Thailand travel advisories

[Wide Area Information] Warning about illegal part-time work overseas by criminal organizations, including the Anonymous Mobile Crime Group (Tokuryu) (How to avoid becoming a perpetrator)

Dec. 16, 2025, midnight wide area information

There have been a number of cases where people have applied for illegal part-time work overseas and ended up being forced to act as "callers" for criminal organizations and take part in special fraud overseas, or where people have unintentionally become complicit in crimes by couriering illegal drugs (such as marijuana), and ended up being detained or protected by local police.

●If you feel that you have applied for an illegal part-time job overseas, do not worry or keep it to yourself, but seek help from a family member or someone close to you, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the police, etc.

●If you feel that as a result of applying for an illegal part-time job overseas, you have become (or been forced to become) complicit in a crime such as specialized fraud or illegal drug smuggling, please do not hesitate to contact or consult with the local Japanese embassy or consulate general.

Warning about special fraud (to avoid becoming a victim)

Dec. 16, 2025, midnight wide area information

● Special fraud, in which money is defrauded by contacting people without meeting them in person, is also occurring overseas. There have been confirmed cases in which people have impersonated Japanese government officials, such as Japanese embassy staff, Japanese consulate staff, Japanese police officers, and customs officials.

●Japanese public institutions such as the Japanese Embassy, Japanese Consulate General, police officers, and customs officials will never request remittances without following proper procedures. Please take precautions such as not easily responding to suspicious phone calls, emails, social media messages, etc. that you do not recognize.

●If you feel even slightly uneasy while outside of Japan, please consult your nearest Japanese Embassy or Consulate-General.

Alert regarding chikungunya fever

Nov. 21, 2025, midnight Wide area information (infectious diseases)

● Chikungunya fever, which causes symptoms such as fever, joint pain, and rash, is prevalent in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia.
● Chikungunya fever is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito infected with the chikungunya virus, so in the above areas please be sure to take the preventive measures described below in 1(4), such as wearing long sleeves and using insect repellent spray.
● If you suspect you may be infected, please visit a medical institution as soon as possible.

Zika virus infection alert (updated)

Nov. 21, 2025, midnight Wide area information (infectious diseases)

● The number of cases of Zika virus infection, which causes symptoms such as fever and rash and can result in congenital disorders such as microcephaly in fetuses, has decreased globally since 2017, but infections continue to occur, albeit in small numbers, in Latin America, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region.
● Zika virus infection is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus, so if you are in the above areas, please be sure to take the preventive measures listed below in 1(4), such as wearing long sleeves and using insect repellent spray.
● If you suspect you may be infected, please visit a medical institution as soon as possible.

[Warning] Safety measures for the New Year holidays, reconfirmation of passport validity, and notice of Embassy closing days

Dec. 18, 2025, 1:05 p.m.

1. During the New Year period, cases of theft such as pickpocketing, purse snatching, and burglary will increase, as will cases of fraud. Events that attract large numbers of people may also become targets for terrorist attacks. Please take sufficient precautions to avoid becoming a victim of crime, referring to the warnings and "Safety Guidelines" issued so far.
(1) Situation on the Thai-Cambodian Border On December 7th of this year, fighting broke out between the armies of both countries at several locations near the Thai-Cambodian border, resulting in an increasingly tense situation along the border. As of December 18th, fighting is still ongoing. Depending on the state of the fighting, the possibility of unforeseen incidents occurring even in areas some distance from the border cannot be ruled out. Please obtain the latest information from multiple sources and take sufficient safety measures, such as evacuating promptly if you are in a dangerous area.
[Overseas Safety Website]
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/info/pcinfectionspothazardinfo_007.html#ad-image-0

(2) A sharp increase in inquiries regarding lost or stolen passports and walletsSince last year, there has been a sharp increase in inquiries regarding lost or stolen passports and wallets.The number of inquiries regarding passports from January to November this year was 317 (83 of which were stolen), remaining at a high level as in last year.
Do not place your passport or wallet carelessly in a pocket where it may be easily taken out by a third party, and take steps to prevent loss or theft. When on trains, at events, or in other crowded places, try to carry your bag (especially a backpack or shoulder bag) in front of your body.
● Please refer to our website "Procedures for when your passport is lost (stolen) in Thailand"
https://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/consular_lost.html

(3) A surge in complaints of so-called "show me your money" scamsIn Bangkok, there has been a steady stream of complaints of so-called "show me your money" scams, in which men (or men and women) claiming to be from Dubai approach people and ask to see their banknotes, and then steal their cash or credit cards during the conversation.We continue to receive many complaints of similar types of fraud.
If you are approached by a stranger as described above, please do not respond and leave the situation as quickly as possible.

(4) A sharp increase in complaints about being ripped off in entertainment districts. In entertainment districts in Bangkok (especially Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza), we have received many complaints about being ripped off, such as being aggressively solicited or being charged exorbitant amounts.
We ask that you do not respond to aggressive solicitations, check the price before ordering, and do not easily agree to an exorbitant price.

(5) Terrorism Situation Large-scale events are expected to be held throughout Thailand during the Christmas and New Year period. Japanese residents and travelers are asked to make efforts to obtain the latest information and take the following measures to avoid being caught up in any unforeseen incidents.
● In particular, areas around tourist facilities, event venues, restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, public transportation, religious facilities, etc. are prone to becoming targets of terrorism as they attract large numbers of people, so caution is required at all times.
● In addition to local media reports, please make an effort to obtain the latest security information from Tabi-Regi, the Overseas Safety website, etc., and be sure to take appropriate and sufficient safety measures according to the situation.
● Related link [Overseas Safety Cheat Sheet - A guide to avoiding trouble when traveling abroad]
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/pamph/pdf/toranomaki.pdf
[Golgo 13's Overseas Safety Measures Manual for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises]
https://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/anzen_info/golgo13xgaimusho.html
[Safety Guide] (Convention website)
https://www.th.emb-japan.go.jp/files/000207735.pdf

2. Passport Please be aware of the validity period of your passport. Every year, there are reports of people being unable to depart the country due to their passports having expired or not having enough remaining validity period required by the destination country during the long holiday season over the New Year period or sudden business trips.
As passport production began at the National Printing Bureau in Japan on March 24th of this year, it will take approximately two weeks to one month from application to issuance. This will take even longer over the New Year holidays, so please take this opportunity to check that your current passport has sufficient validity and consider applying for a new passport early (passports with less than one year remaining validity can be applied for).

