The Mister International 2026 journey of Dominican Republic representative Alexander Vásquez has come to an unexpected end after a change in Thailand’s visa requirements prevented him from continuing in the competition.

According to an official statement from the Mister International Dominican Republic organization, Dominican citizens were once again required to secure a visa to enter Thailand effective September 15, 2026. The change came at a particularly unfortunate time for Vásquez, whose travel plans had already been disrupted.

Vásquez was initially scheduled to fly to Thailand on September 10, but an airline schedule change moved his departure to September 13. He eventually arrived in Thailand on September 15—the same day the new immigration requirement reportedly took effect.

With Vásquez already in the country, both his national organization and the international pageant organization attempted to find a solution that would allow him to participate.

“In response to this situation, both the National Organization of Mister International Dominican Republic and the International Organization undertook the necessary efforts to secure an emergency or special visa that would allow our representative to participate,” the statement said.

Despite those efforts, the organizations said no workable alternative could be arranged.

“After exhausting all available alternatives and completing all possible arrangements, we regret to announce that Alexander will have to return to the Dominican Republic,” the organization announced.

The development effectively ends Vásquez’s bid for the Mister International 2026 title before he could take part in the international competition.

The Dominican organization also apologized to supporters who had been following his journey and expressed its appreciation for the encouragement he received.

“We deeply appreciate the support we have received and reaffirm our commitment to continuing to work toward ensuring that the Dominican Republic is proudly and dignifiedly represented on international stages,” the statement added.

For Vásquez, what was supposed to be an opportunity to carry the Dominican Republic’s colors on the Mister International stage instead became a journey cut short by an immigration requirement that took effect just as he reached Thailand.