Thailand Proposes 2.45 Billion Baht Tourism Stimulus Package

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is planning to propose three tourism stimulus projects worth 2.45 billion baht, aiming to generate 56 billion baht in economic value through a domestic travel co-payment scheme, domestic flight discounts, and international flight subsidies. At the ministry's first dedicated public-private committee meeting held on Wednesday, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said stimulus measures were crucial to drive the industry amid global competition and the economic crisis. He said the three schemes comprise: the "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" domestic co-payment scheme worth 1.75 billion baht; the "Fly Thai All the Feelings" domestic flight discount scheme valued at 200 million baht; and the "Thailand Air Connect" international flight subsidy scheme at a cost of 500 million baht. The new phase of the domestic co-payment scheme subsidises 50% of accommodation costs. Mr Surasak said the Tourism Authority of Thailand plans to allocate 500,000 privileges in the initial stage. The agency will monitor feedback and the remaining budget before deciding whether to increase the privileges, he noted. Each person is eligible for five privileges, capped at 3,000 baht per booking. The scheme also offers a 500-baht coupon per booking for discounts at restaurants, attractions, local shops, car rentals and tour packages. Transactions for the subsidy must be completed using the Pao Tang app. The scheme is expected to generate 32 billion baht in economic value and 1.66 billion baht in tax revenue. Another campaign offers discounts on 400,000 domestic airline seats, with a 400-baht discount per flight to first-tier cities and a 600-baht reduction per flight to second-tier cities. Each airline is to conduct its own marketing and promotional campaigns to attract passengers. The government is offering the subsidies directly to six local airlines on a first-come, first-served basis. The scheme is expected to generate 1.6 billion baht in economic impact. The government also plans to provide subsidies for 600 charter flights carrying 87,000 inbound travellers, in parallel with co-marketing programmes among all commercial airlines with scheduled flights, aiming to attract at least 400,000 overseas travellers to Thailand. The subsidy rate for each charter flight varies according to load factor, with a minimum requirement of 80%. The scheme is expected to generate 23.2 billion baht in tourism revenue, said Mr Surasak. The committee plans to submit the proposal for approval soon to the Joint Public-Private Consultative Committee for Economic Problem Solving. The government still needs to finalise the budget and determine whether funding will come from the central budget for fiscal 2026 or 2027.