Hotel operators say the Easy E-Receipt scheme may not benefit the tourism industry, as those who are eligible to use this tax rebate may opt for shopping instead.
Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said on Friday that as the New Year holiday has already passed, this scheme will not significantly boost tourism spending.
Mrs Marisa said the majority of people likely to use the tax rebate will do so to buy consumer products instead.
As this scheme was approved last month, many hotels have not prepared to accommodate the digital tax system and still use hard copy tax invoices, she said.
Although the government allows airlines to participate in this stimulus scheme, some of them also do not have an e-receipt system, which means tourists cannot use the privilege for booking domestic flights.
Mrs Marisa said domestic tourists typically start travel planning in March and April during the school holidays and Songkran festival, well past the expiration date of the tax rebate scheme.
"It would be better if the government extended the programme for a few more months to garner more domestic trips," she said.
Mrs Marisa said the scheme should encourage all 16,000 registered hotels nationwide to shift to the electronic tax system for added convenience and transparency.
Next week, the association is hosting a seminar for members and plans to instruct them to enrol in the e-tax invoice and e-receipt programme.
Suksit Suvunditkul, president of THA's southern chapter, said only a small number of hotels in Phuket would enrol in the programme as this scheme is for Thais.
He said the scheme is not suitable for the province as domestic guests account for only 5% of the total during the high season.
As many tourists already booked their trips for January and February, not many Thais are expected to decide to visit Phuket for this privilege, said Mr Suksit.
Domestic travel is projected to revive from Songkran in April as the low season draws more locals to visit the island as room prices dip, unlike in the high season when foreign arrivals dominate the market, he said.
Thanet Supornsahasrungsi, president of the Association of Chonb⁸uri Tourism Federation, said hotels have to pay a 25,000-baht entry fee to connect to the Revenue Department's online tax system.
Mr Thanet said the fee is viewed as too high for many independent hotels in Pattaya, discouraging them from enrolling in the programme, which ends on Feb 15.
He said only large hotels or those under international brands are likely to join the scheme.
As many business operators still prefer using paper invoices, the government should come up with a more attractive plan to encourage a shift to the e-receipt system, said Mr Thanet.