Thailand to introduce 300 baht ‘tourist fee’ from January

[sandhurstmolonski]

On 5/7/2021 at 6:39 PM, Captain Monday said:

Good. It should be around 300 baht per day though, and cover comprehensive accident insurance and environmental improvements to make Thailand the premier destination in Asia.

  Oh yeah ..stunning idea 

If you'd like to completely.destroy tourism in the Kingdom .

Right now ?.Needs to come from other end , they need absolutely EVERY dam person they can get .

 

Want to do blanket manditory full health insurance  ? Watch the numbers ,or lack there of ..

[mostcurious]

15 hours ago, Crok said:

I am off to Vietnam. Why come to Thailand?

Bangkok is just becoming another generic polluted city with western fast food outlets on every street corner. At least Vietnam has some culture.

[elliss]

On 5/7/2021 at 11:18 AM, KhunBENQ said:

Brilliant timing, really.

 

 

     This could be my last trip ,

      maybe my last trip ...

  

[blookhead57]

People here are saying that 300 batt will deter tourist from coming well I don’t believe that for a minute. The type of people that go to Thailand will just bite there lip and pay up. I mean would you say O it costs £7 (that’s about 2/3 lady drinks which is another scam and another story) more to go to Thailand so Ile go to Vietnam/Cambodia save the money. When air fair prices vary by more than this amount depending at what time you book and deals you can pick up. Don’t get me wrong I don’t support it; it’s just another scam to get Falangs money.

 

What I want to know is how will it be collected? Will it be in the ticket or added to the leaving tax (which is not noticed because it’s in the ticket) lining up to pay your 300 Batt will just create more time wasting and ques in the entry foyer. Just add it to the air ticket which has taxes already on it (just increase the tax no one will notice) or to the leaving tax. Over the course of things airport taxes, security taxes, VAT it’s just another inflationary charge which will be absorbed and not noticed.

[aboctok]

On 5/7/2021 at 6:39 PM, Captain Monday said:

Good. It should be around 300 baht per day though, and cover comprehensive accident insurance and environmental improvements to make Thailand the premier destination in Asia.

You mean like some kind of...

tourism...  hub?

[joika]

On 5/7/2021 at 6:43 AM, gearbox said:

It is just a money grab. They'll try to do everything to squeeze you, but you can squeeze back. Don't pay any tips in restaurants, massages, etc until the tips withheld reach 600 baht. If someone complains tell them to email Mr Phiphat about their "unforeseen problems or hardships".

 

 

Totally agree, one week or more with no tips on your visit to Thailand! There is already a ฿700 fee (maybe more now) included in your flight ticket. Punish the greed!

[kiwikeith]

On 5/7/2021 at 4:16 PM, ThailandRyan said:

Add this to the 300 baht fee already charged to assist with the medical funds that they put in place years ago.  Whose pocket will this now go into....always a grab for money.  Just call it a Visa on Arrival fee and then you can do with it whatever the hell you want....sheesh.  Timing is everything with the Tourism schemes and then Covid.....

 

"Mr Phiphat said there was still a chance the Phuket sandbox could go ahead but cases on the island would likely need to be zero and at least 70% of the island’s population would need to have received the vaccination".

.......So July 1 is out and maybe October, good to know Phipat.....

Many including myself have touted for an entry fee into Thailand, I even think that 2000 Bhat would be ok, that's a lousy 100 dollars NZ. 

It could be paid with your ticket purchase which then should have wording that you are covered for health insurance including covid. 

 

This is so simple, I think all countries should be planning a policy like this, it should give them plenty of excess cash, trouble is who is going to be the underwriters, they for certain will be scrapping over the loot, just as big pharma are holding up vaccine distribution, now fighting with the politicians over intellectual property rights, the politicians are only backing to support easing up on this for their own personal gain. 

 

Meanwhile the vaccine roll outs are a international shambles. 

Even the WHO have said politics have no place in this fight, and that the world should unite, all the vaccine producers should be working together to fight this. 

This is in the world's best interests, if we don't, Thailand and most likely most of the world will be in a state of havoc, disease and poverty for a few years to come. 

 

Then the big boys will clean up the scraps, purchase the airlines in mortgagee sales, along with just about everything else of value. 

The new world will emerge with every one vaccinated, all will require vaccine passports, that will have to be up to date with booster shots, if you want to travel. 

 

Big pharma will be cashing in on the pandemic for many years, and the lobbyists and obnoxious politicians that cling to them. 

[StayinThailand2much]

8 hours ago, blookhead57 said:

People here are saying that 300 batt will deter tourist from coming well I don’t believe that for a minute (...)

