"Thai Teaw Thai Plus" The "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" project is expected to be postponed until next year, 2027. The Minister of Tourism revealed it may be rescheduled to the low season starting in April, fearing it would not fully stimulate the economy. Plans are to extend the "Thai Help Thai Plus" program by 2–3 months before the end of the year.
On 16 September 2026, reporters provided an update. "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" project Recently, Mr. Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, revealed that there is a trend to postpone the "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" project from its original start date of 1 October 2026 to begin instead during the low tourism season, around April 2027.
Discussions with the Cabinet and other ministers agreed on the necessity of a tourism stimulus project but differed on timing. They agreed not to allocate the budget during the high season, starting late this year through early next year, because tourists already travel then and hotels are typically full. Spending budget during this period would not maximize economic impact and would waste allocated funds.
Meanwhile, private sector surveys found some operators, especially hotels, agree that running the project during the high season would not add benefit since rooms are already fully booked and tourists plan trips in advance. However, opinions vary among businesses, as some believe other operators still have room availability or capacity. Further discussions with the private sector will be held to reach a comprehensive conclusion.
"Therefore, there is no need to rush the matter into the Cabinet meeting within September. We will wait until the project details and timing are clearly finalized. Once the exact start and end dates are confirmed, the project will be submitted to the Cabinet for official approval and announcement. Postponing the project start is not problematic as long as it happens and benefits the economy to the fullest," he said.
Mr. Surasak said the tourism stimulus through "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" is allocated a budget of 4 billion baht for 1 million rights holders. The government will subsidize accommodation by 1,500 baht per night, up to 5 nights, plus digital coupons with 50% co-payment split, offering 1,500 baht per day in primary cities and 2,000 baht in secondary cities.
The principles, conditions, details, and original budget framework have been preliminarily approved, with funds already reserved. The original travel period was from November this year through February 2027, with a blackout period avoiding the New Year holidays from 15 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. There is concern that this segmented timing might lead to criticism over inconsistent tourism stimulation.
"After discussions with other ministers, the majority agreed to consolidate the project to start once after the New Year to maximize economic benefits. The original 4 billion baht budget remains reserved for the project; only the timing is adjusted. The funds come from the first tranche of the 400 billion baht government loan decree," he affirmed.
Mr. Surasak added that from October to December, or the last quarter of this year, the economic stimulus will rely on extending the "Thai Help Thai Plus" program for an additional 2–3 months until the end of this year. This will maintain travel momentum before the new 4 billion baht tourism stimulus project is launched during the low season school holidays, enabling more families to travel together with their children.