On July 2, the Thai government’s much-anticipated “Tiew Thai Khon La Krueng” domestic travel subsidy campaign encountered major technical failures as overwhelming demand crashed the registration systems shortly after launch. The program, aimed at stimulating low-season tourism and supporting hotels, allows Thai citizens to claim travel discounts through a dedicated website and mobile app.
The opening day of the government’s “Tiew Thai Khon La Krueng” travel campaign, launched to encourage domestic tourism during the low season, was marred by widespread technical difficulties. Registrations opened at 8:00 a.m. on July 2, but the system failed to cope with the volume of traffic, leaving users unable to verify their identities or access the subsidy platform.
The initiative, backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, offers five travel entitlements per registrant, valid from July 4 to October 31. The government will subsidize a portion of travel expenses for eligible Thai nationals who register via www.เที่ยวไทยคนละครึ่ง.com or the Amazing Thailand mobile application.
However, both the Amazing Thailand app and the ThaID identity verification system crashed soon after the campaign went live. TAT later clarified that although users struggled to register, the program itself is not capped and entitlements will be counted only after payments are made.
According to the agency, more than 700,000 users attempted identity verification on July 2, while the ThaID system, managed by the Ministry of Interior, has the capacity to process only around 100 verifications per hour. Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong urged the public to remain patient, assuring them that all eligible applicants would eventually receive their entitlements.
Criticism quickly followed from opposition figures. Nataphol Tovichakchaikul, a Member of Parliament from Chiang Mai representing the People’s Party, said the technical failures were avoidable. He pointed out that preparations for the campaign had been underway since early 2024, with backend infrastructure reportedly ready by March. Despite this, the key registration platforms were overwhelmed on launch day.
As of Tuesday evening, the system remained down with no confirmed timeline for restoration.