Slow visa processing is disrupting Thailand’s long-haul tourism market, with passenger show-up rates on some flights from Latin America falling by 20% to 30%, according to tourism-sector sources cited by Khaosod English. Mexico and Colombia are among the markets most affected, with many travelers failing to receive their visas before their scheduled departure dates, forcing postponed trips and cancelled tickets.
Sources said the problem is not a high rate of visa refusals but processing speed: “The issue is not visa refusals, but a slow system that cannot keep pace with travelers’ departure dates.” Airlines have sought an urgent meeting with Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) executives over the disruption, and several tour operators have reportedly shifted their Latin American packages toward competing destinations such as Vietnam, where entry procedures are seen as more straightforward.
Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, Surasak Phancharoenworakul, confirmed the government is aware of the delays affecting Mexico and other Latin American countries. As a longer-term fix, he said he will propose visa-free entry for Latin American countries and other potential markets — specifically naming Colombia, Mexico and Uzbekistan — to Thailand’s Visa Policy Committee on November 9. He said the committee will need to weigh security and economic considerations, but that the ministry intends to seek expanded visa exemptions for countries assessed as posing no security risk; any initial approval could allow stays of up to 15 days, based on typical travel patterns.
Separately, TAT Deputy Governor for Europe, the Americas, Middle East and Africa, Jirawadee Khunsap, said Saudi and broader Middle Eastern visitor numbers have fallen nearly 40% year-on-year because of the escalating conflict and continued disruptions at Riyadh Airport, including the suspension of roughly 10 weekly direct Riyadh–Bangkok flights and several airlines cancelling Riyadh service into 2027. Full-year Middle East arrivals are now projected at 600,000–700,000, down from more than 800,000 in 2025 — though the decline has narrowed from an initial 30% drop to no more than 6% for the full year, following TAT confidence-building campaigns.
For travelers from Latin America planning a Thailand trip, the practical implication for now is to apply for a visa well ahead of the planned departure date and build in buffer time, since the November 9 Visa Policy Committee proposal is not yet approved — any visa-free arrangement, if adopted, would take effect only after that review.
