Thailand's new tourism stimulus policy

(laichau.gov.vn) The Thai government this week approved five new measures aimed at boosting domestic tourism in the fourth quarter, aiming to prevent the economy from slowing down before the end of 2025.

The Thai government this week approved five new measures aimed at boosting domestic tourism in the fourth quarter.

Thailand's Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary Lavaron Sangsnit announced that the Thai Cabinet has approved domestic tourism stimulus policies with the aim of boosting GDP growth by at least 0.04% by the fourth quarter of 2025. Mr. Lavaron Sangsnit emphasized the important role of domestic tourism in the economy, contributing to about 14% of Thailand's GDP.

The five newly approved tourism stimulus measures include: Personal income tax deductions for domestic travel expenses; corporate tax deductions for domestic conferences and trainings; advance government budget disbursements for official meetings and trainings; tax incentives for hotel renovations; and extension of excise tax reductions for entertainment venues.

With the personal income tax deduction for domestic travel expenses, individuals can deduct up to 20,000 baht (US$609) of actual expenses for domestic travel - including accommodation and restaurant services - from October 29 to December 15.

Secondary destinations cover 55 provinces, with remote districts in major provinces such as Chiang Mai's Galyani Vadhana also eligible. The scheme is expected to benefit about 140,000 people, generating about 2.8 billion baht in spending.

For corporate tax deductions for domestic seminars and trainings, companies can claim deductions for actual expenses, such as venue rental, accommodation and transportation, for events held between October 29 and December 15. Expenses in secondary cities can be deducted at double the actual expenses and 1.5 times at main destinations, provided that electronic tax invoices are issued. About 1,500 companies are expected to participate, with a total expenditure of 315 million baht.

With the advance disbursement of government budget for official meetings and training, government agencies are directed to accelerate spending on meetings, training and seminars in fiscal year 2026, ensuring that at least 60% of the allocated budget is disbursed between October 2025 and January 2026.

In the first 9 months of 2025, Thailand's domestic tourism industry maintained a positive growth trend with more than 148 million recorded trips, generating revenue of more than 850 billion baht (equivalent to about 26.1 billion USD), achieving a growth rate of about 4.3% compared to the same period in 2024.

Updated October 23, 2025

Source: https://laichau.gov.vn/tin-tuc-su-kien/chuyen-de/tin-trong-nuoc/chinh-sach-kich-cau-du-lich-moi-cua-thai-lan.html