Thailand has officially ended its 60-day visa-free experiment.
The cabinet approved the decision on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, citing growing concerns over foreign tourists misusing their extended stays. The new rule brings Thailand back to its pre-2024 immigration policy: 30 days visa-free for most nationalities, down from 60.
For Bali, the question is no longer academic.
Thailand and Bali compete for the same global travelers — digital nomads, budget backpackers, long-stay expats, and luxury tourists. When one destination tightens its visa rules, the other watches closely.
And right now, Indonesia still offers 30 days visa-free for many nationalities entering Bali, with the option to extend. Thailand just matched that limit — but from the opposite direction.
Why Thailand Changed the Rules
Thailand introduced the 60-day visa-free policy in July 2024. The goal was simple: accelerate post-pandemic tourism recovery. Let tourists stay longer. Spend more money. Revive the economy.
For a while, it worked.
But unintended consequences followed, according to Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul. Longer stays attracted more than just legitimate tourists. Authorities reported an increase in foreign nationals overstaying their welcome, running illegal businesses, and engaging in criminal activities while living inside Thailand’s tourism zones.
The government did not raise these concerns quietly.
Bangkok Post reported that the cabinet’s decision came amid growing unease about how the generous 60-day window was being exploited. Not by most tourists. But by enough to force a policy reversal.
Starting 15 days after the official announcement in the Royal Gazette, all 93 countries and territories that previously enjoyed 60-day visa-free access will revert to 30 days.
What Stays the Same for Indonesian Travelers
Indonesian passport holders are not affected by the harshest part of the cut.
According to Thailand’s Consular Department Director General Mungkorn Pratoomkaew, Indonesia remains on the list of countries eligible for 30-day visa-free entry — the same as before the 60-day experiment.
Other countries still receiving 30 days include Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the United States.
A separate 15-day visa-free scheme applies to several other nations. Meanwhile, the visa-on-arrival system has been sharply reduced from 31 countries to only four: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Serbia, and India.
Some countries retain special bilateral arrangements. China, Russia, Vietnam, and Laos still receive 30 days visa-free. South Korea, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru continue to enjoy 90 days visa-free.
But for most long-haul travelers from Europe, North America, and Australia — the very tourists Bali also courts — Thailand’s 60-day window is now closed.
Tourism Numbers Are Falling
The policy reversal comes at a delicate time for Thai tourism.
Arrivals are already declining. As of May 17, 2026, foreign tourist numbers had dropped 3.3 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching only 12.9 million visitors.
Full-year 2025 saw a 7 percent decline to 33 million tourists. Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Council expects further decline this year to 32 million.
The government insists the new visa policy balances multiple factors: security, reciprocity between nations, and long-term economic impact.
But the timing raises a question: is Thailand tightening visa rules because tourism is falling, or despite it?
What This Means for Bali
Bali operates under Indonesia’s national visa policy, not its own. Currently, travelers from dozens of countries — including Australia, the United States, and most of Europe — receive 30 days visa-free upon arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport.
Extensions are available through immigration offices, though the process has become more bureaucratic in recent years.
For years, Bali and Thailand have competed on different visa terms. Thailand offered longer stays (60 days) but stricter enforcement. Bali offered shorter stays (30 days) but easier extensions and a more relaxed atmosphere.
Now Thailand has moved closer to Bali’s model.
The question for Indonesian policymakers — and for Bali’s tourism industry — is whether Thailand’s retreat from 60 days represents a failure of generous visa policy or simply a correction.
If Thailand’s mistake was giving too much time to too many people, then Indonesia’s current 30-day limit may look wise in retrospect.
But if Thailand’s tourism decline continues after the cut, Bali may face the opposite problem: not too many long-stay troublemakers, but not enough long-stay spenders.
The Bali Context
Bali has its own struggles with foreign tourists overstaying visas, running businesses illegally, and committing crimes while on tourist visas.
Just last week, Hey Bali News reported on an Algerian tourist sentenced to one year in prison for breaking into a hostel locker in Ubud. Days earlier, a Dutch national received nine years for growing cannabis inside a hydroponic tent in Denpasar.
These cases are not directly caused by visa length. But Thai authorities argued that longer stays created more opportunities for exploitation.
Bali’s immigration officials have not proposed reducing the 30-day visa-free period. The current policy seems stable.
But Thailand’s reversal will be watched closely in Jakarta and Denpasar alike. If Thai tourism stabilizes or improves after the cut, other Southeast Asian destinations may reconsider their own visa generosity. If Thai tourism continues to fall, the 60-day experiment may be remembered as a well-intentioned failure — and Bali will have learned something without having to repeat the mistake.
Thailand tried 60 days. It did not work as planned. Now it is back to 30.
Bali never left 30 days.
For now, the two destinations compete on more equal terms than they have in nearly two years. Travelers who chose Thailand for its longer visa-free stay no longer have that advantage.
Whether that shifts tourist flows toward Bali — or simply reduces overall travel to Southeast Asia — remains unclear.
But one thing is certain: every time a major tourism destination changes its visa rules, Bali’s government takes notes. And this time, the note reads: longer is not always better.
