Maldivian travellers will be eligible for visa-free entry to Thailand for up to 30 days under a revised visa policy approved by the Thai Cabinet.

The decision was approved on Tuesday as part of changes to the country's visa exemption system. Under the revised policy, Thailand will end the 60-day visa-free entry arrangement previously available to citizens of 93 countries and territories after authorities raised concerns over misuse of the scheme and potential national security risks.

The revised regulations will allow nationals of 59 countries and territories to enter Thailand without a visa for a maximum stay of 30 days.

Under the revised policy, nationals of 59 countries and territories will be eligible for visa-free entry for up to 30 days. The Maldives has been added to that list alongside Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, India, and Malta, while all 27 European Union member states will receive the same visa exemption treatment. 

Citizens of Seychelles and Mauritius will be granted 15-day visa-free entry, while nationals of Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Serbia will remain eligible for visas on arrival.

The new visa measures will take effect 15 days after they are published in Thailand's Royal Gazette. Foreign nationals who enter Thailand before the revised rules come into force will be permitted to remain in the country until the expiry of their authorised stay.