Nepal’s travel agents are threatening to stop selling trips to Thailand unless the country eases visa procedures that leave Nepali travellers exposed to potentially heavy financial losses.
The Nepal Association of Tour and Travel Agents (NATTA) said on Tuesday that Thailand’s visa process requires travellers to pay for flights and hotels upfront, leaving them vulnerable to losses if their visa applications are rejected or delayed. The association said the policy shifts the financial risk onto travellers and the businesses arranging their trips.
The risk is particularly high for tickets sold by airlines such as Thai Airways and Thai Lion Air, which can carry steep cancellation charges or offer no refunds, NATTA said. Travellers can lose their money if a visa is rejected or delayed beyond the planned departure date, while travel agencies face losses and disputes with customers.
NATTA also objected to the demand for hotel-issued confirmation letters, even when travellers have booked through international platforms, saying the requirement adds an unnecessary hurdle to visa applications.
The association said efforts to resolve the issue through talks with the Thai embassy had so far yielded no results. It warned that the lack of a solution could lead to mounting losses for travellers and tour operators during Nepal’s upcoming festive holidays.
The association said it could place Thailand on a restricted or blacklisted destination list if the visa process was not made more predictable and practical. It would then direct member agencies to stop promoting and selling new Thailand tour packages, halt related advertising and digital marketing, and suspend bookings for group and incentive tours.
Instead, agencies would be encouraged to steer customers towards other international destinations with more straightforward visa procedures.
NATTA has urged Nepal’s foreign affairs and tourism ministries, along with other government agencies, to take up the matter with the Thai government and its embassy in Kathmandu. It wants a clear deadline for visa decisions and an end to mandatory advance payments before visas are approved.
The association said Nepali travel agencies had helped Thailand’s tourism industry for decades and urged the country to ensure Nepali visitors faced a fairer, more predictable visa process.