In short
- Two visa-free entries per calendar year, by any mode of transport.
- Cannabis export checks stepped up since 18 June 2026; 30,000 baht (790 euros) fine per kilo seized.
- Exporting cannabis risks 2 to 10 years in prison; use inside Thailand stays decriminalised.
- Royal mourning since 24 October 2025: no restrictions on foreign visitors.
What to do
- 1Count your visa-free entries before planning another border run.
- 2Never leave Thailand with cannabis, and never carry a stranger's bag.
- 3Check your own foreign ministry's Thailand advice before departure.
How many visa-free entries are allowed?
France's foreign ministry, in its Thailand advisory of 6 October 2026, reports that travellers may enter without a visa only twice per calendar year, whatever their mode of transport. Thai authorities consider repeated border runs illegal: a third visa-free arrival is refused, and the traveller is held while arrangements are made to send them back where they came from. The length of a visa-exempt stay, the fees and the arrival formalities are unchanged — see the visa guide and border crossings.
What are the risks with cannabis?
Cannabis use and possession remain decriminalised inside Thailand; taking it out of the country is banned. The same advisory says checks on departing travellers have been intensified since 18 June 2026 and that customs now systematically fines 30,000 baht (around 790 euros) per kilo seized. Not paying means custody and detention until trial, with 2 to 10 years in prison at stake; several young French nationals have been arrested in recent weeks. Never carry cannabis, even a small amount, and never take a bag you did not pack. General precautions are in is Thailand safe.
Travelling soon? Plan around it
Build a day-by-day Thailand route that keeps flexible days where the weather and transport are uncertain.
Sources
We cross-check each story against official pages and several media, and rewrite it in our own words for travellers.
