Thailand is preparing to give away two lakh free domestic airline tickets to foreign visitors in an effort to boost tourism in the country.
The Thai government is preparing a campaign that will offer 200,000 free domestic flights later this year in an effort to alleviate congestion in popular tourist destinations and disperse the advantages of tourism to lesser-known areas.
Campaign dates
The campaign, called “Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights,” is scheduled to operate from September to November of 2025 and run from August to December of the same year.
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Destinations
Free domestic airline tickets to places other than Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Phuket could be given to foreign tourists arriving in Thailand.
Budget and airlines
Six Thai carriers are expected to participate: Thai Airways, Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai Vietjet.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong confirmed that the proposal will be submitted to the Cabinet for approval, with funding coming via the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
The idea, which is anticipated to bring in 8.8 billion baht ($246.4 million) from a 700 million baht ($19.6 million) budget, is anticipated to be approved by the Thai Cabinet.
If approved, six national airlines will participate, offering subsidised round-trip tickets (typically priced at 1,750 baht one-way and 3,500 baht return) with a 20kg baggage allowance. Each visitor would receive two domestic tickets, or one-way if preferred.
Why Thailand is offering free tickets
This move by the Thai government is inspired by a successful model of Japan. Japan too had launched a similar domestic flight promotion scheme to take tourism out of big cities and reach smaller and regional areas in their country, which was very successful. Thailand also now wants to expand its tourism further by following the same path.
Is this offer also for Indian citizens?
Yes, the offer will be available for all foreign visitors, including India.
