Thailand Unveils 'Thai Travel Thai Plus' Co-Payment Scheme to Reinvigorate Domestic Tourism

 

 

Thailand's new 3 billion baht 'Thai Tiao Thai Plus' co-payment scheme offers 1m travel subsidies to boost domestic tourism via the popular Pao Tang app.

 

 

The Thai government is preparing to launch a major new domestic tourism campaign named "Thai Tiao Thai Plus" (Thai Travel Thai Plus). Operating as a co-payment scheme, the initiative is designed to stimulate local travel during the latter half of the year.

 

According to a report by Thansettakij journalist Thanawan Winaisathien, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has finalized the branding for the scheme. It will mirror the structure of previous highly successful economic stimulus packages, such as "We Travel Together" and "Travel Thai Half-Half."

 

The government has set an ambitious target of distributing at least one million privileges. Backed by a budget of no less than 3 billion Thai baht from the upcoming 2027 financial year, the state's subsidy is expected to exceed 3,000 baht per privilege.

 

The initiative is slated to run for eight months, beginning in the final quarter of this year to capture both the high and low travel seasons across different provinces.

 

 

Streamlining the Tourism Supply Chain

Surasak Phancharoenworakul, the Minister of Tourism and Sports, explained that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is currently refining the scheme's terms. A primary goal is to ensure a more even distribution of travellers across the country compared to past campaigns.

 

To achieve this, policymakers are reviewing previous restrictions—such as limiting subsidies to weekend travel—and re-evaluating the "major versus secondary cities" zoning rules.
 

 

 

Crucially, the government plans to broaden the pool of beneficiaries. "We want to ensure the entire tourism supply chain benefits," Minister Surasak noted. This means extending subsidies to cover public transport operators and domestic airlines.

 

To prevent technical hurdles, the government will bypass the need to build a new platform, integrating the campaign directly into the secure and widely adopted “Pao Tang” mobile application.

 

While the funding framework of 3 billion baht is set, officials are still debating the exact co-payment split. The government is currently weighing up whether to offer a 50:50 ratio or a more generous 60:40 split, where the state covers the larger share of accommodation and travel expenses.

 

 

 

Increasing Travel Frequency

The push comes at a critical time for the domestic market. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the TAT, highlighted that the primary challenge facing local tourism is a stagnant domestic population. In response, the TAT is pivoting its strategy from simply attracting new travellers to increasing the frequency of trips taken by existing ones.

 

The authority aims to raise the average travel frequency from just over two trips per person per year to three. This shift is vital to maintaining Thailand's annual target of 200 million domestic tourist trips.

 

By collaborating closely with the private sector, the "Plus" element of the new scheme will expand the utility of digital coupons. Previously restricted to hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops, these coupons are expected to be redeemable across public transport networks and other local service providers.

 

 

 

 

 

The final details of the package will be discussed during a joint meeting with the Joint Public and Private Sector Committee on Tourism (Joint Tourism Committee) before the proposal is submitted to the Cabinet for formal approval.

 

Key Details of the Proposed Scheme

Total Funding: A minimum of 3 billion baht, financed by the FY2027 central budget.

Target Volume: Upwards of 1,000,000 individual privileges to be distributed.

Estimated Subsidy Value: Expected to exceed 3,000 THB per privilege.

Subsidy Structure: Under review, with officials deciding between a 50:50 or a 60:40 state-to-citizen split.

Booking Platform: Fully integrated into the existing "Pao Tang" mobile application.

Duration: Approximately 8 months, launching in late 2026 to span both high and low travel seasons.