Bangkok: Mr. Surawong Thienthong, Minister of Tourism and Sports, has confirmed that the eagerly anticipated “Travel Thailand Half Each” initiative will commence this July, with registration opening in mid-June. This announcement comes as part of Thailand’s ongoing efforts to stimulate domestic tourism.

According to Thai News Agency, the initiative will offer 500,000 travel support rights, a reduction from the originally planned 1 million, due to budget reallocations. The project’s budget of 1,780 million baht has been partly redirected to bolster foreign tourism markets by supporting both regular flights and charter flights. Despite the reduction in available rights, the initiative will continue to provide a 50% subsidy for hotel accommodation and restaurant expenses, similar to previous iterations. However, subsidies for airplane tickets will not be included in this round.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been tasked with managing the registration process, which is expected to begin in mid-June for both the general public and business operators. This process can proceed ahead of the budget submission to the Cabinet, which is anticipated to occur later in June. The Subcommittee for Screening Economic Stimulus Policies plans to present the initiative to the Economic Stimulus Policy Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister, for review and consideration.

The project is structured into two formats: government support in major cities, where the government will cover 40% and the public 60%, and support in secondary or attractive cities, where the government will contribute 50%. Additionally, for weekday travel, the government will subsidize 50% of expenses, whereas for weekend and public holiday travel, the subsidy will be 40%. Each participant is entitled to use up to five rights or nights, with a spending limit set at 3,000 baht per room per night in hotels. Digital coupons, which can be used at restaurants, souvenir shops, OTOP shops, and tourist attractions, will also be part of the initiative, although their value is yet to be determined.