Thailand visa for Poles 2026: 30 days visa-free

What changed for Poles on 15 September 2026

Until 14 September 2026, Polish passport holders arriving visa-free were stamped in for 60 days. A Ministry of Interior regulation, published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and in force from 15 September 2026, cut that allowance to 30 days for Poles entering visa-free. If you were stamped into Thailand before 15 September, your passport keeps the original 60 days, so check the date on your existing stamp rather than assuming the new rule applies retroactively. For any Polish traveller arriving now, the practical effect is a shorter window to fit in your trip, and less room for error if you want to extend or combine Thailand with travel to neighbouring countries. Plan your itinerary around 30 days, not 60, unless you already hold an older stamp.

Before you fly

• Check that your Polish passport is valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date in Thailand and has at least one completely blank page for the entry stamp.
• Poles entering visa-free may be asked to show proof of onward or return travel, so keep a booking or itinerary you can present at immigration.
• Carry evidence of at least 20,000 THB per person, or 40,000 THB per family, since Thai immigration can carry out spot checks on funds for Polish visitors entering visa-free.
• File your Digital Arrival Card in the 72 hours before landing, using the Immigration Bureau's free portal, and keep the QR code ready to show at the checkpoint.

Staying longer than 30 days

If 30 days is not enough, you can apply for one extension of up to 30 days at a Thai immigration office, for 1,900 THB, before your stamp expires. Poles who need more time from the start can apply for an e-Visa at thaievisa.go.th before flying; it usually takes three to ten working days and gives a single 60-day entry, also extendable once by 30 days. For remote work or a long course, the Destination Thailand Visa gives five years of validity and stays of up to 180 days per entry, but it needs proof of substantial funds and must be arranged before you travel. Leaving and re-entering to reset the clock is not a workaround: land crossings allow only two visa-free entries per year for Polish passport holders.

At the airport

At Suvarnabhumi, Poles are among the nationalities that can use the automated arrival gates, provided you have already filed your Digital Arrival Card, this is not your first visit to Thailand, and you are entering visa-free. Otherwise, head to a regular immigration counter. Either way, an officer or the gate scans the QR code generated by your Digital Arrival Card alongside your passport, so keep the code accessible on your phone or printed. First-time Polish visitors and anyone without the QR code should expect to use a staffed counter.

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.