Israel raises travel warning for Thailand amid ‘persistence of threat’

Israel’s National Security Council (NRC) re-issued their travel advisory for Thailand on Sunday, citing a continuing threat to Israelis in the country. This follows an alert issued nearly two weeks ago.

The Times of Israel reported that, on November 12, the NSC advised Israelis to exercise increased vigilance due to “the emergence of a potential threat to Israelis” in Thailand.

The NSC emphasised that, while the threat level has not been increased, the council is “sharpening and bolstering” its recommendations.

The Level 2 advisory advises travellers to “take increased precautionary measures”, but does not call on them to avoid or leave the country altogether and “avoid attending large-scale events associated with Israel, particularly those announced in advance, or places of entertainment and gatherings linked to Israel.”

It also urges them to notify local security forces if they encounter any hostile activity.

The November 12 advice came after Thailand warned of a terror plot targeting the November 15 Full Moon Party on the popular vacation island of Pha-ngan.

These warnings emerged amid allegations of an Iran-backed plot, targeting Israeli tourists in Sri Lanka, which was reportedly linked to an assassination attempt on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

A severe travel alert for Sri Lanka was lifted on November 14.

According to The Times of Israel, the warning regarding Thailand coincided with the discovery of the body of Rabbi Zvi Kogan, an emissary to Abu Dhabi’s Chabad chapter.

Israel’s embassy described the killing of Kogan in Abu Dhabi as “a despicable anti-Semitic act of terror.”