File photo courtesy of TTG Asia

 

Thailand is rolling out the red carpet with a generous offer of free domestic flights for 200,000 tourists, aiming to boost travel from September to November. The Tourism and Sports Ministry hopes this initiative will rake in 8.8 billion baht by luring travellers to explore lesser-known gems across the country.

 

Yet, the programme still awaits the green light from the cabinet, contingent on a 700-million-baht budget.

Inspired by Japan's recent tactics, this campaign, aptly titled “Buy International, Get Free Thai Domestic Flights”, targets international arrivals.

 

Flyers holding international tickets can snag a free round trip within Thailand, complete with a 20-kilogram baggage allowance. The freebie applies to six airlines, including Thai Airways, Thai AirAsia, and Bangkok Airways, but only if bookings are made directly with airlines or through travel agents.

 

However, certain industry insiders express reservations. Chianti Mai’s trade vice-president, Punlop Saejew, believes the scheme, though useful, would shine brighter in off-peak seasons. He raises a point on hefty domestic fares hindering seamless travel and proposes government funding to mitigate these costs.

 

The northeastern region might see meagre benefits, as per Rungroj Santadvanit of the Thai Hotels Association, as reported by the Bangkok Post.

 

Despite Buri Ram and Ubon Ratchathani connecting to Bangkok via domestic flights, they aren't on the typical tourist trail. Rungroj calls for tailored marketing efforts, suggesting Buri Ram embrace sports tourism and Ubon Ratchathani play up its Mekong River charms.

 

Rungroj also points out that there are clear safety communications in response to ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border tensions, critical for guaranteeing comfort among prospective visitors.

 

More creative hooks for the northern and southern provinces could bolster this campaign, tapping geographical preferences of potential tourists from Australia, New Zealand, and Scandinavia.

 

By mid-August, Thailand’s tourist footfall hit 20.8 million, though that's a 7% dip compared to last year’s figures. The largest slice of this pie came from China, with 2.9 million tourists gracing the Land of Smiles.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-08-20

 

So they want to give away free local flights to international tourists to boost their tourism. What they fail to do or even see if that the international tourist already has their holiday planned and booked as well as their return date to their country. I do not see how anyone in their right mind would come to Thailand on the hopes of getting a free round trip ticket to an out of the way destination within Thailand without any kind of certainty they would be getting free tickets. 

 

Maybe they will also boost up your crypto ledger with cool 10 000 baht as well.

 

Moooooooon.

The free flights will come with a free ticket for the "Fun-House"?

They're a lot more desperate than I thought. 

So if I book a 2000 bht flight to Vietnam will I get a free 6000 bht flight to samui from bkk airways ? 😄

8,8 biljon. Why not 8,83 biljon?

4 minutes ago, ronster said:

So if I book a 2000 bht flight to Vietnam will I get a free 6000 bht flight to samui from bkk airways ? 😄

If you fly to Vietnam, you are not arriving in Thailand as a tourist

54 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

The free flights will come with a free ticket for the "Fun-House"?

More like the monkey house.

TAT tourist numbers up 5% so why give away freeflights. More BS

Before someone corrects me I was quoting last weeks TAT numbers.A lot can happen in a week at TAT now I see there down 7%. What will next weel bring?

So tourists will flok to Thailand again?

It won’t get off the ground Yhailand loves to copy from other countries ideas they can never come up with their own ! Amazing Thailand !!!!!

1 hour ago, Grumpy one said:

If you fly to Vietnam, you are not arriving in Thailand as a tourist

Just book a flight other way then as same cost 😁

1 hour ago, Grumpy one said:

If you fly to Vietnam, you are not arriving in Thailand as a tourist

DVT is a 5 year tourist visa so you are classed as a tourist every 180 days when you have to leave Thailand just buy a one way ticket leaving and a return from whichever country then return when the next 180 days expires  very easy to work out !

1 hour ago, Grumpy one said:

If you fly to Vietnam, you are not arriving in Thailand as a tourist

He is..... on the way back!

How does a tourist spend more money if they get a free flight?   Do they extend their holiday, or just get a free ticket to a destination they would have already visited on their own and shift hotel and F&B activity from a high priced market like BKK, HKT, USM to Udon, Narthiwat or Lampang where probably everything is cheaper, so in reality they spend less money, but it does spread around the wealth a bit.

Headless, absolutely headless.

They throw apparently six digit numbers of "free" tickets onto the market; the takers on Ubon Ratchathani and/or Buriram will yet have to be seen yet the same country curtails potential visitors with an absolutely hazy maze on visa regulations, too strong currency, less value for money compared to Bali, Vietnam or the Philippines. Unfriendliness starts when bumping into the immigration officer at the point of entry, English is - seriously - still most challenging, rip-offs by cabbies a daily occurrence and two-tier pricing adobo. 

The only boast on a daily basis is the ever backhanding statistics of arrivals hitting the 20 million mark by the tourism authority, not discounting small border traffic like Laos, Malaysia and, in the past Cambodia and Myanmar. 

Meanwhile the aunties and uncles on the rice fields of Northeastern Thailand could not care less; they have much much smaller fish to fry with zero access to proper education, fair trade for their produce and a disintegrating society. Money is everything, nobody has it and everybody wants it ....... 

Those tickets will be taken up for sure but if this campaign really reaches its goal ..... think positive ..... is still to be seen 😉 

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Flyers holding international tickets can snag a free round trip within Thailand,

In the first six months of 2025, Thai citizens took over 100.23 million domestic trips.

So they can't "snag" a free round trip within Thailand?

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

More like the monkey house.

Then I want a ticket, I love monkeys! When they carry the babies they are so cute! 

Let me guess; they are one-way flights only?

2 hours ago, TexasCowboy said:

How does a tourist spend more money if they get a free flight?  

 

Exactly. A domestic flight, costing a few hundred, or, at best, say, 2,000 baht, is the least of my worries when visiting Thailand. Certainly won't get me to visit 'Nakhon Nowhere'...

9 hours ago, webfact said:

He raises a point on hefty domestic fares hindering seamless travel and proposes government funding to mitigate these costs.

Reduce fares and people will fly and not drive.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

by luring travellers to explore lesser-known gems across the country.

 

So the offer only applies to tourists who may wish to visit, say, Chiang Rai, Khon Kaen, Naratiwat, Hat Yai or Udon Thani. Not available for Phuket, Koh Samui or U-Tapau?

 

A post in German has been removed, the quoted post was also changed to German.

 

@LudwigK  Please don't do this as this is an English only forum, thank you

I'm waiting for TAT to issue their list of 'hidden gems' before I decide. 😋

"Buy International, Get Free Thai Domestic Flights”

Wow what "Cleaver Dicky" thought of that slogan, must have been Ai 

 

7 hours ago, Olof Karlsson said:

8,8 biljon. Why not 8,83 biljon?

Why not Billion 😉

23 hours ago, Grusa said:

He is..... on the way back!

A lot of bother for a free ticket that may never be offered

hopes this initiative will rake in 8.8 billion baht

 

Just who does the sums for this lot?