Thailand halves visa-free stay for Malaysians to 30 days from Sept 15, little impact expected

- Illustrative photo - Bernama

BANGKOK: (Bernama) Thailand will reduce the visa-free stay for Malaysian passport holders from 60 days to 30 days effective Sept 15 under revised entry rules that also affect dozens of countries and territories.

Despite the shorter period, Malaysian Ambassador to Thailand Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah said the change is unlikely to significantly affect Malaysian travellers, given that their average stay in the Kingdom was only about 4.3 days.

Citing a 2025 study by Globlex Securities, he said around 70 per cent of Malaysian travellers are concentrated in the southern region.

However, he advised Malaysians to take note of the new entry rules, particularly for those planning to stay for more than 30 days.

On Aug 31, Thailand announced a shorter visa-free entry period for 60 countries and territories, including Malaysia, while introducing a new 15-day exemption category for select nations and restructuring its visa-on-arrival list.

Wan Zaidi said the shorter visa-free period could have greater impact on some travellers, particularly Malaysian nationals married to Thai nationals but who do not ordinarily reside in Thailand, noting that the Embassy has received feedback on the matter.

"For this category of visitors, the measures may have a comparatively greater bearing on their travel arrangements, particularly the duration of family visits, which may potentially be shortened,” he told Bernama.

He said while the overall impact on Thailand’s tourism sector was expected to remain limited, the potential effect on cross-border family visits warranted consideration, particularly in maintaining people-to-people connectivity and facilitating family ties between Malaysia and Thailand.

"Nevertheless, the Embassy strongly advises Malaysian nationals travelling to Thailand to comply with and respect the laws, regulations and requirements of the Kingdom of Thailand,” he said.

Wan Zaidi said the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok was also strengthening engagement with tourism operators, airlines and relevant agencies to facilitate information exchange and ensure timely dissemination of updates on changes to travel procedures, requirements and regulations.

He advised travellers who intend to stay in Thailand for more than 30 days to obtain the appropriate e-Visa through the Royal Thai Embassy in Malaysia before departure to avoid any misunderstanding or inconvenience upon arrival in Thailand.

The ambassador also encouraged Malaysians to notify the Embassy of their arrival in Thailand via email at mwbangkok@kln.gov.my. - Bernama

Thank you for your report!

Thailand halves visa-free stay for Malaysians to 30 days from Sept 15, little impact expected

Heavy rain risk shifts towards Bangkok and southern Thailand

Thailand presses Israeli ambassador over badly behaved tourists

- 说明性照片 - 马新社

曼谷：（马新社）泰国将于9月15日起修订入境规定，将马来西亚护照持有者的免签停留期限从60天缩短至30天，该规定也影响到数十个国家和地区。

尽管停留时间缩短，但马来西亚驻泰国大使拿督旺·扎伊迪·旺·阿卜杜拉表示，鉴于马来西亚游客在泰国的平均停留时间只有约 4.3 天，这一变化不太可能对马来西亚游客产生重大影响。

他援引 Globlex Securities 2025 年的一项研究称，约 70% 的马来西亚游客集中在南部地区。

不过，他建议马来西亚人注意新的入境规定，特别是那些计划停留超过30天的人。

8月31日，泰国宣布缩短对包括马来西亚在内的60个国家和地区的免签入境期限，同时为特定国家推出新的15天豁免类别，并调整落地签名单。

万扎伊迪表示，免签期限缩短可能会对一些旅客产生更大的影响，特别是与泰国公民结婚但通常不居住在泰国的马来西亚公民，并指出大使馆已收到有关此事的反馈。

他告诉马新社：“对于这类访客来说，这些措施可能会对他们的旅行安排产生相对更大的影响，特别是家庭探访的时间，探访时间可能会缩短。”

他表示，虽然预计对泰国旅游业的总体影响仍然有限，但对跨境家庭探访的潜在影响值得考虑，尤其是在维持马来西亚和泰国之间的民间联系和促进家庭关系方面。

“尽管如此，大使馆强烈建议前往泰国的马来西亚公民遵守并尊重泰国的法律、法规和要求，”他说。

万扎伊迪表示，马来西亚驻曼谷大使馆也在加强与旅游经营者、航空公司和相关机构的联系，以促进信息交流，并确保及时传播有关旅行程序、要求和规定变化的最新信息。

他建议计划在泰国停留超过 30 天的旅客在出发前通过马来西亚的泰国皇家大使馆获得相应的电子签证，以免抵达泰国后出现任何误解或不便。

大使还鼓励马来西亚公民通过电子邮件（mwbangkok@kln.gov.my）通知大使馆他们抵达泰国的情况。——马新社

感谢您的报告！

泰国自9月15日起将马来西亚公民的免签停留期限减半至30天，预计影响不大

强降雨风险转移至曼谷和泰国南部

泰国就行为不端的游客问题向以色列大使施压。