Dov Kalmann, a World Tourism Community Hero and proprietor of Terranova, who has been the Israeli consultant of the Tourism Authority of Thailand since 2002, is proud to have been instrumental in creating and sustaining such a robust bridge of tourism, mutual respect, and friendship between the Thai hosts and Israeli vacationers.
Tourism brings individuals from completely different cultures collectively, creates respect and understanding, helps native communities, and promotes coexistence—precisely what ought to unite all peace-loving activists.
Among the many fastest-growing segments of Israelis to Thailand are the Arab Israelis, Christians, and Muslims. The admiration by Israelis of all streams of life, religions, and gender definitions for Thailand as an inclusive shelter of security and acceptance has solely strengthened throughout this struggle, additionally as a result of sturdy bond with the Thai employees in Israel, of whom Hamas has killed 46.
Thailand and Israel share values of freedom, pleasure, and respect, and can stay united for generations to come back!”
The next report by the Journey Impression Newswire exhibits that not everybody in Thailand is greeting Israeli Troopers vacationing in Thailand with a smile. As former UN-Tourism Secretary Normal Dr. Taleb Rifai (Jordan) as soon as mentioned, tourism is the custodian of peace. Thailand is an effective instance, with Ukrainian and Russian vacationers having a vodka collectively.
Imitaz Muqbil studies from the Nakba Commemoration Day 2025 on the Overseas Correspondents Membership of Thailand (FCCT).
Nakba Day is commemorated yearly on Could 15. It marks the start of the destruction of the Palestinian homeland and the mass displacement in 1948 of the vast majority of the Palestinian inhabitants.
Nakba means ‘disaster’ in Arabic and is the phrase utilized by Palestinians and others to confer with this historic second. For some, the time period can also be used to explain the following and ongoing persecution of Palestinians and lack of territory.
Palestinian chief Yasser Arafat formally inaugurated Nakba Day in 1998, although the date had been marked with protests of remembrance and resistance since 1949.
Activists for Palestinian statehood in Thailand are calling for curbs on the open-door visa-free entry prolonged to the hundreds of Israeli “vacationers” visiting Thailand, a lot of whom are mentally unstable troopers suspected of struggle crimes.
The transfer ought to pave the best way for a similar problem to be raised in different Asia Pacific nations similar to Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Nepal, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, which additionally give visa-free entry to Israeli residents.
In her closing remarks on the Nakba Commemoration Day 2025 on the Overseas Correspondents Membership of Thailand (FCCT), Affiliate Professor Dr. Adisara Katib, Chair of the Thailand department, Palestine Solidarity Marketing campaign, mentioned, “Thailand is an exquisite nation with its nice and pleasant individuals dwelling harmoniously in a pluralistic society. Nonetheless, Thailand just isn’t a spot to harbour or give sanctuary to struggle criminals.
You can’t simply commit horrendous crimes in Palestine after which come to Thailand, taking a trip in our nation.
“No, it’s not going to work that manner. These struggle criminals have to be held accountable for his or her atrocious crimes, crimes in opposition to humanity. So, for individuals who search justice for the Palestinian individuals, don’t allow them to get away with it. Don’t even allow them to suppose they’ll get away with it.”
Though the occasion’s prime focus was on the authorized actions in opposition to Israel being pursued within the Worldwide Court docket of Justice by nations often known as The Hague Group, the practically two and half hour dialogue broadened to incorporate a number of cultural, industrial, diplomatic and geopolitical ripple-effects of the upcoming international conflict between supporters of Israel and Palestine.
Having butchered hundreds of kids and harmless civilians in Gaza, the Israeli authorities is making an attempt to stroll away scot-free, thwart justice, silence dissent and eradicate opposition. As that above-the-law, zero-accountability place of impunity is going through rising international anger and pushback, it units the stage for a multi-level battle that may impression Journey & Tourism on quite a few fronts.
Israeli corporations are closely concerned proper throughout the journey and tourism chain, from safety corporations to start-up buyers, reserving engines, OTAs, cost gateways, PR and Communications, actual property asset house owners and managers, attorneys and monetary consultants, branding and advertising companies, giving them entry to huge quantities of knowledge and intelligence. Their function is now set to come back below higher scrutiny because the pro-Palestinian motion gathers steam.
Led by South Africa, The Hague Group contains Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, and Senegal. The case in opposition to Israel was filed in December 2023. In line with the preamble of the FCCT occasion, “In January 2024, the court docket handed an interim ruling that there was a believable case to reply for genocide. Fifteen months later, Israel continues to actual horrible retribution with main materiel assist from the U.S.”
The South African Ambassador to Thailand, Mr. Darkey Ephraim Africa, was on account of seem however cancelled on the final minute after being suggested by his Overseas Workplace that the case was nonetheless subjudice. Nonetheless, each he and Mr. Pat Bourne, the Ambassador of Eire, despatched messages of assist.
Assistant Professor Nicholas Ferriman, a founding member of PSC Thailand and Mahidol College, expertly moderated the panel. He and Mr. Ian Hollingworth, additionally a Member of PSC Thailand, delivered the opening presentation on “The World’s Most Livestreamed Genocide.”
The chart beneath exhibits that Israel customer arrivals have rebounded after the Oct 2023 assaults.
One of many primary shows was on “Accountability and Israeli Battle Criminals in Thailand,” by Mr Abou Jahjah, Chairman, Hind Rajab Basis, which is working to finish the tradition of impunity in opposition to the continued genocide and guarantee accountability.
Mr Abou Jahjah mentioned the Basis had compiled huge documentation of the numerous public statements by senior Israeli army officers and politicians about their intentions to cleanse Gaza ethnically, in addition to the audio-visual selfies recorded by Israeli troopers, each women and men. He mentioned the Basis had practically 20,000 troopers on its databases who may very well be made to face authorized motion for crimes starting from looting to extrajudicial killings. “It’s positive that a few of them will likely be coming to Thailand on vacation,” he mentioned.
He mentioned Thailand and Brazil are the most well-liked locations for the Israeli troopers. Primarily younger women and men, they’re answerable for kidnappings and torture, with blood on their palms. He mentioned he would really feel unsafe sitting in a restaurant subsequent to one in every of them. He referred to as them aggressive, psychologically destroyed people, a lot of them affected by PTSD, victims of their very own geopolitical and ideological equipment.
He admitted that the authorized course of was lengthy and drawn out and required persistence within the face of many authorized hurdles. He famous that Thailand was not celebration to the Rome statute, which doubtlessly offers Thai authorities grounds to justify taking no motion.
He mentioned one of the best motion was by way of grassroots stress and solidarity actions, that are rising worldwide and demanding to creating nations transfer. “The excellent news is: The dam of impunity that has been constructed round these Israeli struggle criminals is beginning to crack. It’s as much as all of us to widen these cracks,” Mr Abu Jahjah mentioned.
One other speaker, Mr Kannavee Suebsaeng, Member of Parliament, Truthful Get together, which is within the opposition, agreed with that view. He confused that his feedback had been motivated by the seriousness of the humanitarian scenario in Gaza, and had been to not be construed as a political assertion.
He mentioned Israel’s in depth industrial and financial pursuits in Thailand made it very tough for Thailand to assist any authorized motion. Furthermore, he identified, Thailand had lately hosted the pinnacle of the Myanmar junta, who has an arrest warrant issued in opposition to him by the Worldwide Court docket of Justice. That alone clearly signifies that the dominion wouldn’t take any motion.
