Double Tax Back: Thailand’s Daring Bid to Woo Tourists
Thailand is rolling out the red carpet for travellers—by promising double the tax refunds on their holiday spending. In a move set to shake up the tourism scene, Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas reveals plans for a game-changing incentive: tourists could soon deduct travel expenses twice from their taxable income, up to a whopping 40,000 Baht.
“We want to boost spending right at the start of the fiscal year,” Ekniti declares. The scheme is on track to launch before year’s end, perfectly timed for the peak travel season. The goal? To breathe new life into Thailand’s overlooked ‘second cities’.
Provinces in the Spotlight: A Tax Break for the Brave
On October 14, 2025, the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister is set to present this bold proposal to the cabinet. If approved, it means tourists can claim double deductions for tourism-related costs—capped at 40,000 Baht.
This isn’t just a tax perk. It’s a direct push to get visitors exploring beyond the usual hotspots. The government is betting big that these incentives will send a surge of travellers into lesser-known provinces, spreading the economic benefits far and wide.
Civil Servants Ordered to Hit the Road
But the plan doesn’t stop with tourists. The government is also turning its own workforce into a tourism engine. Ministries and state agencies are being told to hold seminars and training sessions outside Bangkok over the next four months.
The numbers are staggering: an 8 billion Baht budget is being fast-tracked for this push. “Agencies with seminar and training budgets must use them in the first four months,” Ekniti explains. Around 3–4 billion Baht is earmarked for government departments, with another 4 billion for state enterprises. The aim? To give both big and small cities a much-needed boost.
Hotels Get a Lifeline: Double Deductions for Upgrades
There’s more good news for the battered hotel sector. The Finance Ministry is preparing another lifeline: hotels will be allowed to deduct renovation and modernisation costs twice from their taxable income. This applies to hotels in both major cities and the newly targeted second cities.
Officials hope this will spark a wave of upgrades, raising standards across the board. “We want to see hotel owners invest in their properties and improve the country’s tourism infrastructure,” Ekniti says. The focus is clear: help struggling destinations off the beaten path catch up with the big names.
A Timely Boost for a Struggling Economy
These sweeping measures land at a critical moment. Thailand’s economy is crying out for a fresh injection of energy, with tourism still reeling from years of setbacks. By shifting the spotlight to second cities, the government hopes to spread the benefits of tourism more evenly.
Experts are cautiously optimistic. “This could be exactly the incentive Thai tourists need to discover new places in their own country,” says one tourism specialist. Local economies in the provinces stand to gain the most.
Will this bold tax trick be the spark Thailand needs—or just another headline? The world is watching.
