Near the capital's Tha Tian pier, where tourists catch ferries to the landmark Wat Arun, Irishman Alex Brady said the forthcoming one-month limit would have affected his plans a lot -- because he and his friends "initially came here with no plan at all".Brady and his travel companions were visiting for about five weeks, and the flexibility of the current 60-day visa-free scheme allowed them to see more of Thailand at their leisure, the 24-year-old said.The new limits -- announced Tuesday for tourists from more than 90 countries in a bid to curb crime -- would "really restrict you in what you can see", said Brady.After Bangkok, he and his group planned to get a bus and ferry to the diving hotspot of Koh Tao for about a week before travelling north to the mountains of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai."If you're paying for an expensive flight ticket out here, you want to spend a good amount of time out here," said Brady, a digital engineer.Tourism accounts for more than 10 percent of Thailand's GDP, but foreign arrivals are yet to return to their pre-pandemic highs.The 60-day visa-free stay was introduced two years ago to encourage more visitors and for them to stay longer.But a recent series of high-profile arrests of foreigners, including cases linked to drug offences, sex in public and foreigners operating businesses such as hotels and schools without proper permits, has sparked public backlash.Now officials say they will limit how long visitors can stay on a country-by-country basis to try to prevent foreigners committing crimes.Extended staysExactly how the new policy's reduced timing will prevent visa overstayers, public indecency and illegal businesses has not been disclosed, nor when the fresh rules will go into effect.Tourists will still be able to renew 30-day visas once for an additional 30 days -- at the discretion of an immigration officer -- before needing to leave the country, officials said.