The cabinet has turned down a proposal from the Tourism and Sports Ministry to extend the Rao Tiew Duay Kan (We Travel Together) scheme scheduled to end on April 30.

Instead, the Tourism and Sports Ministry and Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) were instructed to redesign the programme in order to prevent fraud or create new campaigns to stimulate domestic tourism, said government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri.

Launched in July 2020, the programme is part of government efforts to spur domestic travel, as foreign tourists are still barred from entering the country due to the pandemic.

Under the We Travel Together scheme, participants pay only 60% of normal room rates, with the government responsible for the rest.

The subsidy was initially capped at 3,000 baht per night for up to five consecutive nights in the first stage and has now been stretched to 10 nights.

Tourists also automatically receive an e-voucher for other expenses valued at 600 to 900 baht under the scheme.

The government now also helps pay 40% of air ticket prices at a maximum of 3,000 baht per person, up from 1,000 baht and 2,000 baht in the first few months of the scheme.

Mr Anucha said the government's planning unit, the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC), has advised that the scheme should cancel the e-voucher component, while the Tourism and Sports Ministry should change the scheme to prevent any fraud or design new programmes to boost domestic tourism.