Months-long backpacking journeys to Thailand might need simply acquired lots more durable to rearrange.
The Southeast Asian nation is ending a 60-day visa-free entry program for vacationers from 93 international locations and territories, the Thai Foreign Ministry stated on Tuesday.
Visitors from international locations including Australia, the UK and the US will as a substitute obtain 30-day visa-free stays, whereas some nationalities must receive visas on arrival.
The transfer is a serious backtrack after the Thai authorities eased visa restrictions in 2024 to entice international guests again after the coronavirus pandemic devastated the kingdom’s tourism business, a significant a part of its economic system.
With majestic limestone islands, white sandy seashores and luxurious mountains, Thailand is one in all the world’s hottest vacationer locations, attracting practically 33 million international guests in 2025.
While the rising numbers have been welcomed, authorities have expressed concern that the 60-day visa-free coverage was being abused by international nationals looking for to work illegally or interact in crime.
The Thai Foreign Ministry stated the new restrictions have been partly taken because of nationwide safety issues.
In current years, incidents of tourists behaving badly, including vandalizing temples and fascinating in drunken bar fights, have gone viral on social media. Authorities have additionally made a number of arrests of international nationals for drug and human trafficking offences.
Revelers collect for ‘world’s largest water battle’
Locals and vacationers alike gathered to rejoice Songkran, Thailand’s annual conventional New Year competition. The three-day occasion is commonly related with water fights in crowded streets and music.
The demographic of international guests to Thailand is shifting, with Russian vacationers now making up the fourth largest group of tourists to Thailand final 12 months, behind India, China and Malaysia.
Thailand’s reputation with Russian vacationers has boomed as the Southeast Asian nation stored its borders open to Russian passport holders following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine in distinction to some European international locations, which carried out new restrictions on Russian guests.
But Thai legislation enforcement companies have repeatedly warned Russian nationals in opposition to over-staying their visas.
Separately, the Embassy of Israel in Thailand warned its nationals in trip hotspot Phuket to comply with native legal guidelines and laws, in line with a statement on its Facebook web page earlier this month, noting that severe breaches may lead native officers to revoke visas.
NCS has reached out to the embassies of Russia and Israel in Thailand.
The rollback is harking back to Thailand’s transfer to decriminalize hashish in 2022, when it turned the first nation in Asia to take action.
But following that, leisure use boomed throughout the kingdom, with regulation failing to maintain up. Last 12 months the authorities imposed new guidelines designed to rein in the “green rush” and recriminalize non-medical use.