Thailand will close all duty-free shops in the arrival areas of international airports to encourage more spending by visitors in domestic stores.
The news was announced by Thailand’s Cabinet earlier this month, and reported by local publications The Nation and Bangkok Post.
Duty-free shopping will be scrapped from Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Hat Yai, U-Tapao, Samui and Krabi airports. A timeline for the closure has not been set.
The three operators that run the duty-free stores at arrival zones inside these airports logged roughly THB3bn (R1,5bn) in combined sales last year. The three companies have agreed to the closure, according to the Thai government.
The decision to close the airport stores is intended to turn the cities and towns of Thailand into shopping hubs for international tourists and to stimulate the economy.
The closure of the arrivals duty-free shops is projected to increase tourists' spending in local shops by an average of THB570 (R285) per person per trip.
