While there were heavy bookings for April under the government's domestic hotel travel scheme, the number of outbound tourists during the Songkran holiday period remains low.

The Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) said the subsidy scheme aimed to stimulate domestic travel during the Songkran holiday.

Outbound tourism during April -- the peak season -- would be more sluggish than usual because of high travel costs, mainly due to expensive airfares, said the association.

The recovery rate for Thailand's outbound market in April was just 30% of the corresponding period prior to Covid-19, with the prices of tour packages remaining 30% higher than normal.

For example, tour packages to Europe currently cost around 90,000-100,000 baht, compared to 60,000-70,000 baht prior to 2020, the association said.

Nearby destinations in Southeast Asia, such as Laos or Vietnam, had attracted more large tour groups, thanks to their affordable prices of around 10,000 to 20,000 baht.

Meanwhile, South Korea, one of the most popular outbound destinations, still requires visitors to complete a K-ETA application, which has discouraged some tourists, it said.