Immigration Bureau denies reports that 400,000 Israelis are staying in Thailand
Immigration records show that around 31,892 Israeli nationals were in Thailand as of March 10, far below widely circulated claims that the figure had reached 400,000.
- Thailand's Immigration Bureau has officially denied media reports that claimed as many as 425,000 Israelis were staying in the country.
- Official immigration data from March 10, 2026, shows the actual number of Israeli nationals in Thailand was approximately 31,892.
- The bureau stated that arrival and departure statistics for 2025 and early 2026 show a normal flow of travelers and do not indicate an unusual build-up of people remaining in the country.
- Provincial data also refuted the claims, citing examples like Amnat Charoen having only one Israeli visa extension application, not the reported 370,000.
Amid public concern over the movement of foreign nationals from countries involved in the Middle East conflict, media reports published on March 13, 2026 said that as many as 425,000 foreign nationals, especially Israelis, were staying in Thailand, equivalent to 5% of Israel’s population.
In particular, provinces that are not major tourist destinations were cited, such as Phayao with around 470,000, Phrae with around 440,000, Lamphun with more than 400,000, Amnat Charoen with around 370,000, and Satun with around 324,000. This led to public concern that foreigners may be settling in these areas in ways that could affect local economies, society and long-term resource use, and could draw Thailand into the conflict as a country perceived to be aligned with one of the warring parties.
Responding to the issue, Pol Maj Gen Choengron Rimpadee, deputy commissioner and spokesperson for the Immigration Bureau, said that immigration database records showed 420,202 Israeli arrivals and 405,712 departures through Thailand’s five main airports in 2025. In 2026, from January 2026 to March 11, 2026, there were 84,238 Israeli arrivals and 80,171 departures. This shows that the proportion of entries and exits does not indicate any significant or unusual build-up of people remaining in the country.
A report from the Immigration Technology Centre found that on March 10, 2026, around 31,892 Israeli nationals were in Thailand. This figure includes both visa-exempt tourists and those holding visas for various reasons, such as business, study and accompanying family members. It is not in the hundreds of thousands as reported in the news.
When broken down by province, the number of Israelis who had applied for extensions of stay showed, for example:
Amnat Charoen had one retirement extension application.
Mae Hong Son had 139 visa extension applications.
Surat Thani, particularly islands such as Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, had only 5,938 tourists and people applying to extend their stay on both a short-term and long-term basis from January 2026 to March 11, 2026, and these were tourists continuously rotating in and out.
Therefore, the overall number of Israeli nationals in Thailand is not in the hundreds of thousands as reported in the news. In addition, immigration offices in every province have been instructed to intensify screening of foreign nationals, particularly those from countries involved in the Middle East conflict, entering and staying in Thailand.
This screening will take into account travel history in Thailand and abroad, travel plans, accommodation booking patterns and return travel arrangements. If any suspicious circumstances are found, entry will be denied.
In addition, provincial immigration offices have deployed personnel to inspect hotel operators’ reporting of foreign guests’ accommodation and to gather intelligence in foreign communities, especially in key tourist areas. They have also been instructed to coordinate with intelligence and security agencies in each area in order to stay informed of any intelligence concerns. At present, however, there has been no alert from security agencies identifying any intelligence target.
The Immigration Bureau reaffirmed that it is giving full priority to guarding against any impact from the war in the Middle East, to ensure that Thailand does not become a location for retaliatory acts by the countries involved in the conflict. These measures may affect congestion at airports, particularly Suvarnabhumi, during peak flight periods, with waiting times rising to around 50 minutes from previously no more than 30 minutes. Airport immigration officers have therefore been deployed to all counters to maintain a balance for tourism, particularly with the Songkran festival approaching.
