One of the favorite destinations of the Israeli tourist is Thailand. Since the beginning of the Iron Sword War, there has been a significant decline in the number of Israeli tourists flying abroad, but the damage to tourism to Thailand has been less severe than in most other destinations. In recent days, since the NSC reported that most of Thailand is classified as risk level 1, the lowest, demand has risen again.
What does the Travel Warning for Thailand mean? Most of Thailand is defined as Level 1, the lowest level of risk. The southern region of Thailand is defined as Level 4, the highest level of risk, but this is not a new issue and has been the case in recent years. The NSC emphasized that the islands are not included in the high risk level, which means that they are also defined as risk level 1, the lowest. The areas where the risk level is 4 are not defined as tourist areas and Israeli tourists who come to them or are familiar with them, and therefore, Koh Samui, Ko Phangan, Khao Lak, Bangkok, and the other known and touristy areas, are defined as the lowest level of risk. According to the NSC website, the dangerous areas are Yala, Sungkla, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces, which are located in southern Thailand.
Koh Samui Island in Thailand, photo: Angelo Cavalli/ Robert Harding
Israeli tourists are beginning to return to Thailand, but with slight changes in the demand map there. Uri Halamish, Deputy Director General of the Thailand Travel Center, explains: "Every day there are two full EL AL flights to Thailand and there is no doubt that there is an increase in demand. We see that there are many Israelis who return to the country more than once, especially during this period, when it feels safe for them there. Some Israelis prefer to stay away from Patong due to the large population coming from Arab countries and they choose hotels in other parts of the island. Many Israelis choose Ko Samui and Ko Phangan because they feel safer there too. The fishing village on Koh Samui has developed a lot and many Israelis come there, as well as Choeng Mon and Lamai. In Phuket, Israelis leave the Patong area and move to Lagoon Beach, Kamala Beach, etc., where the feelings are different and much safer. Recently, nightlife in Bangkok, Koh Samui, Phuket, Pattaya and more was allowed to open until 4 a.m., attracting even more tourists."
"The average number of days to visit Thailand is around 18 days, there is a clear drop in demand for Chiang Mai, most of the demand is for the islands. There are almost no backpackers in Thailand and you can clearly see that most are looking for 4-5 star hotels," Halamish concludes.
Tourists in Bangkok, photo: Reuters
Nir Mazor, VP Aviation Relations, said, "Tourists end up on an isolated island, a kind of sense of security. At the same time, it is important to remember that the flight time has again been extended, so it makes it a bit difficult to get to Thailand, especially since there are no flights to Phuket anymore, so it is more difficult to get to the island. Turkish and Emirates no longer fly and they were a significant part of flights to Thailand, but there are definitely families and people who feel very comfortable traveling to the islands of Thailand."
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