Thailand travel update as visa rules change for Briton

July 16, 2024
Hundreds of thousands of people travel to Thailand from the UK each year

The Foreign Office has updated its advice for anyone wishing to travel to Thailand from the UK. On Tuesday, July 16, the government released a new alert pertaining to the duration of stay that UK nationals are permitted to stay in the country of Southeast Asia.

In an effort to assist people in making wise decisions and maintaining their safety, the FCDO publishes its travel advisory on a regular basis for any of the 226 countries and territories. Every year, tens of thousands of people go to Thailand from the United Kingdom.

And now UK visitors can spend even longer in the nation, according to a Gov.uk update, which reads: "The period of stay can be extended for another period not exceeding 30 days. If you intend to stay longer (for work, study or other reasons) you need a visa before you travel."

Anyone caught overstaying the period of their visa, or visa exemption, will be fined 500 Thai baht (around £10.70) per day, up to a maximum of 20,000 baht (around £428). You also risk being held in detention, deported at your own expense, and banned from re-entering Thailand for up to 10 years.

Before, visitors with a British passport who arrived by land or air were excused from needing a visa for a 30-day stay as long as they were there for tourism or a brief business meeting. However, this time frame has quadrupled to 60 days as of June 1.