Planning around the old 60 days
Many blogs still say 60 days. It’s 30 days since 15 September 2026.
Do South Africans need a visa for Thailand?
Visa-freefor South African passports
South Africans can visit Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days.
What changed: Thailand cut this from 60 to 30 days on 15 September 2026. For a longer stay you now need a visa.
What you need
Tick these off as you go. Your ticks are saved on this device.
How to do it
- Book a return flight within 30 days.
- Fill in the Digital Arrival Card online in the 3 days before you fly.
- Keep proof of funds handy (a bank card and a recent statement).
Official sites:
Thailand Digital Arrival Card: Free. Fill it in online within 3 days before you land.
Airlines decide whether you can board using a database called Timatic. Before you fly, check your route on the IATA Travel Centre.
What it costs in rand
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Visa | Free |
| Thailand Digital Arrival Card | Free |
Rand amounts use the exchange rate on 9 October 2026 (R16.53 to the US dollar, R18.50 to the euro, R21.87 to the pound) and are rounded. Work out your whole trip in the budget calculator.
Common problems and fixes
Arrival-card copycat sites
The card is free. Use only tdac.immigration.go.th.
Crossing by land more than twice a year
Visa-free entries by land are limited to two per calendar year.
Plan your trip
Best timeNovember to March
MoneyThai baht (THB)
Return flight from Johannesburg (rough guide)R10,000–R16,000
Daily budget per person (rough guide)R700–R1,300
Three trip ideas
Bangkok
Temples, street food and the river ferries.
Chiang Mai
The old city, night markets and mountain day trips.
The islands
Krabi and Koh Lanta are best from November to April.
Good to know
- Grab works for rides and food.
- Cover shoulders and knees at temples.
Book
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Sources and checks
Checked17 Oct 2026
Checked on 17 Oct 2026 against the official government or embassy page, plus at least one independent source.
- officialNew 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September 2026 · Tourism Authority of Thailand · published 1 Sep 2026
- secondaryThailand cuts visa-free stays from 60 to 30 days for 93 countries · BusinessTech · published 22 May 2026
- officialThailand Digital Arrival Card · Immigration Bureau, Thailand · no date shown
- dataPassport Index Data (visa matrix for 199 passports, updated 17 Feb 2026) · imorte, continuing the dataset by Ilya Ilyankou (MIT licence) · published 17 Feb 2026
How we check: our method and every source we use.
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