The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has set an ambitious goal of boosting domestic tourism and generating 1 trillion baht in tourism revenue annually three years from now.
"If we can encourage Thais to travel more in Thailand, domestic tourism will grow and we can reduce the risks from the foreign tourist market," governor Yuthasak Supasorn said.
It expects domestic tourism revenue will increase to 802 billion baht next year.
Domestic tourism revenue is projected to grow by 20% in both 2017 and 2018 before exceeding 1 trillion baht in 2018.
When Thais travel to more tourist destinations, the local economy will expand as well
For example, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, one of the TAT's 12 Hidden Gems, saw its tourism revenue grow by 41% in July and its economy improve significantly.
Currently, average spending per head is 1,200 baht a day.
"If Thai tourists stayed one day more from their average, spending per trip would reach 3,600 baht," Mr Yuthasak said.