- Thailand plans to launch the Thai Travel Thai Plus domestic tourism subsidy in September
- The program offers up to 50% subsidy on eligible spending, max 3,000 baht per entitlement
- Vouchers will cover meals, tours, car hire, and more to support diverse tourism businesses
Thailand is preparing two major tourism measures that could affect how visitors spend and how tourism destinations are funded. The country plans to launch the Thai Travel Thai Plus domestic tourism subsidy in September.
At the same time, the government is proposing a fee for foreign visitors entering Thailand, with the money intended to support tourism infrastructure, visitor safety and environmental restoration. The details of the foreign visitor fee are still being worked out. No fee amount, collection method or launch date has been announced yet.
Thai Travel Thai Plus: What Is The Scheme?
The four-month Thai Travel Thai Plus programme is designed to encourage domestic tourism and spread tourist spending across more businesses. The Nation Thailand reports that the programme has a 1.75 billion baht preliminary budget and is expected to provide 500,000 entitlements via the Pao Tang application of Krungthai Bank.
Under the proposed structure, the government would subsidise 50% of eligible spending, with a maximum subsidy of 3,000 baht per entitlement. Each participant could receive up to five entitlements. One of the biggest changes is the wider range of spending that will qualify. The government plans to increase the voucher linked to each entitlement from 500 baht to 1,000 baht.
Instead of focusing mainly on restaurants, the revised voucher could be used for a wider range of tourism-related goods, activities and services. These include meals, tourist attraction admission, tourism products, community goods, guided tours, car hire, etc. The idea is to make sure the benefits reach more businesses.
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Why Is Thailand Doing This?
Photo: Canva
The aim is to encourage spending across the wider tourism economy instead of allowing most of the benefit to remain concentrated in food and accommodation. The government expects the first phase to run for four months. If the response is positive, further phases could be considered.
The ministry estimates that the scheme could generate more than 26 billion baht in economic circulation. Thailand is targeting a September launch during the country's Green Season, although discussions over the final conditions are still underway.
What About Foreign Tourists?
The separate foreign visitor fee is at a much earlier stage. Under the proposal, foreigners entering Thailand would pay a fee. The revenue would go into the Thailand Tourism Promotion Fund, according to The Nation Thailand.
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The government says the money would be used for three broad purposes:
- Funds could be used to improve existing attractions and create new purpose-built attractions. The proposal particularly focuses on developing secondary tourism cities, helping them attract more visitors.
- A portion of the money would be used for insurance and safety measures for visitors, strengthening confidence among tourists and improving protection at tourism destinations.
- Tourism can put pressure on natural destinations. The proposed fund would therefore also support the rehabilitation of environments affected by tourism.
The Tourism and Sports Ministry has not announced a proposed fee amount. It has also not announced how the fee would be collected, when it would start, and who exactly would be covered under the final rules So travellers should not assume that a new charge is already in effect.
If the proposal moves forward, however, travellers could eventually see an additional cost attached to entering Thailand. But the exact impact will depend on the final fee and how the fund is implemented.
