Thailand helps repatriate 40,000 European tourists stranded in the region

More than 40,000 European tourists stranded in Thailand and other countries due to flight disruptions have been able to return home.

This was made possible thanks to the temporary authorization granted by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) to tour operators in the countries of origin to send charter flights to repatriate them.

Thousands of tourists stranded after airspace closure

Tourists whose flight was cancelled are leaving l’airport of Suvarnabhumi. Photo: AOT

Suladda Sarutilavan, executive director for Europe at the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said:

"Since the start of the war on February 28, TAT offices in Europe have received numerous requests from travel agencies wishing to coordinate assistance to their tourists stranded in Thailand and other countries.

These agencies also requested support from the Thai authorities to escort their clients back to their country of origin via the kingdom's airports

See : Thailand tourism hit by the Middle East conflict: cancelled flights and stranded tourists

She added that the agency had contacted the CAAT to inform them of the difficulties faced by tour operators in sending charter flights to Thailand due to regulations that prohibit charter flights from selling one-way tickets to tourists.

Charter flights authorized to repatriate European tourists

Airplanes from different airlines in Thailand. Photo: Fl360 Aero

Since March 3, the CAAT has responded to this request by granting temporary authorization for charter flights to operate empty planes to Thailand for evacuation.

This authorization is valid until March 14th to allow other companies to follow the same practice.

Ms. Suladda explained that this coordination originated from a case involving ITAKA, one of Poland's largest tour operators, which contacted the TAT office in Prague for assistance with a group of 18 tourists travelling to Australia.

The group was due to return to Warsaw via Doha on February 28, but was unable to do so due to the closure of the airspace.

The tour operator bought tickets for tourists to travel to Bangkok, then board a charter flight to Warsaw.

Another case involved 315 tourists from Nordic countries who had been stranded for more than a week in several destinations in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean.

TAT coordinated with CAAT to send a charter flight by Sunclass Airlines, part of the Ving Group, to pick up the customers on March 8, and the tourists arrived in Copenhagen on March 9.

Ms. Suladda stated that assistance efforts have continued since the TAT activated the Tourism Crisis Monitoring Centre to track the evolving tensions in the Gulf region.

However, it remains difficult to determine the true number of tourists still stranded in Thailand, as some are individual travellers without an agency and have not contacted hotels or authorities for assistance.

Hotels and tour operators are adapting to disruptions in air travel

The Pimalai Resort and Spa hotel in Koh Lanta.

Charintip Tiyaphorn, owner of the Pimalai Resort and Spa in Koh Lanta, said that his hotel had already offered special rates to guests stranded for three nights, and that most of them had now been able to return home.

The hotel is adapting its plans for the upcoming Easter holidays in April, offering more flexible cancellation conditions to guests affected by the war in the Middle East.

She stated that the marketing approach for Europe in 2026 needed to be revised to address travelers' concerns and retain as many bookings as possible.

For example, the hotel must now offer cancellations with full refunds 5 to 7 days before arrival, instead of the usual 30 days.

See also:

Tourism: Thailand could attract foreigners fleeing war zones

Thailand: tourism could lose 40 billion baht due to the war

Air tickets: Thailand advises booking in advance because of the conflict

Source : Bangkok Post