Thailand entry requirements
How long you can stay visa-free (30 days since 15 Sep 2026), how to file the free TDAC within 3 days of arrival, passport validity, onward ticket, proof of funds and what customs confiscates.
Guides
Thailand travel guides: the rules, checked
Six practical guides to the rules that matter on a trip to Thailand: entry, transport, money, laws, scams and emergencies. Each is checked against official Thai sources and dated. Start with entry requirements, because the visa-free stay fell from 60 to 30 days on 15 September 2026.
Updated · Checked against official sources
Start here
Read them in this order before you fly
The first three cover what you need before and on arrival. The last three are the ones to have saved on your phone once you are there.
Licensed taxis and airport transfers
What a Suvarnabhumi or Don Mueang taxi really costs (meter + 50 THB + tolls), the rail links, when Grab is legal, how to read a licence plate, and how to pre-book a transfer safely.
Money in Thailand
ATM fees for foreign cards (250 or 350 THB per withdrawal), where to exchange, paying for taxis, tipping, the tourist VAT refund and how much cash you can carry across the border.
Thailand laws for tourists
Vapes, cannabis since June 2025, the new alcohol sale hours, drone registration, the monarchy law, temple dress codes, drugs and gambling, each with its source and penalty.
Tourist scams in Thailand
Nine common scams, from "the palace is closed" to fake TDAC sites and jet-ski damage claims, how each works, the approved alternative and what to do if it happens to you.
Emergency numbers in Thailand
1155, 1669, 191, 199 and 1672 and when to use each, public or private hospitals, a lost passport step by step, travel insurance and the health risks to plan for.
What changed for travelers in Thailand in 2025 and 2026?
A lot, and many travelers arrive with outdated information. These are the changes our guides track, with the date each took effect. Where something is only announced or proposed, we say so.
| Date | Change | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Sep 2026 | The Immigration Bureau's THIM app officially launched as an optional way to file the TDAC | Entry |
| 15 Sep 2026 | Visa-free stay cut from 60 to 30 days for 60 countries and territories; visa on arrival reduced to 3 countries; 2 land-border visa-free entries per year | Entry |
| 1 Sep 2026 | SCB fee schedule confirms 350 THB per ATM withdrawal on foreign Mastercard, 250 THB on Visa, UnionPay and JCB | Money |
| 26 Jun 2026 | Drone ban eased on the Cambodian border, but 28 districts in 7 provinces stay closed, including Khong Chiam (Pha Taem) | Laws |
| 28 May 2026 | Afternoon alcohol sales ban (14:00–17:00) abolished for good; sales run 11:00–24:00 | Laws |
| 12 May 2026 | Alcohol sale and drinking banned in public parks, stations, trains, public boats and vehicles (as reported) | Laws |
| 30 Apr 2026 | Cannabis flower may only be sold in clinical settings; existing shops have until 2028 to convert | Laws |
| 31 Mar 2026 | New ride-hailing platform rules: apps must suspend non-compliant drivers | Transport |
| 29–30 Mar 2026 | Immigration warns at least 10% of arrivals used fake, paid TDAC sites | Scams |
| 11 Mar 2026 | Krungsri raises its foreign Mastercard ATM fee from 250 to 350 THB | Money |
| 1 Dec 2025 | 40 THB daily fare cap on the Red and Purple lines when paying by contactless card (until 30 Nov 2026) | Transport |
| 8 Nov 2025 | Airport Rail Link accepts contactless bank cards; a fine of up to 10,000 THB for drinking in venues during banned hours takes effect | Money |
| 30 Sep 2025 | 20 THB flat fare on the Red and Purple lines ends | Transport |
| 8 Jul 2025 | Casino-complex bill withdrawn by the Cabinet; gambling stays illegal | Laws |
| 26 Jun 2025 | Cannabis flower becomes a controlled herb, sold only with a prescription | Laws |
| 1 May 2025 | The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) becomes mandatory, replacing the paper TM.6 | Entry |
Coming up (announced or proposed, not yet in force)
- 1 Oct 2026: stricter enforcement against ride-hailing platforms, drivers and vehicles that do not comply.
- 26 Oct 2026: Ok Phansa, a Buddhist holy day with no alcohol sales outside exempt venues.
- 15–19 Dec 2026: the royal cremation of Queen Sirikit at Sanam Luang, next to the Grand Palace; closures not yet announced.
- 1 Jan 2027 (target): a Bangkok common rail fare of 17–45 THB per journey, approved by the Cabinet on 23 Jun 2026.
- 31 Jan 2027: the Airport Rail Link's operator changes to SRT's subsidiary.
- Early 2027 at the earliest: a proposed 450 THB tourist entry fee, still a draft awaiting Cabinet approval.
Which guide answers my question?
| If you want to know | Read |
|---|---|
| How many days you get without a visa, and whether you can extend | Entry requirements |
| How to fill in the arrival card, and which site is real | Entry requirements |
| What a taxi from Suvarnabhumi costs and where the rank is | Taxis and transfers |
| Whether a car is licensed to take paying passengers | Taxis and transfers |
| Which ATM fee to expect and how to claim VAT back | Money in Thailand |
| Whether you can bring a vape, buy cannabis or fly a drone | Laws for tourists |
| How to check that a tour company is licensed | Tourist scams |
| Who to call after an accident, a theft or a lost passport | Emergency numbers |
| How far each destination is from Bangkok, and how to get there | Destinations |
How we keep these guides current
Every rule, fee and date in these guides comes from an official Thai source where one exists: government ministries, the Immigration Bureau, the Bank of Thailand, the Revenue Department, Airports of Thailand and the Tourism Authority of Thailand's newsroom. Where only news reports exist, we name them. Each guide ends with its sources and the date we checked them.
- Dated facts: we write "as of September 2026" and give the date a rule took effect, so you can tell what may have changed since.
- Conflicts shown, not hidden: when official pages disagree, as they do on proof of funds, we give both figures and the safe choice.
- Unverified means left out: if we cannot confirm a fee or penalty, we say so rather than guess.
- Reviewed on change: guides are updated when a rule changes and reviewed at least every six months.
We are a privately run guide, not a government service. Read more about what "approved" means on this site, see the destinations by region, or check the transfer and travel services we list and the criteria behind them.
Frequently asked questions
What changed for tourists in Thailand in September 2026?
On 15 September 2026 the visa-free stay for 60 countries and territories fell from 60 to 30 days, visa on arrival shrank to three countries, and visa-free entries by land were capped at two per calendar year. On 25 September the optional THIM immigration app launched.
Are these guides official?
No. Approved Thailand is a privately run guide, not affiliated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand or any government agency. We link every rule to the official source so you can check it yourself.
How often are the guides updated?
When a rule changes, and in any case at least every six months. Each guide shows the date it was last updated and the date each source was checked.
Which guide should I read first?
The entry requirements guide, because it decides whether your trip dates work: most visitors now get 30 days visa-free and must file the free TDAC within 3 days before arrival.
Where can I check a Thai rule myself?
Each guide's Sources section links to the official pages we used, such as tdac.immigration.go.th for the arrival card, the Airports of Thailand pages for taxis, and the Revenue Department for VAT refunds.