- Özgür Töre
Tourism Authority of Thailand – Los Angeles Office (TAT-LA) announces the launch of Buy Now, Stay Later: Thailand, in response to the impact of COVID-19 on the country’s tourism industry.
As Thailand’s restrictions on foreign tourists entering without exemptions have been extended until further notice, Buy Now, Stay Later: Thailand offers travelers a way to plan and save money on future trips through the purchase of hotel bonds that increase in value over time. The launch of the campaign follows TAT’s announcement of the country’s multiphase reopening to foreign tourists, slated to potentially begin on August 1, 2020. Thailand’s reopening will tentatively begin in the geographically secluded provinces of Phuket, Krabi, and Surat Thani where health monitoring can be more easily controlled.
Many of the Buy Now, Stay Later: Thailand hotels are located in the first provinces slated to reopen. Through the website, travelers can access a list of partner properties and connect with them directly to purchase bonds in $100 increments. Similar to savings bonds, hotel bonds purchased for $100 today can be redeemed for a value of $150 following a 60+ day maturation period.
The Director of TAT-LA, Kittipong Prapattong, states, “With the launch of Buy Now, Stay Later: Thailand, TAT is broadening the systems of support we have in place for Thailand’s hotels. We hope that this revenue-generating initiative will help to ensure the survival of many of the country’s most beloved tourist destinations. Furthermore, we hope the campaign inspires and empowers foreign visitors to invest in the tourism industry in Thailand, a country that for many years, has had a warm and welcoming connection to the global travel community.”
Some partner properties featured on Buy Now, Stay Later: Thailand include several award-winning hotels, such as Conde Nast Readers' Choice Award 2019 winners Banyan Tree Bangkok, The Sukhothai Bangkok, and The Siam Hotel. Other distinguished properties are also on the website, including Anantara Hua Hin Resort, which landed on number 47 in Travel+Leisure’s 2019 Top 100 Hotels in The World.
Buy Now, Stay Later: Thailand is a part of the Buy Now Stay Later program developed by Rachel Harrison of Lion & Lamb Communications. Created in April 2020 as an early response to the impact of COVID-19 on the hotel industry, Buy, Now, Stay Later has since expanded to include 500+ partner properties in countries around the world. Many participating hotels have reported an uptick in bookings as a result of guests connected through the website.