3. The Embassy will be closed for the New Year holidays from Saturday, December 27, 2025 to Sunday, January 4, 2026. Please note this if you are planning to apply for certificates, passports, etc.

(Contact information)
○Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand Tel: (66-2) 207-8500, 696-3000
Address: 177 Witthayu Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
(Wittayu Road, roughly halfway between Lumpini Police Station and Lumpini MRT Station)

◎If you have submitted a residence notification, please be sure to let us know if there are any changes to the information listed (changes to your address due to moving, additions or changes to your mobile phone number or email address, etc.), or if you are returning to or moving out of your home country.
◎Short-term travelers (including international tourists and business travelers) staying for less than three months who are not required to submit a residence notification should make use of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' overseas travel registration ("Tabi-Regi"). Registered users can receive the latest travel information for their destination, email notifications in the event of an emergency, and emergency contact information in case of an emergency.
・Tabireg: https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/tabireg/index.html
・If you have registered for TabiRegi Simple Registration and would like to stop receiving emails, please follow the procedure to stop receiving emails from the URL below.
https://www.ezairyu.mofa.go.jp/tabireg/simple/delete

◎In the event of an emergency, we may use the mobile phone short message service (SMS) to send relevant information to the mobile phone number registered in your residence notification or "Tabi-Regi" to confirm your safety and request a reply. This system generally uses Thailand's country code (+66), and messages are sent in half-width alphanumeric characters (Roman letters).
・About the start of operations: http://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/c_info/pdf/sms_kh.pdf
・Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.anzen.mofa.go.jp/c_info/pdf/sms_qa.pdf

Caution regarding military conflict near the Cambodian border (9th report)

Dec. 14, 2025, 7:25 p.m.

[Contact information]
○Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand Tel: (66-2) 207-8500, 696-3000
Address: 177 Witthayu Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
(Wittayu Road, roughly halfway between Lumpini Police Station and Lumpini MRT Station)

Caution regarding military conflict near the Cambodian border (8th report)

Dec. 9, 2025, 5:10 p.m.

1. On December 7th of this year, fighting broke out between the Thai and Cambodian armies at several locations near the border, and the situation along the border is rapidly becoming tense.

2. Yesterday, we announced that evacuation orders had been issued again to residents of Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces on the northern border with Cambodia. Evacuation orders have also been issued for four border districts in Sa Kaeo province, located on the southern border with Cambodia, and four border districts in Trat province. Further evacuation orders may be issued in the future, so please follow any evacuation instructions or guidance given by the authorities.

3. Since the start of fighting in July this year, the Japanese government has raised the overseas safety warning level for Japanese nationals to level 3 for areas within at least 50 km of the Cambodian border in Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, Ubon Ratchathani, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces, and this danger level remains in place.

4. Depending on the fighting situation, the possibility of unforeseen incidents occurring even in areas some distance from the border cannot be ruled out. Please obtain the latest information from multiple sources and take sufficient safety measures, such as evacuating promptly if you are in a dangerous area.

5. In case of an emergency, please contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand below.

[Contact information]
○Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand Tel: (66-2) 207-8500, 696-3000
Address: 177 Witthayu Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
(Wittayu Road, roughly halfway between Lumpini Police Station and Lumpini MRT Station)

Caution regarding military conflict near the Cambodian border (7th report)

Dec. 8, 2025, 4:50 p.m.

1. After full-scale fighting broke out between the Thai and Cambodian armies on July 24th of this year, a ceasefire agreement was reached on July 28th, and a joint declaration for peace was signed on October 26th in the presence of the United States and Malaysia. Although there were landmine explosions and sporadic gunfire near the border after that, fighting did not break out between the two countries' armies. However, fighting broke out again between the two armies at several locations near the border on December 7th, and the situation near the border is rapidly escalating.

2. More specifically, according to reports, since December 7, attacks have been launched from Cambodia against Thailand using multiple rocket launchers (BM-21), and attacks from Thailand against Cambodia using fighter jets (F-16), resulting in casualties among Thai troops.

3. The Thai government has again issued evacuation orders to residents of Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, and Ubon Ratchathani provinces along the northern border with Cambodia. Please follow any evacuation instructions or guidance issued by the authorities.

4. Since the outbreak of fighting in July this year, the Japanese government has raised the overseas safety warning level for Japanese nationals to level 3 for areas within at least 50 km of the Cambodian border in Sisaket, Surin, Buriram, Ubon Ratchathani, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, and Trat provinces, and this level remains in effect to this day.

5. Depending on the fighting situation, it cannot be denied that unforeseen incidents may occur even in areas some distance from the border. Please obtain the latest information from multiple sources and take sufficient safety measures, such as evacuating promptly if you are in a dangerous area.

6. In case of an emergency, please contact the Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand at the number listed below.

[Contact information]
○Consular Section of the Embassy of Japan in Thailand Tel: (66-2) 207-8500, 696-3000
Address: 177 Witthayu Road, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330
(Wittayu Road, roughly halfway between Lumpini Police Station and Lumpini MRT Station)