Tourism Israel-Iran Conflict Puts Thai Tourism in Jeopardy

[webfact]

File photo for reference only

 

The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict is taking its toll on Thailand's tourism sector, with a potential 50% decline in arrivals from five key Middle Eastern markets. The recent turmoil has already led to decreased visits to popular destinations like Phuket as a result of airspace disruptions.

 

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), revealed that the Middle East crisis significantly impacts air travel. Airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways have rerouted their flights to avoid affected zones. Only Tehran-based Mahan Air has temporarily stopped flights to Bangkok and Phuket as a direct result of Iranian airspace closures, disrupting Iranian travel completely.

 

The Middle Eastern markets of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, which represented 7% of June 2024’s Middle Eastern tourist arrivals, face a potential 30-50% drop. June's travel typically sees increased traffic during the Eid al-Adha festival; last year, it attracted 7,165 tourists. This sharp decline could significantly affect anticipated tourist numbers, with projections falling between 3,500 and 5,000 visitors.

 

Thapanee also voiced concerns about the broader impact on Middle Eastern tourists from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain—nations accounting for 80% of the region's market—should they perceive travel as unsafe. Key Thai destinations like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, and Chiang Mai may experience the most significant disruptions in hotel occupancy rates.

 

The tourism situation remains fluid, with the potential for rebounding arrivals in July if tensions ease. Airlines like Royal Jordanian plan to introduce new routes, including a biweekly Amman-Bangkok service launching in August.

 

Nonetheless, a complete recovery hinges on how extensively the conflict inflicts damage and disrupts travel.

 

The TAT aims for a 1.06 million Middle Eastern visitor influx in 2024, a growth of 11% from the previous year, targeting an impressive revenue of 86 billion baht. Whether these ambitions are met will largely depend on resolving the current geopolitical tensions.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-18

 

 

[ikke1959]

Thailand claims everything to explain why the tourists stay away. Now the Israel Iran war is the reason.. However TAT does apparently not know that almost every tourist is planning his holiday months ahead, and only a few last minute...So this war of 1 week will not have a huge impact on the tourists as they claim, but is due to already existing reasons, as too expensive destination, not welcoming tourists by several outdated rules as vaping, alcoholsales, double standards and pricing, air pollution, dangerous roads etc etc.

[Jim Blue]

6 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand claims everything to explain why the tourists stay away. Now the Israel Iran war is the reason.. However TAT does apparently not know that almost every tourist is planning his holiday months ahead, and only a few last minute...So this war of 1 week will not have a huge impact on the tourists as they claim, but is due to already existing reasons, as too expensive destination, not welcoming tourists by several outdated rules as vaping, alcoholsales, double standards and pricing, air pollution, dangerous roads etc etc.

Not sure if local residents should be happy or sad ?

[TedG]

[blaze master]

Milli vanilli comes to mind. 

[Upnotover]

50% of 7% of a small market.  Whilst the drop itself may be substantial it's hard to imagine that this puts Thai Tourism in "jeopardy".

[Quentin Zen]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

with a potential 50% decline in arrivals from five key Middle Eastern markets.

I could single-handedly end the conflict, save tourism, and humanity.   But Ploy wants to get coffee, so I can't.

 

Before COVID, nothing could derail Thailand from being a top tourist attraction.   The irony was that immigration started getting super strict when things were good.   Then years of nothing.   Then a slow recovery.   Then Chinese were kidnapped, scams, Russian wars, and 60-day stamps brought in negative stories every day (continuing).  People started Googling Vietnam.   The baht got stronger.  Visas got confusing, maybe back to 30 days.  Earthquake.  Now another war.  America is protesting internally, and everything is super expensive abroad.  Scams are now widely understood before planning a trip.  Japan got crazy popular.  

 

My point.....Thailand put tourism in jeopardy, not anything else.  The world has an absolute ton of money.  If Thailand really wants that money, something major needs to happen soon and stop the downward momentum.  Death by a thousand cuts is hard to watch.    

No more 90-day check-in.  No 800k in the bank (figure out a better way).   Possibility to own a house (maybe if living here for 10 years).  Easier Visas (get it all in country).  Easier path to citizenship.   much more, but start there...

