Bangkok Post – Tourism at crossroads

Thailand’s tourism industry faces two contrasting challenges, highlighting the urgent need for a strategic rethink.

In Mae Hong Son province last week, four Israel tourists were deported after breaking into Pai Hospital’s emergency room and vandalising its property. The chaos at Pai Hospital exposed deeper problems in the northern district, which is considered one of Thailand’s most scenic tourist attractions.

According to a doctor at the hospital, it was not the first time the hospital has encountered aggressive and disruptive behaviour from foreign tourists. Indeed, the situation has reached the point when medical staff feel unsafe. Beyond the…