Thailand Proposes ‘$1 For One Night’ Phuket Deals

Thailand doesn’t want tourism back, it needs it. Many Thai islands, known for their fabled beauty and natural wonder, are now sad reminders of a world largely without travel. Boarded up restaurants, graffiti and people clinging on without work are a sad reality.

To counter the sentiment, Thailand recently confirmed its aggressive plan to allow quarantine free travel to Phuket from July 1st for all vaccinated travelers, but after many delays, and still many questions as to “how”, the bookings haven’t stacked up.

Now, in an increased effort to drum up interest to this remote Southeast Asian wonder, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is exploring a “one night, one dollar” campaign to lure visitors back in.

Phuket’s One Night, One Dollar Plan

Tourism authorities and stakeholders are desperate to get people booking Phuket for its July 1st reopening date, and history would say good deals are a great place to start.

Thailand’s tourism council has proposed a “one night, one dollar” promotion, which would see the Thai Government subsidize the cost of a guests first night, for all hotel stays up to 3,000 THB, which is around $100USD, give or take. A decision on the bold new campaign is expected in early June, to help stimulate forward bookings.

TTG estimates this would bring 70,000 rooms per night into the equation, with up to a million room bookings made via the promotion in July. It’s expected that if the plan garners support and becomes reality, a similar playbook could be opened for Chiang Mai, Krabi and other areas which will see quarantine free travel return in October.

Thailand In July?

Thailand would typically be flooded with international tourists in July, but this year is still a toss up, just a month away. Government officials insist that quarantine free travel into Phuket will go ahead as planned, but many skeptics remain.

If you are considering a trip, it could definitely be worth waiting a couple weeks before confirming anything, because at quite a number of resorts, that first night might soon cost just $1, all in. That’s certainly going to be tough to beat.