Thailand has confirmed that the 60-day visa-exemption introduced in July 2024 will end after the measure is published in the Royal Gazette. A detailed explainer published on 22 May lists the new tiers: most of the 54 Western and GCC markets will drop to 30 days; Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles plunge to 15 days; and India shifts to a 15-day visa-on-arrival. Crucially for Hong Kong residents, the bilateral 30-day waiver that has existed since 2013 remains unchanged. Why the rollback? Ministers cited mounting abuse of the 60-day stamp for illegal work, nominee companies and ‘border-run’ visa extensions. Cabinet minutes showed that average tourist stays were only nine days, undercutting the original tourism-stimulus argument. The government is also reinstating the pre-2024 cap of two land-border entries per calendar year for visa-exempt travellers. For Hong Kong corporates the implications are mixed. Short-term business trips and off-sites remain largely unaffected because the 30-day allowance covers a typical agenda. But mobility teams must revisit policies for staff who string together back-to-back land entries from Laos or Malaysia; those runs will now be limited to two per year. Long-stay assignees should consider switching to the Destination Thailand Visa (digital-nomad) or a Non-Immigrant B work visa. Practical advice: check travel dates that straddle the Royal Gazette effective day—anyone who enters before the change keeps the full 60 days. HR should brief travellers to hold proof of outbound flights within 30 days and budget THB1,900 for an in-country extension if project work overruns.
