Thailand shifts India and the EU to a 30-day visa exemption
A cabinet-approved overhaul puts 65 countries under one entry category each, with 59 eligible for 30 days visa-free, pending Royal Gazette publication.
Thailand is reworking who can enter visa-free and for how long. On 16 July 2026 the Tourism Authority of Thailand said the cabinet had approved updated visa exemption and Visa on Arrival measures, replacing the 60-day exemption introduced in 2024. The five Ministry of Interior announcements still await publication in the Royal Gazette and take effect 15 days after that.
The framework follows one principle: one country or territory, one entry category. In total 65 countries and territories are covered. Of those, 59 qualify for a 30-day visa exemption, including India and all 27 European Union states. Mauritius and Seychelles get 15 days, while Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia move to Visa on Arrival.
India's shift is the headline. It moves from Visa on Arrival to a 30-day exemption, which TAT links to trade, investment and the longer average stay of Indian visitors, around 7.17 days per trip. A week inside a 30-day window is rarely a single-resort holiday. It is a get-around trip: a few beaches, a temple, a night market, on the traveller's own schedule.
That kind of trip usually means renting a bike or a car, often for the first time in a foreign country, where language, cash deposits and unreadable insurance create friction on arrival. Balm Rentals closes that gap: book a verified scooter, bike or car before you land, with clear pricing, no passport held as deposit, and terms in your own language. As Thailand makes entry simpler and more digital, including its Digital Arrival Card, the ride can feel just as smooth.
Until the measures are published, current entry rules still apply, and travellers should check the conditions for their nationality before flying.
