"Not interested in Israelis": A travel company in Thailand refused to guide a family from Israel
The travel company GreenLeaf, which operates tours in Khao Yai National Park, refused to provide service to an Israeli family, claiming that its guides are not willing to work with tourists from Israel. The mother of the family, who was planning a holiday vacation with her three children, described a feeling of insult and helplessness in the face of the surprising message she received from the local company: "I felt like I was punched in the stomach."
An Israeli family that was planning to travel in Thailand during the holidays was surprised to receive an unusual refusal message from a travel company that operates tours in Khao Yai National Park. In an email sent by the company, the family members were informed that its guides are no longer willing to guide tourists from Israel.
"My husband and I have been planning this trip with our three children for a long time, and I started looking for attractions to put together a route that suits us," says Liat, the mother of the family, in a conversation with mako. "I saw recommendations for the company GreenLeaf in Facebook groups, I entered their website and sent an email with the travel details to inquire about recommended tours for mid-September."
A few hours later, the surprising answer was received from the travel company:
"Thank you very much for your inquiry. We apologize that we cannot organize the trip for you. After we held discussions with all of our tour guides, all the guides are no longer interested in conducting tours for Israeli tourists. Therefore, we ask you to check the possibility of going on a trip with other local agencies."
Later in the email, the company mentioned the names of alternative agencies and apologized for the inconvenience.
"We have been to Thailand before and we have never encountered such a thing," adds Liat. "At first I thought it was about being busy, but when I understood the real reason, I felt like I was punched in the stomach. I felt insulted, helpless, and sad. This is a destination we really dreamed of, and right now we just don't know what to do."
This unusual incident comes against the backdrop of a wave of claims and criticism on social networks in Thailand against tourists from Israel, which was accompanied by reports and documentation of various events attributed to Israelis. However, in some cases, it turned out that these were old videos or incorrect documentation. For example, in a confrontation that broke out in Phuket between tourists from Saudi Arabia and Morocco, which was circulated on the networks as an event involving Israelis. Following these cases, the Israeli Embassy in Thailand published an official clarification and warned that the dissemination of unverified information causes unjustified damage to the image of Israeli tourists.
