Could new Thailand expat bonus entice more wealthy tourists in the future?
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has teamed up with national hotels and airlines to offer special domestic travel bonuses to expats residing in the country
The new ‘Expat Travel Bonus’ deals are part of efforts to try and boost domestic tourism revenue, as limited inbound travel from overseas has had a dramatic impact on the country’s tourism revenue.
Through the new bonus deal, expats living in Thailand are offered:
- A 1,000 Baht (US$33) hotel room discount for one night booked at any of the 300+ participating hotels located in destinations across the country. A higher discount is offered for an increased number of nights.
- Up to 50 per cent off airfares and packages for all domestic flights
- Discounts per room per night starting at 900 baht ($29), are provided for direct booking with participating hotels and airlines.
The discounts are valid on stays booked up until 31 December 2020 and are available through bookings with participating hotels and airlines only – those listed with the Thai Hotels Association (THA) and Bangkok Airways, AirAsia and Nok Air.
IPMI insurance and non-essential travel advice
Expats opting to take part in this new initiative may well already be covered by international private medical insurance (IPMI) policies, but would they remain covered for domestic trips across Thailand during a global pandemic – when their own home country of residence may have advised against travel to the country – should they fall ill with Covid and need to make a claim?
There are many grey areas here – some IPMI policies do not offer cover for personal trips taken by the employee. Still, Thailand, had been vying to up its luxury tourism game – in June, the government made new plans to target wealthy travellers, and it seems only likely that many of the hotels included within its Expat Travel Bonus offer are also those within the luxury destinations it highlighted back in June. Keeping these resorts in operation until international travel eases again will be key to having them ready for those luxury tourists desperate for a getaway [hopefully] sometime next year.
“In Thailand, the expat market has great potential, so we hope this campaign will encourage more expats to explore Thailand and show support for our hospitality industry,” commented Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing Asia and South Pacific.