Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand has approved five new measures to boost domestic tourism in the final quarter to prevent the economy from slowing down before the year's end, according to finance permanent secretary Lavaron Sangsnit.
Lavaron said the measures are designed to encourage more Thais to travel domestically. He noted that local tourism plays a major role in the national economy, accounting for about 24% of private consumption and 14% of GDP.
He warned that without intervention, domestic tourism will contract by 2.7% this year, compared with an 8.4% expansion in 2024.
The five tourism stimulus measures include personal income tax deductions for domestic travel expenses, corporate tax deductions for domestic seminars and training, front-loaded government budget disbursement for official meetings and training, tax incentives for hotel renovations and extension of excise tax reduction for entertainment venues.
With personal income tax deductions for domestic travel expenses, individuals can deduct up to 20,000 THB (607 USD) in actual expenses for domestic travel, covering accommodation and restaurant services, between October 29 and December 15.
Secondary destinations include 55 provinces, with remote districts in major provinces such as Chiang Mai's Galyani Vadhana also qualifying. The scheme is expected to benefit around 140,000 people, generating approximately 2.8 billion THB in spending.
For corporate tax deductions for domestic seminars and training, companies can claim deductions for actual expenses, such as venue rental, accommodation, and transport, for events held from October 29 to December 15. Expenses in secondary cities can be deducted twice the actual cost, and 1.5 times in major destinations, provided electronic tax invoices are issued. Around 1,500 firms are expected to participate, with a combined spending of 315 million THB.
With a front-loaded government budget disbursement for official meetings and training, government agencies are instructed to accelerate spending on meetings, training, and seminars in fiscal 2026, ensuring at least 60% of the allocated budget is disbursed from October 2025 to January 2026.
Winit Wisetsuwannaphum, director of the Fiscal Policy Office, said the combined effect of these measures would raise GDP by about 0.04% this year./.
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