[KhunBENQ]

15 minutes ago, Quentin Zen said:

Easier Visas (get it all in country).

The much hyped DTV obviously immature. You are still a tourist who can not open a bank account. Rules differ strongly between consulates.

Those who meet conditions for LTR can go about everywhere in the world.

Much competition. Why Thailand?

 

Need to proof income like a 3 star general for retirement extension. And that for a country with glitzy facade and still 3rd world in many sectors.

 

 

[bg53]

Thailand seriously needs to ease up on residency, mid or long term.

[KireB]

Inworked in Sales in the past and we would always blame global events to mask our poor results.

[Halnodeya]

6 hours ago, Upnotover said:

50% of 7% of a small market.  Whilst the drop itself may be substantial it's hard to imagine that this puts Thai Tourism in "jeopardy".

Yes, but a lot of the pumpui girls rely on this market, could be devastating for them.:)

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict is taking its toll on Thailand's tourism sector, with a potential 50% decline in arrivals from five key Middle Eastern markets.

It's saddening....

[norsurin]

7 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand claims everything to explain why the tourists stay away. Now the Israel Iran war is the reason.. However TAT does apparently not know that almost every tourist is planning his holiday months ahead, and only a few last minute...So this war of 1 week will not have a huge impact on the tourists as they claim, but is due to already existing reasons, as too expensive destination, not welcoming tourists by several outdated rules as vaping, alcoholsales, double standards and pricing, air pollution, dangerous roads etc etc.

Right.They never looking at themselves and admit the true reason why tourists choose another country.

[wensiensheng]

6 hours ago, Quentin Zen said:

I could single-handedly end the conflict, save tourism, and humanity.   But Ploy wants to get coffee, so I can't.

 

Before COVID, nothing could derail Thailand from being a top tourist attraction.   The irony was that immigration started getting super strict when things were good.   Then years of nothing.   Then a slow recovery.   Then Chinese were kidnapped, scams, Russian wars, and 60-day stamps brought in negative stories every day (continuing).  People started Googling Vietnam.   The baht got stronger.  Visas got confusing, maybe back to 30 days.  Earthquake.  Now another war.  America is protesting internally, and everything is super expensive abroad.  Scams are now widely understood before planning a trip.  Japan got crazy popular.  

 

My point.....Thailand put tourism in jeopardy, not anything else.  The world has an absolute ton of money.  If Thailand really wants that money, something major needs to happen soon and stop the downward momentum.  Death by a thousand cuts is hard to watch.    

No more 90-day check-in.  No 800k in the bank (figure out a better way).   Possibility to own a house (maybe if living here for 10 years).  Easier Visas (get it all in country).  Easier path to citizenship.   much more, but start there...

The thing is, everything you have put in bold has nothing to do with tourism and everything to do with retiring to Thailand.

 

I agree with everything that you say in the context of retirement.

[Upnotover]

5 hours ago, bg53 said:

Thailand seriously needs to ease up on residency, mid or long term.

How would that impact tourists from the Middle East? 

[Olof Karlsson]

The only problem for TAT is not that many people get killed in the war. Its that a few thousend less tourists will come from Iran.

[crazykopite]

How will it affect tourism half of the Israeli population are already over here I don’t think Thailand gets that many Iranian tourists over here 

[johng]

1 minute ago, crazykopite said:

How will it affect tourism

Oil prices through the roof.

[bg53]

54 minutes ago, Upnotover said:

How would that impact tourists from the Middle East? 

 

As a few have pointed out, this is not the main cause of TAT's woes.

[kiwikeith]

8 hours ago, Jim Blue said:

Not sure if local residents should be happy or sad ?

Happy, over the moon

[JimHuaHin]

TAT's latest excuse for the decline in tourist numbers.

[sambum]

Another statement by TAT to justify not meeting their inflated forecasts!

[RamblingOn]

8 hours ago, blaze master said:

Milli vanilli comes to mind. 

Who's that??

[riverhigh]

Less troublesome tourists from the Middle East. Where is the bad news?