Israel is considered one of the countries that sends the most tourists to Thailand, especially in relation to the size of the population. Just last January, about 25 thousand Israelis passed between the walls.
"Phuket was the first destination that opened during the Corona period and many Israelis fell in love with the area," said the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yutask Suphasorn, during his visit to Israel.
In an interview with "Israel Hayom" he answered all the relevant questions for Israelis planning a vacation.
*Our writers' questions are highlighted for your convenience
Why doesn't Thai Airways come to Israel, after all it is a very profitable line and the entry of the Thai company could lead to competition and lower flight prices?
"The Thai airline is still trying to recover from the Corona period. At the moment, they still do not have enough planes to meet the demand from all over the world and the company is gradually recovering. Currently, the company has no intention of operating direct flights to Israel, maybe it will happen in the future. In the meantime, the airline has canceled several routes Far away like Milan, Brussels, Vienna and more."
Many Israeli tourists claim that the prices in Thailand have gone up, can you explain to us why?
"There is a certain price increase, but it is not that extreme. Raw materials have gone up all over the world and everyone is dealing with this issue. The tourism industry has recovered much faster than we thought, air fares have gone up, including fuel prices in the world, and of course the high demand also brings with it an increase in prices "The prices during the Corona period were indeed very low because the demand was low, but now the prices are rising, as in many places in the world. It is important to note that in Thailand this is not particularly unusual, the price increase is relatively moderate and the prices in Thailand are still very favorable compared to many other destinations."
Pila Lagoon on Ko Phi Phi Island in Thailand, photo: GettyImages
There is concern among Israelis regarding the situation of the Thai princess in the context of days of mourning in the country, could you tell us a little more?
"Currently, according to the latest official update, she is still connected to the devices and we are praying for her recovery. We do not want to talk about the days of mourning because she is alive and we want to think in a positive direction and hope that she will be fine. We know that there are all kinds of rumors and we recommend that you do not refer to them but only to the official updates Let's hope she recovers soon."
A few weeks ago, they announced new restrictions regarding entry into Thailand which were canceled after a few hours. Are we likely to see new corona restrictions in Thailand soon?
"I am happy to tell you that we do not foresee any corona restrictions in Thailand anytime soon, there is no reason to worry. There will be no requirement for a vaccination certificate or a negative test. Currently only Chinese and Indians need to purchase certain insurance before arriving in Thailand and this is because their country requires that they undergo a test before returning to it, so if They receive a positive result in the test, the insurance will be the one to bear the costs of their treatment. We want people to be as happy as possible and hope that Thailand will return this happiness to them. We will probably soon even extend the validity of the stay to 45 days in Thailand and people will be able to visit the country for a longer time." .
What do we need to know about the cultural differences between us before we arrive in Thailand?
"There is no need to prepare in advance, we welcome everyone with love and understand that there are cultural differences with tourists who come from all over the world. We live by a Thai term called 'sabai sabai', which means take everything easy and don't worry. This is also how we treat our guests from all over the world. We ask the tourists to be themselves and we will know how to accept them."
Why are there no direct flights from Israel to Samui?
"Ko Samui Airport is a private airport with a short runway that does not allow the landing of large planes arriving from distant destinations. There are direct flights to Singapore, China and other nearby destinations that arrive with small planes that are allowed to land at this airport, but at the moment there are no plans to extend the runway there And there probably won't be any direct flights from Israel to Samui any time soon."
The deadliest jellyfish in the world, photo: AFP
Israelis are afraid to enter the sea in Thailand because of the Cuban jellyfish, is this something to worry about?
"We are also afraid of it. If we do not follow the precautions, it is very dangerous, but there are ways to protect ourselves from it. First of all, it comes mainly in the winter, in the periods of November and December and especially when it rains. They are on the other side of the islands, so in Phuket they are less noticeable. In most The regulated beaches have nets that are supposed to prevent them from coming into contact with humans. If you act correctly, everything should be fine."
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