Thailand visa changes 2026: every long-stay rule change in date order

Our live, database-driven log is on the changes page. This guide explains each change in plain English.

Dates in this table are the dates in the official notice or, where marked, the date reported by a secondary source. Where sources disagree on a date, we say so in the section below.

From 31 August 2026, two document rules apply worldwide:

• You apply at the Thai mission covering your country of nationality or permanent residence. Proof of permanent residence replaces the old "current location" document.
• You submit a criminal record certificate from your country of nationality or the country where you apply.

Applications submitted in the e-Visa system before 31 August follow the old rules, per the Moscow and Tel Aviv embassies. The money test (500,000 THB) and the 10,000 THB fee did not change.

This ended third-country DTV visa runs to places such as Laos and Vietnam. Full details, including police certificate age limits by country: DTV new rules 2026.

Four Ministry of Interior announcements were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and took effect on 15 September 2026. TAT summarised them:

• 30 days visa-free for tourism, for 60 countries and territories (was 60 days for 93).
• 15 days for Mauritius and Seychelles.
• Land-border entries on the exemption capped at 2 per calendar year, except for nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore.
• Visa on arrival cut to 3 countries.
• People already in Thailand keep the stay they were stamped with.

For long-stayers, this removes the option of living on back-to-back exemptions. See Thailand visa exemption 30 days.

The Cabinet approved the Board of Investment's proposal on 13 January 2025. BOI Announcement Por. 3/2568 implements it. Main changes:

• Wealthy Global Citizens: the USD 80,000 annual income test was dropped. The asset (USD 1 million) and Thai investment (USD 500,000) tests remain.
• Work-from-Thailand Professionals: the employer revenue threshold fell from USD 150 million to USD 50 million over 3 years.
• Highly Skilled and Work-from-Thailand: the 5-year work-experience rule was removed.
• Dependants: the Cabinet agreed to lift the cap of four. As of October 2026, reports say the BOI site still showed four and no implementing rule had been published. Confirm with the BOI before relying on it.

Current thresholds: LTR visa rules.

The O-A requires health insurance of at least USD 100,000 or 3,000,000 THB for the whole stay. The MFA O-A checklist states this. The older 40,000 / 400,000 THB rule is superseded.

Immigration Bureau Order 12/2568, dated 23 January 2025, is reported to apply the same threshold when you extend an O-A in Thailand. We saw this only through secondary legal sources. It also reportedly allows Thai cover, foreign cover or a combination, with conditions.

The Non-O retirement extension in Thailand is a different route and is reported to have no insurance condition. Compare both on the O-A and retirement pages.

• Bronze tier: launched for sales from 15 December 2024 at 650,000 THB for 5 years. Its end date has moved four times. The latest reported date is 31 December 2026, from agents, not a public operator notice.
• Transfer fee: the official site notes an adjustment effective 15 June 2026. Tier prices did not change.

Full timeline and cost per year by tier: Thailand Elite Bronze deadline.

1. Planning a DTV? Apply from your home country or country of permanent residence. Order your police certificate early.
2. In Thailand on an exemption? You have 30 days plus one possible 30-day extension. Choose a real long-stay visa now.
3. Aged 50 or over? Compare the retirement visa, O-A and Privilege.
4. Not sure? The checker uses the current rules and tells you when they change.