Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – On January 15, 2026, His Excellency Sihasak Puangkchou, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, held talks with Ms. Elizabeth J. Cornelius, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, seeking clarification and more details regarding the recent U.S. State Department's announcement of a suspension of immigrant visas. It is understood that this U.S. measure will take effect on January 21, 2026, affecting 75 countries, including Thailand.
His Excellency Puangkchou expressed clear concerns about the measure, pointing out that it lumps together numerous countries with diverse backgrounds and national circumstances without providing clear evaluation criteria. This move is likely to generate widespread questioning in Thai society and may send a misleading signal at a crucial time when both Thailand and the U.S. are actively working to revitalize their long-standing alliance and partnership. He also emphasized that the more than 320,000 Thai citizens residing in the United States have made significant contributions to U.S. economic and social development, especially through business operations and investment activities, creating numerous jobs. Based on this, he formally requested the U.S. to provide an explanation clarifying the specific basis for the implementation of this measure.
Ms. Konik acknowledged Thailand's concerns and initially explained that the U.S. measure aims to alleviate the burden on its welfare system and applies only to immigrant visa categories. She reiterated that the processing of non-immigrant visas, including tourist, business, official, and student visas, remains normal. Ms. Konik pledged to convey Thailand's concerns and questions to the U.S. State Department and to provide further clarification and information to Thailand at an appropriate time. Furthermore, updates on this measure can be found on the U.S. State Department's official travel website (travel.state.gov) and through official channels such as announcements from the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok.
