The Middle East crisis is shaking Thailand's tourism sector, with 620 flights already canceled. It is expected that if the situation prolongs for eight weeks, nearly 600,000 tourists will be lost.
On 9 March 2026, reporters reported that the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Transport informed Mr. Attakorn Sirilakthayakorn, Minister of Tourism and Sports, about the forecasted impacts of unrest in the Middle East region on Thailand's tourism sector. They stated, “In the first three weeks, the impact is limited mainly to the Middle East and Europe. However, if it extends beyond eight weeks, international tourism will face broad pressure from fluctuating oil prices and currency exchange rates, especially affecting long-haul markets.”
An assessment under three scenarios found that if the situation occurs during the initial three weeks, tourist numbers are expected to drop by approximately 210,973 people, and tourism revenue will decline by around 13.167 billion baht.
In the case of a prolonged situation lasting four weeks, tourist numbers are forecast to decrease by about 334,084 people, with revenue dropping by 21.531 billion baht. The revenue impact triples if the situation extends from three to eight weeks.
In the worst-case scenario where the crisis endures eight weeks, tourist numbers could fall by as many as 595,874 people, and tourism revenue might decrease by 40.972 billion baht. It is expected that in eight weeks, the total number of tourists will sharply decline compared to the initial scenario.
Meanwhile, reports on aviation indicate that between 28 February and 8 March 2026, a total of 620 flights were canceled cumulatively, including 320 outbound flights and 300 inbound flights.
On 8 March 2026 at 16:00, 70 flights were canceled in total. Suvarnabhumi Airport had the highest number of cancellations, with 40 flights canceled—20 outbound and 20 inbound. Following were Phuket Airport with 22 flights, Krabi with 5, Chiang Mai with 2, and Don Mueang with 1 flight canceled. However, there have been no initial reports of stranded tourists at the airports.
Regarding the overall Thai tourism situation from 1 January to 7 March 2026, Thailand recorded 7,155,449 foreign tourists, a 4.22% decrease compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, revenue from foreign tourists totaled 351.964 billion baht, down 2.72%.
The top ten countries with the most tourists visiting Thailand in 2026 are China with 1,173,081 visitors, Malaysia 677,585, Russia 558,042, India 461,996, South Korea 339,588, the United Kingdom 263,942, Germany 261,067, France 251,832, the United States 244,612, and Taiwan 230,985.
Meanwhile, the tourist markets most affected by the Middle East situation from 1 to 7 March 2026 are Germany, down by 7,361 tourists; Russia, down 5,639; the United Kingdom, down 4,304; France, down 4,174; and Israel, down 3,490.
This information was compiled from the Ministry of Transport and prepared by the Office of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to continuously monitor and assess the impact of unrest in the Middle East on the tourism sector.