Sittipol, a party-list MP from the People’s Party, urges the government to urgently assist tourism operators who face high risks from the oil crisis, warning against a repeat of the COVID-19 period impact due to this crisis affecting the sector.
On 21 March 2026, reporters reported that on 20 March, Sittipol Viboonthanakul, a party-list MP from the People’s Party, expressed concern about Thailand’s tourism situation amid the Middle East war and soaring oil prices. He called on the government to promptly implement proactive measures to protect operators before the economy and tourism sector plunge again, repeating the COVID-19 crisis.
Sittipol stated that currently the tourism sector, accounting for 12% of GDP, is facing a major storm, especially with restrictions on long-haul flights. European flights must detour around war zones, causing airfare to more than double, while major Middle Eastern airlines have significantly cut flights.
Data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand shows that if the situation persists beyond three months, tourist numbers could drop by up to 25%, leaving only 27 million visitors. This would heavily impact numerous tourism operators. Hotel bookings in Phuket have already declined by 10%, while northern regions have seen reductions as high as 30%.
Besides international factors, domestic tourism is also stalling as Thai people hesitate to travel due to fears of fuel shortages. Sittipol said the slowdown in domestic travel is not only due to rising living costs but also a lack of confidence in the energy system, especially concerns about finding fuel stations when traveling to secondary cities.
Sittipol reported that tourism operators have raised alarms to the government. For example, in Pattaya, all PTT gas stations are out of fuel, causing Chinese tour groups to worry about reaching the airport on time. On the northern route from Ang Thong to Sukhothai, nearly every gas station is empty or has long queues, with fuel limited to 2,000 baht per vehicle or 500 baht for passenger cars.
On the southern route from Chumphon to Nakhon Si Thammarat, most gas stations ran out of fuel past 9 a.m. Drivers expressed distress and frustration, stressed by both driving and fuel shortages. If this continues into the Songkran festival, the situation could worsen severely, as most Thais travel by car and will hesitate if uncertain about fuel availability. This will further damage tourism. If foreigners perceive Thailand as uncertain and difficult to travel due to fuel scarcity, few will visit. The Prime Minister must stop ignoring the problem.
Sittipol proposed three urgent actions for the government to implement immediately:
1. Address fears with information (Real-time Dashboard): The government must stop letting people guess and instead create a real-time dashboard showing nationwide fuel station statuses, enabling precise travel planning and restoring confidence essential for tourism.
2. Target replacement markets: Quickly promote tourism to attract visitors from Asia (China, India, Japan, ASEAN) and groups able to fly directly without passing through war zones, to compensate for the lost European market share.
3. Safety net for operators: If the crisis persists, the government must not let tourism operators struggle alone. The state should have the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank guarantee loans and offer accessible, prompt soft loans to prevent small businesses from becoming non-performing loans due to declining customers and rising operating costs.
Sittipol concluded that in these challenging times, what people need most from the government is understanding of the hardships faced by citizens and operators, and protection of their interests. When citizens raise concerns but government leaders deny problems exist and only listen to ministers or officials, it not only fails to solve issues but also reflects poorly on the Prime Minister’s leadership.