How Thailand Has Boosted Air Passenger Numbers By Over 50% Advertisement: For a nation that relies on tourism for almost 20% of its GDP, the closure of borders hit Thailand harder than many other nations. In a bid to support airlines and ailing hospitality businesses, the government of Thailand launched three stimulus packages targeting domestic travel. These led to an uptick in domestic flying of more than 50% in just one month – here’s how they did it. Despite international restrictions, Thailand has worked to stimulate domestic travel. Photo: Getty Images A bitter 2020 for Thailand Thailand is one of the nations to have taken lockdown to the most extreme levels. The nation effectively closed its borders early in the year and is yet to fully reopen to tourists. While some long-term visitors are being allowed in now, a 14-day quarantine remains in place, along with the requirement for a negative PCR test before departure and another on arrival.