App chaos: Half-Half travel scheme stalls, millions left stranded
Tourism minister apologises for registration crash on launch of subsidy programme
Thailand’s Half-Half travel scheme descended into chaos after a failed registration rollout left travellers locked out and scrambling for subsidies.
Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong faced the music today, July 4, admitting on the Inside Thailand programme that the Half-Half Thai Travel campaign was plagued with system failures from day one.
“The problems began immediately,” Sorawong said. “Users couldn’t access the registration system, and we had no choice but to rethink our approach.”
Unlike earlier phases of the popular co-payment scheme, which used an app managed by Krungthai Bank, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) this time attempted to build its system from scratch. Officials hoped to collect more detailed data on Thai tourists to shape future promotions.
But on July 1, the launch went spectacularly wrong. The ThaiID identity verification platform, operated by the Ministry of the Interior, collapsed under the surge of applicants desperate to register.
TAT quickly scrapped the ThaiID requirement and switched to direct registration, but new headaches followed.
“People couldn’t verify their identity when booking hotels,” Sorawong said. “We understand the frustration this has caused.”
Despite the chaos, some progress has been made: 1.4 million people have now successfully registered, with over 20,000 hotel bookings confirmed. But Sorawong said the confusion has become so severe that the government may have to suspend the system entirely to prevent more problems, reported The Nation.
“We plan to suspend registration from today and will issue an official announcement,” he said. “Those who already registered won’t be affected, and their rights remain active.”
To fix the mess, the scheme will be moved onto the Tang Rath app — a platform the government believes will be more reliable for identity checks.
“This isn’t just about technology,” Sorawong said. “In previous campaigns, there were widespread reports of fraudulent registrations. We are determined to ensure transparency and protect public funds.”
Until the switchover is complete, no new registrations will be accepted. However, travellers who have already signed up can proceed with hotel bookings as planned.
“On behalf of TAT, I sincerely apologise,” Sorawong said. “We are working around the clock to make this right.”
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