The Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) held talks with the Minister of Tourism and Sports, proposing three urgent measures to counter the fallout from the Gulf crisis. They requested the government allocate 4 billion baht to launch a "Co-Pay" tourism project and support charter flights, while opposing the 1,000 baht tax on outbound international travel, fearing it could affect Thailand's aviation base. Meanwhile, the Tourism Minister is accelerating the implementation of a 60-day visa-free policy, aiming to continuously attract foreign capital into Thailand's economy.
Mr. Thanaphon Cheewarattanaporn, President of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), revealed that the association, together with its board members, had met with Mr. Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, to present measures addressing the impact of the Gulf crisis, which has directly caused fuel costs to rise and significantly contracted the long-haul tourist market.
The association proposed that the government urgently revise its strategy to focus on short-haul markets with strong potential, such as China, India, and ASEAN countries, to attract tourists and support the overall tourism industry.
In this meeting, ATTA presented three main proposals to the government for urgent consideration, which include:
1. Support for Charter Flights Requesting a budget of 1 billion baht to stimulate 3,000 charter flights, aiming to reduce the impact from the shrinking long-haul market.
2. Launch the "Thai Travel Thailand" Project Proposing a domestic tourism stimulus program in a Co-Pay format ("half-pay") with one million rights, where the government subsidizes up to 3,000 baht per person, totaling 3 billion baht, to strengthen grassroots economic resilience.
3. Delay Implementation of International Travel Tax Requesting the government to postpone the collection of the 1,000 baht outbound travel tax (per the 1983 Outbound Travel Tax Act) due to concerns it could harm Thailand's aviation base and potentially cause airlines to cancel future international flights. The association also views international travel by younger generations as essential for personal development and should not be hindered by tax barriers.
Besides domestic measures, the ATTA president invited the Minister of Tourism and Sports to participate in a roadshow event in the People’s Republic of China, scheduled from 28 May to 4 June 2026, covering Xinjiang, Urumqi, Dunhuang, and Lanzhou.
This event is supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to drive the Two Way Tourism policy, targeting key markets including China, India, ASEAN, and South Korea. It represents a collaborative effort among ATTA, TAT, King Power, the Office of the Science and Technology Development Agency (OSTDA), and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) to enhance efficiency in attracting quality tourists to Thailand.
Meanwhile, Mr. Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, stated that the government's main policy currently prioritizes attracting quality tourists first.
He also revealed progress on restructuring the ministry into the "Ministry of Tourism and Culture," alongside expediting the management of the "60-day visa-free" policy to maximize efficiency, facilitating tourists and drawing foreign funds into Thailand’s economy as planned.
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