Thailand’s Half-Half Thailand Travel campaign officially launched on July 1, generating strong interest from the domestic hospitality sector.
While demand from both travellers and suppliers has been high, the campaign has faced technical difficulties, with citizens and hotel operators reporting glitches and bottlenecks during registration.
“Everyone is willing to support the campaign. We want to see it succeed,” shared Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, marketing chair for the Thai Hotels Association (THA).
“As the campaign coincides with the low season, hotels are eager for it to be fully operational. They’re eager to go live, knowing the campaign will attract strong demand,” she added.
The stimulus has a budget of 1.75 billion baht (US$54 million), aiming to generate up to 35 billion baht in revenue. It offers Thai citizens subsidies of 40 to 50 per cent on hotel stays, capped at 3,000 baht per night for up to five nights, plus a 500 baht cash voucher for food and attractions.
One key concern from hoteliers is the pricing requirement. Participating hotels must submit fixed weekday and weekend rates for the entire campaign period.
“Many hotels prefer dynamic pricing. If OTAs pull a cheaper Best Available Rate, it could make the Half-Half rate appear costly and discourage travellers,” Prachoom explained.
The campaign structure mirrors its Covid-era predecessor but is now fully hosted on Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) own infrastructure, managed with support from Krungthai Bank.
“TAT has stepped up to manage the system directly for the first time. It’s a learning curve, but they’re working hard to resolve issues swiftly,” Prachoom noted.
Meanwhile, TAT governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool apologised for the technical difficulties on her Facebook page and promised to ease registration problems for citizens.
The campaign launched with 500,000 entitlements – 300,000 for major destinations and 200,000 for secondary cities.
Bookings opened on July 1 and will continue until October 27, 2025. Stays can be made from July 4 to October 30, with final check-out on October 31. Business operators have until July 31, 2025, to register.
