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Current Affairs

Thai hotels woo Asian guests with curated stays as Iran war keeps Europeans away

At a beachfront resort on Koh Samui, photo-obsessed travellers can book private sessions, with a dedicated photographer guiding them to the resort’s most camera-ready spots…

By Samantha Johnson / April 23, 2026

At a beachfront resort on Koh Samui, photo-obsessed travellers can book private sessions, with a dedicated photographer guiding them to the resort’s most camera-ready spots during a 20-minute shoot. Elsewhere, at Centara Life properties, late-night noodle bowls cater to regional tastes. Across Centara Hotels & Resorts, such offerings are becoming more tailored.

They reflect a shift towards Asian travellers – and their preferences – at a time when European visitors are staying away, reshaping demand across Thailand’s hotel sector.

Centara, with more than 50 properties, mostly in Thailand, is seeing fewer European guests as the conflict in the Middle East disrupts long-haul travel routes.

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Revenue has fallen about 6 per cent since the start of the Iran war compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the company. The hotel group is part of Central Plaza Hotel, controlled by the Chirathivat family, one of Thailand’s richest business dynasties.

“We were concerned it could worsen,” Centara’s chief operating officer Michael Henssler said in an interview. “But interestingly, the market has started to adjust and you can see things stabilising.”

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The group had relied heavily on long-haul travellers, particularly Europeans who often transit through Middle Eastern hubs. Flight disruptions linked to the conflict have made those journeys harder, cutting into a major source of higher-spending guests.

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