Latin America is emerging as a growing source of tourists for South-east Asia, with Thailand seeing renewed interest. Bangkok-based agency Mundo Nómada reports steady growth in several Latin American markets and identifies further opportunities across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia.
“Until recently, most Latin Americans needed a visa to visit Thailand. Since the Thai government relaxed requirements last year, the majority can now travel visa-free – and interest has risen sharply,” said Pol Comaposada Vilar, founder and managing director of Mundo Nómada.
Despite the distance and high costs, Latin American travellers are arriving with healthy budgets.
“South-east Asia as a whole is still a relatively new destination, but awareness and demand are growing rapidly. Given the distance and the high cost of travel, many tend to combine Thailand with neighbouring countries, but Thailand remains the highlight,” he said.
Typical itineraries feature four days in Bangkok with side trips to Ayutthaya and markets, four to five days in Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, and beach time in Phuket – with Krabi and Koh Phi Phi gaining popularity.
Brazil and Argentina remain core markets, but Mexico and Colombia have surged since the visa changes, with Chile and Peru also growing.
“In the first seven months of 2025, arrivals from Colombia jumped 111 per cent, while Mexico and Argentina rose 21 per cent, Uruguay 20 per cent, Brazil 10 per cent and Peru seven per cent,” Vilar noted.
Statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ Economics, Tourism and Sports Division show 159,663 Latin Americans visited Thailand from January to July 2025.
To capture this momentum, Vilar pointed to three priorities: promotion in Spanish and Portuguese on social networks, stronger air connectivity, and deeper partnerships with key Latin American agencies.
Drawing on 15 years of experience producing Spanish-language content about South-east Asia, Vilar argues that Latin America is often overlooked by tourism departments, which “tend to rely on marketing companies that rarely deliver meaningful campaigns”.
“Often these agencies only deliver very basic campaigns, which tend to have little impact,” he commented.
Direct collaboration with native influencers and established content creators, he suggested, would offer authenticity, reach, and stronger trust with Latin audiences.
