Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Ministry is preparing a bold new tourism campaign, where it will offer 200 000 free domestic flight tickets to international visitors over three months.
According to the Bangkok Post, the initiative, titled “Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights”, is designed to spread tourism beyond Thailand’s most popular destinations and encourage foreign travellers to explore secondary cities.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said the scheme follows Japan’s successful rollout of a similar program earlier this year. If approved by cabinet, the plan will run from September to November, with a 700-million-baht budget expected to generate 8.8 billion baht in revenue.
How the campaign will work
Tourists who purchase an international flight ticket to Thailand would be able to claim one free round-trip domestic flight, including 20kg of checked baggage.
The offer will only apply to tickets booked directly with airlines or online travel agents. Only six airlines will participate in the tourism campaign: Thai Airways, Thai AirAsia, Bangkok Airways, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet.
Each one-way ticket is subsidised at 1,750 baht, or 3,500 baht for a round trip.
“This is an exclusive campaign for foreign visitors who haven’t yet booked their ticket,” said Mr. Sorawong.
As of 17 August, Thailand recorded 20.8 million foreign arrivals in 2025, a 7% drop compared with 2023.
If approved, the free flight campaign could help reverse this slowdown by extending tourist spending into regions often bypassed by international travellers.
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