News Forum - TAT launches “Holideals” travel promotions with digital tokens as payment

[Thaiger]

In a new marketing campaign by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, people will be able to use digital tokens to buy travel packages and vouchers. The “Thailand Holideals” offers packages and vouchers for hotels, restaurants, spas, and for recreational activities. This is the first time the Thai travel industry has allowed travellers pay using digital tokens. The Deputy Manager of TAT’s Domestic Marketing, Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, shared that special deals from top travel agencies in Thailand are offered on the website www.tourismthailand.org/holideals. She says the Holideals project is aimed at encouraging people to travel, adding that the payment by digital token […]

The story TAT launches “Holideals” travel promotions with digital tokens as payment as seen on Thaiger News.

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[JustAnotherExpat]

Sure, adding one more step in the already arduous process of visiting Thailand - THAT will get them coming. These imbeciles really don't get it.

[Cabra]

Thailand's idea of a digital token is probably something you need to print out in triplicate to redeem

[King Cotton]

1 hour ago, Thaiger said:

The Deputy Manager of TAT’s Domestic Marketing, Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, shared that special deals from top travel agencies in Thailand are offered on the website www.tourismthailand.org/holideals.

Thapanee Kiatpaiboon . . . Resume:

• Day job: dreamer
• Night job: stand-up comedian

 . . . Probably soon to be looking for another job.

[Guest1]

Clever try, to sneak crypto currencies into the peoples mind!

3 hours ago, JustAnotherExpat said:

Sure, adding one more step in the already arduous process of visiting Thailand - THAT will get them coming.

For now, I think they just target the Thai market anyway.

[EdwardV]

I don’t need a token, I need to not be tested upon arrival. What’s keeping me from traveling to Thailand isn’t the cost, it’s the risk. The prospect of testing  positive and being sent to lockdown for 10-14 days of a 16 day trip has me headed to Europe instead. 

[MattBurgess]

That same TAT: "We're going to charge everyone 300 baht on arrival in masked cities with no bars that closes at 11, and don't care if they actually have a positive experience."

[Fundok]

It somewhat amazes me that TAT comes up with all these ideas to get the number of tourists up and yet they patently fail to get the one (in my view: main) obstacle out of the way: the Thai Pass/ T&G requirement. Reminds me of a car w/o gas in its tank - won't run only because you spray a perfume inside - you need to tackle the core problem  Missing gas in this example, the T&G-regime when it comes to the low number if tourists.

Ensure that those coming to Thailand are fully vaccinated and end of story. There has been only one group of tourists that has shown distinctively higher infection rates upon arrival and they came from Russia and Kazachstan (as reported on Thaiger some time ago). So test travellers from there (albeit hardly any Russians to be expected in the near future) and live with the "risk" that 1% of those tourists from other countries may be infected. Given that Omikron is already on-shore, the impact will be very limited. Once TAT has facilitated that approach, all those rallies etc will be the icing on the cake.

So far officials have been suspiciously silent with regards to the number of incoming applications under the 3 0-regime which started this month. At least no server breakdowns because of the overwhelming number of new applications was reported.

So let's wait and see what TAT will devise in the future to entice tourists to come whilst the test regime is still in place. If it weren't so sad for the people making their livelihood in the tourism industry in Thailand it would be even entertaining.

[Artemis080]

Another pathetic effort from the TAT.

The only thing that will change fortunes now is to drop the Thai Pass.

[PohTou]

On 3/3/2022 at 6:25 AM, EdwardV said:

I don’t need a token, I need to not be tested upon arrival. What’s keeping me from traveling to Thailand isn’t the cost, it’s the risk. The prospect of testing  positive and being sent to lockdown for 10-14 days of a 16 day trip has me headed to Europe instead. 

Exactly.Risk!

[Freeduhdumb]

Looks like a domestic move to spur travel. My question is why use an intermediary (digital token)? What company is involved here? And what are they REALLY marketing? Is this some kind of attempt to digitalize Thailand?

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

On 3/3/2022 at 12:29 AM, Thaiger said:

In a new marketing campaign by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, people will be able to use digital tokens to buy travel packages and vouchers. The “Thailand Holideals” offers packages and vouchers for hotels, restaurants, spas, and for recreational activities. This is the first time the Thai travel industry has allowed travellers pay using digital tokens. The Deputy Manager of TAT’s Domestic Marketing, Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, shared that special deals from top travel agencies in Thailand are offered on the website www.tourismthailand.org/holideals. She says the Holideals project is aimed at encouraging people to travel, adding that the payment by digital token […]

The story TAT launches “Holideals” travel promotions with digital tokens as payment as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

If this continues, most hotels will be shuttered and the tokens will be useless. 

I certainly wouldn't purchase a gift card for a business that is on the verge of collapse.