Southeast Asia's second most visited country considers visa waivers to counter 30% declin…

Thailand is considering a 15-day visa exemption for travelers from Colombia, Mexico and Uzbekistan to ease visa processing delays and attract more long-haul visitors.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will submit a proposal to the visa policy committee on Nov. 9, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Monday, as reported by The Nation Thailand.

The proposal comes amid growing concerns that visa-processing delays are disrupting Thailand's long-haul tourism market, particularly travel from Latin America, with passenger show-up rates on some flights falling by 20% to 30%, Khaosod English news site reported.

Emirates recently filed a complaint with the Tourism Authority of Thailand after 20-30 passengers per flight from Mexico failed to show up because they had not received their visas in time, local media reported.

Surasak said the ministry was seeking a long-term solution to persistent visa delays affecting Mexico and other Latin American markets.

The committee will assess the proposal's security and economic implications, with the ministry seeking exemptions for countries considered to pose low security risks.

Chiravadee Khunsub, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand overseeing international markets in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa, said visa procedures had also affected arrivals from Uzbekistan, Thai Examiner reported.

Uzbek travelers previously had to apply for Thai e-visas through the Royal Thai Embassy in Russia, a process that travel agents in Uzbekistan considered cumbersome.

Some travelers subsequently canceled their Thailand holiday packages and chose competing destinations, including Vietnam.

The proposed exemption aims to simplify entry procedures, reduce disruptions to travel plans and restore confidence among international tour operators and airline partners.

Thailand welcomed over 32 million tourists last year, becoming the second most visted country in Southeast Asia after Malaysia (42 million).

It recorded 24.4 million foreign tourist arrivals between Jan.1 and Oct.17, down 4.12% year-on-year and far from this year's target of 33 million tourists.