TRAT, THAILAND – A wave of cancellations by British tourists has unleashed the biggest crisis the province’s tourism sector has seen in years, costing an estimated 700 million baht (about 21 million USD). The withdrawals are not a response to violence on the islands of Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Mak, but to a 2012 martial‑law declaration that prompts insurers to deny coverage for travellers.
Mass cancellations and economic fallout
Local businesses received a devastating blow when hundreds of British visitors cancelled bookings for late 2025. Hotels, restaurants, dive schools and boat operators face lost revenue at the height of the season, with tourism officials estimating the direct impact at roughly 700 million baht (about 21 million USD or 17.5 million euros).
A single case exposes the wider problem
The situation drew public attention after British tourist Jan Robinson appealed for help. A regular Koh Chang visitor, Robinson said she had non‑refundable bookings and could not find insurance after the UK Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel to the Trat region — explicitly naming Koh Chang. Her case highlighted how travel advice, even when not grounded in current local conditions, can prompt insurers to withdraw cover and travellers to cancel.
Insurers seek local assurances
Insurers told Robinson they might reconsider cover ‘if we have local evidence that conditions on the island are normal.’ But obtaining prompt confirmation proved difficult: the British embassy in London was initially unresponsive and only local tourism authorities’ statements moved insurers. Officials say insurers do not demand a security guarantee, only confirmation that ‘there have been no incidents since the hostilities began.’
A 2012 declaration with modern consequences
Trat’s tourism chief, Korakod Opas, explained the root cause: the entire province has been under a martial‑law administrative declaration since 2012, a measure originally intended to help secure the border with Cambodia. That administrative label, officials say, does not reflect active hostilities on the islands and has been misconstrued abroad as a signal of battlefield conditions.
Local authorities insist the islands are safe
Trat Tourism Business Association vice‑president Thawisak Wongwilas and Governor Natthapong Sanguanjit both stressed that Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Mak continue to receive daily ferry traffic and visitors without incident. Thawisak said tourists ‘visit Koh Chang without problems’ and urged a targeted lifting of martial‑law status in non‑border tourist zones. The governor appealed directly to potential visitors to travel ‘with confidence.’
The perception gap and possible remedies
Officials pinpoint a cultural and administrative disconnect: what Thai authorities view as a bureaucratic security measure is perceived by European travellers and insurers as a high‑risk indicator. Tourism leaders propose a selective revocation of martial‑law status in island areas far from the border, a move they argue would reassure insurers without compromising frontier security.
The stakes for Trat’s high season
With the high season underway, the coming weeks are critical. If authorities can provide local, verifiable assurances or selectively lift the declaration in tourist zones, insurers may reinstate coverage and cancellations could subside. If not, the financial damage may increase and livelihoods on the islands will remain at risk.
The broader question
Trat now faces a dilemma that pits a long‑standing administrative label against the immediate economic survival of its tourism industry. Will authorities act swiftly enough to close the gap between perception and reality — or will bureaucratic wording continue to cost the province dearly?