"Half-Half Thai Travel" Project: Government Clarifies Registration After Initial Chaos

Tourism Authority of Thailand reschedules public registration to July 1st following system crash and public outcry

 

A new government-backed tourism stimulus package, the "Half-Half Thai Travel" project, has been hit by a wave of confusion and a system crash, prompting swift clarification from the Thai government. 

 

Public registration, initially expected on June 24th, has now been firmly set for July 1st, 2025, after a rush of eager participants overwhelmed the system.

 

The chaos unfolded on the evening of June 24th, when a significant number of people attempted to register for the scheme via the https://www.google.com/search?q=TieowThaiKhonLaKhrueng.com website and the "Amazing Thailand" application. 

 

This surge caused the system to crash, leading to widespread public frustration and sparking the hashtag #เที่ยวไทยคนละครึ่ง (Half-Half Thai Travel) to trend on X (formerly Twitter).

 

The misunderstanding stemmed from comments made by Sorawong Thienthong, the Minister of Tourism and Sports, who had indicated that public registration would open on the evening of June 24th, with travel benefits commencing on July 1st.

 

This announcement followed a Cabinet approval on June 24th for economic stimulus projects, totalling 110 billion baht, which included the 1.75 billion baht "Half-Half Thai Travel" initiative.
  



 

Government Steps in to Clarify

Addressing the disruption, Deputy government spokesman Anukool Pruksanusak issued a clear statement on Wednesday. 

 

He confirmed that while the Cabinet has indeed endorsed the economic stimulus budget, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is currently focused on registering participating businesses for the "Half-Half Thai Travel" project. 

 

This business registration opened on June 25th and will continue until June 30th, 2025, via the project's website.

 

The TAT has confirmed that a wide range of businesses are eligible to participate, including restaurants, souvenir shops, OTOP (One Tambon One Product) outlets, tourist attractions, spas, car and boat rentals, and hotels/accommodations.

 

For the general public, Anukool reiterated that the registration system for individuals and accommodation bookings will officially open on July 1st, 2025, at 08:00 AM (Thai time), accessible through both the TieowThai Khon La Khrueng website and the Amazing Thailand application.

 

Successful applicants will be able to utilise their travel benefits from July 4th to October 31st, 2025.
  

 



 

Project Eligibility and Benefits

To qualify for the "Half-Half Thai Travel" project, individuals must be Thai nationals, aged 18 or over, hold a valid ID card, and verify their identity through the Thai ID Application. 

 

A total of 500,000 entitlements are available, with each person able to claim up to five: three for major cities and two for "attractive" cities. The accommodation subsidy is capped at 3,000 baht per night, per room.

 

The government's support varies based on the day of travel:

For weekdays (Monday-Friday), the government will subsidise 50% of the cost, up to 3,000 baht per night.

For weekends (Saturday-Sunday) and public holidays, the subsidy will be 40%, also capped at 3,000 baht per night.

 

Anukool also outlined the payment procedures: participants must settle their bookings by 11:00 PM on the day of reservation, or the entitlement will be released back into the system. 

 



Accommodation payments must be made at least three days prior to the actual travel date. Businesses are required to use a Krungthai Bank account for receiving payments from tourists, while tourists can pay for services using PromptPay from any bank. Businesses will receive the government's transferred portion within 14 working days.

 

Further details and conditions for the "Half-Half Thai Travel" project can be found on the official website: https://www.เที่ยวไทยคนละครึ่ง.com.

(2025/06/25-00:00)