Thailand-Cambodia unrest: Vietnamese tourists “slow down a beat” waiting for developments

Although tourist sentiment is divided, up to this point, travel agencies have not received any information from airlines about supporting, postponing or canceling flights in Thailand and Cambodia.

Although the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) affirms that the safety and security of all domestic and international tourists is always its top priority, many Vietnamese tourist groups have expressed concerns regarding the unstable situation in some areas of the Thai-Cambodian border.

Meanwhile, some major travel agencies said that tours to the land of golden temples are still operating normally, a few noted that tourists are cautious. However, flights to Thailand are still regular, the tourism industry has not issued any recommendations…

Travel ensures tourists' rights

In fact, the conflict point at the Thai-Cambodian border is about 1,000 km from Bangkok and about 800 km from Pattaya. With this geographical distance, according to representatives of some travel agencies, most tourists will not be affected, even foreign tourists in Pattaya are still having fun.

According to information from Vietravel Tourism Company, the company's Thailand tours are currently running normally and are safe. It is acknowledged that although customer sentiment is divided, it is not much and most of them know that the conflict is happening at the border, so it has not affected the tour's progress.

Thanh Trung, a tour guide specializing in Thailand tours who just finished a 5-day, 4-night trip last weekend, said: “Our journey from Bangkok to Pattaya went smoothly, without any problems. During the trip, I also kept up to date with the latest announcements from both the company and partners. We noted that flights were still operating regularly because the aviation industry was operating normally, and the tourism industry had not issued any announcements or recommendations, so we were still confident in guiding guests.”

Tourists visit Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: THX/TTXVN)

Meanwhile, according to information from Trang An International Tourism Company, the tension at the border between the two countries has begun to show signs of affecting the tour route to Thailand-Cambodia of this unit, with the Thailand tour to Bangkok-Pattaya for 5 days and 4 nights, and the Cambodia tour to Siemriep-Phnompenh for 4 days and 3 nights.

Some groups of tourists have proactively "slowed down a beat" to monitor the situation by adjusting tour routes, changing itineraries/departure dates; some customers who had previously requested to do so have also announced that they would postpone their plans.

Faced with the unstable situation between the two countries, many companies said they are closely monitoring, continuously updating the situation from their partners, and are ready with optimal solutions such as reserving/postponing dates or supporting customers to change to other tourist routes that the company is operating, to ensure the rights and safety of tourists as well as not to let tourists suffer.

The units said that at this time they have not received any information from airlines about supporting, postponing or canceling flights in Thailand and Cambodia.

International tourists visit a temple in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: THX/TTXVN)

Commitment from Tourism Authority of Thailand

Many travel and tourism companies have received official notices from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) about the situation at the Thailand-Cambodia border area.

Accordingly, the country's tourism management agency said that in response to information about unrest in some areas along the Thai-Cambodian border, the Tourism Authority of Thailand expressed concern, while affirming that the safety and security of both domestic and international tourists is always a top priority.

“Currently, Thai security agencies are rapidly deploying measures to closely monitor and manage the situation. TAT is coordinating with relevant government agencies and local units to ensure the safety and convenience of all visitors in the area. TAT recommends that visitors regularly check official government sources for information,” the statement said.

To assist/answer tourism-related questions, the Tourism Authority of Thailand said that tourists can contact the Tourism Authority's Visitor Center at 1672 (open 24 hours daily), or the Tourist Police hotline at 1155.

It can be said that the consequences of a series of negative factors that have lasted since the beginning of the year in the land of the Golden Pagoda have pushed the country's tourism industry into a challenging period with the tourism confidence index in the second quarter lower than before the pandemic and a sharp decrease compared to the same period last year.

People stand outside an office building in Bangkok after an earthquake in late March 2025. (Source: AFP)

In particular, the prolonged tension at the border with Cambodia is expected to affect Thailand’s tourist destinations during the low season. The Tourism Council of Thailand forecasts that the number of international visitors to Thailand this year may only reach 33.3 million, lower than last year and less than half of the peak period before the pandemic./.

Tensions between Thailand and Cambodia began to escalate on July 23, with fighting breaking out near Ta Moan Thom temple on the morning of July 24 before spreading to several other areas along the border between the two countries.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/bat-on-thai-lan-campuchia-du-khach-viet-cham-mot-nhip-cho-dien-bien-post1052242.vnp