There have been some changes to the visa rules relating to entry into Thailand via land borders. It has been reported that the new rules came into effect on November 1, 2013 but only apply to passport holders from specific countries (the G7 nations) as listed below:
The new ruling, which has apparently been confirmed by the Royal Thai Immigration Bureau, means that passport holders from the countries listed above who aren’t already holding a visa will now receive a a 30-day visa-exempt stamp when entering Thailand via a land border instead of 15 days. It isn’t clear at this stage whether there will be any restrictions on the number of times somebody can border-hop by land and still receive 30 days. There have also been reports on the Thai Visa forum that not everybody is getting a 30-day permission to stay stamp even if, in theory, they qualify. When it comes to visa regulations for Thailand, there is no ‘one-size fits all’ policy. I’ve written various articles relating to visa rules for Thailand, but if you are still in any doubt or have queries you should contact the Thai embassy or consulate in your home country.
