 30-day category as the general tourism exemption for many other countries.
Repeat visits: the bilateral treaty also limits cumulative stays to 90 days in any 180-day period. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs states both limits, and a Chinese consular alert issued for the September 2026 changes confirms the bilateral agreement still applies. Do not assume each new 30-day entry resets the 90-day cumulative limit. This is a maximum under the relevant agreement, not permission to work or a guarantee of admission. Inspect the permitted-until date granted at immigration.
Ordinary US passport, tourism: The Royal Thai Embassy in Helsinki includes the United States in the revised up-to-30-day tourism exemption list effective 15 September 2026. The same published list includes other eligible nationalities, but do not infer a traveller's nationality from the language they read.
Chinese ordinary-passport travellers — practical pre-flight documents: The Chinese Embassy in Thailand's 20 September 2026 travel reminder separately advises Chinese visitors to arrive with a passport valid for at least six months, an onward/return ticket, hotel or other accommodation evidence, and adequate funds. These are useful preparations for the China bilateral route too; they do not mean that every condition of Thailand's general tourism-exemption scheme automatically applies to the bilateral agreement. Admission and document checks remain at the discretion of Thai immigration.
What to carry if you use the general tourism-exemption scheme: The Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna's September 2026 guidance specifies a passport valid for at least six months on arrival and cash or its equivalent of THB 20,000 per person or THB 40,000 per family. It also describes a two land/sea-border entries per calendar year rule under that tourism scheme, with exceptions for citizens of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. Do not transfer these scheme-specific conditions automatically to a separate bilateral passport agreement; check the relevant treaty and your passport's official requirements. For a booked flight, also verify the onward/return evidence your airline and immigration require.
Reading Chinese does not identify your passport: The Royal Thai Embassy in Vienna lists Hong Kong and Macao ordinary passports under separate bilateral up-to-30-day arrangements, while the current Thai 30-day tourism list includes Taiwan. These are different legal routes, even when the maximum days match mainland China. Other nationality, passport class or purpose can change the result: use the current official category list, not this page's language. A visa on arrival (VOA) is not a visa exemption; TDAC does not confer eligibility.
Example decision: A Chinese ordinary-passport holidaymaker planning a 21-day trip can use the currently applicable up-to-30-day bilateral exemption plus the free TDAC (subject to admission). Someone planning 40 days in one visit must identify a lawful visa or other applicable stay route before travel, rather than assuming old 60-day rules or a discretionary extension. Repeat-visit example: if the traveller has already spent 80 days in a relevant 180-day window, another 21-day stay would exceed the treaty's cumulative 90-day limit, even though 21 is less than 30. Count the actual entry and exit dates; do not treat successive short visits as unlimited. Boarding and admission remain subject to the applicable requirements.
Which traveller are you?
| Your situation | Start with this action |
|---|---|
| Ordinary-passport holidaymaker who may be exempt | Confirm nationality, passport type and specific 15- or 30-day / applicable treaty category in the current MFA list |
| Nationality eligible for visa on arrival (VOA) | Verify the separate VOA list, money/documents, fee and allowed entry/stay; not all exempt passports use VOA |
| Passport needs advance permission | Use Thai e-Visa with the mission responsible for where you legally reside |
| Working, studying or joining family | Obtain an appropriate legal entry/status path; a tourist exemption is not a work permit |
| Resident returning to Thailand | Check existing valid permission, relevant re-entry authorisation and a fresh TDAC for each arrival |
| Airside transit without entering Thailand | Confirm you really will not clear Thai immigration; TDAC is not required for that narrow transit case |
Step 1 — use the updated 2026 visa category, not a fixed internet number
The Department of Consular Affairs' notice published in September 2026 explicitly states that revised rules for ordinary passports took effect 15 September 2026. The corresponding nationality-category list distinguishes VOA, tourism exemption up to 30 days, bilateral ordinary-passport arrangements and tourism exemption up to 15 days. Your entry could fall under one route or a separate qualifying bilateral arrangement, so never apply another traveller's duration to yourself.
Stay beyond your exempt maximum? Check a suitable Thai e-Visa with the mission responsible for where you live before travel. Visa approval is a separate decision; do not assume an extension or a repeat border crossing will be approved.
Already inside Thailand under an earlier entry: A revised rule for future arrivals does not necessarily rewrite the permitted-until date already granted on your entry stamp. Verify your actual record rather than shortening or extending it mentally.
Step 2 — prepare and submit TDAC without paying anyone
The official Thai Immigration TDAC FAQ says foreign travellers entering by air, land or sea generally submit the arrival form within three days before arrival, including arrival day. It is free at tdac.immigration.go.th. It applies across visa types—including visa-free, VOA and many returning residents—and children, including infants, must be covered. A family/group submission may include up to ten travellers.
Prepare passport details, arrival date/flight or journey, contact email, accommodation address, purpose and health declarations as required. Save the generated QR confirmation on your phone and offline. You need a new TDAC for every international entry: submitting one for a Bangkok trip does not cover a later trip home and re-entry.
What if you make a mistake? Immigration's FAQ explains that many details may be corrected via Update Arrival Card, but full name, passport number, nationality and date of birth cannot be edited; instead submit a new form with the correct identity information, and the latest valid submission is used. If your flight or hotel changes, correct the information before arriving. This is a concrete benefit over a generic instruction to “fill in the form”.
If the TDAC confirmation does not arrive: First check the email address and saved/downloaded arrival card. The official Immigration FAQ says travellers who did not receive the QR code by email should contact an immigration officer at the entry checkpoint. Airport kiosks and Wi-Fi may help if you lack a device or internet, but plan to submit correctly before departure rather than relying on border assistance. Do not pay an unofficial site to resend a free form.
Exceptions: Transit travellers who remain airside without passing immigration and specified crew/border-pass circumstances may differ. If you collect checked baggage and pass immigration to catch another flight, treat it as a real entry and confirm documentation with the airline.
Step 3 — what to carry to the airport
Keep the correct passport and remaining validity, actual approved e-Visa if necessary, onward/return arrangements, accommodation address, any evidence of adequate funds required for your particular route and the TDAC confirmation. Check the airline's document requirements: a valid-looking pending visa application does not guarantee boarding. Use government resources rather than an imitation visa/TDAC payment website.
At immigration, inspect the actual permitted-until date recorded in your passport or electronic entry outcome. The e-Visa's printed use-by period, an exemption list and the permission you may remain are different concepts.
Step 4 — if the trip changes after arrival
Want to stay longer? Do not assume an automatic extension exists for every passport or entry route. Ask the relevant Immigration office which legal extension category applies and apply before the actual permitted-until date. Use our Thailand stay-extension planning guide to organize the permitted-until date, relevant category and documents before applying. For employment, study, family residence or retirement, use the work and long stays guide and relevant specialist guides rather than an informal “border run” plan.
Planning to leave and return? A Thai re-entry permit may preserve certain existing stay extensions; it does not generate a new stay period, revive an ended employment basis or replace TDAC. Check whether your existing route even requires it and consult the re-entry permit guide.
Before you travel
Write down your visa/exemption category and duration, whether an advance visa is required, the TDAC submission window, the official source for corrections, and the date that controls your lawful stay after arrival. If any is unclear, ask the consulate with passport nationality, type, country of residence, purpose and exact arrival date, not simply “can I stay 60 days?”.