Thailand considers 15-day visa-free entry for Mexico, Colombia and Uzbekistan
Thailand's Tourism and Sports Ministry will put a 15-day visa-free plan for Colombia, Mexico and Uzbekistan to a committee on 9 November, after airline no-shows.
Thailand's Ministry of Tourism and Sports will put a proposal for 15-day visa-free entry for travellers from Colombia, Mexico and Uzbekistan to the Visa Policy Committee, according to reports published on 27 and 28 October 2026. The plan followed complaints from Emirates about passengers from Mexico who missed flights because their Thai visas had not been approved in time. The committee meets on 9 November, and no final decision has been announced.
What the 15-day stay would replace
The ministry is seeking a standard stay of 15 days for travellers from the three countries, with the widest exemptions for countries judged to pose low security risks, according to The Star. Thaiger reports the same idea as a possible initial stay of 15 days for countries considered to pose no security risk.
Pattaya News says that from mid-September a 60-day exemption covering many nationalities was replaced by a narrower 30-day scheme, and that Mexico, Colombia and Uzbekistan were among those that lost automatic entry. Riviera Maya News reported on 2 September that Mexican citizens would need an electronic visa from 15 September, ending a 60-day stay that had applied since June 2024. Thaiger reports that Thailand updated its visa-exemption scheme in August, allowing tourists from 60 countries and territories to stay for up to 30 days without a visa.
Why no-shows and visa delays prompted the proposal
Emirates complained to the Tourism Authority of Thailand that about 20 to 30 passengers per flight from Mexico did not show up because their Thai tourist visas were not approved in time, according to Thaiger. The Star gives the same figure. Pattaya News reports a different measure, saying tourism-sector sources put the drop in show-up rates on some flights at 20% to 30%.
The Star reports that Mexican and Colombian tourists have faced chronic delays in visa approvals and issuance. Chiravadee Khunsub, deputy governor for international marketing in Europe, America, the Middle East and Africa, highlighted acute entry barriers for Latin America, citing chronic visa delays.
Uzbek travellers apply for Thai e-visas through the Thai embassy in Moscow. Gazeta.uz reports that visas should be considered within 10 days but average 15, and that some applicants said they had waited 20 days. The Star and Pattaya News both report that some travel agents dropped or moved Thailand packages in favour of Vietnam.
What the Visa Policy Committee still has to decide
The proposal is due to go to the Visa Policy Committee on 9 November. Thaiger reports that the committee must weigh economic benefits against national security concerns, and that any exemption would require its approval. The Star reports that the ministry wants the widest exemptions for countries with low security risks.
Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul described the submission as a long-term solution, according to The Star. Thaiger reports that he confirmed the ministry knew of visa problems affecting Mexico and several other Latin American countries.
Gazeta.uz reports on 28 October that Uzbekistan and Thailand have agreed to sign a visa-free travel agreement, and that the text is under consideration by Thailand, according to Uzbekistan's Foreign Ministry. The same article says The Nation reported that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports supports a 15-day stay for travellers from Uzbekistan, Colombia and Mexico.
“Until a change is approved and implemented, travellers from the three countries still need visas.”
What it means for travellers and travel businesses
Until a change is approved and implemented, travellers from the three countries still need visas, Pattaya News reports. Under the current rules it describes, Mexican and Colombian citizens need a visa before travel.
Riviera Maya News reports that Mexican citizens could stay up to 60 days without a visa from June 2024, so the proposed 15-day stay would be 45 days shorter. Uzbek applicants face the processing delays described above.
For travel businesses, The Star reports that some Uzbek agents cancelled Thailand packages in favour of Vietnam. Pattaya News says some tour operators reportedly moved packages to Vietnam, where entry is seen as simpler.
