BANGKOK – Several hotels across Thailand, including some major hotel groups, have temporarily halted their participation in the ‘Half-Half Thai Travel’ domestic tourism subsidy due to ongoing issues with the government’s system.
Prachoom Tantiprasertsuk, head of marketing at the Thai Hotels Association, explained that many properties have withdrawn from the scheme until the booking platform from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) becomes more reliable.
The current technical problems have left hotels unable to access the TAT system to handle reservations, leaving staff unable to accept bookings from guests who call directly. Public sign-ups for the subsidy closed again for maintenance on Friday, after many voiced concerns about a lack of readiness.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong said he is working together with TAT to find out how long repairs will take. During an online meeting with TAT attended by over 1,200 hotel operators, Prachoom highlighted at least four main challenges facing those involved.
The biggest problem is the fixed pricing policy. Once hotels submit their room rates, they cannot edit them, even if market conditions change. Hotels can also only list three room types, making pricing inflexible.
The technical system also struggles with outdated processes. There is no automatic way to verify payment slips, forcing staff to check documents by hand. This opens the door to fraud and adds to hotel workloads, Prachoom said, who also manages operations for Dusit International in central and southern Thailand.
Dusit hotels in Thailand have stopped selling rooms under the scheme for now, due to these technical issues. Dusit Thani hotels in Pattaya and Hua Hin posted on Facebook that they have paused new bookings for the subsidy, though existing paid reservations will be honoured.
Prachoom added that hotels eager to join the scheme face slow approval times, so travellers have limited options.
TAT told hotels they must set up payment accounts with Krungthai Bank and have their accounts verified before they can join the scheme. This process can take three to four days. Minor Hotels reported that all 26 of its Thai properties had registered, but only eight have been approved so far.
TAT data shows that 2,292 hotels have their rates published on the programme’s website, while another 3,047 properties are still waiting for bank checks. Despite the pause on public sign-ups, TAT confirmed that hotels can still apply to join, and verified users can keep making reservations.
Thailand’s Struggling Tourism
Thailand’s tourism industry in 2025 is under pressure, with fewer international visitors and lower revenue than expected.
From January to June 2025, the country welcomed 16.61 million international tourists. This figure is down 4.56% compared to the same period in 2024. May 2025 saw a steep fall of 13.93% from the previous year, with only 2.26 million arrivals.
Chinese visitors, usually the largest group, have dropped sharply. The first five months of 2025 saw 1.95 million Chinese tourists, a decrease of 32.71% from 2024. Concerns over safety, including a widely reported kidnapping and a rise in domestic travel within China, have contributed to this decline.
Tourism revenue from January to June 2025 reached 768.2 billion baht. But the yearly forecast has been reduced from 3.5 trillion baht to 3 trillion baht (about $90.3 billion), with a 2 trillion baht target for foreign tourists.
The TAT is now focusing on attracting high-value visitors from places like the Middle East and Europe, and promoting travel to less-visited cities. The “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism & Sports Year 2025” campaign is set up to boost arrivals to 36–37 million, though the earlier goal of 40 million is no longer possible.
