Introduction: from “open doors” to “a visa that matches the purpose of the trip”

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On 15 September 2026, Thailand ended the special 60-day visa-free regime that had applied to 93 countries and territories since July 2024. The relevant Ministry of Interior notifications were published in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026 and signed by Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Ukraine remains among the 60 countries and territories whose nationals may enter without a visa. Still, the visa-free stay is now up to 30 days and, under the notification's wording, intended for tourism only.

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For most holidaymakers this is simply a shorter stay. For business, the consequences run deeper: business meetings, short project trips, remote work “from Thailand”, and long stays that used to rely on a 60-day stamp now require a separate visa strategy. This article sets out what exactly changed, where uncertainty remains and what it means for Ukrainian companies and professionals working with the Thai market.

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1. What exactly came into force

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• Documents. Four Ministry of Interior notifications dated 26 August and published on 31 August 2026 (Royal Gazette, Vol. 143, Special Issue 207 Ngor). They took effect 15 days after publication, that is, on 15 September 2026.
• Core visa exemption—30 days for nationals of 60 countries and territories, including Ukraine. The previous 60-day scheme was repealed.
• Other regimes. A separate 15-day exemption applies to Mauritius and Seychelles. Visa on arrival is kept only for Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia: 15 days, THB 2,000.
• Extension. You can extend the visa-free stay once by up to 30 days at a local immigration office (form TM.7, fee THB 1,900). The decision is at the officer’s discretion, so the practical ceiling without a visa is about 60 days, down from 90 before.
• Land borders. No more than two visa-exempt entries per calendar year through land checkpoints (nationals of Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore are exempt). The notification sets no numeric cap for air arrivals, but according to the Government Public Relations Department, since November 2025 immigration has been refusing entry to travellers with more than two visa-exempt “visa runs” and no valid reason.
• Transition rule. Anyone who entered Thailand on or before 14 September keeps the full stay stamped on entry. The new rule applies from the next entry.
• What is checked at the border. Proof of funds (per the Tourism Authority of Thailand reminder of July 2026, THB 10,000 per person or THB 20,000 per family), an onward ticket and a completed Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC).

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By the government’s own account, the new framework implements the principle of “one country, one entitlement”. It is meant to stop visa-free entry from being used for informal work, nominee businesses and de facto long-term residence. Tellingly, the average foreign tourist stays about nine days, and roughly 90% leave within 30 days, so the 30-day regime covers genuine tourism while pushing everyone else towards a visa that matches the purpose of the trip.

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2. “Tourism only”: what happens to business trips

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The most important change for business is not the number of days but the stated purpose of entry. The repealed 2024 notification expressly covered tourism, work and short-term business contact. The new one refers only to tourism.

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• Business visits. Immigration advisers, including Newland Chase, recommend obtaining a Non-Immigrant B visa before travel if the purpose is negotiations, project work or taking part in a Thai company’s activities. A Non-B visa grants entry, not the right to work: the Department of Employment issues a work permit separately, and it cannot be issued to a tourist or visa-exempt entrant.
• Urgent work (UWP). Before 15 September, a foreigner could enter visa-free and file a notification of necessary urgent work of up to 15 days. Right after the notifications were published, advisers diverged. On 2 September, Newland Chase treated the question as open and advised Non-B. Vialto and Fragomen later reported that the Department of Employment had confirmed that visa-exempt visitors can still file such notifications, while visa-on-arrival entrants cannot. As of mid-October, I found no detailed public guidance from the Department itself.
• What counts as urgent work. According to Fragomen’s description, it may cover installation, repair, inspection, and testing of equipment; technical troubleshooting; conferences and trade events; technical consultations; and certain audits. Under Thai law, ordinary work generally requires a Non-B visa and a work permit before work begins.
• Signing contracts. According to law-firm analysis, signing contracts and giving instructions in Thailand count as “work” under the foreign workers decree. A director who travels to sign documents may fall within its scope even if unpaid.
• A practical signal. The wording was so divergent that, in October, it was discussed at the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok: participants were advised to check entry documents in advance.

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3. A longer stay: the DTV after 31 August 2026

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For those who need more than 30 days, the main instrument remains the Destination Thailand Visa (DTV): five years’ validity, up to 180 days per entry and a funds requirement of about THB 500,000. The Workcation category is intended for remote workers and freelancers serving foreign clients. It does not permit working for a Thai employer.

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Since 31 August 2026, the rules for new applications have changed:

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• Mission of nationality or permanent residence. The application goes to the Thai embassy or consulate of the country where the applicant is a national or permanent resident. Applying in third countries (for example, in Laos or Malaysia) has ceased.
• Police clearance certificate. A certificate from the country of nationality or the country of application is required. Validity depends on the mission: three to six months. If the mission does not specify, it is safer to keep it within three months.
• Applying from outside Thailand. The e-Visa is filed from abroad, with the applicant staying outside Thailand until it is issued. A trip to the embassy is not required.
• Apostille. None of the reviewed DTV checklists requires one. Thailand acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 30 June 2026, and it enters into force on 28 February 2027.
• Existing visas. The new requirements do not affect DTVs already issued.

