Visas and entry
Thailand’s visa-exempt stay was cut from 60 days to 30 days, effective 15 September 2026, following a change published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 31 August 2026. Around 60 nationalities, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and most of Western Europe, now receive 30 days on arrival rather than 60. Mauritius and Seychelles sit in a separate, shorter bracket at 15 days. Visa on arrival, once available to a longer list of countries, is now limited to three: Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. If your passport does not appear in any of these categories, you will need a visa arranged in advance rather than relying on entry at the airport.
A few exceptions sit alongside the general rule. Travellers from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore keep unlimited overland entries under the visa exemption, while other nationalities are capped at two overland entries per calendar year. Separate bilateral agreements giving a flat 30-day stay to travellers from China, Laos and Vietnam remain unchanged by this update. And if you entered Thailand before 15 September 2026, the stay length printed in your passport at the time still applies for that visit, even if it runs past the change-over date. One 30-day extension is available at any Immigration office once you are in the country, applied for before your current permitted stay runs out.
Payment
A trip is confirmed with a deposit, and the balance falls due a set number of weeks before your arrival date. The exact deposit amount and balance due date depend on your itinerary, the season and which hotels or excursions are involved, since some suppliers require payment further ahead than others. Your written booking confirmation carries the specific figures that apply to your trip, and that document is the one to rely on rather than a general figure quoted elsewhere.
Cancellation
Cancellation terms scale with how close to departure you cancel: changing plans well in advance carries a modest fee, while cancelling in the final weeks before travel can mean losing most or all of what has been paid, since hotels and guides are booked and paid for on your behalf ahead of time. The precise fee scale and cut-off dates are set out in your booking confirmation once your trip is quoted, since they can vary by hotel policy and season.
What you should know before you travel
A little cultural groundwork goes a long way in Thailand, and most of it comes down to a few consistent rules rather than a long list of dos and don’ts.
- The royal family is treated with real seriousness here. Comments or jokes about the monarchy are never appropriate, and the law that protects it applies to visitors as much as to Thai citizens.
- Temples and Buddha images carry genuine sanctity. Cover shoulders and knees, remove your shoes before entering a temple hall, and never climb on a statue for a photo.
- The head is considered the body’s most respected part and the feet its lowest. Avoid touching anyone’s head, even a child’s, and try not to point your feet at people, Buddha images or altars.
- A woman should not hand anything directly to a monk. A male companion can pass an item on her behalf, or she can set it down for the monk to pick up himself.
- Dress a little more conservatively than beach or resort wear once you are away from the coast, particularly at temples, markets and government buildings.
Good to know
Season
November to February is the coolest, driest stretch of the year and suits most itineraries. Heat builds from March into May, the rains generally run from May through October, and haze from agricultural burning is common in the north roughly February to April, which is worth knowing if hazy skies would bother you around Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai.
Heat
Even in the cooler months, midday sun is strong. Pace sightseeing for the early morning and late afternoon where the itinerary allows, carry water, and expect a private air-conditioned vehicle between stops rather than long stretches on foot in full sun.
Getting around
Domestic flights link Bangkok with Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in about an hour, and are the practical way to cover the distance rather than a long road transfer. Within a city, a metered taxi or ride-hailing app covers most needs; in the north, transfers between towns run by private vehicle as part of the itinerary.
Cash and cards
Cards are accepted at hotels and most restaurants in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, but smaller vendors, markets and rural stops still expect cash. Carry Thai Baht in small denominations for day-to-day spending, and keep some US dollars on hand if your route continues on into Laos or Cambodia.
Crossing into Laos
The Fourth Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, between Chiang Khong and Huay Xai, is the crossing most Mekong itineraries use, and it connects directly to the slow boat route toward Luang Prabang. The First Friendship Bridge, between Nong Khai and Vientiane, serves travellers heading to the Lao capital instead. Both handle a Laos e-visa, visa on arrival or Thailand’s outbound exit without complication.