Infrastructure, safety, and smarter promotion take center stage in a national reboot.
BANGKOK, Thailand – Five urgent tourism policies were ordered by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during a key meeting on tourism development at Government House to position travel as a national priority.
The meeting reviewed progress from the first quarter and set the course for the second half of the year. The goal is to reinforce tourism’s role in driving Thailand’s economy through the 157-billion-baht national stimulus plan.
Despite a slight drop in tourist numbers, overall revenue has risen. This is driven by an increase in high-end visitors from Europe and the Americas, who now favor upscale travel experiences.
To meet this shift, Prime Minister Paetongtarn instructed all ministries and state enterprises to urgently improve pain points in the tourism sector and turn weaknesses into strengths.
She laid out five key measures. First, upgrade national image and promotion efforts across all channels to attract more visitors. Second, tighten safety and service standards at tourist sites, including AI cameras and stronger policing. Third, streamline immigration and airport transit services, protect tourists from scams, and improve transport orderliness.
Fourth, accelerate infrastructure projects, especially setting airfare ceilings and improving mass transit links, including connections between Krabi, Phang Nga, and Phuket airports. Fifth, create engaging year-round events and invest in research to understand evolving traveler behavior.
These five measures will be treated as a national priority, with clear deadlines and legal enforcement. Regular progress updates will be reported directly to the Prime Minister. The goal is to stimulate growth, assist tourism businesses, and secure the industry as a key driver of Thailand’s economy.
