UK Govt proposal could be bad news for British tourists visiting Thailand

[webfact]

FILE PHOTO for reference only//Credit: Martyn Williams

 

Brits embarking on holidays to Thailand and other far flung destinations look set to be hit with higher taxes under new proposals outlined by the UK Government.

 

The Treasury has proposed an increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) for flights to long haul destinations such as Thailand, Australia, New  Zealand and Japan.

 

The increase would help to pay for a reduction in APD on domestic flights in the UK, as announced earlier this month by Boris Johnson, the Daily Mail reported.

 

Passengers flying from the UK to destinations beyond to 2,000 miles are currently hit with an  £80 per person surcharge. 

 

However, the new proposals are likely to see an increase in the number of distance bands, resulting in higher charges for longer flights.

 

The Treasury is said to be considering a return to a previously used surcharge structure that  used four distance bands: 0-2,000 miles; 2,000- 4,000 miles, 4,000-6,000 miles and 6,000 miles plus.

 

A return to this system, should it be approved, would likely see an increase in the amount of tax tourists travelling from the UK to Thailand would need to pay. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-03-24

 

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[Boomer6969]

Well, this makes perfect sense, for those who advocate protectionism.

[GeorgeCross]

another stopover in Amsterdam on the way back then heh heh.

 

 

[Guderian]

Expect more of this nonsense from many governments, but especially the British one, as we head towards the COP26 conference in Glasgow later in the year. 

[Albert Zweistein]

bad news for Thailand too.

[Jogger88]

5 hours ago, Guderian said:

Expect more of this nonsense from many governments, but especially the British one, as we head towards the COP26 conference in Glasgow later in the year. 

 

The climate alarmists will never give up, no matter how many times they are proved wrong.

 

https://cei.org/blog/wrong-again-50-years-of-failed-eco-pocalyptic-predictions/

[RichardColeman]

I cannot see this happening anytime soon. Firstly, there are not really any long haul flights in operation - or atleast enough to make a tax policy worthwhile. Secondly, the first priority is getting the aviation industry back on its feet and back to pre-covid levels - anything that would impact on it and people spending money will be put on the back burner for now, until things pick up, so next 2-3 year is probably out. Thirdly, this may impact on oncoming tourists in some way, and again this will effect the UK economy in rebound mode.

 

The whole long haul extra flight tax is daft in my opinion. Most people who have the money to holiday to Thailand or Australia will probably not give a hoot about an extra 20-30 quid on a flight anyway.

 

[Quickmill]

Does this news will change a bit the result of the poll that predict more than 6 million British tourists would to come to Thailand?

[MasterBaker]

maybe BREXIT wasn't such a good idea after all

[mtls2005]

No mention of the potential new fee for the Thailand "distance". We're told there is "pent-up demand" for travel so an increase from 60 80 pounds to what, 120, 150 probably won't be a huge barrier for quality tourists seeking sand, food and temples?

 

Potential increases in airfares (both demand/supply and variable costs like fuel) may end up shocking people and become a real barrier, especially if people see airfares 2X when compared to pre-COVID.

 

 

 

 

 

[Oxx]

8 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

an increase from 60 80 pounds to what, 120, 150 probably won't be a huge barrier for quality tourists

 

However, quality tourists aren't going to be travelling in Economy class.  The tax for them at the moment is £528.

[LazySlipper]

And the officials that come up with these schemes are elected officials?

Damn... England is becoming as bad as Canada... just a bit...

[Mr Meeseeks]

1 hour ago, mtls2005 said:

No mention of the potential new fee for the Thailand "distance". We're told there is "pent-up demand" for travel so an increase from 60 80 pounds to what, 120, 150 probably won't be a huge barrier for quality tourists seeking sand, food and temples?

 

Potential increases in airfares (both demand/supply and variable costs like fuel) may end up shocking people and become a real barrier, especially if people see airfares 2X when compared to pre-COVID.

 

 

 

 

 

Let's hope so, get international travel back to the late 90's early 00's levels and keep the uneducated louts in Malaga and Tenerife.

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, Boomer6969 said:

Well, this makes perfect sense, for those who advocate protectionism.

Well who'd have thought... protectionism working against Thailand for once.

[redwood1]

Good idea......Keep those routy Brits in Blackpool....lol

[redwood1]

I have not heard about any new taxes on yachts or private jets.....The elite seem to want to make it hard for the average guy to travel....

