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Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand. / EPA·Yonhap News

Thailand is set to slash its visa-free stay period for tourists from roughly 90 countries from 60 days to 30 days. The move comes as authorities crack down on a string of crimes involving foreign nationals, rolling back a policy expansion implemented about two years ago in July 2024.

According to AFP on May 20 (local time), the Thai Cabinet approved the proposal to shorten visa-free stays the previous day. "The new visa-free durations will be determined on a country-by-country basis," Tourism Minister Surasak Pancharoenworakul told reporters. "While most foreigners will be permitted up to 30 days, citizens from certain nations may only be allowed up to 15 days." Under the current framework, passport holders from around 90 countries—including the 29 European Schengen nations, the United States, Israel, and several South American countries—can stay up to 60 days without a visa.

The primary driver behind the reduction is a spike in foreign-involved crime. Thai authorities have recently busted a series of illicit operations run by foreigners, spanning drug trafficking, human trafficking for prostitution, and the unlicensed operation of hotels and schools. "The visa reduction is part of a broader crackdown on transnational crime," Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow stated last week. "We are not targeting specific nations, but rather individuals who exploit our visa system to commit crimes."

Furthermore, stay extensions will be limited to a single instance. A Thai government spokesperson explained, "While the previous 60-day stay was granted automatically, the new system requires tourists to physically visit an immigration office to justify their extension, which will be subject to the officer's discretion." The spokesperson added, "It is clear that tourists contribute to our economy, but there are those who abuse the current system."

For South Korea, however, the 90-day visa-free stay granted under a separate bilateral agreement will remain intact.

Thailand’s visa-free stay was originally set at 30 days before being extended to 60 days in July 2024 to stimulate tourism and economic growth. With this latest reversal, the 60-day visa-free era comes to an end after roughly two years.

The pressing concern is the potential fallout on the country's tourism industry, which has already seen a sluggish recovery. Although tourism accounts for over 10% of Thailand's gross domestic product (GDP), foreign arrivals have yet to rebound to pre-pandemic levels. Data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports shows that foreign arrivals in the first quarter of this year dipped about 3.4% year-on-year, with visitors from the Middle East plunging by nearly a third. Despite the slump, the Thai government has set a target of attracting 33.5 million foreign tourists this year, a modest increase from approximately 33 million last year.