Thailand is preparing to increase its foreign tourist entry fee from the initially proposed 300 baht to 450 baht per person, with implementation now targeted for early 2027 rather than late 2026. The proposed charge would initially apply to travellers arriving by air, Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said. The government is considering collecting it through airline tickets, a mobile app or airport kiosks. The fee is not yet approved. A 30-day public consultation is due to take place before the proposal is submitted to the National Tourism Policy Committee and then to Cabinet. Consultation and approval still ahead The government says part of the money raised would go towards tourist insurance and a tourism development fund. However, details of the insurance cover, including what it would include and how travellers would claim, have not been set out. Nor has the government announced precisely how the collection system would operate for passengers buying tickets overseas or arriving on different types of air service. Thailand Travel Plus planned for October Separately, the government is seeking to introduce a programme called Thailand Travel Plus in October. The scheme would provide 5 million entitlements and a 1,000-baht digital coupon that could be spent at restaurants and other service businesses. It is intended to support tourism-related spending, although the government has not yet detailed who would be eligible for the coupons or how they would be issued and redeemed. The government is still deciding how Thailand Travel Plus will be funded. Officials are considering using either remaining loans or money from the 2027 budget. Both initiatives remain subject to further government decisions, with the tourist fee facing the formal consultation and approval process and the coupon scheme's funding still unresolved. Related story Thailand-plans-3000-baht-hotel-subsidy-from-October Join the discussion? 15 August 2026
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