Thailand halved the visa-free stay, and almost nobody has noticed

Thailand published regulations ending the 60-day visa exemption. From 15 September 2026, nationals of the United States and of the other countries in the scheme may stay visa-free for up to 30 days.

This is the most dangerous shape a rule change can take, because nobody is refused. You are admitted exactly as before, you believe you have 60 days, and you overstay.

An overstay is worse than a refusal. It carries fines, it can carry a re-entry ban, and it is the kind of thing that must be disclosed on immigration applications for years afterwards — including ones to other countries entirely.

Check the length of any Thai trip you booked before 15 September 2026. If it runs past 30 days you now need either a visa obtained before travel or an extension applied for inside Thailand, and neither is something to discover at the airport.

When this entry was written, four days after the change, the great majority of published guidance still stated 60 days, and the State Department's own page listed 60 with a warning that it might soon drop. That is not unusual. It is the normal condition of immigration information, and the reason every rule here carries the date it was read.