Bank of Thailand launches green hotel loan push amid sustainability shift
Phuket, one of Thailand's leading tourism destinations, was selected as the launch site due to strong engagement from local hotel operators and its strategic role as a tourism hub.
The Bank of Thailand has launched a Green Solutions for Hotels programme to help the sector shift toward sustainability, with implications for operators in Phuket and across the country. The initiative, unveiled last month and reported on May 4, 2026, is intended to strengthen hotel competitiveness as tourism businesses face mounting economic pressure and rising environmental requirements.
European standards add pressure on hotel operators
Deputy governor Roong Mallikamas said the programme is part of a broader effort to address structural weaknesses in the economy while preparing for future uncertainty. She cited low growth, high inequality, concentrated economic activity and persistently high household debt, alongside external strain from higher US tariffs last year and geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
Those pressures have pushed up energy costs and disrupted global supply chains, increasing the case for better energy efficiency and wider use of renewable power. Roong said expectations from visitors, multinational partners and regulators are tightening, especially in Europe, where sustainability disclosure rules are becoming more stringent.
Hotels tied to European supply chains or marketing platforms are expected to face tougher reporting demands in coming years. They may also need to meet international benchmarks including the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, or GSTC, and Green Hotel Plus.
Krungsri offers loans up to 150 million baht
The central bank is advancing the initiative with financial institutions and private sector partners through the Joint Standing Committee on Commerce, Industry and Banking under the Reinvent Thailand agenda. That plan covers six priority sectors and their supply chains, including tourism.
Krungsri, formally Bank of Ayudhya, is offering sustainable hotel loans under the programme at fixed interest rates of 3.5% to 5% for the first two years. The loans provide financing of up to 150 million baht with terms of up to 10 years.
Hotels certified under Green Hotel Plus can receive an additional 0.25% interest rate discount from a starting rate of 3.5%.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/sustainability/3249149/nudging-hotels-to-join-the-green-transition
