Locals and tourists play with water as they celebrate the Songkran holiday which marks the Thai New Year in Bangkok, Thailand, April 13, 2023. Photo by Reuters
Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports plans to use 600 million bath (US$16 million) from its central budget to promote tourism during the high season as fiscal 2024 budget disbursement is expected to be delayed until April next year.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said the proposed budget will be allocated to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) for its promotions, starting from the fourth quarter this year through to the first quarter of 2024.
Major promotion projects include Amazing Thailand Passport Privileges, which requires 150 million baht to promote the country as a preferred shopping destination, while another 150 million is allotted for marketing campaigns for all international markets.
Around 200 million baht will go to the Thailand Festival Experience campaign, promoting large festivals across five regions.
The remainder will be dedicated to a domestic campaign called “The Link Local to Global” that is meant to boost cross-regional trips, she said.
According to Sudawan, those projects can be tied to several important festivals during the high season, including Loy Krathong, the New Year Countdown and Chinese New Year, and even extended to the Songkran holiday in April.
She said the ministry submitted its proposal to the Cabinet Secretariat and it is awaiting approval from the cabinet.
The ministry also discussed the possibility of allowing people to use money from their 10,000-baht digital wallet, scheduled to be introduced in February, for tourism spending.