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A point specific to Ukrainians. The Royal Thai Embassy in Warsaw states on its page that it defines the circle of applicants as people residing in Poland or Ukraine and requires proof of residence. Ukrainians currently living in other countries should check separately with the relevant mission whether their status is sufficient; according to publications on the new rules, each mission assesses temporary statuses individually. I found no separate guidance specifically for Ukrainians abroad, so before paying the fee (which is not refunded), it is better to check the mission’s own document list.

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4. The tax dimension: 180 days and remittance of income

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A long stay on a DTV creates not only a visa question but also a tax one. A person becomes a Thai tax resident after 180 or more days of presence in a calendar year. Residents are taxed on Thai-source income and on foreign-source income earned from 1 January 2024 if it is remitted to Thailand (Revenue Department Orders Por. 161 and 162). The DTV itself grants no tax privileges. Remote work for a foreign client is not Thai-source income, yet for a resident, remitting that income to Thailand may make it taxable. I could not confirm the discussed relaxations of the remittance rules as law in force, so planning should follow the current rules.

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For Ukrainian sole proprietors and companies, this ties closely to the topic we covered earlier: the 2004 Ukraine–Thailand double tax convention operates separately from the visa regime, and whether the Thai payer will withhold 15% tax depends on the Ukrainian tax residence certificate and the contract structure. A long stay in Thailand should therefore be planned alongside the tax position, not after.

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5. Critical analysis: where uncertainty remains

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• Divergence in interpreting UWP. Advisers’ positions differ, and I found no detailed public guidance from the Department of Employment. For critical projects, Non-B is a safer route than relying on a visa-free entry.
• Discretionary extension. The extra 30 days are granted at the officer’s discretion, so you can't build a work schedule around them.
• Uneven practice. The two-“visa run” limit is codified for land borders, while for air arrivals it operates as a control practice rather than a numeric rule. The result depends on the applicant’s travel history.
• Uncertainty for Ukrainians abroad. The “mission of nationality or permanent residence” rule creates a problem for those living outside Ukraine on temporary status.
• Speed of change. Country lists and notification wording may be clarified. Before travelling, check the current texts in the Gazette and on mission websites.

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6. What this means for Ukrainian business

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• IT, consulting and marketing with Thai clients. The remote model from Ukraine remains the safest in both the tax and visa senses. If a project involves sending a team (workshops, training of the client’s staff, solution launch), determine in advance whether it is urgent work under UWP or full work requiring Non-B and a permit.
• Secondments and permanent establishment. Track trip duration from both the visa and tax sides; in our previous article, we described the six-month rule for services under the 2004 Convention.
• Remote workers and sole proprietors. For stays in Thailand of more than 30–60 days, DTV is the realistic option, with a prepared package: a certificate of no criminal record, proof of residence, and bank statements for THB 500,000. Watch the 180-day threshold and where you remit income.
• Directors and owners. Trips to sign documents, manage a local company or take part in operational decisions may qualify as work. This combines with the stricter scrutiny by the DBD of nominee shareholders and directors’ authority that we wrote about earlier.
• Thai clients and partners. It is worth informing Thai customers about the new rules: an invitation letter from the company is often needed for a Non-B, and the speed of obtaining the visa depends on its quality.

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7. Practical checklist before travel

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1. The purpose of the trip: holiday, business meetings, urgent work or long-term remote work.
2. Duration: whether the trip fits within 30 days and whether the plan depends on a discretionary extension.
3. Visa instrument: visa-free entry, tourist visa, Non-B or DTV.
4. Work authorisation: whether it is needed and who on the Thai side is responsible for obtaining it.
5. Entry counter: how many visa-free entries have already been used this year, especially by land.
6. Border documents: TDAC, proof of funds, onward ticket, invitation letter.
7. Taxes: whether the 180-day threshold is approaching and how income is remitted.
8. Contract: whether the terms of work in Thailand contradict employees' actual stay regime.

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Conclusion

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The move from 60-day visa-free entry to a 30-day “tourism-only” regime is not just a shorter stay; it changes the logic. Thailand now requires the visa status to match the real purpose of the trip. For Ukrainian tourists, this mostly means a shorter stay. For business, it means planning Non-B, UWP or DTV before questions arise at the border.

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The greatest uncertainty concerns urgent work after a visa-free entry: advisers report confirmation from the Department of Employment, but detailed public guidance is still lacking. A sensible approach is therefore to choose the visa that directly matches the purpose for critical projects, and for longer stays to prepare DTV documents in advance, taking into account the new requirements on the mission of application and the police clearance certificate.

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