Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn, the tourism and sports minister, said the ministry is listening to proposals from tourism and airline operators, reports the Bangkok Post.
The ministry and private sector are scheduled to meet with Anutin next week to share their concerns and solutions to stimulate the tourism industry, particularly during the next low season in 2026.
Mr Artthakorn said the AAT previously urged him to nudge traffic towards second-tier cities, which they could support by offering discounted tickets.
The government should also consider reviving the free domestic flight giveaway, a scheme postponed by the previous administration, according to the airline group. A similar promotional campaign proved successful in Japan, and the AAT insisted this measure could help distribute income to second-tier destinations, easing pressure on places facing overtourism.
The AAT, which also met the transport minister this week, estimated Thailand would attract at least 200,000 tourists, earning more than B8.5 billion from January to April 2026.
"Tourism operators are more worried about the upcoming low season and would like the government to formulate the stimulus programme in advance to mitigate possible impact from weak arrivals," said Mr Artthakorn.
He said the AAT would like the government to delay raising operational fees at airports to avoid the impact on airfares and travellers, such as the passenger service charge and air navigation service charge.
Last week, the AAT discussed with the Tourism Authority of Thailand about the measures to lift domestic markets, which are now pivoting to overseas destinations, particularly Japan, which remain popular for the coming high season.
Meanwhile, Asia Aviation Plc, the majority shareholder of Thai AirAsia, reported its nine-month operating results yesterday, which saw the number of passengers drop by 8% to 24.1 million, largely due to the decline in Chinese-speaking markets.
However, the airline recorded a stronger flow from European passengers with a growth of 14% led by Russian, Israeli and the UK markets, while the number of passengers from the US rose by 7%.
In the third quarter, Thai AirAsia increased its seat capacity by 9% year-on-year to 5.9mn, carrying 4.7mn passengers, down 3%, while the average load factor fell to 80% from 90% year-on-year.
While its seat capacity for domestic flights increased by 19% to 3.9mn seats, it reduced the international seat capacity by 6% to 2.03mn seats.
The airline’s China, Macau and Hong Kong routes were slashed by 46% year-on-year, largely attributed to the decreased load factor for international flights of 76% from 84%.
Revenue in the third quarter was B9.2bn, down 15% year-on-year, mainly due to lower passenger numbers and a 12% drop in airfares to B1,633 on average, according to Thai AirAsia.