TCT Vice President Ratchaporn Poolsawadee said the floods will reduce local income and trigger a serious liquidity crunch for operators in affected areas, reports the Bangkok Post.
To restore the tourism industry in time for Chinese New Year in February 2026, he said the government should implement measures targeting five areas.
Mr Ratchaporn said rehabilitation of infrastructure and attractions should be prioritised within the first 45 days, including repairing damaged roads, restoring electricity, water and internet services, and conducting major cleaning of tourist sites.
Authorities should also restore ports and transport systems, inspect structural integrity, and improve port safety, as well as enhance security through flood warning systems, rescue stations, emergency units and provide safety training for operators, he said.
In terms of financial support, the package should include a 12-month debt moratorium for tourism operators, covering principal and interest across all commercial banks without default interest or negative credit records, according to TCT.
Mr Ratchaporn said the government should offer a soft loan programme with interest rates capped at 2% per year with a five-year repayment term, waiving principal payments in the first year.
He said credit limits can range from B20-50 million for hotels, B5-10mn for tourism businesses and restaurants, and B1-2mn for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and community enterprises, to be used for repairs, equipment upgrades and liquidity support, with 100% guarantees from the SME Bank or the government.
Marketing measures should focus on propping up domestic travel via the ‘Travel in the South, Help Thailand’ campaign, a co-payment scheme for hotel and travel costs in flood-hit areas, said Mr Ratchaporn.
To spur income via government spending, he urged the Finance Ministry to allow double tax deductions for companies hosting meetings and seminars for six months.
For international markets, Mr Ratchaporn said the country should launch the ‘Thailand is Ready’ campaign to promote monthly events for at least six months, support inbound flights, and organise large media and agent familiarisation trips to affected areas.
Meanwhile, to ease workers’ costs during recovery, he said the Social Security Office should grant a six-month exemption from contributions for both employers and employees.
Mr Ratchaporn said these efforts should be monitored through a tourism recovery command centre, integrating the Tourism and Sports Ministry, Labour Ministry, Bank of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Airports of Thailand, Immigration Police and local business groups.
The centre must provide progress reports to the cabinet weekly, with targets to reopen 80-100% of tourism businesses within 60 days, boost income during Chinese New Year, prevent operator bankruptcies, and help at least 90% of workers return to jobs, he said.