 

What I want to know is how will it be collected? Will it be in the ticket or added to the leaving tax (which is not noticed because it’s in the ticket) lining up to pay your 300 Batt will just create more time wasting and ques in the entry foyer (...)

 

I think, you answered your own question.

Not the extra 10 bucks will deter tourists (further) to come here, but Thai bureaucracy's incompetence. - Very likely they will ask arriving tourists to line up twice for an hour (behind 10 Chinese tour groups each time) to exchange money, and, again, to pay the money at a newly established counter to get a receipt, which they will have to show at passport control. 

 

Add that to quarantine, 100K Covid-insurance, overcharging, scams, etc., etc., and Suvarnabhumi is on it's way to become the "SEA Transit Hub with Few Actually Going to Thailand"...

[StayinThailand2much]

5 hours ago, joika said:

Totally agree, one week or more with no tips on your visit to Thailand! There is already a ฿700 fee (maybe more now) included in your flight ticket. Punish the greed!

 

I will regard the 300 baht as a 'donation for (the) airport taxi (mafia)'. 

 

Instead of 300-500 baht for a taxi into town, I will use public transportation options. Win-win...

[mikebell]

On 5/7/2021 at 11:36 AM, scorecard said:

In fact just who would Thai folks trust to hold these funds?

Anyone but a Thai.

[RR2020]

Just creating buckets of money that can be raided and siphoned off in the future into pockets my likely.............DISGUSTING !!

[Bezdomny]

How can 300 THB deter "wealthy" western tourists and high spending expats? Reading TV forum only they spend money here and 300THB fee will repel pesky Indians, Chinese or Russians. Win win situation.

[Eindhoven]

On 5/7/2021 at 4:39 AM, Pottinger said:

They just can't help themselves, the dears. Not only do they already stiff tourists for immigration and visa fees to the order of hundreds of millions of dollars per annum, but they want to add a blanket 300 Baht fee. Of this, the 34 Baht per tourist allocated to unpaid medical bills would generate 22m dollars if arrivals are 20m PAX in 2022, as projected. This is a handy 47% profit on the 448m Baht (15m dollars) stated above.  That is excluding the remaining 266 Baht of the 300, which will disappear who knows where.

 

In any other country the tourism authority offers incentives to visit their beautiful land.

Thailand, however, is it seems intent on sticking to the 'gouge' model of tourism. 

 

 

Remember that some of the ministries have been handed to 'business people'. Other ministries are making money. Health Ministry has their Cannabis.... erm... idea.  Amazing, Cannabis restaurants springing up, but why?? Seems a bit of a scam to me. Perhaps that's why they are always empty when I drive past. Perhaps there is more to them than meets the eye. Because otherwise I really cannot see the point of it. I understand hemp seeds can be used as a foodstuff; but are they making foodstuff out of hemp seeds? I have no idea as to what they are selling.

 

Tourism & Sports Ministry is in a bit of a bind; so has come up with this thing.

 

Can imagine Anutin and Pipat are competing to see who can come up with the biggest numbers.

Both from Bhumjaithai. Both 'business leaders'. So if they don't come up with the goods, the other side(I don't mean the opposition) will be criticising. Already see it in some some public spats between Anutin and the Big G.

[daejung]

On 5/8/2021 at 12:06 AM, kimamey said:

I'm in the UK right now and when I spoke to my wife today I mentioned this to her. I asked if she knew who the Tourism and Sports Minister was and she said no. I told her his name and she'd never heard of him. I showed her the picture and she didn't recognise him. Even I recognise his picture. He certainly seems to be low profile in Thailand.

In every country most people don't know the name of the ministers... most, but not all know the name of the prime minister only.

[daejung]

On 5/8/2021 at 5:42 AM, possum1931 said:

How much does it cost for the medical bills for Thai tourists in other countries? Or does that not matter?

In France anyone going to the hospital is not asked for an insurance if it's an emergency. A lot of foreigners don't pay hospital bills ...
More arabs and bulgarians with tuberculosis anyway, than thai people

[placeholder]

8 hours ago, Bezdomny said:

How can 300 THB deter "wealthy" western tourists and high spending expats? Reading TV forum only they spend money here and 300THB fee will repel pesky Indians, Chinese or Russians. Win win situation.

You started out sensibly but then you had to indulge in a nasty, gratuitous slap at Indians, Chinese and Russian. If they can afford air fare and hotels, it's obviously dubious that a 300 baht surcharge will deter the overwhelming majority of tourists. 

[daejung]

8 hours ago, Bezdomny said:

How can 300 THB deter "wealthy" western tourists and high spending expats? Reading TV forum only they spend money here and 300THB fee will repel pesky Indians, Chinese or Russians. Win win situation.

