Hotel operators in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai reveal problems with the Travelling North Half-Half domestic tourism promotion, which was meant to help stimulate the economy after the worst flooding in over 50 years.
Ms. Warunee Khammeru, General Manager of Duangtawan Hotel Chiang Mai, revealed to Prachachat Business that some of the hotel’s customers have started to use the Half-Half North privilege.
However, most use 400 baht per trip for the hotel’s restaurant. He said the promotion’s use for hotel stays is quite low, which is not as exciting as the previous Half-Half project during the pandemic.
The biggest problem with the Travelling North Half-Half scheme is that eligible customers must use the privilege within 3 days. This means they cannot book a hotel room in advance or use the Half-Half North privilege on that day.
Even though more customers are using the Travelling North Half-Half promotion, hotels report problems because preparing documents for each customer involves too many steps.
Ms. Amporn Jira-ai, Assistant Manager of Laksawan Boutique Hotel, Chiang Rai, reports that the hotel also joined the “Half-Half North” promotion.
Since the Thailand Tourism Authority project started on November 1, 2024, only 10% of customers have used their room privileges. Most are customers in Chiang Rai and nearby provinces in the North. There are no customers from Bangkok or other regions.
Some customers staying at the hotel encounter problems because they cannot scan to use their hotel privileges. This may be a problem with the incomplete application. Therefore, customers must pay the full amount according to the hotel’s room rate.
In addition, some customers want to book rooms in advance, and the hotel cannot accept reservations under the promotion because customers must use their privileges within 3 days of registering and receiving them.
This means that customers lose the opportunity to use their privileges, and business operators lose customers.
He said that with the “Khon La Khrueng” tourism scheme, customers can book rooms with the hotel in advance. When the day of check-in arrives, they can use the privilege immediately.
Another major problem of the Half-Half North scene is the time the hotel operator has to wait to be paid, which the Tourism Authority of Thailand has set for January 15, 2025.
Meanwhile, Mr. Apichart Chatchalermkij, Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, has revealed that the number of people using the 400 baht per trip project is not yet large, but the project is just starting.
He said 400 baht is not a lot of money to motivate people to travel. As a result, most people who use the privilege will also have other travel plans.
We must wait and see, especially during big festivals such as the Yi Peng Festival, the New Year’s Eve Festival, and the December holidays.
The Half-Half North scheme is a pilot project to open the tourism season. Although the number of privileges and the amount of money spent to stimulate the economy are small, the tourism sector has benefited from creating awareness that the North is ready to welcome tourists.
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Geoff Thomas is an award winning journalist known for his sharp insights and no-nonsense reporting style. Over the years he has worked for Reuters and the Canadian Press covering everything from political scandals to human interest stories. He brings a clear and direct approach to his work.
