Thailand will provide 200,000 free domestic round-trip flights to international visitors
The scheme encourages travelers to explore lesser-visited cultural destinations of Thailand
The initiative, requiring 700 million Thai Baht in funding and expected to generate 8.8 billion Baht in revenue
Good news for travelers planning a trip to Thailand—your wait just got more exciting. The country is set to launch a new tourism-boosting initiative that will provide 200,000 free domestic flight tickets to international visitors. The program, titled “Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights,” will be managed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and is expected to roll out between September and November 2025.
According to the Bangkok Post, the plan is awaiting Cabinet approval and will require 700 million Thai Baht in funding. In return, the scheme is projected to generate 8.8 billion Baht in tourism revenue. Once approved, travelers who book an international ticket to Thailand will be eligible to claim one free round-trip domestic flight. The participating airlines are expected to include Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai AirAsia, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet.
Wealth advisor Sarthak Ahuja noted that the program comes at a time when Thailand is struggling to meet its annual tourism targets. While the government initially projected 39 million tourist arrivals in 2025, the target has since been revised down to 33 million, as many travelers are choosing destinations like Vietnam and Malaysia instead.
The initiative aims not only to attract more visitors but also to encourage them to travel beyond Thailand’s popular hotspots such as Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, which are already facing overtourism. Instead, the government hopes to redirect tourists to lesser-visited yet culturally rich destinations like Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, and Aisin, thereby boosting local economies.
By offering free domestic flights, the government hopes to redistribute tourism flows, giving underexplored regions a fair share of international spending while strengthening community-level economies.
Mr. Ahuja also pointed out that similar initiatives have worked in other countries. Japan, for instance, successfully introduced free and subsidized domestic travel schemes for international tourists earlier this year. Observers believe this Thai initiative, if approved, could serve as a model for other nations, including India, which could benefit by promoting underexplored gems like the North East and the Andaman Islands.
If given the green light, Thailand’s scheme could mark a significant shift in its tourism strategy, helping the country maintain its status as a top global destination while ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are spread more evenly across the nation. [Rh/VP]
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