Let’s see, 1,237 tourist expected in January but somehow 10 million more to come in the next 11 months?  Not a chance, who comes up with these numbers...

9 hours ago, Soikhaonoiken said:

It will start off at 300B, then once tourism starts to increase they will increase the fee, and I can see that a 1,000B  would be charged,, they still believe that tourists are queing up to visit Thailand, how wrong are they. 

This is all in line with their usual cargo-cultism-it extends from the bottom to the top and all the way back down again..

 

..and they never seem to have been hit on the head by a can of falling spam....

 

Those "farang" TVF posters who agree with  this measure (very few, thank goodness) have rocks in their heads.

What an excellent timing ! NOT ! They are pushing the potential tourists away in stead of attracting them. Idiots ! 

Impressive.

Tourists? Will it apply to those who have retirement visas, work permits etc.? I should be very surprised if it did not.

 

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The constant repetition of insulting state sponsored schemes to rid tourists of money just becomes tiresome.

 

Thailand is seriously hurting due to the absence of international tourist yet complete imbeciles are still trying to figure out ways to scheme more money from the very people it wants to attract. 

 

So often I’m astonished by the outrageously flawed mindset of those in positions who come up with this stuff. 

 

When I read news such as this I draw the opinion that Thailand doesn’t deserve tourists, but sadly it is the general population who would be hurt, while those in positions of power dream up more schemes from which to graft and skim funds.

300 THB is nothing to talk about compared to 70,000 + x,000 THB for hotel quarantine and Covid19 health insurance

"...as well as insurance for foreign tourists during their stay."

 

What kind of insurance?

If the 300 baht entrance-fee really had included a full sickness/accident/hospital insurance, I would have been more than happy to pay it,

that would have saved me a lot of money as I now pay almost 10000 baht for the travel-insurance from my country! ????

10 hours ago, 473geo said:

I'm far from a rich man but 300 baht is not going to have an effect on me, however there will be a cumulative benefit for Thailand

 

I don't begrudge 300 baht in these hard times

Added to the 800 they already get, baggage fees in the taxis 10 x the fees charged to Thais. It all adds up 

So this is US$1 billion based on their projection of 10m tourists. We all know what is going to happen.  A miniscule proportion will be used for things that might possibly of direct benefit to tourists. The vast majority will be allocated to extremely vague projects under the label of "tourism development" which will be easy for to skim massively.

 

Corruption has always been present in Thailand but it seems to have become far better organised on a centralised top down basis over the last 6 years. The old style of fragmented politics prior the Thaksin/military systems of government were at least a mild check on corruption as politicians had less time to build out their tentacles for gathering cash from all over the country.  But the confidence of expecting to be in power indefinitely has changed that.

300 thb  to visit ghost towns great value !

10 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

The constant repetition of insulting state sponsored schemes to rid tourists of money just becomes tiresome.

 

Thailand is seriously hurting due to the absence of international tourist yet complete imbeciles are still trying to figure out ways to scheme more money from the very people it wants to attract. 

 

So often I’m astonished by the outrageously flawed mindset of those in positions who come up with this stuff. 

 

When I read news such as this I draw the opinion that Thailand doesn’t deserve tourists, but sadly it is the general population who would be hurt, while those in positions of power dream up more schemes from which to graft and skim funds.

The unelected "PM" and his tinpot army should keep there money making schemes for their barracks and parade grounds, they just don't have the brains, their Military Academy educations are useless for trying to run a country.

10 hours ago, 473geo said:

I'm far from a rich man but 300 baht is not going to have an effect on me, however there will be a cumulative benefit for Thailand

 

I don't begrudge 300 baht in these hard times

 

I think you have missed the point.  The government is collecting 7% VAT on everything you spend. From the first B4,287 you spend in the country, they have already collected their B300 and that money goes into the pockets of Thais who are going to spend it and generate more tax income. They should just be encouraging more tourists and offer them good quality products and services they want to spend money on, not the usual scams and dual pricing that discourage people from coming.

 

This is pure greed from politicians who invested money to get into power and now want a quick return through easy to scam tourism development programs funded by the tourists themselves.

11 hours ago, webfact said:

The money collected will go to the tourism promotion fund

Go tell it on the mountain..........

10 hours ago, 473geo said:

I'm far from a rich man but 300 baht is not going to have an effect on me, however there will be a cumulative benefit for Thailand

 

I don't begrudge 300 baht in these hard times

You think the 300 will go anywhere other than already wealthy bureaucrats pockets? Deluded.

