Thailand visa for Bhutanese 2026: 30 days visa-free

What changed for Bhutanese on 15 September 2026

Before 15 September 2026, Bhutanese passport holders arriving in Thailand without a visa were stamped in for 60 days. A Ministry of Interior regulation published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 cut that allowance in half, and since 15 September 2026 Bhutanese travellers entering visa-free receive 30 days instead. If your passport was stamped before that date, the original 60 days in your passport still stands; the change only affects entries made from 15 September 2026 onward. For a Bhutanese traveller planning a trip now, this means building an itinerary around a 30-day window rather than the longer stay that used to be available, and checking your entry date carefully if you crossed the border close to the changeover.

Before you fly

• Check that your Bhutanese passport is valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date and has at least one blank page left for the entry stamp, since Thai immigration checks both.
• Have at least 20,000 THB per person, or 40,000 THB per family, available to show if an immigration officer carries out a spot check on your funds when you land in Thailand.
• File the Digital Arrival Card in the 72 hours before you land, since every Bhutanese passport holder must submit it online free of charge, regardless of your visa status.
• If you would rather arrive with 60 days already secured, apply for the e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th before you travel, allowing 3 to 10 working days for it to be processed.

Staying longer than 30 days

If 30 days is not enough, Bhutanese travellers have legitimate options instead of leaving and re-entering repeatedly. You can apply at a Thai immigration office for one extension of up to 30 days, for 1,900 THB, before your stamp runs out. Those who want more time from the start can apply for the e-Visa before departure, which grants 60 days on a single entry and the same 30-day extension. Remote workers or long-course students can look at the Destination Thailand Visa, valid five years with 180 days allowed per entry. Because visa-free land entries are capped at two a year, hopping across the border to reset your stay is not a workable plan for a Bhutanese passport.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Bhutanese passport holders are not among the nationalities allowed to use the automatic e-gates, so you will need to join the Foreign Passport queue and go through a counter with an immigration officer. Have the QR code from your Digital Arrival Card ready on your phone or printed, since it is scanned at the immigration counter alongside your passport. Keep your passport, arrival card QR code and any requested proof of funds accessible so the check goes smoothly.

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.