Tourists visiting Thailand are worried.

Small business owners eagerly await customers in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Faheem Ahamad/Pexels .

Thailand's tourism industry is facing a new "headwind" as safety concerns along the Thailand-Cambodia border continue to surface in international media. The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) says that even though most destinations are not near conflict zones, a sense of unease persists, deterring tourists, according to Thai Examiner .

According to ATTA, in recent days, foreign visitors to or planning to visit Pattaya and Udon Thani have been asking more about safety levels. Some British tourists even want to know if the fighting could spread to Pattaya, even though the seaside city is about 400 km from the disputed area.

With ATTA, such questions suggest that travelers are reacting based on news and a "precautionary" mindset, rather than on geographical distance.

The concerns stem not only from the border conflict but are also amplified by the domestic context. The Thai Parliament has been dissolved, and the country is operating under an interim government. Adit Chairattanannon, Secretary-General of the ATTA, noted that the dissolution of Parliament itself is not the problem; the real concern is the disruption to governance, which slows down decision-making and crisis management. When the authorities' response is not clear enough, this ambiguity can easily lead tourists to believe that "the whole country is unstable."

ATTA is also concerned that this situation could stifle market promotion plans. The association said that budgets and funding cycles for tourism programs risk being disrupted, leading to delays in the implementation of stimulus campaigns.

Not only public funds, but also some proposals for industry support from the private sector have been "frozen" because the interim government has certain limitations in mobilizing and allocating resources, including access to emergency reserve funds.

A woman prays at a street shrine in Pattaya. Photo: Andreas Maier/Pexels.

These warnings come amid a weakening international tourism industry in Thailand. Figures cited in the report show that the number of international visitors to Thailand this year is down 9.8% compared to 2024.

Therefore, ATTA calls on the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to strengthen communication, clearly identify safe areas, ensure that itineraries and destinations remain operational, and provide consistent updates.

The association emphasized that, in tourism, sometimes the "feeling of safety" is just as important as the "level of safety," especially for independent travelers, who often change their plans very quickly when they see signs of instability.

Source: https://znews.vn/khach-den-thai-lan-lo-lang-post1614618.html