Quick summary
Since 15 September 2026 Thailand’s visa exemption is 30 days, not 60, for passport holders of 60 countries and territories — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India and listed EU states. All seven Thailand–Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025 with no reopening date, so Bangkok–Phnom Penh (KTI) and Bangkok–Siem Reap (SAI) flights, about an hour each, are the only ways in.
Cambodia’s official eVisa costs $36 and takes three to five days, and airlines check it at the Bangkok boarding gate, so apply before you fly. This guide covers the TDAC, the 30-day Thai extension and which Bangkok airport your connection uses.
Since 15 September 2026, Thailand grants 30-day visa-free entry to passport holders of 60 countries and territories, down from 60 days. The shorter stay changes the calculation for travelers splitting their tickets in Bangkok. Paperwork, not the fare, now decides the trip.
The harder constraint is on the ground. All seven Thailand–Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025 with no confirmed reopening date. The overland crossings at Poipet and Cham Yeam that older guides describe are gone. Every Bangkok–Cambodia leg is now a flight.
Earlier versions of this guide framed the route as a fare arbitrage: split your ticket in Bangkok and pocket the difference. Access and duration now shape that calculation, along with whether your onward flight leaves from Suvarnabhumi (BKK) or Don Mueang (DMK).
Thailand entry: what changed on 15 September 2026
The framework was confirmed in the Royal Gazette on 31 August 2026. It covers travelers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and all listed EU member states. These are the passports that fill the long-haul flights into Bangkok from North America, Europe and Australia.
Mauritius and Seychelles get 15 days. Some nationalities hold bilateral arrangements of 90, 30 or 14 days.
If your passport is not on the list, the fallback is a Tourist (TR) visa. It gives 60 days from entry, costs about 1,000 THB, and takes three to ten working days to process through a Thai embassy or the e-visa portal. That is long enough to rule out a last-minute booking.
Visa on arrival has narrowed sharply. Since 15 September 2026 it applies only to Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia; everyone else either travels on the exemption or holds a visa before boarding.
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card, or TDAC, is separate from the visa. All non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea must submit it online. It is not an airport form. Transit passengers who do not pass immigration are exempt.
Proof of funds is another requirement. Visa-exemption entrants should carry evidence of 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family. Tourist and Non-Immigrant visa holders face 20,000 THB per person or 40,000 THB per family.
Staying longer than 30 days means one 30-day extension at Thai immigration.
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Cambodia entry: the eVisa is the only route
Cambodia’s official eVisa costs $36 through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal: a $30 visa fee plus processing. It gives a 30-day stay. Its three-month validity runs from the date of issue, not your arrival date; the stay clock starts when you enter. Commercial visa-service sites bundle the same document at around $80 all-in, so the government portal is cheaper.
The airline checks for an approved visa at the Bangkok boarding gate.
The eVisa is accepted at three airports: Phnom Penh’s Techo International (KTI), Siem Reap (SAI) and Sihanoukville (KOS). A $30 visa on arrival exists, but Cambodian immigration makes that decision after the gate check in Bangkok.
The eVisa is single-entry, so a side trip back into Thailand ends it. Fly Bangkok–Phnom Penh, return to Thailand, then fly to Cambodia again, and you need a second eVisa. Travelers who end their trip in Cambodia need only one.
Only two airports take flights from Thailand: Bangkok–Phnom Penh (KTI) and Bangkok–Siem Reap (SAI), about one hour each. Phnom Penh’s airport changed code on 9 September 2025, when Techo International replaced the old PNH field as the city’s international gateway.
Which Bangkok airport your connection uses
Bangkok has two airports, and they are not interchangeable. AirAsia’s official release of 28 April 2026 describes sustained dual-hub operations at Don Mueang (DMK) and Suvarnabhumi (BKK). The same airline can therefore sell you a Cambodia flight from either. AirAsia’s Bangkok–Phnom Penh route page lists the Suvarnabhumi departures.
