Thailand singles out Uzbekistan for Central Asia’s only visa-free rollback
Uzbek citizens will have to obtain a visa before travelling to Thailand from 15 September, losing both the 60-day exemption and the option of receiving a visa on arrival.
The current 60-day visa-free regime will remain available through 14 September, the Uzbek Consulate General in Bangkok confirmed. From the following day, Uzbek citizens travelling for tourism will need to obtain a visa before departure.
Uzbekistan is now seeking to make the procedure less burdensome. «We are negotiating with the Thai side about changing this procedure,» Foreign Ministry spokesperson Omonulla Fayziev told Kursiv Uzbekistan.
Applications must be submitted through Thailand’s official e-Visa portal, but the Thai Embassy in Moscow requires applicants to pay visa fees in cash in US dollars within 14 days of receiving confirmation from the e-Visa system. Normal processing takes another 14 working days after payment, although some applications may take four to six weeks.
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How is Central Asia affected?
Thailand’s previous 60-day exemption list covered 93 countries and territories, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Regulations published in Thailand’s Royal Gazette on 31 August repeal that scheme and introduce a new 30-day exemption for 60 countries. Separate orders create a 15-day exemption for two countries and limit visas on arrival to three nationalities.
The overhaul makes Uzbekistan the only Central Asian country moving from visa-free entry to an advance-visa requirement. Kazakhstan will retain a bilateral exemption, while Kyrgyzstan is gaining 30-day visa-free access.
| Central Asian country | Until 14 September | From 15 September | What changes |
| Uzbekistan | 60 days visa-free; also eligible for a visa on arrival | Advance visa required | Loses both simplified entry options |
| Kazakhstan | 60 days visa-free | 30 days visa-free under a bilateral agreement | Visa-free stay becomes shorter but remains available |
| Kyrgyzstan | 15-day visa on arrival | Included in the new 30-day visa-free list | Entry becomes easier |
| Tajikistan | Not included in the exemption or visa-on-arrival lists | Still not included | No change |
| Turkmenistan | Not included in the exemption or visa-on-arrival lists | Still not included | No change |
Uzbekistan is therefore the region’s only country losing visa-free access altogether. Kazakhstan’s underlying bilateral agreement remains in force, while Kyrgyz passport holders will receive more favourable treatment than before.
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Uzbekistan Airways keeps Thailand-bound flights
Uzbekistan Airways told Kursiv Uzbekistan that it had no immediate plans to alter its Thailand schedule or reduce flight frequencies because of the new visa rules.
«For now, we are not planning any changes related to the flight schedule or frequency. But that is the situation at present,» the airline said.
Separately, the carrier warned passengers booked on flight HY531, which departs Tashkent on 14 September. The new visa requirement will catch those travellers because the plane lands in Bangkok on 15 September – even if they depart Uzbekistan before the rules change.
Read more: Uzbek citizens can travel to 40 countries visa-free
