Floods in Southern Thailand Now Prompt Tourism Disruptions, Travel Postponement Recommended

Published on November 22, 2025

Severe floods have recently impacted travel throughout Southern Thailand, which has led the Malaysian Consulate to issue a travel warning advising Malaysian tourists to avoid travel to several Southern Thai provinces. The floods have also impacted travel to the Southern Thai tourist destinations of Krabi, Phuket, Trang, and Songkhla. These provinces are known for their picturesque beaches and resorts, and are also famous for their lively local culture.

The Southern Thai tourism economy, which is highly dependent on foreign and domestic tourists, has been adversely impacted as well. There are flooded roads and damaged infrastructure which, along with heavy rains, continue to cause travel delays. These delays negatively impact the travel plans of tourists who are either already in the flooded disaster zone or in the process of traveling to the zone. The Consulate has further advised travellers to carefully monitor the weather and advised travelers to delay travel to the flooded zone for their own safety.

Consequences for Tourism in Southern Thailand

The devastation brought by last year’s flooding in Southern Thailand severely affected the tourism sector in the major destinations like Phuket and Krabi and the nearby Trang and Koh Lanta islands. With the floods creating access and navigation difficulties for tourists to their favorite attractions, tourism businesses experienced massive cancellations in hotel bookings, tours, and recreational activities, and the whole region tourism market had to temporarily close some activities. In these over flooded tourism hubs, the travel companies had to cancel activities like boat tours, sightseeing, and ferry island hopping.

Being the largest tourist destination in Thailand, Phuket, like all other tourism hubs in southern Thailand, was affected by road flooding that hampered access to the main transport terminal (the airport) and the most sought after beaches (Patong and Kata) in the region. Unlike Krabi, which is another major tourist destination that has had a great deal of rain and mudslides shutting down some of the roadway access, Phuket is operational. However, the airport is still operational, but flights may be affected by delays and cancellations.

Deferring Travel Arrangements for Safety and Comfort

Travellers planning to visit southern Thailand in the immediate future are advised by the Malaysian Consulate to change their travel plans. This includes beach holidays, culture tours, and adventure seekers visiting Thailand. Visitors should remain in contact with the local officials to get more information on the weather and their travel plans.

Travellers with planned trips are being assisted by local hotels and resorts in the process of managing their bookings. These hotels and resorts are helping their clients to get the best alternatives to their planned trips and/ or self cancels reservations. This includes the possibility to get a refund of the trip based on the situation at hand. Albeit, the situation at hand concerning adv tours and adventure activities is complicated due to the on-going condition of the flooding and the unpredictability of the local situation.

As a result of the situation created in the area, the Malaysian Consulate has warned that other tourists should postpone their planned activities to areas that are currently experiencing flooding. This includes Krabi, Trang, and the islands that are off Phuket, where the waters are stopping of normal functioning of activities of the people and where safety issues are present. Travel to the area is requested according to local information and weather provided for travel purposes.

Travel Alternatives to Southern Thailand

Travellers to Southern Thailand who have already booked vacation packages and need to consider alternatives can still get a variety of activities and experiences from Central and Northern Thailand that are not affected by the floods. Areas such as and are less prone to flooding and are able to accommodate tourists year-round. Travellers can get a cultural experience as well as partake in the outdoor activities of the region such as wildlife trekking, visiting sanctuaries, and cooking classes, and there are several ancient temples and the option of Ayutthaya outdoor adventures.

For Customers Still Searching for the Beach Experience southern Thailand has a few more southern islands with Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao in Central Thailand with the availability of a plane or boat ride and is weathering less of a storm. These locations are less crowded and have the more desirable and popular option over the southern islands.

Considering Sustainable Tourism When Travelling

Heavy flooding in Thailand has also shadowed the importance of the country’s sustainable tourism efforts in the Southeast Asia region. Many areas of the Southeast Asia region face the ongoing threat of extreme weather, including flooding, typhoons, and an increasing sea level. The ongoing flooding in Thailand is a reminder to us to support the environmental sustainability of travel through the respectful and mindful selection of travel destinations and operators.

Travelers should also be encouraged to plan more flexibly, select eco-friendly accommodations, and participate in low-impact tourism that does not further stress the destination’s fragile tourism impact. This is even more important in climate-vulnerable points of the world.

Final remarks

Tourist travellers are affected by the current weather in Thailand, particularly the flooding in Southern Thailand and Southern Thailand’s tourism flooding situation. It is in the best interest of the consulate to provide timely and efficient guidance by advising travellers to postpone travel to Malaysia. With a dynamic situation in the south, tourists in Thailand are encouraged to assess the situation in the south of Thailand, but also to remain flexible and to look for destinations that are not impacted in other areas of Thailand.

Thailand will be impacted by the floods for some time. With this in mind, the tourism sector will need to be adaptable and concentrate on providing both international visitors and local people safe, sustainable and accessible services.