The split has history. Thai AirAsia consolidated its Bangkok operations at Don Mueang on 1 October 2012. The airline’s nine BKK domestic routes were suspended between 15 July and 30 September 2026 and moved back to DMK, with BKK service resuming on 1 October 2026. Domestic flying at Suvarnabhumi is recent, and schedules on the Cambodia routes can move between hubs.
Two separate tickets are not a protected connection. If the long-haul flight lands late, the onward airline has no obligation to rebook you. A BKK-to-DMK transfer adds a cross-city taxi ride to a window already shorter than a single-ticket connection.
The same self-connection logic drives other Southeast Asian spokes, such as Jakarta via Bangkok. For Cambodia, a one-ticket alternative runs through Vietnam Airlines via Ho Chi Minh City.
Where the trip differs by departure region
The entry rules are identical for all three regions. What changes is how much flying happens before Bangkok, and therefore whether a same-day connection is realistic.
North America. The run to Bangkok is the longest of the three, typically 18 to 28 hours with one stop. That pushes most travelers toward an overnight in Bangkok rather than a same-day connection.
Europe, including the UK. London to Bangkok runs about 11.5 to 12 hours. That is short enough for a same-day connection, provided the onward flight leaves from the airport you land at.
Australia and New Zealand. Sydney to Bangkok is about 9.5 to 10 hours, and the Cambodia hop adds roughly an hour on top. The short final sector is the easiest of the three to schedule on the same day.
Five days is the paperwork deadline
Cambodia’s eVisa takes three to five days to approve. Five days before departure is therefore the practical deadline for any Bangkok–Cambodia trip.
- Apply now for the Cambodian eVisa through the government portal and print the approved PDF before you leave home.
- File the TDAC online inside the three-day window before arrival, for every non-Thai national in your party, not weeks ahead.
- Check the airport code on the onward booking: BKK keeps you in the terminal you land in, DMK means a cross-city transfer.
- Watch: a confirmed reopening date for the seven Thailand–Cambodia land crossings.
If the trip runs past 30 days in Thailand, add the 1,900 THB extension to the budget before booking rather than after landing. Check your passport against the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s current list before you book.
The route turns on entry permission and connection time as much as fare. These rules hold as of 15 October 2026.
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Questions? Answers.
What happens if my inbound flight to Bangkok is delayed?
Separate tickets are not a protected connection, so the onward airline has no obligation to rebook you and you buy a new seat. That risk is highest when your long-haul flight lands late in the day or your onward departure is from Don Mueang. Landing earlier in Bangkok, or booking both legs on one ticket, removes it.
Do I need a Cambodia visa before flying to Phnom Penh?
Yes. US passports have no visa-free entry or waiver for Cambodia, and the eVisa is the route most travelers use. The official fee is $36 and approval takes three to five days. A $30 visa on arrival exists, but the airline check happens at the Bangkok boarding gate, before Cambodian immigration.
Can I use the same eVisa for Siem Reap?
Yes. The eVisa is accepted at Siem Reap (SAI), Phnom Penh’s Techo International (KTI) and Sihanoukville (KOS). It is single-entry, so a second entry into Cambodia requires a second eVisa, and the three-month validity runs from the issue date, not the travel date.
What is the TDAC and when do I file it?
The Thailand Digital Arrival Card is an online form required for all non-Thai nationals arriving by air, land or sea. It can only be submitted inside a three-day window before arrival, so filing it a fortnight ahead will not work. Transit passengers who stay airside are exempt.
How long can I stay in Thailand without a visa now?
30 days for passport holders of 60 countries and territories, down from 60 days since 15 September 2026. One 30-day extension at Thai immigration costs about 1,900 THB, and visa-exemption entrants should carry proof of funds of 10,000 THB per person or 20,000 THB per family.
Can I cross from Thailand to Cambodia by land?
No. All seven Thailand-Cambodia land borders have been closed since June 2025 with no confirmed reopening date. The only entry points from Thailand are the flights to Phnom Penh (KTI) and Siem Reap (SAI), about an hour each.
