Expatriates will not be able to join stimulus packages for tourism, but the government promises to end dual pricing as quickly as possible.
Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the stimulus campaign We Travel Together is carried out with a budget from the Loan Act, which has a clear mandate and objectives that render it impossible to include foreigners.
But the TAT will appeal to the National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Protection Agency, as well as popular tourist locations, to stop dual pricing for expatriates.
Mr. Yuthasak said the change would save money for expats, allowing them to spend more on domestic tourism as a key target.
The agency wants to introduce an identification card to verify the classification of expats, thus helping to differentiate them from visitors so that they pay the same amount as local people.
The TAT will issue the expat travel card. The agency have a plan to sign a memorandum of understanding with each department that owns tourist attractions permanently, not just during the pandemic, to set a standard local price for those cardholders.
The TAT also wants to boost its Independent Tourists customer database here.
"The main thing is that we have to treat expats like locals, without discrimination or a negative attitude toward foreigners." Yuthasak said.
According to the TAT, 60 percent of Thailand's 2 million expatriates come from Asia, 150,000 of which are Chinese, led by Japanese (70,000) and South Koreans (20,000).
The agency now partners with Alipay and Fliggy — a Chinese travel platform — to support domestic tourism promotions for Chinese expats.
Source Bangkok Post
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