Exit Fee Proposed for Thais Traveling Abroad

Getting a bit desperate.

36 minutes ago, BrandonJT said:

There is an exit fee for everyone. Currently 730 baht added to the plane ticket. Set to increase to 1,120 in June this year. Which means if this ever went into effect, Thais would be paying over 2,000 baht just for the privilege of leaving their country.

Thai's do not pay the current exit fee.

Iv'e posted this so many times someone in the Government has a job to think of way's to Extract cash anyway they can. It appears now the Forighn fruit juice has finally run out so now they need to look at local growers.

great idea... foreigners also pay 1000 baht for a stamp to not lose their extension they already paid 1900 baht for.... or 3800 baht for a multiple...

so, good for you all thais feeling the same

4 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

?? who's the f-tard that keeps giving all the thumbs down ?

Lol, why worry about thumbs up or down.

3 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Thai's do not pay the current exit fee.

Oh yes they do.

So they are in panic mode because their proposed 'tax on farang income' has caused an exodus resulting in even less money coming in than before? I'm shocked, nobody saw that one coming!

What is these guys' IQ, seriously? Taxing their own people for the right to go abroad? I had to double-check the article's date to make sure it hadn't been published on April 1st.

4 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

Thai's do not pay the current exit fee.

It's part of EVERY plane ticket out of Thailand. Everyone pays it. The airline will not enforce fees that are only for some people and not for others. It's all or nothing. That's why this new Thai only fee will have to be paid at the airport by the Thai people, because the airline will not collect a fee that is only for some people. Also the reason they have been talking about the 300 baht "tourist arrival tax" for 5+ years and have not implemented it yet. The airlines will not collect it since it's only for tourists, and Thailand doesn't know how to collect it themselves.

14 hours ago, LukKrueng said:

We had this stupid tax over 30 years ago. Back then one had to buy this 1,000 THB voucher from the airline's city office, and then show it at check in. Can't remember if you gave the voucher at the check in counter or to the immigration officer at passport control.

I really hope they won't go ahead with it!!

Wasn’t it 500 baht. ?

On 4/27/2026 at 6:56 PM, soi3eddie said:

Will be interesting to see what Thai citizens say about this. Assume this in addition to the normal departure tax? As if international travel wasn't getting expensive enough. Smacks of deperation from Thai Gov as they realise they can't milk foreigners more than they are already. And, how exactly will they collect it differentiing ticket sales to Thais vs Foreigner?

It won't happen, at least not in the sense that all Thai nationals flying out of Thailand will have to pay this Thai tourist departure tax.

16 hours ago, NicoBKK said:

Such fee exist in The Philippines, something like 1500 to 2500 PHP depending upon flight class while it's free -or may be just reduced- for Overseas PH workers. It used to be paid at airports upon departure. Only for Filipino passports.

I'm pretty sure the Philippines departure tax that you refer to was stopped within the last few months.

23 hours ago, Enzian said:

It just gets more pathetic. They closed the Duty Free on Arrival shops at BKK to squeeze incoming. Plenty of other examples. Nickel and dime the world. Small minds.

When they start charging for the luggage carts as is done in Europe we will be reaching the limits.

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

When they start charging for the luggage carts as is done in Europe we will be reaching the limits.

On recent travels I didn't notice this. Which airports are you talking about?

4 minutes ago, stevenl said:

On recent travels I didn't notice this. Which airports are you talking about?

Manchester, Liverpool , Gatwick in UK for example.

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

When they start charging for the luggage carts as is done in Europe we will be reaching the limits.

And same in USA.

Why is the sole interest of government to squeeze the milk from tourists? Where is the investment in other industries? Where is the investment in people? Why has Thailand no Nobel Prizes? No innovations?

Because every government has no concept of investing in the future. Everything has to have a payback now, today, and preferably in cash.

8 hours ago, geisha said:

Wasn’t it 500 baht. ?

I'm pretty sure it was 1,000, however it was over 30 years ago so .....

17 hours ago, Luuk Chaai said:

?? who's the f-tard that keeps giving all the thumbs down ?

Why ask me?

13 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Manchester, Liverpool , Gatwick in UK for example.

Thanks. So possibly limited to the UK.

7 hours ago, stevenl said:

Thanks. So possibly limited to the UK.

No, USA and Germany that I have heard of. Likely more.

Everyone flying from the Uk (excluding Northern Ireland) to Thailand direct since 1993 has paid an exit tax in the form of Air Passenger Duty it gets loaded on to the ticket price

In 1993 it was £10 for long haul flights

Rates for flights starting in Northern Ireland

You do not pay duty on direct long-haul flights departing from airports in Northern Ireland. A flight is a ‘direct long-haul flight’ when:

• the passenger’s journey begins from an airport in Northern Ireland

• the first part of the journey is to a destination not in the UK or in band A

• that part of the journey is direct and does not connect elsewhere beforehand

From April 1, 2026, UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) on flights to Thailand—classed as a long-haul destination—increases to £106 for economy and up to £253 for premium cabins [1, 2, 3]. While mainly a UK tax, other European countries like Norway and the Netherlands have their own aviation levies

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-allowances-for-air-passenger-duty

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/03/23/flying-from-the-uk-is-about-to-get-more-expensive-particularly-if-youre-travelling-long-ha

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/04/06/why-are-we-taxed-to-fly-europes-aviation-levies-explained

Flying from Thailand to the UK via somewhere in Europe that doesn't have their own aviation exit taxes can reduce the UK exit tax to approx £15

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

No, USA and Germany that I have heard of. Likely more.

I didn't experience it in Germany. You mentioned Europe, so i fail to see the relevance of the USA here.

20 hours ago, stevenl said:

I didn't experience it in Germany. You mentioned Europe, so i fail to see the relevance of the USA here.

Frankfurt?

Someone else mentioned 'USA too'.

On 4/28/2026 at 8:19 AM, giants49 said:

That might be the stupidest proposal they've ever made. You have to pay to leave???

Seem to remember it was commonplace many year ago. In Manila as a youngster, I queued ages for check-in, was then sent to a kiosk to pay departure tax before they would check me in, there of course I had to queue.. there also some issue of the currency I could use. Then back to checkin. Passenger's time was of no consequence, as it is nowadays. Got to collect those shekels.