[shackleton]

If people are willing to pay for Quarantine when they arrive in Thailand plus the extra  costs 

Then a few extra pounds on future travel is not going to deter many from travelling to the land of smiles 

[patman30]

what they are proposing is just to get their foot in the door,
the vast majority of people do not take long haul flights,
those people will support this move as it does not affect them
and duty is also proposed to be lowered for domestic and short haul flights
so for the majority of people it seems like a win.
once it is established and put in place, they will then increase the duty easily
they will outprice most of the population from travel

[Nsp64]

Theres so many beautiful places in Uk, Europe too for that matter.

Thailand is too expensive now and polluted with very few smiles.

Give Europe a try, you'd be surprised how it stands up.

Not the benidorm of old.

 

[NoshowJones]

58 minutes ago, Nsp64 said:

Theres so many beautiful places in Uk, Europe too for that matter.

Thailand is too expensive now and polluted with very few smiles.

Give Europe a try, you'd be surprised how it stands up.

Not the benidorm of old.

 

"Theres so many beautiful places in Uk,".  Really! Even if there is, how many sunny days do you get in a year compared to other countries?

[condobrit001]

4 hours ago, Oxx said:

However, quality tourists aren't going to be travelling in Economy class.  The tax for them at the moment is £528.

Source please. ( I dreamt it does not count ).

[robblok]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

"Theres so many beautiful places in Uk,".  Really! Even if there is, how many sunny days do you get in a year compared to other countries?

That is why i dont like the UK as a holiday country, the weather is as crappy as my country. If i then have to choose I rather stay in my country then go to the UK. Better to be miserable at home then in an other country. I went to the UK on a holliday once when younger. We usually went to Spain and France and sometimes Germany. Dad wanted something else. Suffice to say that the weather was <deleted> and we never went there again. Though the environment and language were good.

 

Anyway the PM just wants people to stay in the UK and spend money there. Do your bit for the Brit economy and spend your holidays at home. 

[NoshowJones]

28 minutes ago, robblok said:

That is why i dont like the UK as a holiday country, the weather is as crappy as my country. If i then have to choose I rather stay in my country then go to the UK. Better to be miserable at home then in an other country. I went to the UK on a holliday once when younger. We usually went to Spain and France and sometimes Germany. Dad wanted something else. Suffice to say that the weather was <deleted> and we never went there again. Though the environment and language were good.

 

Anyway the PM just wants people to stay in the UK and spend money there. Do your bit for the Brit economy and spend your holidays at home. 

I do that every year but cannot this time, I think you know why.

[Burma Bill]

On 3/24/2021 at 2:10 PM, webfact said:

set to be hit with higher taxes

 Far less Brit bums on barstools?????

[DLock]

So they lose a few percent of the 6 million British tourists that "may" travel to Thailand this year...not a problem.

 

https://new.thaivisa.com/6-million-british-tourists-may-travel-to-thailand-in-2021-survey/

[trainman34014]

i think by the time a reset occurs with the Airlines humping up prices, hugely in some cases, the average Brit' holidaymaker just won't be coming this way, more likely staying internal for a year or two or heading for Southern European Beaches.  To be honest the prices in Thailand now are worse than in places elsewhere and there are less scams in most places then here.   'New Normal' for Thailand means a hell of a lot less Tourists.

[RichardColeman]

6 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Good idea......Keep those routy Brits in Blackpool....lol

Oi, I'm currently covid stuck in that pithole ! A year of fat women, weedheads, drunks, dog faeces, empty beer cans, fag ends, Cavemen IQ, refuse, thefts, beggars, urine smelling buildings and promenade, violence, Family day trippers to cash converters, McD wrapper snowfall........................Please , just get me out of here. Open the borders. Please.

[Oxx]

5 hours ago, condobrit001 said:

Source please. ( I dreamt it does not count ).

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

[meltonpie]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Oi, I'm currently covid stuck in that pithole ! A year of fat women, weedheads, drunks, dog faeces, empty beer cans, fag ends, Cavemen IQ, refuse, thefts, beggars, urine smelling buildings and promenade, violence, Family day trippers to cash converters, McD wrapper snowfall.....................

 

.........and you.

[AndyEast]

11 hours ago, MasterBaker said:

maybe BREXIT wasn't such a good idea after all

There's always some knobjockey around to throw a totally irrelevant Brexit comment into every post.