Thailand: 30 days visa-free, TDAC card, cash… what has changed for travelers

Planning a trip to Thailand? Good news: French travelers, like many other nationalities, can still enter without a visa. But since September 15, 2026, the rules have changed, and many travelers are not aware yet. Here is the essential information, made simple.

1. Visa-free: 30 days instead of 60

This is the main change. With a French passport, you can now stay in Thailand up to 30 days without a visa, for tourism only. Before, it was 60 days.

Want to stay longer? Two options:

• apply for a 30-day extension at an immigration office in Thailand, before your stay ends. It costs 1,900 baht (paid in cash) and is not guaranteed: it depends on immigration's approval;
• or apply for a tourist visa before you leave, on the official Thai e-Visa website: thaievisa.go.th↗.

Be careful: if you stay beyond the permitted period, you will pay a fine, and you even risk deportation. Write down your exit date.

2. Two visa-free entries per year, maximum

This is the rule many people don't know: only two visa-free entries are allowed per calendar year, whatever the means of transport (plane, road or boat).

"Visa runs" are also over. This practice of leaving for a few days to Cambodia or Malaysia and coming back with a new visa-free stay is considered illegal by the Thai authorities, and can lead to refused entry and detention before being sent back.

My advice: planning a long trip around Southeast Asia with several stops in Thailand? Plan your itinerary accordingly, or apply for a visa before you leave.

3. The TDAC arrival card: mandatory and free

All foreign travelers must fill in the TDAC (Thailand Digital Arrival Card), an online arrival card that replaces the old paper form.

My advice:

• fill it in within 72 hours before your arrival, on the official website: tdac.immigration.go.th↗;
• it is 100% free: many fake websites charge for it and collect your personal data. Always check that the address ends in .go.th;
• keep the confirmation on your phone (a screenshot is enough).

4. Cash: the rule almost nobody knows

According to official Thai rules, tourists entering without a visa must be able to show at least 20,000 baht per person (or 40,000 baht per family), in cash or the equivalent.

Checks are not systematic, but the immigration officer may ask you. Keep part of your budget easy to access, along with your bank card, your hotel booking and your return ticket.

5. Cannabis: never take any home

Cannabis is decriminalized in Thailand, but exporting it is strictly forbidden. Since June 2026, checks on departure have been greatly stepped up: a fine of 30,000 baht per kilo, police custody if you can't pay, and sentences of 2 to 10 years in prison. Several young French travelers have been arrested in recent weeks.

My advice: never carry cannabis, even in small amounts, and never agree to carry a bag for someone else without knowing what's inside.

6. The tourist tax: not in force yet

You may have read that an entry fee of 300 or 450 baht would be charged. For now, this is a proposal that keeps being postponed: it is not applied yet. Be careful with any website asking you to pay it today.

7. Other basic rules

• Passport valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date.
• Return or onward ticket, to show if asked.
• The visa-free stay is for tourism only: working requires a different visa.

8. Arriving stress-free: what you can book before you leave

When you land in Bangkok or Phuket after a long flight, that's where you lose the most time and money:

• Internet as soon as you land: Thailand is not covered by European roaming. An eSIM installed before departure connects you as soon as you leave the plane, useful to show your TDAC or book a taxi. See eSIMs for Thailand →
• A fixed-price airport transfer: the driver waits for you with your name, no negotiation needed. Book an airport transfer →
• Your activities (Wat Arun temple and its giant guardians, the islands, the floating markets): prices and reviews known in advance, often with free cancellation. See deals in Thailand →

And when paying by card, if the terminal offers to charge you "in euros", decline and choose baht: the rate applied in euros is often less favorable.

9. Your hotel: compare before you book

In Thailand, Asian booking platforms are very popular, and the same hotel can have different prices from one website to another. With Prixofy, you fill in a single form and open your hotel on several platforms in one click, with your dates already filled in. If you book with free cancellation, we send you a free reminder at D-14, D-7 and D-3 to check the rate again.

Your checklist before leaving for Thailand

• ✅ Stay of 30 days maximum without a visa (otherwise a visa or an extension)
• ✅ Two visa-free entries per year, maximum
• ✅ TDAC filled in on the official website (.go.th), within 72 hours before arrival
• ✅ 20,000 baht (or the equivalent) available per person
• ✅ Passport valid for 6 months
• ✅ Return ticket easy to show
• ✅ eSIM installed before departure
• ✅ No cannabis in your luggage on the way home

Thailand remains one of the easiest destinations in Asia. You just need to know these new rules to arrive with peace of mind.

Article updated in October 2026. Entry rules can change quickly: always check official information before you leave, and check the rules for your own nationality, for example on diplomatie.gouv.fr↗ for French travelers.

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