BANGKOK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Friday said his government would support economic growth and tourism and seek to build confidence, while pursuing a drive to turn the country into a regional travel hub.

Real estate mogul and political newcomer Srettha said his government was committed to achieving average annual growth of 5% over the next four years, during which there would be a substantial increase in the daily minimum wage.

Speaking at a seminar on 2025 fiscal budget preparation, Srettha, who is also finance minister, said the government was committed to boosting tourism, a key source of jobs and driver of growth, and making Thailand an Asian travel hub.

The country attracted close to 40 million visitors in pre-pandemic 2019.

His populist government's growth plans are centred largely on stimulus and attracting long-term investment and the 5% target is a sharp increase from sluggish growth last year estimated at 2.4% in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, short of the 2022 figure.

Srettha is forging ahead a controversial digital wallet handout programme, which involves a 500 billion baht ($14.3 billion) plan to transfer 10,000 baht ($285) to 50 million people this year to spend within six months to boost growth.

(Reporting by Orathai Sriring, Kitiphong Thaichareon, Satawasin Staporncharnchai and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor)