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Aussie tourists hit with new restrictions for holiday hotspot

Australia is one of nearly 100 countries set to be impacted by new visa rules when travelling to Thailand after the Asian nation said it would remove a key visa exemption.

Thailand's government announced it would be removing a policy that allowed tourists from 93 different countries to travel throughout Thailand for up to 60 days without needing to apply for a visa.

The policy was first implemented in 2024, designed to help a recovery in the tourism industry after the COVID-19 pandemic.

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However, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said his cabinet had reviewed the rule and decided it was in the country's interest to make a change.

"The Cabinet has decided to cancel the 60-day visa-free policy for over 90 countries, and is now awaiting the new policy criteria for each country," he said in a statement.

"The government recently found that the policy needs to be revised to be more suitable for the current situation, both in terms of the economy and national security."

It is understood that the visa-free period of travel for Australian tourists will now be reduced to 30 days, which is what it used to be before the 60-day exemption was introduced.

The changes have not yet taken effect and the timeline of when they will be introduced is unclear.

According to Australian government data, around 750-800,000 Aussies visit Thailand each year.

It is one of the most popular tourist destinations with Aussies, with people flocking to cultural centres in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, or to beach resorts in Phuket.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has not updated its travel advice for Thailand yet.

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