Thailand Considers Cutting Visa-Free Tourist Stay to 30 Days Amid Concerns Over Illegal Business Activity

Thailand is considering reducing the visa-free stay for foreign tourists from 60 to 30 days, Bloomberg reports, citing Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong,

The proposed change aims to address concerns about travelers exploiting the visa waiver to engage in illegal business activities within the country.

The reduction, which has reportedly been agreed upon in principle by various ministries, follows concerns raised by the Association of Thai Travel Agents and the Thai Hotels Association. These organizations have cited a growing number of foreigners illegally working or conducting business in Thailand, with the extended visa-free period potentially contributing to the illegal rental of condominium units to foreign guests.

Currently, Thailand allows passport holders from 93 countries to enter for tourism purposes for up to 60 days without a visa, a policy that has been in place since July 2024.

Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Eric Zhu and George Ferguson predict that the shortened stay could have a slight negative impact on overall inbound tourism demand. They noted that data from ForwardKeys indicates that as much as 7% of total bookings to Thailand between January and February were for stays of 22 nights or more.

“The potential policy move adds to a growing list of factors weighing on the sector into 2Q, along with Chinese tourists’ security concerns and tighter travel budgets among North American and European travelers,” the analysts stated in a report.

Tourism remains a vital component of Thailand’s economy, which is the second-largest in Southeast Asia. The Thai government has set a target of exceeding 40 million foreign tourist arrivals this year, surpassing the record set in 2019. From January to March 16, Thailand has welcomed 8.3 million foreign tourists, a 3.9% increase compared to the same period last year.