Thailand visa for Australians 2026: 30 days visa-free

What changed for Australians on 15 September 2026

Until 14 September 2026, Australians travelling to Thailand without a visa were given 60 days on arrival. A Ministry of Interior regulation published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 cut that allowance, and from 15 September 2026 Australian passport holders entering visa-free receive 30 days instead. If your passport was stamped before the new rule took effect, the 60-day period already written into it still stands, so you don't lose time already granted. For anyone flying in from 15 September 2026 onward, the practical effect is a shorter window to plan around: a fortnight's holiday is unaffected, but longer trips, work stints or extended sightseeing now need either an extension or a different visa route to cover the extra time.

Before you fly

• Check your Australian passport is valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date and has a blank page free for the immigration stamp, since officers can refuse entry without both.
• Have at least 20,000 baht per person, or 40,000 baht for a family, available in case immigration carries out a spot check on funds when you arrive as an Australian visitor.
• File the Digital Arrival Card within 72 hours of landing, since every Australian passport holder must submit it free of charge before immigration scans the QR code on arrival.
• If you'd rather arrive with a visa already sorted, apply through the e-Visa system before you fly, since Australians using it should allow three to ten working days for processing ahead of departure.

Staying longer than 30 days

If 30 days isn't enough, Australians can apply for one extension of up to 30 days at a Thai immigration office, costing 1,900 baht and lodged before the current stamp expires. Those who know in advance they'll need more time can apply for an e-Visa instead, valid for 60 days and extendable once by the same 30 days for 1,900 baht. Remote workers or long-course students should look at the Destination Thailand Visa: five years validity, 180 days per entry, though it needs proof of 500,000 baht in funds and must be arranged before leaving Australia. Repeatedly crossing a land border to reset the clock isn't a sound plan, since visa-free land entries are capped at two per calendar year.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Australians are one of the nationalities eligible to use the automated immigration gates, provided you've filed your Digital Arrival Card, are entering visa-free, and this isn't your first visit to Thailand. First-time Australian visitors and anyone without those conditions met use the staffed counters instead. Either way, the officer or the gate reader scans the QR code generated when you submitted your arrival card, matching it against your passport details before your entry is processed.

Facts checked on 30 September 2026. Sources: Royal Gazette notifications of 31 August 2026, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs bilateral list, the Immigration Bureau. Rules change; your embassy has the final word.