Do Bhutanese passport holders need a visa for Thailand?
By Simran Raheja · Product Manager · SEO and Content, Tripmojo · Updated · Reviewed by Simran Raheja
No. Bhutanese citizens do not need a visa to visit Thailand today. Bhutan is on the list of 93 countries and territories covered by the 60-day visa exemption in force since 15 July 2024, so you are stamped in at the border for tourism or business meetings. Two things to watch: the free Thailand Digital Arrival Card must be filed within 3 days before you land, and on 19 May 2026 the Thai Cabinet approved replacing the 60-day scheme with a 30-day exemption for 54 countries and a 15-day one for 3. That change takes effect 15 days after it is published in the Royal Gazette, which had not happened when this page was checked, and the new country lists have not been published.
Quick facts
Visa-free- Visa required
- No, 60-day visa exemption (rule in force today)
- Length of stay
- Up to 60 days, extendable once by up to 30 days at the officer’s discretion
- Purpose covered
- Tourism, business engagements, urgent or ad-hoc work
- Entry formality
- Thailand Digital Arrival Card, online, free, within 3 days of arrival
- Passport validity
- At least 6 months
- Funds
- 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 per family, cash or equivalent
- Cost
- Free
- Pending change
- 30-day scheme approved 19 May 2026, not yet gazetted
Entry requirements
- A Bhutanese passport valid for at least six months. The exemption applies only to passports issued by Bhutan, not to other travel documents issued by Bhutan.
- A Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) submitted at tdac.immigration.go.th within the 3 days before you arrive. It is free and is required on every entry, including visa-exempt ones.
- A return or onward ticket.
- Cash or equivalent of at least 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family, which immigration can ask to see.
What happens on arrival
File the TDAC online in the 3 days before your flight, whether you are flying direct from Paro to Bangkok or connecting elsewhere. It asks for passport, flight and accommodation details and costs nothing. The embassies warn not to pay anyone for it.
At immigration, present your passport and, if asked, your onward ticket and evidence of funds. Under the exemption you are stamped in for up to 60 days. No fee is payable and nothing needs to be arranged with a Thai embassy beforehand.
If you need longer, apply for an extension at an Immigration Bureau office inside Thailand before your permitted stay expires. One extension of up to 30 days may be granted, and it is at the officer’s discretion. Overstaying is fined at 500 baht per day.
Good to know
- Bhutan is on both of Thailand’s lists, and the second one is a trap. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs still prints Bhutan on its visa-on-arrival list (2,000 baht, 15 days) with an asterisk marking it as eligible for the 60-day exemption. Older guides and some agents still quote the VOA. Bhutanese passport holders do not need to pay it; walk to the ordinary immigration counter and use the exemption.
- The rule you read about today may not be the rule when you fly. The Cabinet decision of 19 May 2026 scraps the 60-day scheme for all 93 countries and splits them between a 30-day list of 54, a 15-day list of 3, a VOA list cut to 4 and, for the rest, a visa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ summary of the revision, dated 20 May 2026, places Bhutan in the 30-day group of 54, but that is a summary rather than the gazetted notice, and the change only starts 15 days after Royal Gazette publication. Travellers who enter before the effective date keep their stamped period. Check the Royal Thai Embassy’s notice about two weeks before departure.
- Bangkok is the usual gateway out of Bhutan, and many Bhutanese trips are for hospital appointments rather than holidays. A short medical visit fits within the exemption, but if treatment is likely to run past the permitted stay, or you will be entering repeatedly for follow-ups, the London embassy warns that repeated exemption entries can be refused at the border. Thailand has a specific medical-treatment visa (TR-MT) through the thaievisa.go.th portal for that case.
- The exemption covers tourism, business engagements and a listed set of urgent or ad-hoc work. It is not a work or study permission. Anyone planning a course, volunteering or paid work should apply for the appropriate non-immigrant visa in advance, because the embassy cannot issue a visa to someone already in Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
Do Bhutanese citizens need a visa for Thailand?
No, under the rule in force today. Bhutan is on Thailand’s 60-day visa exemption list, so you are stamped in on arrival for tourism or business visits. A revised scheme approved on 19 May 2026 will replace it once gazetted, and Bhutan’s place in the new lists has not been announced.
Is Thailand visa on arrival for Bhutan?
Not any more in practice. Bhutan still appears on the visa-on-arrival list, but with the Ministry’s note that it is eligible for the 60-day exemption instead. You do not need to pay the 2,000 baht VOA fee.
How long can Bhutanese stay in Thailand without a visa?
Up to 60 days per entry under the current exemption, with one possible extension of up to 30 days at the discretion of the immigration officer, applied for inside Thailand before the stay expires.
Do Bhutanese travellers need the Thailand Digital Arrival Card?
Yes. Since 1 May 2025 every foreign national must submit the TDAC online within 3 days before arrival, including visa-exempt travellers. It is free and is not a visa.
What does Thai immigration ask Bhutanese passport holders to show?
A passport valid for at least six months, a return or onward ticket, and funds of at least 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 baht per family in cash or equivalent.
Will Bhutan stay visa-free for Thailand after the 2026 changes?
Probably yes, at 30 days rather than 60. The Cabinet has approved a 30-day exemption for 54 countries and the foreign ministry’s summary of the revision lists Bhutan among them, but the change has not yet been gazetted. Check an official Royal Thai Embassy notice shortly before you travel.
Related pages
Other passports for Thailand
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on .
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand — Visa Exemption (60 Days), Revised 16 July 2024 (list PDF linked from the Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC): Bhutan is among the 93 countries and territories; up to 60 days, extendable by not more than 30 days at the immigration officer’s discretion. Read 2026-08-22.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand — Visa on Arrival (VOA), Revised 16 July 2024: Bhutan listed with the asterisk "eligible for 60-day visa exemption scheme"; VOA fee 2,000 THB, stay not exceeding 15 days. Read 2026-08-22.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC — New Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival to Thailand: 20,000 baht per person or 40,000 per family; exemption applies only to passports issued by the listed countries. Read 2026-08-22.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Bandar Seri Begawan — The revision of Thailand’s visa exemption and VoA schemes, 2026: Cabinet approval of 19 May 2026, 60-day scheme revoked, 30-day list of 54 and 15-day list of 3, effective 15 days after Royal Gazette publication. Read 2026-08-22.
- Royal Thai Embassy, London — Visa Information: Thailand Digital Arrival Card required from 1 May 2025, submitted within 3 days before arrival, free of charge; repeated exemption entries may be refused. Read 2026-08-22.
- Royal Thai Embassy, London — FAQ about Thai visa: passport valid at least 6 months, round-trip ticket, funds; extension of stay at an Immigration Office, 500 baht per day overstay fine. Read 2026-08-22.
- Royal Thai Embassy, Washington DC — Regulation to Enter Thailand and Visa Arrangement: medical-treatment visa category (TR-MT). Read 2026-08-22.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand — Summary: The revision of Thailand’s visa exemption and VoA schemes, 2026 (PDF dated 20 May 2026, hosted on image.mfa.go.th and linked from the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong): Bhutan appears in the 30-day visa exemption list of 54 countries and territories. A summary, not a gazetted announcement. Read 2026-08-22.
Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.
