AraiWa Watch tracks the slower-moving rule changes worth keeping an eye on — visas, entry, immigration and official process shifts that affect visitors and residents. For today’s fast-moving practical signal, see News.
A small, curated set — not the full news archive. Each item covers what changed, who it may affect, and what to check before changing plans — with the official source linked.
Needs attention
Visas & entry Critical
Immigration is running an active enforcement campaign on overstays and visa misuse
What changed: Thailand's Immigration Bureau has been running the nationwide 'No Entry, No Stay, No Escape' enforcement campaign since January 2026. Official figures for January–May 2026 report 29,490 foreigners denied entry and 14,161 overstayers and illegal workers arrested and processed for deportation, with 190 targeted zones raided; student and volunteer visas used as work cover are being revoked. The overstay fine is 500 THB per day (capped at 20,000 THB), and overstays beyond 90 days carry entry bans of 1–10 years. If your visa status is unclear, sort it out at an Immigration office before it compounds.
Why it matters: It changes how you enter Thailand or how long you can stay.
What to do: Factor this into your plans and confirm the details against the linked source.
Status: Active enforcement campaign since January 2026 (latest official figures cover January–May 2026); Chonburi/Pattaya reported as the highest-density enforcement zone Official source ↗
Thailand's visa-free stay is now 30 days (down from 60)
What changed: Thailand's new tiered visa-exemption scheme is in force since 15 September 2026 (published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026): the previous 60-day visa-exempt stay is replaced by a 30-day exemption for 60 countries and territories (including the US, UK, Canada, Australia and EU states), a 15-day exemption for Mauritius and Seychelles, and visa-on-arrival for Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia. Most 30-day-exempt nationals may enter via land checkpoints under the exemption no more than twice per calendar year (Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempt from that limit). If you were planning a stay longer than 30 days, you now need a visa or an extension — check the linked official source for your nationality before you book.
Why it matters: It changes how you enter Thailand or how long you can stay.
What to do: Factor this into your plans and confirm the details against the linked source.
Status: In force since 15 September 2026 (Royal Gazette publication 31 August 2026) — 30-day visa exemption for 60 countries/territories replaces the previous 60-day scheme; 15-day exemption for 2; visa on arrival for 3 Official source ↗
Non-Thai nationals must file the TDAC online before arrival
What changed: The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) is a standing entry requirement for non-Thai nationals entering Thailand by air, land or sea: submit it online — free of charge — within 72 hours before arrival at the Immigration Bureau's official portal tdac.immigration.go.th (or via the THIM app, which generates it). Exceptions include travellers transiting or transferring without passing through Thai immigration control and those entering on a border pass. Any site charging a fee for the TDAC is not official — filing it on a paid copycat site, or not filing it at all, can mean delays or scam fees at the immigration counter.
Why it matters: It changes how you enter Thailand or how long you can stay.
What to do: Factor this into your plans and confirm the details against the linked source.
Status: Standing entry requirement for non-Thai nationals (checked 16 Sep 2026) — file free at the official portal within 72 hours before arrival; transit without immigration clearance and border-pass entries are exempt; paid third-party sites are not official Official source ↗
Thai citizens get easier Schengen visas under the EU “cascade”
What changed: From May 2026 the EU applies its “visa cascade” to Thai nationals: travelers with a clean prior-visa history can receive multi-entry Schengen visas valid first 1 year, then 2, then 5. It is NOT visa-free travel — a visa is still required — but it makes repeat trips to Europe far simpler. Most relevant if you have a Thai partner or family who travel to the EU.
Why it matters: It changes how you enter Thailand or how long you can stay.
What to do: Factor this into your plans and confirm the details against the linked source.
Status: In effect (announced May 2026) — visa facilitation, not visa-free; a Schengen visa is still required Official source ↗
Departure fee at Thailand's six AOT airports is now 1,120 baht (inside your ticket)
What changed: Airports of Thailand raised the international Passenger Service Charge from 730 to 1,120 baht per departing passenger at the six AOT-operated airports — Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Hat Yai. The new rate applies to tickets issued on or after 20 June 2026, for Thai and foreign travellers alike; tickets issued before that date keep the old rate, and other (non-AOT) airports are not covered by this change. The charge is built into the airfare when you buy the ticket: there is no separate payment at the airport, so refuse any 'airport fee' demand at check-in. The domestic departure charge is unchanged at 130 baht.
Why it matters: It changes what you pay.
What to do: Factor this into your plans and confirm the details against the linked source.
Status: In effect at the six AOT-operated airports for tickets issued on or after 20 June 2026; the charge is embedded in the ticket price, not collected separately at the airport Official source ↗
Thailand's immigration is moving onto a digital platform (THIM)
What changed: Thailand's Immigration Bureau is rolling out THIM, an app meant to handle arrival registration on your phone and, in time, more immigration admin. As of 16 September 2026 the app is live and downloadable on iOS and Android and can generate your Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), but the Immigration Bureau has not published a confirmation that the full official launch (expected August 2026) is complete, and a broader feature rollout (90-day reporting, extensions, appointments) has been reported for 1 October 2026. The TDAC remains the mandatory arrival requirement — THIM is one way to file it, not a replacement — so check the current status before you travel.
Why it matters: It changes how you enter Thailand or how long you can stay.
What to do: Nothing to change yet — check the linked source before you book or commit to plans this could affect.
Status: App live on iOS/Android and generates the mandatory TDAC (checked 16 Sep 2026); full-launch confirmation not yet published by the Immigration Bureau; reported broader feature rollout from 1 October 2026 subject to Immigration Bureau confirmation Official source ↗