Since 15 September 2026, French nationals enter Thailand visa-free for 30 days, no longer 60. The measure was published in the Thai Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and ends the 60-day scheme that had been in place since July 2024. It covers around sixty countries and territories, including France, Belgium and Switzerland.

The change looks minor. It is not: it reshapes how you plan a trip of more than a month, it limits a practice common among long-term travellers, and it opens a gap almost nobody thinks about between the time you are allowed to stay and the time you have actually insured.

What exactly has changed

  • Duration: 30 visa-free days, down from 60.
  • Purpose: tourism only.
  • Effective date: entries from 15 September 2026 onwards.
  • If you were already there: travellers who entered before that date keep the period they were granted. The rule is not retroactive.

The Thai authorities justify the measure by the need to adapt the exemption scheme to current conditions, taking into account national security, the economy, tourism and the prevention of abuse of the visa-free system.

The 30-day extension exists, but it is not a right

An extension of up to 30 additional days can be requested on site at an immigration office, for a fee of 1,900 baht. A 60-day stay therefore remains possible, but in two steps and with a procedure to complete locally.

The nuance is decisive: this extension is granted at the discretion of the immigration officer. It is not automatic, and no text guarantees you will get it. Planning a 45 or 50-day trip on that basis means making the end of your stay, your return flight and your accommodation depend on a decision that is not secured.

In practice, if you already know you will stay longer than 30 days, the prudent route is to apply for a visa before departure rather than bet on the extension.

The point that goes unnoticed: land borders

The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs states that only two visa-free border crossings per calendar year are allowed.

Arrivals by air are not counted towards that cap, but the immigration officer retains the power to refuse entry to a traveller who strings together back-to-back tourist stays.

This limit targets the visa run directly: the round trip to Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia to get a fresh stamp and start a full period again. The practice was already restricted; it becomes genuinely constraining now that each entry is worth only 30 days. Two land entries a year, at 30 days each, do not add up to a year in Thailand.

What overstaying costs

Staying beyond the authorised period exposes you to a fine of 500 baht per day of overstay, capped at 20,000 baht, paid to immigration when you leave the country. Beyond a certain duration, overstaying also triggers a re-entry ban, whose length increases with the overstay and varies depending on whether you come forward voluntarily or are caught during a check.

The French ministry also mentions the possibility of deportation. This is not a theoretical risk: an overstay, even of a few days, leaves a trace in your immigration record.

The digital arrival card, not to be forgotten

Separately from the visa, Thailand has required since 1 May 2025 a digital arrival card, the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), which replaced the old paper TM6 form.

  • It is mandatory for all foreign travellers, whatever the point of entry: airport, land border or seaport, and it applies to children and infants too.
  • It must be completed within the 72 hours before arrival.
  • It is free and is filled in on the Thai Immigration Bureau's official site, tdac.immigration.go.th. Beware of intermediary websites charging for this service: the immigration authorities themselves warn against them.
  • It does not replace the visa: it comes in addition to it.

Staying longer than 30 days: your options

  • The on-site extension, up to 30 days and subject to approval.
  • A visa applied for before departure, online. Allow time: applications can take several weeks, which rules out last-minute planning.
  • The DTV visa if you work remotely: 5 years multi-entry, 180 days per entry, extendable once on site. It is currently the most flexible option for a long stay, and we have a dedicated guide on it.

What this changes for your insurance

This is the blind spot of the change. The period you insure and the period you are allowed to stay are no longer the same thing, and the gap now depends on an administrative decision made on site. Three points deserve a check in your policy wording before you leave.

  • Cover stops at the end of the period you subscribed. On most policies, care incurred after the end date is no longer covered, even if treatment started before. If you obtain a 30-day extension but your policy only covers 30 days, the second month is uninsured, and that is usually when attention drops.
  • Dates are rarely changed after the fact. Many policies only accept a change of dates or a cancellation if the request is made before the start date. Buying 60 days then cutting the trip short does not necessarily entitle you to a refund.
  • A refused extension is not a refused visa. Some policies cover trip cancellation if the destination's authorities refuse a tourist visa, under conditions. A refusal to extend once you are on site is a different situation, and does not fall under that cover.

Two reflexes, then. Insure the period actually granted rather than the one you hope for. And check with your insurer whether a policy extension is possible mid-trip before you need it: it is a simple step when anticipated, and impossible once you are in hospital.

One useful reminder: health cover is not required at the border for a tourist stay in Thailand, but the French foreign ministry strongly recommends taking out a policy covering the entire stay. Thai private hospitals commonly ask for a payment guarantee or an upfront deposit before treating a patient.

Key takeaways

  • 30 visa-free days since 15 September 2026, tourism only, for around sixty nationalities including France.
  • A 30-day extension is possible, at immigration's discretion, for 1,900 baht, with no guarantee.
  • Two visa-free land border crossings per calendar year; air arrivals are not counted.
  • Overstay: 500 baht per day, capped at 20,000 baht, plus a possible re-entry ban.
  • A free digital arrival card is mandatory, to be completed within 72 hours before arrival.
  • Beyond 30 days, a visa applied for before departure is the safe route.
  • Align the length of your insurance with the period actually granted, not the one you hope to obtain.