While France and Spain outperform all other countries in the world when it comes to the total number of tourists, Thailand is also pretty high up there as a holiday destination.
According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the Southeast Asian nation saw over 35 million international arrivals in 2024 and in Asia, is behind only the much larger China.
Amid a shift in demand, the budget carrier Norse Atlantic Airways (NRSAF) recently announced a series of flights to Thailand from several Scandinavian cities after redirecting planes that were supposed to fly from London to Las Vegas and Berlin to Miami.
Some estimates predict that by 2030, Thailand could see as many as 150 million international travelers arrive annually.
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‘Declared state of emergency due to ongoing violent conflict’
While generally considered an extremely safe destination, Thailand recently experienced a military escalation on the border with Cambodia that left 35 people dead and over 200 injured over the last five days.
In response, the U.S. State Department increased the safety ranking to level two’s “exercise increased caution.” (The highest level on the four-tier system is typically assigned to war zones and authoritarian governments, while the first tier is the best that a country can rank.)
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“Periodic violence between Thai security services and armed insurgents has been known to occur in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat,” the advisory issued on July 25 reads.
“Seventeen districts in these provinces remain under a declared state of emergency due to ongoing violent conflict. There is a collateral risk of violence for U.S. citizens in Thailand’s southernmost provinces due to low intensity conflict.”
The border between Thailand and Cambodia is ranked as “do not travel,” as that is where the risk to visitors is highest.
Since the advisory was issued, the government of Cambodia and Thailand agreed to an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire” beginning on July 28 brokered by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Both sides had previously accused the other of escalating the conflict.
Thailand is one of the most popular Asian countries for tourists.
Image source: Shutterstock
‘There are reports of fighting, including rocket and artillery fighting’
While most side clashes were reported to have stopped by Monday morning, the advisory urges against all travel to the area “until further notice” and until a prolonged peace is established and the situation stabilizes.
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“There are reports of fighting, including rocket and artillery fire, between Cambodian and Thai forces along the border,” the advisory reads further. “Armed conflict has led to civilian casualties, and the Thai government has ordered the evacuation of certain areas. There is a collateral risk of violence, and U.S. citizens are advised to avoid all but essential travel to within 50km of these border areas until further notice.”
As part of the ceasefire, the two countries agreed to establish a Cambodian-Thai General Boundary Committee and hold annual meetings discussing how to prevent future border conflicts.
The territorial disputes around certain areas of the shared border stretch back nearly seven decades; many of the current boundaries were set when Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953.
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