Thailand, one of only two formal U.S. treaty allies in Southeast Asia, expressed dismay after the Trump administration included it in a sweeping visa freeze affecting 75 countries—a move that has disrupted family reunifications and threatened the 193-year diplomatic partnership between Bangkok and Washington.
The indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing, which affects EB-class employment visas and K-class spousal and dependent visas, hit Thailand with particular force given the kingdom's status as a Major Non-NATO Ally and its long-standing security cooperation with the United States.
Khaochat Mankong, a 27-year-old English tutor in Bangkok, had completed all paperwork to join her American husband in California. "We followed every rule, paid every fee," she told reporters. "Now we don't know when—or if—we'll be together."
Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, a prime ministerial candidate, summoned U.S. Charge d'Affairs Elizabeth Konick to seek clarification on the policy, which the administration justified by claiming migrants from the 75 nations used welfare benefits at "unacceptable rates."
"These questions are not good for the relationship," Sihasak said, according to Al Jazeera. He noted the irony of grouping Thailand—a nation with formal diplomatic ties dating to 1833 and substantial economic integration with the U.S.—alongside conflict-affected countries like Afghanistan, Haiti, and Somalia.
The visa freeze compounds existing trade tensions. Since August, 19% tariffs on Thai exports have strained bilateral commerce, with trade negotiations faltering despite Thailand's role as a key manufacturing hub for American companies.
Songtham Artsomjit, 26, had paid $800 to begin the EB-3 unskilled worker visa process for factory employment in Wisconsin. "That money is gone, and so is my plan for a better life," he said.
The policy affects not just individual Thais but the broader architecture of U.S. engagement in Southeast Asia, where China has steadily expanded its economic and diplomatic footprint. Thailand hosts the annual Cobra Gold military exercises—the largest U.S.-led joint military exercise in the Indo-Pacific—and provides critical access for American naval vessels.
Diplomatic observers in Bangkok noted the timing: the visa freeze comes as ASEAN nations recalibrate their relationships with major powers, with several countries deepening ties to Beijing amid uncertainty about American commitment to the region.
Ten countries, 700 million people, one region—and for Thais who had built their futures around partnership with America, the visa freeze signals a relationship under strain in ways that transcend individual hardship.
