After months of embarrassing incidents involving Israeli tourists, protests targeting Israeli visitors and an unusually blunt warning from Thailand’s foreign minister, Thai tourism officials are trying a different approach: humor.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a campaign aimed specifically at Israeli travelers, starring content creator Dan Pundak as a mock wildlife-documentary presenter observing one of Thailand’s more unusual species: “the Israelis.” Against sweeping tropical scenery, Pundak introduces them as “warm, friendly and incredibly attractive,” drawn to Thailand by its beaches, food, luxury resorts and, he jokes, “the possibility of encountering everyone they know from home.” The film then cuts to their “natural habitat”: a 7-Eleven.
Thailand turns to humor to teach Israeli tourists how to behave
(Video: Dan Pundak and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT))
The jokes quickly turn into practical etiquette. The campaign contrasts the loud voices and animated gestures common among Israelis with Thailand’s emphasis on personal space and restraint, suggesting that sometimes “a smile will do.” It tackles Israelis walking shirtless into restaurants and cafés, joking that “a table for two refers to people, not nipples,” before moving on to motorcycle safety, urging tourists to wear helmets and closed shoes and make sure they have the proper license.
Bargaining also gets the nature-documentary treatment. The video jokes about the Israeli instinct of refusing to be a “friar,” or sucker, and the determination not to pay more than another Israeli might have paid. But it warns that the same attitude can come across as aggressive to Thai vendors. Bargaining, the campaign says, should be friendly rather than combative: smile, keep the exchange light and, if the seller refuses twice, move on.
Pundak is already familiar to Israeli social media audiences. He gained widespread attention last year through satirical travel videos created with Esther Garon, in which he portrayed an enthusiastic travel blogger showering exaggerated praise on neglected Israeli urban landscapes. Some became viral enough to anger their subjects, with the city of Lod even threatening legal action over one episode.
This time, however, the humor carries an official message. The series was produced by TAT’s Israel office after its team spent several days speaking with Thai residents, hotel workers and tourism professionals about their experiences with Israeli visitors. Campaign director Ziv Erdman said many emphasized the importance of speaking quietly, maintaining a pleasant demeanor and avoiding confrontations.
They also repeatedly mentioned the Thai concept of kreng jai, which broadly describes sensitivity to other people’s feelings and an effort to avoid causing discomfort, embarrassment or offense. The campaign tries to translate that cultural gap into situations Israeli tourists will immediately recognize, from restaurants and street markets to motorcycle rentals and traditional Thai massage.
A joke with a diplomatic backdrop
The campaign follows a tense period in which incidents involving Israelis have repeatedly made headlines in Thailand. They included a confrontation between an Israeli family and a tuk-tuk driver in Phuket, run-ins between Israeli visitors and local authorities and demonstrations calling for restrictions on Israelis entering the country. Some protests also carried broader political and anti-Israel messages and allegations concerning illegal business activity by foreign nationals.
The issue reached the diplomatic level in September, when Thailand’s foreign minister warned Israeli Ambassador Alona Fisher-Kamm that misconduct by Israeli nationals could harm relations between the two countries. Fisher-Kamm later acknowledged that there was a genuine behavioral problem among some visitors.
Dan Pundak
“There is no doubt there is a serious problem here. We have to admit it,” she told ynet at the time. “Insulting people, shouting, arguments, music and noise in the middle of the night. There is a feeling that Israelis think everything is allowed.” At the same time, she stressed that Thai authorities still want Israelis to visit, provided they respect local laws and culture.
Thailand’s tourism representatives in Israel are making the same distinction. Imri Kalman, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s representative in Israel, said the incidents reported in recent months do not represent most Israeli travelers and that Thailand remains one of the most popular and welcoming destinations for Israelis. But the sheer number of visitors has made cultural misunderstandings more visible. Rather than publish another list of rules, he said, officials decided humor might reach Israeli travelers more effectively.
Israelis keep coming
The friction has done little to curb demand. According to TAT figures, 355,266 Israelis entered Thailand between the beginning of 2026 and the end of October, up 4% from the same period last year, which was itself a record year. Tourism officials expect 2026 to set another record.
Israel now ranks fourth among European and Middle Eastern countries in the number of visitors sent to Thailand, according to figures cited by the tourism authority, ahead of much larger countries including Italy, Spain and Turkey.
For Pundak, finding the right tone was more complicated than the finished videos suggest. He said the production team worried about sounding preachy or reinforcing stereotypes about Israelis, particularly when most Israeli visitors behave respectfully.
“The result is light and funny, but getting there involved a lot of deliberation,” he said. “The biggest concern was coming across as too educational or as though we were justifying generalizations or stereotypes about Israelis.”
Pundak said criticism of Israelis abroad can easily provoke a defensive response, but that should not prevent travelers from examining their own behavior. The campaign ends on the same note: “Thailand has a way of making us feel at home. The trick is remembering we’re guests, and that applies wherever we travel.”
“We love Thailand and its people and come back again and again, so why shouldn’t we make sure they also enjoy hosting us?” Pundak said. “In the end, all of us have something to learn, and I learned quite a lot along the way.”