Aussies wanting to visit Thailand will be slapped with a huge change to their visas that could change their travel plans. Many foreigners planning to visit Thailand will need to plan ahead of their departure, with the introduction of a single visa exemption of 30 days, compared to the previous exemption of 60 days. Thailand implemented the 60-day stay policy in 2024 as a way of assisting the tourism industry after the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.Rachada Dhanadirek, a Thailand government spokeswoman, said tourists offer “benefits, such as boosting the economy”, but admits the current visa mode has “allowed some people to exploit it.”Thailand’s Tourist Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said that exemptions would be determined for individual countries when announcing the changes on Tuesday. “The new visa-free duration would be decided on a country-by-country basis, with most foreign nationals granted stays of up to 30 days, while some could receive only 15 days,” he said. The Bangkok Post reported that Australia is among many countries inflicted with the new 30-day policy, with other countries such as Japan, the US, the UK and India all grouped under the new restrictions. It also said some countries, like Cambodia and passengers arriving by air from Myanmar were only offered a 14 day visa exemption under bilateral agreements, while countries from South America, like Chile and Peru, were offered 90 day exemptions. The new restrictions have been implemented as a way of combating transnational crime from foreigners, including acts like drug offences, sex trafficking and foreigners operating businesses such as hotels and schools without proper permits.For Australians, Thailand was the sixth top destination for short-term travel across 2024 and 2025 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Managing Director for Intrepid Travel ANZ Brett Mitchell says the new changes will mean Australians have to be “more deliberate” about planning trips and that longer-stay travellers will feel the effects the most. “The majority of Intrepid travellers heading to Thailand are on trips of two to three weeks, so 30 days is well within that range,” he said. “Travellers who were thinking about an extended stay will need to look at visa extension options or consider splitting their trip.”Mr Mitchell also reiterated that the new change is not designed to prevent people from visiting Thailand and described the move as a “correction back to the previous settings” before 2024.“Tourism is still critically important to Thailand’s economy, so this isn’t about turning visitors away,” he said.“It’s about tightening the rules for those who’ve been exploiting them.”The data from ABS also suggests the average trip time for Australians in Thailand is 12 days.