Dreaming of Thailand’s white sands, fragrant street food and lush jungle escapes? The Land of Smiles is looking to sweeten the deal for travellers with a bold new plan: free domestic flights for international visitors.

If approved by the cabinet, the campaign – “Buy International, Free Thailand Domestic Flights” – will run from September to November 2025, giving 200,000 foreign tourists a free round-trip flight within Thailand when they book their international flights through participating airlines or agencies.

Six local carriers, including Thai Airways, Thai AirAsia and Bangkok Airways, are already on board, as previously reported by Euro News.

What’s included?

• The government will subsidise up to THB 3,500 (around R1,900) for a return flight.
• Each ticket comes with 20kg of checked baggage.
• Only travellers arriving by air will qualify (bus and boat entries won’t count).
• Existing bookings made before the programme launches won’t be eligible.

Why free flights?

Thailand wants tourists to go beyond well-worn favourites like Bangkok, Phuket, and Chiang Mai and venture into lesser-visited provinces packed with temples, authentic cuisine, and quieter beaches. The tourism ministry hopes the promotion will generate THB 8.8 billion (about R4.1 billion) in revenue from a THB 700 million budget.

Tourism struggles continue

The move comes as Thailand’s tourism industry battles to regain its pre-pandemic stride. Nearly 40 million visitors arrived in 2019, but the country is now expected to welcome only 33 million in 2025, short of its original 39 million target. Safety concerns and regional tensions have also dented its image.

To draw travellers back, the government has delayed entry fees, lifted visa restrictions for Chinese visitors, launched digital nomad visas – and even floated the idea of casinos. The free-flight campaign may be its most attention-grabbing move yet.

For now, those eyeing Thailand should keep an eye on official announcements before locking in their travel dates.

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IndiGo Airlines has announced it will launch another non-stop daily flight between Delhi and Itanagar from September 17 this year, officials at the state Civil Aviation Department said here on Wednesday.

At present, the airline operates a single daily non-stop service between Delhi and Itanagar. With growing demand, the carrier has decided to introduce a second service on the route, they said.

According to the schedule, Flight 6E 765 will depart Delhi at 9.40 AM and arrive in Itanagar at 12.20 PM, while the return Flight 6E 766 will take off from Itanagar at 12.50 PM and reach Delhi at 3.45 PM.

Officials said the new connection will further enhance accessibility to Arunachal Pradesh and meet the rising travel demand to the frontier state.

Welcoming the move, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said the service will boost tourism, trade and connectivity, opening greater opportunities for the state and easing travel for citizens.

It is expected to significantly improve accessibility to Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening the state’s link with the national capital and beyond, he said.

“Delighted to share that IndiGo Airlines is introducing additional daily, non-stop flights between Delhi and Itanagar, starting 17th September 2025. This new connection will further boost tourism, trade, and connectivity for Arunachal Pradesh,” the chief minister said in a post on X.

Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein also welcomed the decision, describing it as a step to bring the frontier state closer to the rest of the country.

“Air connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh is set to strengthen further with IndiGo launching additional daily non-stop flights between Delhi and Itanagar from 17 September 2025. This improved linkage will boost tourism, facilitate trade, and create new opportunities for our people, while bringing our state closer to the rest of the country,” Mein said in a social media post.