End of Thailand's 60-Day Visa-Free Stay: Why the DTV Is Now the Main Long-Stay Route (June 2026)
On 19 May 2026, Thailand's Cabinet approved scrapping the 60-day visa-free regime for 93 countries. Most nationalities, including the US, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Japan, will revert to 30 days visa-free, extendable once by 30 days at immigration for 1,900 THB. South Korea keeps 90 days, China keeps 30 days, and Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru keep 90 days under bilateral agreements. Seychelles, Maldives, and Mauritius drop to 15 days. India moves to visa-on-arrival.
The Cabinet also introduced a two-entries-per-year cap on visa-exempt entries, which effectively ends the border-run strategy long used by remote workers. Visa-on-arrival was cut from 31 countries to 4. As of late June 2026 the new rules are not yet law; they take effect only 15 days after publication of three Ministry of Interior notifications in the Royal Gazette.
The DTV was deliberately untouched. It remains a 5-year multiple-entry visa with 180 days per entry, extendable once by another 180 days at immigration for 1,900 THB, for up to 360 consecutive days. The government fee is 10,000 THB and the financial requirement is 500,000 THB, typically evidenced by the prior three months of bank statements, with some embassies now requiring the balance to have been held for 90 consecutive days.
For most digital nomads, freelancers, and long-stayers, the DTV is now the cheapest and longest long-stay option compared with the METV, LTR Visa, Thailand Privilege Card, and the Non-O-A retirement visa. The trade-off is stricter document review in 2026, including the removal of language schools as a qualifying soft-power route, more scrutiny of recently deposited funds, and tighter freelance documentation expectations.
Read the 2026 DTV requirements guide, compare the DTV against METV, LTR, and Elite, or review proof of funds and 90-day seasoning.