6 hours ago, Salerno said:

 

When Thai bashing always good to at least try to get your "facts" right. An "entry" fee by another name ...

 

https://www.insider.com/countries-that-require-a-tourist-tax-2019-2

Exactly...Another name for a tourist entry fee is is visa on arrival fee which a lot of countries make you pay if you want to enter, Lao, Cambodia, Vietnam come to mind.... This is no different just different wording.

never underestimate the greed of Thais ????

 

always come up with creative ideas to take THB out of the foreigner ????

 

it's a national past time ????

300thb isn't alot really but you just know this money is going to pad the accounts of management and not actually do alot for the thai people, also "insurance" for foreigners ? Why? just make it law that any tourist that comes to thailand needs to have travel insurance? A good way to attract tourists is to ban price gouging and stop calling us dirty farangs 

9 hours ago, MaiDong said:

 

I've got an idea: Don't charge foreign tourists B300 on entry, B500 on exit(by proxy, in flight charges), don't charge fees for tourist visas, then publicly announce these changes.

 

There you go, tourism sorted. People will want to come, instead of feeling like money-machines for the greedy.

The unelected "PM" and his other generals would not have the brains to think of anything like that. Besides, they don't really want tourists anyway, they have proved that since they bullied their way in to power in 2014.

There goes Thailand off the list....pay money to spend money....er no thanks plenty of other places to see....!! lolol

8 hours ago, bear9 said:

 

Absolutely ridiculous it already costs an arm and a leg to get back along with all the complicated requirements for entry. Now they want to annoy people by adding a 300 baht entry fee?

 

A holiday in Jamaica, The Maldives or even Dubai sounds much more appealing right now were all they require is a negative test result.

 

With the crazy entry requirements Thailand should be trying to come up with ways to encourage people to go through all these hoops to get here instead they added stupid fees and put people off.

Typical thinking of a tinpot soldier "PM" and his generals.

I don't think that any of us really care about having to pay an extra 300 baht.

But why does this bananarepublic feel the need to announce that this money will go towards - quote:

 

The money collected will go to the tourism promotion fund.

Phipat said the fee would help fund management and development of Thai tourism, as well as insurance for foreign tourists during their stay.

 

Getting robbed of 300 baht is not all that bad, but the thief justifying the theft with some dreamed up nonsense, that's really too much.

7 hours ago, Peterw42 said:

 

Maybe you didnt read the OP

 

"Phipat said the fee would help fund management and development of Thai tourism, as well as insurance for foreign tourists during their stay."

I believe that it will go partially towards unpaid medical bills  rather than a direct insura nice which IMHO would be a better direction.

Here we go again, both feet this time on full auto !   For Gods sake please take the gun off these lot before they go through the floor, both feet have gone already........   I tell you what though they brighten my day up every time i see a post like this...... Not a scooby doo ! 

Will those with Work visas be classed as tourists?  Marriage visas?  Retirement visas?

 

PH

1 hour ago, Dogmatix said:

 

I think you have missed the point.  The government is collecting 7% VAT on everything you spend. From the first B4,287 you spend in the country, they have already collected their B300 and that money goes into the pockets of Thais who are going to spend it and generate more tax income. They should just be encouraging more tourists and offer them good quality products and services they want to spend money on, not the usual scams and dual pricing that discourage people from coming.

 

This is pure greed from politicians who invested money to get into power and now want a quick return through easy to scam tourism development programs funded by the tourists themselves.

I think you should check how much % VAT/GST is collected by governments other in other countries on the tourist dollar, but you don't want to go there, why? too expensive?

10.000.000 tourist this year?  Yeah right !  What a joke.  Europe will be busy until october this year with vaccinating. And why do they reserve money for farang insurance? I can't even get a visa or enter the country without showing my health and travel insurance. And believe me this will not change in the future. This is more again tourist bashing. I wonder in which pocket that money will land?

so people who have insurance have to pay for others who don't...another scam

1 minute ago, Lingba said:

so people who have insurance have to pay for others who don't...another scam

You can not enter the kingdom without insurance ! So this is 100% BS!

 

As things go, it’s not too bad. Turkey used to be a crisp £10 note in the passport. Now, they collect it electronically. Going across the border is similar.

7 minutes ago, Lingba said:

so people who have insurance have to pay for others who don't...another scam

Just look at it as a kind of Tourist advance go fund me ????