Thailand’s half-price travel returns with a twist to boost hidden gems
- Paul Aage Hegvik
- Apr 7
- 5 min read
The Thai government is set to revitalize its «Half-Price Thai Travel» initiative, aiming to stimulate tourism in lesser-known regions and promote weekday travel.
This program offers a 50% subsidy on accommodation costs, encouraging travelers to explore beyond Thailand's major tourist destinations. This is reported ny Nation Thailand.
Vice Minister of Tourism and Sports, Jakkaphon Tangsutthitham, has confirmed that the Thai government is set to revamp its «Half-Price Thai Travel» scheme. This initiative offers a 50% subsidy on accommodation costs, aiming to stimulate tourism in secondary cities and promote weekday travel.
The proposed changes are currently under review by the Bureau of the Budget, with approximately 3 billion baht allocated to the project. The scheme will continue to provide a 50% government subsidy, with travelers covering the remaining half of their accommodation expenses.
Quota system
A key adjustment involves the allocation of the one million available privileges. To promote travel to less-visited regions, discussions are centered on implementing a quota system favoring secondary destinations. Additionally, the scheme will primarily focus on weekday travel, with subsidies applicable only from Monday to Friday. For example, a stay commencing on Friday can be extended to Saturday under the subsidy, but Saturday and Sunday nights will not be covered.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is also exploring the possibility of extending the scheme to government officials, encouraging «workation» trips that combine work and leisure, further stimulating domestic tourism.
Songkran festival's as a global profile
Tangsutthitham has emphasized the Thai government's commitment to enhancing the Songkran festival's global profile. He stated, «Songkran is a source of national pride and a powerful expression of Thai soft power.» This initiative aims to elevate the traditional water festival to a world-class event, driving tourism from major cities to regional destinations.
Songkran Festival is Thailand’s traditional New Year celebration, held annually from April 13 to 15, though festivities often extend across a week in many regions. It’s one of the country’s most important and widely celebrated festivals, blending ancient customs, religious rituals, and modern fun.
Water splashing: The most iconic element of Songkran is the massive public water fights. Originally a symbolic gesture to wash away bad luck and sins, it has evolved into joyful street-wide water battles using buckets, hoses, and water guns.
Cultural and religious traditions: Mornings begin with visits to temples, where Thais make merit by offering food to monks and gently pouring water over Buddha statues and the hands of elders as a sign of respect and blessing.
Family reunions: It’s a time when many Thai people return to their hometowns to be with family, honor elders, and perform cleansing rituals for spiritual renewal.
Parades and beauty contests: Cities like Chiang Mai and Bangkok host colorful parades, traditional dance performances, and «Miss Songkran” beauty pageants.
Songkran is both a sacred celebration and a nationwide party, drawing millions of tourists and locals alike. It's a powerful showcase of Thai culture and hospitality, now being promoted globally as part of Thailand’s tourism strategy.
International events
In addition to promoting cultural festivals, Jakkaphon has addressed the issue of unregistered small and medium-sized hotels in Thailand. He noted, «There are more than 90,000 small and medium-sized accommodations in Thailand that do not meet the criteria of a hotel business based on existing law.» The proposed new Hotel Act seeks to legalize these establishments while ensuring safety standards are upheld.
Furthermore, Jakkaphon highlighted the government's intention to host international events, stating that bringing Formula 1 racing to Thailand aligns with their policy to place the country on the global radar for international events and activities.
Five million short of the 2019 peak
In 2019, Thailand welcomed approximately 39.92 million international tourists, marking its highest number of arrivals before the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the country recorded over 35 million visitors, indicating a strong recovery but still about 5 million short of the 2019 peak. This suggests that while Thailand's tourism sector has rebounded significantly, it has not yet fully returned to pre-pandemic levels.
While Thailand's overall tourism sector has shown recovery, with over 35 million international visitors in 2024 , remote and secondary cities continue to face challenges in attracting tourists. Recognizing this disparity, the Thai government has initiated measures to promote tourism in these under-visited areas.
Government initiatives to support remote areas
Selection of pilot provinces: Ten provinces across five regions have been identified for targeted tourism promotion, including Phrae, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Phanom, Sisaket, Chanthaburi, Ratchaburi, Kanchanaburi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Trang.
Tax incentives: The government has approved tax measures to stimulate domestic tourism during the low season, such as income tax deductions for expenses incurred on homestays and non-hotel accommodations in secondary cities. 2019: Thailand welcomed approximately 39.92 million international tourists, marking the highest number of arrivals before the global COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: Due to the pandemic and subsequent travel restrictions, tourist arrivals plummeted by over 83%, resulting in only about 6.7 million visitors.
2021: The situation worsened, with arrivals dropping further to approximately 430,000 tourists.
2022: As travel restrictions eased, the country saw a partial rebound, hosting around 9.8 million international visitors.
2023: The recovery gained momentum with approximately 28.15 million tourists visiting Thailand, indicating a significant improvement.
2024: The positive trend continued, with Thailand welcoming over 35 million international visitors, generating substantial tourism revenue.
This steady increase underscores Thailand's resilience and the effectiveness of its efforts to rejuvenate the tourism sector.
Key updates to the scheme
Focus on secondary cities
To distribute tourism benefits more evenly across the country's 77 provinces, the government plans to allocate a significant portion of the one million available subsidies to secondary cities. Discussions are underway to determine the exact split, with proposals considering either an equal distribution between major and secondary cities or a 40:60 ratio favoring secondary destinations.
Weekday travel emphasis
The revised scheme will primarily apply to stays from Monday to Friday. For instance, a trip starting on a Friday can extend into Saturday under the subsidy, but accommodations booked solely for Saturday and Sunday nights will not be eligible. This strategy aims to boost tourism activity during weekdays, balancing visitor numbers throughout the week.
Encouraging workations
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is exploring the possibility of extending the scheme to government officials, promoting the concept of combining work and leisure, known as "workations." This initiative seeks to further stimulate domestic tourism by encouraging professionals to travel while working remotely.
