- 25 Aug, 2025
Free Flights For International Tourists, Thailand's Initiative To Boost Regional Tourism.
Sorawong Thienthong, Tourism and Sports Minister of Thailand, has proposed an initiative that will boost tourism in the country. The initiative is introduced to offer free domestic flights to international tourists so that they can travel across the country and explore other lesser-known areas. The scheme will be available till the end of this year and is intended for those foreigners who have not made any of their travel arrangements inside the country.
As per reports, Sorawong Thienthong shares about this initiative on Wednesday. He said, "The government will support domestic flight tickets priced at 1,750 baht per one-way trip and 3,500 baht for round-trips. The initiative aims to attract at least 200,000 foreign tourists, covering destinations across Thailand, with a particular focus on Unesco-designated cities, popular tourist spots, and key destinations nationwide.” He added, “The total budget for this project is 700 million baht, which will run from August to December, with travel to take place from September to November.”
However, Sorawong has also said that the proposal has not been submitted to the Cabinet but will be done by the following week. If the proposal gets approval from the cabinet, then the TAT will soon implement the program under the name "Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights." Some reports also say that this new tourism scheme is inspired by Japan's Domestic flight promotional model that aims to shift the air travel traffic from major cities to smaller or regional destinations.
The tourism ministry of Thailand has estimated the revenue to be somewhere around THB 8.81 billion, only from international visitors' spending. This will have an impact on the economy, which is projected to be nearly THB 21.8 billion. This project also shows its support towards the Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025, another Thailand Tourism Ministry's comprehensive campaign to attract foreign travelers and make Thailand a world-class hub for tourism and sports to increase revenue.
The campaign targets UNESCO-designated cities and key cultural and natural attractions that are less well known in Thailand. Mr Sorawong also provided an update regarding the scheme, which includes “Half-Price Thailand Travel,” a domestic tourism promotion. He reported that bookings for Thailand's major traveling destinations have already filled, but secondary cities still have approximately 54,075 out of the 500,000 available spots, but expected to be filled by the end of September.
How does this Initiative work for international tourists in Thailand?
International tourists can take advantage of Thailand's "Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights" scheme by booking international flights with partnered airlines or booking through OTAs (Online Travel Agencies). Here's how this program works if you are an international tourist in Thailand.
- If you have already booked your tickets to Thailand, you can find a complimentary domestic flight in the form of a voucher or a coupon after your arrival, which you can redeem for the free domestic flight.
- You must qualify for the scheme, which is easy. You don't need to make travel arrangements in Thailand.
- You will be entitled to either two free domestic flights, which is basically a round trip, or a single one-way flight ticket with 20kg of baggage allowance.
Which Airlines offer free domestic flights in Thailand?
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has collaborated with six domestic air carriers under their "Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights" scheme. These six airlines will be offering subsidies on domestic flight tickets and supporting regional tourism. Here is the list of airlines that includes-
- Thai AirAsia
- Bangkok Airways
- Nok AIr
- Thai Airways International
- Thai Lion Air
- Thai VietJet
Key takeaways
- Thailand has proposed the "Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights" scheme.
- Thailand's government is aiming to support domestic flight tourism with six Thai carriers.
- This initiative aims to draw a minimum of 200,000 international tourists by the end of 2025.
- The program will be managed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).
- Thailand's "Buy International, Free Domestic Flights" will run from August to December 2025.
- It only applies to eligible international tourists who have visited or will be visiting Thailand and have not made any previous arrangements.
- Tourists get a subsidy on domestic flights, either one-way or one round-trip.
- The Thailand Ministry of Tourism expects to invest THB 700 million to fund free domestic flights across the country.
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