Thailand Travel Plus Program to Boost Economy with 4 Billion Baht

The Tourism and Sports Ministry is advancing the Thailand Travel Plus program to boost the tourism economy during the high season, offering 1 million vouchers with government accommodation support of up to 2,000 baht per night, plus destination coupons valued at 1,500 baht for major cities and 2,000 baht for secondary destinations, with an expected economic circulation exceeding 20 billion baht.

On September 11, Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phanthewjarngkul announced the program details, explaining it will stimulate tourism in the fourth quarter of 2024 and first quarter of 2025 with government backing for domestic travel. The accommodation benefit covers one night per voucher, paid at actual cost up to 2,000 baht; travelers paying more must cover the difference themselves, while those paying less receive the actual amount.

Coupons work on a co-payment model similar to the previous Half for Me scheme, with the government paying half and travelers paying the other half. This phase expands merchant participation to include spas, souvenir shops, massage services, and tourism packages such as snorkeling and boat tours, rather than just restaurants.

The program will initially release 1 million vouchers with each person eligible for up to 5 vouchers. Registration is expected to begin in early October 2024, with voucher validity from November 1 to December 15, 2024, a one-month break for the New Year period, and then resumption from January 16 to July 28, 2025, with an additional blackout period from January 16 to February 15, 2025.

The minister stated the program will be presented to the Cabinet next week, using 4 billion baht from the loan decree to assist affected persons, with projections that it will generate over 20 billion baht in economic circulation.

To prevent price gouging on accommodation, the Finance Ministry has set fixed rate structures. Previously, when the subsidy limit was 3,000 baht per voucher, merchants were accused of raising prices, prompting the need for protective measures. The price-control mechanism has been in place since the Prayut Chan-o-cha administration during the COVID-19 crisis and continues today. Approximately 1,000 businesses and tourists have been blacklisted and banned from future program participation, with legal proceedings initiated in some cases. Only four violations have been recorded among current participants, indicating that fraud rates have declined.