What Changed
From 15 September 2026, Thailand's visa-exempt entry is restricted to tourism only. The previous 60-day visa exemption — which had been in effect since July 2024 and covered nationals of 93 countries for tourism, short-term business engagements and urgent or ad-hoc work — has been revoked and replaced with a narrower scheme [1].
Under the new rules, 54 countries qualify for a 30-day visa-exempt stay for tourism purposes. Three additional countries qualify for a 15-day tourism-only exemption. Four countries remain eligible for visa on arrival. In all cases, the permitted purpose is tourism — not business [1].
The Thai Cabinet approved the revision on 19 May 2026 as part of a broader review of entry privileges, granting only one visa-exemption scheme per country and reducing overlapping categories [2]. The revised measures were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and took effect 15 days later [3].
Who Is Affected
Anyone who previously entered Thailand visa-free for a business purpose. That includes:
- Executives and managers attending meetings with Thai business partners or clients
- Consultants on short-term advisory assignments
- Engineers or technicians sent for equipment installation, inspection or commissioning
- Conference speakers, panellists and attendees at trade shows and industry events
- Sales teams visiting prospects or attending exhibitions
- Lawyers, accountants or auditors visiting Thai counterparts
- Anyone travelling to sign a contract, conduct due diligence or visit a project site
If the reason you are flying to Thailand involves any commercial or professional activity, the visa exemption no longer covers you.
What You Need to Do Instead
Business visitors must now apply for a Non-Immigrant B visa before travelling to Thailand. This is the same visa category used for employment in Thailand, but it has a separate sub-type specifically for conducting business and attending conferences, which does not require a work permit [4].
The core requirements are:
- An invitation letter from the business host in Thailand, on company letterhead, stating the purpose and dates of the visit
- A letter from your own employer confirming the business purpose of the trip
- A copy of the Thai host company's business registration (issued by the Department of Commercial Registration)
- Passport with at least six months' validity, a recent photograph, flight itinerary, accommodation proof and bank statements
The government fee is 2,000 THB for a single entry and 5,000 THB for multiple entries. A single-entry visa is valid for three months; a multiple-entry visa can be valid for up to one year. On arrival, the immigration officer grants a stay of up to 90 days [4].
Processing typically takes two to three weeks. Some missions are faster, but there is no express service.
What This Means for Companies Sending Staff to Thailand
The biggest practical impact is on lead time. Under the old 60-day exemption, a company could book a flight to Bangkok on Monday and have someone in a meeting room on Wednesday. That is no longer possible unless the traveller already holds a valid multiple-entry Non-B visa.
For companies with regular business in Thailand, a multiple-entry Non-B visa is the practical solution. It covers multiple trips over a year without requiring a fresh application each time. The initial application takes the same two to three weeks, but once issued, the visa holder can enter and leave Thailand for business purposes throughout the validity period.
HR and travel teams should update their Thailand travel policies. Any employee travelling to Thailand for meetings, conferences, site visits or any other business activity needs the Non-B visa arranged in advance. Entering on a tourism exemption and conducting business is no longer a grey area — it is outside the scope of the visa exemption and puts the traveller at risk of being denied entry or flagged at immigration.
What About Short-Notice Travel?
This is the gap that has caught the most people off guard. If a business emergency requires someone in Thailand next week, the visa processing timeline does not accommodate it.
The only formal option the Thai government has outlined for short-notice business travel is that nationals of the 54 visa-exempt countries may enter Thailand on the tourism exemption and apply for an urgent work permit on arrival [3]. However, the practical application of this provision is still being clarified, and it is not a reliable fallback for routine business trips.
The safest approach for anyone who travels to Thailand for business with any regularity is to obtain a multiple-entry Non-B visa now, before the next trip comes up.
Existing Entry Permissions Are Not Affected
If you are currently in Thailand under a visa exemption or visa on arrival that was granted before the new rules took effect, your stay is valid until its authorised end date. The new rules do not apply retroactively to existing entry permissions [3].
How We Help
We handle the full Non-B business visitor visa process: coordinating the invitation letter and corporate documents from the Thai host, preparing the application package, submitting through the e-Visa system, and tracking the approval. For companies sending multiple employees to Thailand, we manage the process across the team so your HR or admin staff are not navigating the embassy requirements themselves.
If you have a business trip to Thailand coming up, book a consultation and we will confirm what you need and how long it will take.
References
- Thailand introduces new 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September (tatnews.org)
- Cabinet Approves Revision of Thailand's Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival Schemes (thailand.prd.go.th)
- Revision of Thailand's Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival Schemes (thailand.prd.go.th)
- Non-Immigrant Visa (Work & Business) (oslo.thaiembassy.org)