Travel subsidy nears launch

New scheme to help during low season Tourists visit the Temple of Dawn in Bangkok in April. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb) The Tourism and Sports Ministry expects to finalise details of the proposed Thai Tiew Thai Plus domestic tourism subsidy scheme by next week as it seeks to launch the programme during the green (monsoon) season, Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said.Mr Surasak made the remarks on Monday after a meeting of the sub-committee on trade, tourism and community economic development, where officials provided an update on the proposed scheme. He said the ministry had proposed measures to encourage domestic travel after consulting private-sector representatives. The preliminary plan is to subsidise part of travellers' expenses to encourage trips and generate income for hotels, restaurants, service providers and businesses in tourist destinations, particularly those in secondary cities and less-visited areas, he said. The details of the scheme, however, have yet to be finalised. The ministry is considering eligibility requirements for participating hotels, as well as the types of services that could receive support beyond food and restaurants. The ministry is also considering the platform through which the scheme would operate, with the Pao Tang application operated by Krungthai Bank being viewed as the main channel, the minister said. The source of funding, he said, is also still under consideration by the Finance Ministry. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas will decide whether borrowing or the central budget would be more appropriate, taking into account the scheme's objectives and prevailing economic conditions. Mr Surasak said that once the budget has been settled, the ministry would need additional time to prepare the application's back-end system and register participating businesses. The scheme therefore cannot be launched until its details and technical preparations are completed. He said private-sector operators agreed that launching the scheme during the green season would be appropriate, as it could help boost demand during a traditionally quieter period and distribute tourism revenue to local areas. However, if preparations extend into the high season, the ministry may need to consult businesses again because the design of the measures may need to differ depending on the season. The ministry expects to finalise the scheme's details, funding source and system readiness this week or, at the latest, next week. Meanwhile, Prime Minister's Office spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the existing "Thais Help Thais Plus: 60/40" co-payment scheme had generated more than 106 billion baht in economic circulation. As of 11pm on Sunday, total spending under the programme had reached 106.63 billion baht, involving 26.04 million eligible participants and 1.1 million participating shops, she said. The figures indicate that the scheme has helped spread capital among small businesses across the country.