Thailand visa for Canadians 2026: 30 days visa-free

What changed for Canadians on 15 September 2026

Until 14 September 2026, Canadians arriving in Thailand without a visa were given 60 days in the country, stamped straight into the passport at the border. From 15 September 2026, that allowance was halved: a Canadian passport now receives 30 days on visa-free entry, under a Ministry of Interior regulation that took effect that day. If you were already stamped in before 15 September, your existing 60-day stamp still stands until it expires — the change only applies to entries made from that date onward. For a Canadian planning a trip now, this means building an itinerary around a single month rather than two, and checking the stamp in your passport carefully so you know exactly when you must leave or extend.

Before you fly

• Check that your Canadian passport has at least six months of validity left on your arrival date and at least one completely blank page for the entry stamp.
• Have at least 20,000 baht per person, or 40,000 baht for a family, available in cash or accessible funds, in case Thai immigration carries out a spot check on arrival.
• File your Digital Arrival Card online in the 72 hours before you land, since every Canadian passport holder needs it regardless of visa status, and keep the QR code ready to show at immigration.
• If you plan to cross into Thailand by land more than once, remember that visa-free land entries for Canadians are capped at two per calendar year, unlike arrivals by air.

Staying longer than 30 days

If 30 days is not enough, Canadians can apply for a single extension of up to 30 more days at an immigration office inside Thailand, for 1,900 baht, before the original stamp runs out. Those who want more time from the outset can apply for an e-Visa before travelling, which usually takes 3 to 10 working days and grants 60 days on a single entry, also extendable once. Remote workers or long-course students may instead qualify for the Destination Thailand Visa, valid for five years with stays of up to 180 days per entry. Repeatedly leaving and re-entering Thailand to renew a stamp is not a real plan, since land crossings for Canadians are capped at two a year.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Canadians are among the nationalities allowed to use the automated arrival gates, provided you have filed your Digital Arrival Card, this is not your first visit to Thailand, and you are entering visa-free. The gate reads the QR code generated when you filed the card, so keep it saved and ready on your phone or printed out. First-time visitors, or anyone without the QR code ready, should expect to go through a staffed immigration counter instead, where an officer checks your passport and arrival card by hand.

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.