Wednesday, July 2, 2025
As countries around the world continue to navigate post-pandemic recovery, Thailand has taken a bold step to revitalize its tourism sector by launching a domestic tourism subsidy program. The initiative, titled “Tiew Thai Kon La Krueng” (เที่ยวไทยคนละครึ่ง), or “Travel Thailand, Half-Half,” was officially launched on July 1, 2025, with the aim of boosting local economies, supporting tourism-related businesses, and revitalizing the country’s tourism industry. This ambitious program offers up to ฿3,000 off per night for Thai nationals, encouraging domestic travel and giving a much-needed boost to the hospitality sector.
The program is spearheaded by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in collaboration with Krungthai Bank, offering discounts and spending credits to Thai residents who choose to travel within the country. This initiative is designed not only to stimulate tourism in major cities but also to attract visitors to lesser-known provincial towns. With thousands of businesses participating, the program hopes to reignite a sense of exploration and local pride among Thai nationals.
Massive Industry Participation
Thailand’s tourism industry has shown significant buy-in for the new program. As of June 30, 2025, a staggering 34,005 tourism-related businesses have registered to participate in the campaign. This includes a diverse range of establishments such as hotels, homestays, restaurants, spas, and local artisans. This widespread participation indicates strong industry support, ensuring that the benefits of the program reach both large-scale operators and smaller, rural businesses that often get overlooked in traditional travel campaigns.
In total, there are 500,000 travel entitlements available, and as of now, over 6,400 businesses have completed the necessary verification process. The verification checks, managed in partnership with Krungthai Bank, ensure that only legitimate businesses are included, which will help maintain consumer trust in the program. As a result, the campaign promises to provide Thai travelers with safe, reliable, and high-quality travel experiences.
What Travelers Can Expect
The program officially began accepting bookings on July 1, 2025, with eligible travel dates starting on July 4. To participate, travelers must register through the Amazing Thailand mobile app or on the official TAT website. The registration process includes verifying identity via the ThaID application, which utilizes biometric authentication for added security.
Here’s a breakdown of the benefits for travelers:
- Accommodation Grant:
- Weekdays (Mon–Fri): 50% subsidy (up to ฿3,000 per night)
- Weekends & Holidays: 40% subsidy (up to ฿3,000 per night)
- Local Spending Credit:
- ฿500 voucher per booking for both weekdays and weekends.
The subsidy applies to Thai nationals aged 18 or older, with a valid 13-digit national ID issued by the Ministry of Interior. Once registered and payments are made, the benefits will be activated three days later, with travel required by October 31, 2025.
More Than Just Hotels
One of the most impactful features of this program is its comprehensive approach, extending far beyond just hotels and resorts. Participating businesses also include a wide range of local enterprises, including:
- Local eateries and cafes
- OTOP (One Tambon One Product) craftspeople and artisans
- Transportation providers
- Wellness centers and spas
This broad participation will create a ripple effect throughout the entire tourism ecosystem. As a result, not only will big cities see an uptick in visitors, but small towns and rural areas will also benefit, helping to create a more balanced and inclusive tourism experience. By incentivizing both large and small operators, the program ensures that even businesses in more remote or less-visited regions can recover and thrive.
A Model for Inclusive Tourism?
While Thailand continues to prioritize international arrivals in its long-term tourism strategy, this campaign highlights the importance of domestic tourism as a stabilizing force. The “Tiew Thai Kon La Krueng” initiative underscores the growing importance of supporting local economies and encouraging residents to explore their own country. By focusing on Thai nationals, the program aims to build long-term resilience within the tourism sector.
Another notable feature of this program is its tiered structure, which encourages off-peak travel. The program offers greater weekday support to help distribute tourist traffic away from busy weekends and holidays. This is an important step toward creating a more sustainable and balanced tourism model that spreads visitors more evenly across the calendar year. The shift away from crowded tourist hotspots, like Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Bangkok, will also help alleviate overcrowding in popular destinations.
Incentivizing secondary cities and lesser-known destinations will help ensure that travelers experience new and unique places. It could even lead to the discovery of hidden gems, often missed in traditional tourist itineraries. Experts believe that this approach can foster a more diverse, authentic, and sustainable tourism experience for both locals and visitors alike.
The Road Ahead
With the program now officially underway, the tourism industry is keenly watching how Thai nationals respond to the campaign. Early signs are encouraging. Within hours of the program’s announcement, social media platforms exploded with posts from Thai residents sharing their travel plans and the budget-friendly hotel options they had discovered. Many have also posted about previously planned vacations that were postponed due to budget concerns, now made affordable by the new subsidy.
Local businesses are equally excited. A hotelier in Bangkok said, “This initiative is not just about discounts; it’s about rekindling the spirit of travel within our own country. It’s about inspiring people to explore the mountains of Nan or the islands of Trang—places they may have never considered before.”
As the program continues through the second half of 2025, there is growing optimism that Tiew Thai Kon La Krueng will not only help the tourism industry recover but may also serve as a model for other countries looking to stimulate domestic travel through smart, inclusive, and digitally enabled programs.
Conclusion
Thailand’s new domestic tourism subsidy program, Tiew Thai Kon La Krueng, represents a significant step in the country’s recovery efforts post-pandemic. By offering substantial discounts on accommodations and encouraging spending in local businesses, the program seeks to provide both economic and social benefits. With widespread industry participation, this initiative promises to revitalize tourism across Thailand, from bustling cities to remote provinces.
Through its multi-sector approach, the campaign creates a more inclusive and sustainable tourism model that could inspire other nations to follow suit. As travelers rediscover their own country, they are likely to enjoy a richer, more authentic travel experience, helping Thailand’s tourism sector rebuild in a sustainable and equitable way.
The future looks promising for domestic tourism in Thailand, and as the program gathers momentum, it may become a blueprint for tourism recovery in other parts of the world, proving that sometimes, the best way forward is to look inward.
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