Committee seeks clarification from Sorawong regarding Pending "Half-Half Thai Travel" issues
The "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme, a government-backed tourism stimulus initiative launched on July 1, 2025, is currently facing significant delays and issues, causing concern among hotel operators across the country.
One major point of contention is the government's decision to hire a new company to run the current scheme, instead of reusing the well-functioning "Paotang" application that had been successfully employed in the previous scheme "We Travel Together." This choice, according to the Senate Tourism and Sports Committee, led by Phisut Rattanawong, has caused significant delays and unresolved system problems.
Committee spokesperson Chamlong Anantasuk specifically questioned this decision, stating that the government's selection of a new provider has caused these issues and urged the government to clarify its reasoning. The "Paotang" app, which had been fine-tuned and functioned well in the past, could easily resolve the current issues, according to the committee.
The project's execution did not align with government policies and could have been more effective, according to the committee. The difficulty in filling out the necessary forms and data input, along with the lack of promotion or public awareness campaigns, has led to confusion among both operators and tourists during the registration process.
In response to the issues, Tourism Minister Sorawong has apologized for the difficulties and delays in the rollout of the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme, acknowledging responsibility for the challenges and promising to take concrete steps to resolve them swiftly. Funding for the new application development came from the 157-billion-baht economic stimulus budget, but there were procurement delays that resulted in a refund of 10 million baht linked to the app's development.
The Senate Tourism Committee plans to urgently invite the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Sorawong Thienthong, to provide clarification about the ongoing issues with the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme. There are concerns that the new project will face a similar lack of participation due to the unresolved issues with the "We Travel Together" project's funds. Some hotel owners are reluctant to register for the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme due to concerns over unreleased funds from the previous project and worries about tax issues.
The committee stressed that the issue, which has now persisted for over two weeks, is severely affecting the country's tourism industry. They are calling for an urgent resolution to the issues, ensuring the success of the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme and the continued recovery of the tourism sector.
- The government's policy-and-legislation decision to employ a new company to manage the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme, instead of reusing the successful "Paotang" application, is causing concerns among hotel operators and has been criticized by the Senate Tourism and Sports Committee.
- The committee, led by Phisut Rattanawong, has urged the government to explain its reasoning for choosing a new provider, stating that the current issues could be resolved by using the well-functioning "Paotang" app.
- Tourism Minister Sorawong has acknowledged the difficulties and delays in the rollout of the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme and has promised to address the issues swiftly.
- The lack of promotion, public awareness campaigns, and the complexity of the registration process have led to confusion among both operators and tourists, negatively impacting the tourism industry.
- Hotel owners are reluctant to register for the "Half-Half Thai Travel" scheme due to concerns over unreleased funds from the previous project and fears about tax issues, which could affect the participation and success of the current scheme.
