Surachai Nuprom, Executive Vice President and Acting President of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Ltd. (AEROTHAI), revealed that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has started to impact flight routes between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as overall flight volume in Thailand. According to real-time air traffic data, there has been a noticeable effect on flights traversing Thai airspace.
Despite these disruptions, Surachai projects that the number of flights passing through Thailand in 2026 will likely grow by no more than 3% compared to 2025, pending further developments in the region.
Since the conflict escalated on February 28, 2026, airlines from the Middle East region have cancelled over 1,000 flights to Thailand. This figure represents about 3% of total flights. The bulk of these cancellations have affected Suvarnabhumi Airport (over 600 flights) and Phuket Airport (over 400), with additional impacts on Krabi, Chiang Mai, and Don Mueang airports.
AEROTHAI’s analysis also factors in the ongoing energy crisis, which has significantly increased global oil prices. Airlines have responded to these heightened fuel costs by gradually raising airfares. Although the aviation industry is still expected to expand compared to last year, its growth rate will lag behind earlier projections that did not account for the disruptions caused by the conflict.
Surachai further noted that AEROTHAI remains vigilant, monitoring key factors such as airline route changes, partial airspace closures, and shifts in global economic trends that could affect the aviation industry. AEROTHAI is actively preparing its air traffic management systems to accommodate both changing routes and potential future increases in flight demand.
Surachai also warned that volatility in oil prices could have long-term impacts on airline operating costs—and, subsequently, on consumer demand for air travel. Nevertheless, AEROTHAI affirms its commitment to managing Thai airspace efficiently, in line with long-term strategies for the development of the country’s aviation industry, ensuring readiness to handle growth and changes in the sector.
On the tourism front, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that foreign tourist arrivals for the week of March 9–15 stood at 628,451, up by 2% week-on-week but down 1% year-on-year, averaging 89,779 visitors per day. The strongest growth came from India (up 12% WoW, 8% YoY) and China (up 3% WoW, 37% YoY), while arrivals from Malaysia, Russia, and Japan showed modest declines.
Overall, the recovery in Thailand’s tourism sector is being led by short-haul markets, especially China, India, and Japan, while Middle East and European markets are gradually improving as flights increase. The total number of international arrivals from January 1 to March 15, 2026, stood at 7,869,077.
Daol Securities (Thailand) highlighted that The Erawan Group Public Company Limited (SET: ERW), Central Plaza Hotel Public Company Limited (SET: CENTEL), and Minor International Public Company Limited (SET: MINT) are among the listed hotel operators set to benefit from the rebound in tourist numbers, especially those with high exposure to the domestic hotel market.
