Uzbek Citizens Will Have to Travel to Moscow for Thailand Visa

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) —  Citizens of Uzbekistan will need to obtain a visa in advance to travel to Thailand from 15 September 2026, while those wishing to pay the visa fee in cash will have to personally visit the Thai Embassy in Moscow.

The visa application form can be completed online through Thailand’s official e-visa portal, the Consulate General of Uzbekistan in Bangkok said.

Thailand has ended its 60-day visa-free regime for citizens of 93 countries, including Uzbekistan. The new rules take effect on 15 September.

After completing an e-visa application, Uzbek citizens will currently need to travel to the Thai Embassy in Moscow to pay the consular fee in cash. Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Omonulla Faiziev told Gazeta.uz that the ministry is negotiating with the Thai side to change the current procedure.

“We are negotiating with the Thai side to change this procedure,” he said.

Uzbekistan Airways previously announced that passengers from Uzbekistan would need to obtain a visa before departing for Thailand from 15 September. The airline also said the visa fee would be payable in US dollars at the nearest Thai consulate.

The new requirements will affect, among others, passengers on Uzbekistan Airways flight HY531. The aircraft will depart Tashkent on 14 September but arrive in Bangkok on 15 September, when the new rules take effect.

Thailand is one of the most popular international destinations among Uzbek citizens. According to the National Statistics Committee, the number of tourist trips by Uzbek citizens to Thailand rose from 11,600 in 2023 to 19,200 in 2024 and 30,500 in 2025. Over three years, the figure increased more than 2.6 times.

In January-April 2026, 16,300 Uzbek citizens visited Thailand for tourism purposes, compared with 13,460 during the same period in 2025.

Thailand’s visa rule changes are part of a broader revision of its entry requirements for foreign nationals. The decree changing the requirements was signed on 31 August by Thai Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, Bangkok Post previously reported, citing the Royal Gazette.

In May, the Thai government approved a reduction in the visa-free stay period amid concerns about potential abuses of the regime.

Thai authorities said some foreign nationals had entered the country as tourists but subsequently engaged in illegal business activities, worked without permits or participated in transnational criminal schemes.

Under the new rules, citizens of 60 countries will be allowed to stay in Thailand without a visa for up to 30 days. The list includes Australia, the United Kingdom, European Union countries, Georgia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Türkiye, Ukraine and Japan. Among Central Asian countries, only Kyrgyzstan remains on the list.

Citizens of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Serbia will be eligible for visas on arrival. Uzbekistan is not included either among countries eligible for the 30-day visa-free regime or among those whose citizens can obtain visas on arrival.

Thailand added Uzbekistan to the expanded list of countries eligible for 60-day visa-free stays in July 2024.

The decision was adopted as part of measures to support the tourism industry and revive the economy following the COVID-19 pandemic.