Tourists head to eastern provinces despite conflictListen to this articleEastern provinces recorded an increase in tourist visits last year despite the border conflict with Cambodia, driven by domestic trips, although fewer international tourists put pressure on revenue. Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks, a hospitality consultancy, said despite the border dispute, Thais still visited the eastern provinces during the holiday period. As the border dispute emerged in mid-2025, foreign visitors disappeared in the third quarter compared with previous years. The average occupancy rate for eastern hotels in 2025 remained steady from the previous year at roughly 73%. He said some tourists were still hesitant to visit eastern provinces until it was clear the conflict was over.

Source: Bangkok Post January 10, 2026 12:03 UTC