Thailand Visa: many tourists turned away, the vagueness of the rules worries

Faced with the rise in entry refusals in Thailand, tourism professionals are calling for clearer and more widely disseminated rules.

Last month, the Immigration Bureau announced four new measures aimed at preventing foreigners from entering Thailand as tourists while engaging in cybercrime, illicit networks, money laundering, gang activities, or forced labor.

See: Thailand: crackdown on tourists making multiple visa-free entries

One of these measures involves tightening restrictions on multiple 90-day visa-free entries, often used by foreigners to make round trips without returning to their home country.

Foreigners are now limited to two round trips, and those who exceed this limit without a valid reason are denied entry at airports and border checkpoints.

But as could be expected, many travelers were denied entry even though they had valid reasons to stay longer.

Operators are calling for clear and transparent communication of the rules

Entrance of an immigration office in Thailand.

Tourism operators are therefore urging the government to regularly publish updated rules and to rely more on pre-selection methods.

Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, President of the Thai Hotel Association (THA), said:

"Hotels have recently encountered cases of clients being refused entry under visa exemption privileges, as well as social media posts by foreigners facing a similar situation."

He added that such cases could create unnecessary uncertainty among tourists who have not yet visited the country or are planning to do so.

The agencies concerned should clarify the updated rules and ensure that the information reaches all tourists entering under the visa exemption program.

If possible, they should also explain why some cases circulating on social media were refused entry.

"The current situation has undeniably led people to consider two possibilities behind these refusals: tourists may unwittingly break the rules, or some officials exploit loopholes to extort tourists," he said.

Mr. Thienprasit said that leaving control to the discretion of officials or randomly checking tourists at immigration was not an appropriate method.

Towards a system of pre-selection and pre-approval of travelers?

Pages of a passport filled with visa stamps. Photo: Jakarta Post

He added that some countries use pre-screening procedures and automated immigration gates upon arrival.

If travelers' files show no issues, they can quickly pass through the gates, with only those flagged as suspicious being subject to face-to-face interviews.

He added that since Thailand already requires tourists to fill out the online digital arrival card (TDAC) three days before their arrival, immigration authorities already have their information.

As the government considers introducing a pre-approval system for visa-exempt travelers, similar to South Korea's electronic travel authorization, he said:

"The private sector supports this policy as it improves entry control and reassures tourists about the smoothness of their trip."

Foreign tourist arrivals continue to decline

Tourists on a beach in Koh Samui. Photo: Khaosod

As of December 7, Thailand had recorded 30.2 million foreign arrivals, a decrease of 7.19% compared to the previous year.

This decline mainly affects Chinese travelers and follows cases of tourists being kidnapped by fraudulent call centers in Myanmar or Cambodia.

See: Thailand: cancellations or traveling with fear for Chinese tourists

To address this, Thailand has launched a communication campaign to try to reassure travelers.

See: Tourist security: Thailand launches its "Seal of Trust"

Malaysia, China and India remained the three main markets, with 4.23 million, 4.18 million and 2.28 million visitors respectively.

See also:

Thailand cracks down on tourists who chain 'visa runs'

The major trends in tourism in Thailand for 2026

Thailand: end of the ban on alcohol in the afternoon to boost tourism

Thailand launches a plan to boost wellness tourism

Thailand urged to create an independent tourism authority

Source: Bangkok Post