Thailand visa for Papua New Guineans 2026: e-Visa needed

What changed for Papua New Guineans on 15 September 2026

Until 14 September 2026, Papua New Guineans could land in Thailand and receive 60 days stamped in their passport at the border, no visa needed in advance. That arrangement was part of a wider exemption covering 93 passports, introduced in July 2024, and it was withdrawn on 15 September 2026 when the list was narrowed to 60 countries — Papua New Guinea is not among them. For a Papua New Guinean traveller, this means the old habit of simply booking a flight and showing up no longer works. You now need to obtain a visa or e-Visa before you leave home, and airline staff will ask to see it when you check in, since carriers are required to confirm it before boarding.

Before you fly

• Check that your Papua New Guinean passport has at least six months of validity left on your arrival date and still has a blank page free for the immigration stamp.
• Carry proof of an onward or return flight, and be ready to show at least 20,000 baht per person, or 40,000 baht for a family group, since officers can ask for evidence of funds.
• Complete the Digital Arrival Card online in the 72 hours before you land in Thailand; it's free, and the QR code it produces will be checked when you clear immigration.
• If you are applying for an e-Visa, submit it through thaievisa.go.th well before departure, since Papua New Guineans should allow roughly 3 to 10 working days for processing.

Staying longer than the visa allows

For Papua New Guineans who need more than a short stay, the practical route is a tourist e-Visa arranged before departure, which grants 60 days and can be extended once, for a further 30 days, at an immigration office for 1,900 baht. If your reason for staying is remote work or a longer course of study, the Destination Thailand Visa is built for that: it runs for five years, allows stays of up to 180 days per entry, costs 10,000 baht, and asks for proof of 500,000 baht in funds, applied for from outside Thailand. Leaving and re-entering to reset the clock isn't a genuine option, since the twice-a-year land border limit applies to travellers using visa-free entry, and Papua New Guineans no longer qualify for that anyway.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Papua New Guineans are not among the nationalities allowed to use the automated e-gates, so you'll head to the Foreign Passport counters staffed by an immigration officer. Have your passport and your Digital Arrival Card QR code ready, since the officer scans the code alongside your passport before stamping you in. The same counter process applies at other international airports around Thailand, so build a little extra queuing time into your connection or onward plans.

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.