Heatwave warnings issued for Southeast Asia’s top 2 tourist countries

ASIA: At the current top two countries for tourists in Southeast Asia, Malaysia and Thailand, heatwave warnings have been issued.

In Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, the heat index, which measures relative humidity and actual air temperature, surpassed 52°C on May 4 (Monday). This is considered to be at an “extreme danger” level, and residents have been advised to stay indoors as well as watch out for signs of heatstroke, such as high body temperature, confusion, and heavy sweating.

“The heat is crazy. It’s like the sun is working extremely hard,” Bangkok resident Suwannee Jonyanata told The New York Times. The city has opened more than 200 cooling centres to help people deal with the heat.

In Malaysia, meanwhile, there have been two deaths amid soaring temperatures. A 41-year-old runner died in Penang after an athletic event, as did a 2-year-old boy who had been left in a vehicle in Kelantan.

The country’s health ministry also said on May 5 (Tuesday), there have been 56 incidents of heat-related illnesses across the nation, and warned that prolonged exposure to heat could have adverse health effects.

With temperatures in northern Malaysia expected to reach 37°C this week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he has asked for cloud-seeding operations to be carried out in  Kedah and Perlis, among other states with critical water levels.

The heat is likely to have a dampening effect on tourism in both countries. Malaysia topped Southeast Asia in terms of the number of visitors for the first quarter of 2026, with 10.6 million tourists, an increase of 5% year-on-year. Thailand saw a slight decrease but still came in second with 9.3 million visitors.

Unfortunately, the heatwave in Southeast Asia has come amid a global energy crisis brought about by the war in the Middle East. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for around 20% of the world’s energy supply, much of which was bound for Asia, has caused countries in the region to grapple with higher fuel prices and set off a spate of fuel-saving measures, including lowering air-conditioner thermostats.

Moreover, the heat may not abate when the rainy season begins after the summer months, due to a “Super El Niño,” which could make Southeast Asian countries even warmer. /TISG

Read also: Warmer air-conditioning amid summer heatwave is making it hard for Southeast Asian workers