Bangkok Post – B1.75bn approved for ‘half-half’ Thai tourism subsidies

Public registration opens Tuesday night for travel starting on July 1

The cabinet has approved a budget of 1.75 billion baht for the “Half-Half Thailand Travel” campaign, intended to promote domestic tourism in the low season, Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said on Tuesday.

The tourism campaign, which subsidises accommodation costs and some other tourism-related expenses, is among a number of stimulus projects with a total budget of 115 billion baht approved on Tuesday.

The Half-Half campaign is expected to generate 35 billion baht through an additional 2.67 million local trips, while creating at least 40,000 jobs between July and October, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Thapanee Kiatphaibool, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that with 500,000 room-nights allotted, the programme should attract at least 100,000 registrants. Each person can book up to five nights, of which at least two must be used in second-tier cities.

Each subsidised room booking comes with a cash coupon worth 500 baht, which tourists can spend at participating restaurants or attractions after completing their check-in.

Business operators were able to begin registering for the Half-Half programme last week. Public registration was set to open on Tuesday night, with travel benefits available for use starting on July 1.

Project Overview

1.Total Quota: 500,000 room nights (reduced from the initial target of 1 million)

2.Support Structure:

• 2.1 Primary cities: Government covers 40%, travellers pay 60%
• 2.2 Secondary cities:

  • Weekdays (Mon–Fri): Government covers 50%, travellers pay 50%

  • Weekends & public holidays: Government covers 40%, travellers pay 60%.

3.Usage Limit: Up to 5 nights per person via digital coupons.

4.Accommodation Subsidy Cap: 3,000 baht per night.

5.Coupons can also be used at: Participating restaurants, Otop shops, tourist attractions, etc.

Objectives & Impact

The campaign aims to stimulate domestic travel during the low season (June–September) while promoting tourism in secondary cities and spreading economic activity more evenly.

With a target of 500,000 Thai travellers, the campaign is expected to play a crucial role in economic recovery during the second half of the year — injecting much-needed confidence into local tourism businesses and encouraging Thai citizens to explore the country.

Additional information on the registration can be accessed via TourismThailand