The UK Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Brits visiting a popular tourist destination
UK travellers going to Thailand will face stricter visa-free stay rules as the country updates its entry requirements.(Image: Getty / Alexandr Spatari)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has updated its travel advice for British nationals visiting a popular tourist destination.
As of September 2026 UK travellers going to Thailand will face stricter visa-free stay rules as the country updates its entry requirements.
Thailand is popular with British travellers for its culture, food, warm weather, sandy beaches, and tropical islands. Around a million people from the UK visit Thailand each year.
For the past two years citizens of 93 countries, including the UK, could visit Thailand visa-free for up to 60 days.
The visa-free stay has been reduced from 60 days to 30 days for visitors from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and Japan. If you want to stay longer you must apply for an extension of up to 30 more days.
You also need a confirmed return or onward ticket out of Thailand. If border control asks, you must show proof of at least 10,000 Thai Baht (about £224) per person or 20,000 Thai Baht (about £450) per family.
You can only enter Thailand without a visa by land twice per calendar year. Border officers may closely check frequent back-to-back tourist entries.
Using the wrong visa as a tourist can have serious consequences. The FCDO states on its website: “If you overstay your permission to stay in Thailand, you could be fined, detained, deported or banned from re-entering the country.
“Make sure you understand the conditions of your stay and get any visa extension you need before your permission expires. If you plan to work, study, retire or live in Thailand, you must get the appropriate visa before you travel.”
In addition to the visa changes, all foreign visitors to Thailand must complete a digital arrival card online before they arrive, whether they enter by air, land, or sea. Travellers can register for the arrival card up to three days before arrival.
The FCDO has also updated its safety advice about Thailand’s rainy season. Most of the country sees rain from May to October, while Koh Samui and southeast Thailand get rain from November to March.
The new advice warns that “weather patterns have become increasingly unpredictable and periods of intense rainfall can occur across Thailand”.
It continues: “Heavy rainfall can cause flash flooding, landslides and disruption to transport, particularly in northern, north-eastern and mountainous areas.
“Conditions can change rapidly and may result in road closures and local travel disruption. Lakes, caves and waterfalls are particularly at risk of dangerous flash flooding.”
Travellers should follow local authority advice and regularly check the Thai Meteorological Department for weather updates and warnings.
For more information on Thailand entry requirements, visit the FCDO website. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter
