Restaurant Association Urges Co‑Payment Scheme to Rescue Over Seven Hundred Thousand Thai Establishments
Sales at eateries have plunged by up to fifty per cent in early 2025, prompting calls for co‑payment stimulus from Thailand’s incoming administration.
The Restaurant Association of Thailand (TRA) is calling on the incoming government to implement a targeted co‑payment scheme, citing a severe downturn in sales among over seven hundred thousand restaurant businesses—ranging from small family-run stalls to large operators—since the second quarter of 2025.
According to TRA President Thaniwan Kulmongkol, average sales across the sector have declined by between twenty‑five and fifty percent compared with the same period last year.
Alerts from leading food delivery platforms corroborate this decline.
Consequently, many restaurants are operating at a loss, with closures accelerating across the country.
For those still active, cost pressures have forced reductions in staff and scaled-back opening hours.
Feedback from restaurant operators and consumers alike indicates that a co‑payment subsidy would provide immediate relief.
Such a programme would bolster household spending, revive small and medium-sized restaurants, and rejuvenate local food supply chains across all provinces.
The scheme’s impact, the TRA argues, would ripple across sectors—benefiting farmers, produce suppliers, logistics companies, and service workers.
“Given that Anutin Charnvirakul is about to take office as Prime Minister, we hope the new administration will respond swiftly to these economic challenges and improve quality of life,” Ms Thaniwan stated.
She recommended that the scheme be tailored to current conditions, sufficiently budgeted, prioritise small and local businesses, and operate via transparent and efficient digital platforms.
While advocating immediate assistance, she also emphasised the need for long-term support measures to ensure the sustainability of the restaurant sector.
The TRA pledged full cooperation with government policies to ensure that the co‑payment scheme delivers measurable benefits for both consumers and businesses.
Thaniwan described the initiative as both “a gift and a source of hope for consumers” and a critical lifeline for restaurant operators to survive the current downturn.
In parallel, and in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the TRA plans to launch the “Thai Curry & Rice Global Challenge.” This initiative aims to spotlight Bangkok’s curry-and-rice shops on the international culinary stage, preserve this iconic national dish, and attract gastronomic tourism.
Curry and rice—ubiquitous across central and southern Thailand—are seen as a defining element of the local food heritage and a key cultural draw for visitors.
The TRA’s proposals arrive amid a widely recognised trend of economic stagnation affecting the hospitality and retail sectors.
A successful co‑payment scheme could serve as a catalyst for broader economic revitalisation by supporting local business ecosystems and stimulating consumer engagement.
According to TRA President Thaniwan Kulmongkol, average sales across the sector have declined by between twenty‑five and fifty percent compared with the same period last year.
Alerts from leading food delivery platforms corroborate this decline.
Consequently, many restaurants are operating at a loss, with closures accelerating across the country.
For those still active, cost pressures have forced reductions in staff and scaled-back opening hours.
Feedback from restaurant operators and consumers alike indicates that a co‑payment subsidy would provide immediate relief.
Such a programme would bolster household spending, revive small and medium-sized restaurants, and rejuvenate local food supply chains across all provinces.
The scheme’s impact, the TRA argues, would ripple across sectors—benefiting farmers, produce suppliers, logistics companies, and service workers.
“Given that Anutin Charnvirakul is about to take office as Prime Minister, we hope the new administration will respond swiftly to these economic challenges and improve quality of life,” Ms Thaniwan stated.
She recommended that the scheme be tailored to current conditions, sufficiently budgeted, prioritise small and local businesses, and operate via transparent and efficient digital platforms.
While advocating immediate assistance, she also emphasised the need for long-term support measures to ensure the sustainability of the restaurant sector.
The TRA pledged full cooperation with government policies to ensure that the co‑payment scheme delivers measurable benefits for both consumers and businesses.
Thaniwan described the initiative as both “a gift and a source of hope for consumers” and a critical lifeline for restaurant operators to survive the current downturn.
In parallel, and in collaboration with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the TRA plans to launch the “Thai Curry & Rice Global Challenge.” This initiative aims to spotlight Bangkok’s curry-and-rice shops on the international culinary stage, preserve this iconic national dish, and attract gastronomic tourism.
Curry and rice—ubiquitous across central and southern Thailand—are seen as a defining element of the local food heritage and a key cultural draw for visitors.
The TRA’s proposals arrive amid a widely recognised trend of economic stagnation affecting the hospitality and retail sectors.
A successful co‑payment scheme could serve as a catalyst for broader economic revitalisation by supporting local business ecosystems and stimulating consumer engagement.
