Dhaka: The free tickets would be offered when tourists book international flights directly with airlines or online travel agents.

"This is an exclusive campaign for foreign visitors who haven’t yet booked a ticket," said Mr Sorawong.

The ministry plans to propose the scheme to the cabinet for approval next week, seeking 700 million baht from the central budget, he said.

The programme is scheduled to run from September to November, with a government subsidy of 1,750 baht per one-way ticket, or 3,500 baht for a round-trip ticket, for each tourist.

Punlop Saejew, vice-president of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, said the campaign would help tourism to some extent, although the arrival flow was already strong during high season.

He said the campaign would be more effective if launched during the low season.

Mr Punlop suggested the government allocate funds to help domestic airfares, which remain a barrier for travellers because of the high cost.

Rungroj Santadvanit, president of the lower northeastern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, said northeastern provinces may not benefit as much from this scheme, as they are not top destinations for foreign tourists, even though Buri Ram and Ubon Ratchathani have domestic flights from Bangkok.

Apart from free flights, Mr Rungroj said authorities should plan marketing strategies and activities tailored to target markets of each location.

For example, Buri Ram should promote sports and marathons as a sports tourism hub, while Ubon Ratchathani could highlight attractions along the Mekong River.

He said northern provinces should attract more nature lovers from Australia and New Zealand, and the South should draw beach-loving visitors from Scandinavia.

“More importantly, the government must ensure tourism safety and clearly communicate which areas are safe to visit, especially amid the ongoing Thailand-Cambodia border tensions,” said Mr Rungroj.

As of Aug 17, 20.8 million foreign tourists have visited Thailand this year, a decrease of 7pc year-on-year. The largest market was China with 2.9 million arrivals.

-B