September 07, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lankan nationals planning trips to Thailand will need to secure a visa before departure from September 15, 2026, following changes to Thailand’s entry rules.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that Sri Lanka has been removed from the country’s tourism-related visa-exemption arrangements. The revised measures were published in Thailand’s Royal Gazette on August 31 and are due to come into force on September 15.
The policy shift follows a review endorsed by the Thai Cabinet in May. As part of the review, Thailand has scrapped its previous 60-day visa-free arrangement and adjusted the list of countries whose citizens can enter without a visa for shorter stays.
Thai authorities said the changes were assessed against several considerations, including national security, tourism and economic priorities, reciprocal arrangements with other countries and efforts to streamline overlapping visa privileges. The wider availability of Thailand’s electronic visa system was also taken into account.
From September 15, Sri Lankan passport holders intending to visit Thailand for tourism will therefore have to obtain the relevant visa before travelling. Applications can be made online through Thailand’s e-Visa platform, while the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo has separately circulated a notice outlining the new visa measures.
Travellers who have already entered Thailand before the new rules take effect will not be required to leave prematurely. They will be permitted to remain until the end of the stay authorised by Thai immigration officials at the time of entry.
The changes concern tourism-related visa exemptions and Visa on Arrival provisions. They do not, however, alter the requirements governing other categories of Thai visas, which will continue to be processed under their respective rules.
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