Thailand to offer free domestic flights to foreign tourists
Thailand plans to offer 200,000 free domestic flights to foreign tourists over a three-month period from September to November. As reported by Zakon.kz, the campaign is designed to encourage travelers to explore the country's lesser-known destinations beyond the main tourist hubs.
The initiative, titled "Buy International Flights, Get Free Domestic Flights in Thailand," will be funded by a 700 million Thai baht (~$21.5 million) allocation from the central reserve fund. This will cover the cost of domestic flights, with an average rate of 1,750 baht (~$54) per one-way flight or 3,500 baht (~$107) per round trip, for a total of 400,000 seats.
Six local airlines will participate: Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and VietJet Thailand. Tourists who book international flights directly with these airlines or through online travel agents will be eligible for the free tickets.
"When tourists purchase a standard international ticket to Thailand, they will be given a free domestic round-trip ticket with a 20 kg baggage allowance," the article states. "Each free ticket can be used for one domestic flight according to individual travel plans." The initiative covers all provinces.
The Ministry expects the program to generate over 8.8 billion Thai baht (~$270 million) in revenue from the 700 million baht budget. The program is still pending approval from the Cabinet.
In the first half of 2025, Thailand welcomed over 16.8 million foreign tourists, ranking third in Asia. Additionally, Thailand plans to launch its TouristDigiPay program in the fourth quarter of 2025, which will allow tourists to convert cryptocurrency into Thai baht.
ORIENT
