Thailand's 'Half-Half Thai Travel' scheme, officially known as 'Tiew Thai Khon La Krueng', has had its registration process halted amid significant technical issues.

During an address on the 'Inside Thailand' program, Tourism and Sports Minister Sorawong Thienthong provided updates on the situation, particularly concerning user complaints about the registration system.

The scheme’s migration to the Thang Rath app comes as efforts were made to enhance user experience and address the challenges faced with the previous registration platforms.

Historically, the registrations for travel co-payment schemes had utilized an application managed by Krungthai Bank, which had allowed the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to access relevant tourist data.

However, this latest initiative did not permit TAT similar access to customer databases, leading to complications from the first day of registration, which began on July 1, 2025.

Initial registration processes were managed via ThaiID, overseen by the Ministry of the Interior.

However, many users encountered persistent access difficulties, prompting TAT to consider a direct registration approach bypassing the ThaiID system altogether.

Despite this adjustment, complications continued to arise, particularly in terms of hotel bookings necessitating identity verification during registration.

Currently, about 1.4 million individuals have successfully accessed the registration system, resulting in over 20,000 confirmed hotel bookings.

Notably, under the revised guidelines, rights associated with the scheme are activated only upon finalized bookings and payments, contrasting with previous schemes.

Minister Sorawong indicated the necessity for a potential temporary suspension of the registration process due to widespread confusion affecting both operators and the public.

This shift to the Thang Rath app is intended to streamline identity verification, mitigating prior complications.

He stated, "We plan to suspend the registration from today and will have TAT issue a public announcement.

However, this will not affect those who have already completed their registration."

The transition implies that the existing registration platform, including the Amazing Thailand app, will be temporarily closed.

Those looking to claim their rights under the scheme will need to use the Thang Rath app.

New registrations will pause until the system is fully transitioned, although individuals who had already registered will still be able to proceed with hotel bookings as planned.