ThailandUpdated May 12, 2025
Thailand: Tour operator cancellations and the CPA
Tour operators that cancel last-minute or substitute inferior services owe you a refund or like-for-like substitute under Thai consumer law.
Your rights
- Operators cannot unilaterally substitute materially different services without your consent.
- Force majeure clauses must be reasonable and specifically scoped — broad 'any reason' clauses are unenforceable.
- You are entitled to a full refund of unprovided services.
Steps to take
- 1Document what you booked vs what was delivered (screenshots, brochures, itineraries).
- 2Notify the operator in writing within 7 days of the issue.
- 3Demand refund or equivalent substitute within 14 days.
Example cases
Island tour cancelled for "weather" with no refund
Full refundKrabi฿4,200 for 2 people
- What happened
- The operator cancelled on the morning of the trip, citing weather, and offered only a rebooking on a date after the guests' departure.
- What they did
- Asked for the marine weather notice in writing, then sent a CPA demand for a cash refund because the service was not delivered.
- Outcome
- Full refund within 10 days. The operator could not produce any official weather warning.
Phi Phi day-trip operator disappeared
Partial refundPhuket฿6,500 paid online
- What happened
- Nobody came to the hotel pickup, and the operator's phone and website went offline the same week.
- What they did
- Reported it to the tourist police (1155) and filed a chargeback for services not delivered.
- Outcome
- The card chargeback was approved. A second payment made by bank transfer could not be recovered.
Illustrative examples, not legal advice.
Start a similar claimWho to escalate to
- OCPB hotline 1166.
- Department of Tourism complaint portal.
- Civil Court for breach of contract.
Template phrases
"The services delivered materially differed from the booking confirmation dated [DATE]. Under the Consumer Protection Act, I am entitled to a refund of the unprovided portion: [AMOUNT]."
Have a case like this?
Get a personalised AI rights analysis and a draft complaint email in minutes.
Informational only — not legal advice. RefundRights cites publicly available consumer-protection rules and is intended to help you assert your rights. For binding advice, consult a qualified lawyer in the relevant jurisdiction.