Not enough to repel them 555

[Isaan sailor]

46 minutes ago, placeholder said:

You started out sensibly but then you had to indulge in a nasty, gratuitous slap at Indians, Chinese and Russian. If they can afford air fare and hotels, it's obviously dubious that a 300 baht surcharge will deter the overwhelming majority of tourists. 

Not disputing your main point, but I seem to recall dozens of white busses filled with Chinese tourists who, upon departing would follow a plastic toy atop a stick.  Now those tourists may think twice about coming.

[cnx355]

How are they  going to proceed and exempt the expats arriving in Thailand.

 

It is going to be collected by airlines on the tickets of all non-Thai including expats on long term extensions.

 

 

Or like many countries, the tourist will have to pay online and show the receipt on arrival.

 

And if an expats has to pays the 300 B  and goes to the hospital I guess they will refuse payment as the expats is not a tourist.

 

What a can of worms

 

 

[DrMJA]

On 5/7/2021 at 1:03 PM, Orinoco said:

Ok,  now your done with the general population.

what about the government.

Same - Same, but different. 

[kimberizi]

This is an amazing development. There are no tourists in Thailand and the industry is decimated, what should we do. O I know we should charge all tourists an additional fee to just enter Thailand. The thinking behind this is devious no doubt. Along the lines of if we charge people to come to Thailand then people will start thinking that there must be something good here so they will come in droves. You have to read between the lines, so clever. Its a similar philosophy to Thai thinking about selling a house. If people show no interest in your house and nobody wants to buy it, the solution I often see is the Thai owner puts the price up. Now am I making sense

[kimberizi]

You know the fee will be collected in cash just like Cambodia and the money will be sent up the line and never accounted for. In Cambodia when you arrive and have to pay your 25 US dollars cash, they are honest enough to not even try to hide where the money is going. They are filling big plastic bags , then poof gone without a trace no doubt. 

[placeholder]

12 minutes ago, kimberizi said:

This is an amazing development. There are no tourists in Thailand and the industry is decimated, what should we do. O I know we should charge all tourists an additional fee to just enter Thailand. The thinking behind this is devious no doubt. Along the lines of if we charge people to come to Thailand then people will start thinking that there must be something good here so they will come in droves. You have to read between the lines, so clever. Its a similar philosophy to Thai thinking about selling a house. If people show no interest in your house and nobody wants to buy it, the solution I often see is the Thai owner puts the price up. Now am I making sense

If no one is buying your house that's probably because the asking price is too high. Do you think that the reason tourists aren't coming to Thailand is because of the expense?

[Janner1]

On 5/7/2021 at 1:15 PM, DaiHard said:

thought the 500 baht exit fee and the money added to your ticket price was for this.

Ssssshhuuusssshhh you must not say things like that you will offend the honest ministrations of this ultra honest government  ????

[Artisi]

Of course the leading question is, what tourists? 

[placeholder]

2 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Of course the leading question is, what tourists? 

From the way some people go on about the discouraging effect of the 300 baht surcharge, they probably think offering tourists 300 baht would be a huge incentive for them to come to Thailand.

[Jud Canada]

On 5/7/2021 at 11:36 AM, EricTh said:

 

 

Lol. Do you really believe that 300 baht will cover all medical fees?

 

When it is time, they will say it doesn't cover A, B, C,D etc. meaning you still have to pay.

 

A- surgery

B- professional doctor fees

C- chronic disease

 

The 300 baht will probably only cover minor illness like  food poisoning, sore throat, fever etc.

Unless I am interpreting the article incorrect, 300 baht fee is NOT to cover anything for you personally. What I believe their saying is that it is an upcharge, justified in their minds, due to the fact that many foreigners have skipped on their hospital bills. This is meant to off set those losses.

You can thank the foreign "scam bags" that do this.

 

[EricTh]

2 minutes ago, Jud Canada said:

Unless I am interpreting the article incorrect, 300 baht fee is NOT to cover anything for you personally. What I believe their saying is that it is an upcharge, justified in their minds, due to the fact that many foreigners have skipped on their hospital bills. This is meant to off set those losses.

You can thank the foreign "scam bags" that do this.

 

 

People might have the misunderstanding that the 300 baht insurance will cover all medical costs when they are in Thailand.

 

 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

7 hours ago, EricTh said:

 

People might have the misunderstanding that the 300 baht insurance will cover all medical costs when they are in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

Only the bills of the head honchos in this corrupt system.

 

Don't expect your payment receipt to be worth anything at a hospital in Thailand. All what's needed there is your golden credit card or a wad of cash...

[placeholder]

On 5/9/2021 at 8:38 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

 

I think, you answered your own question.

Not the extra 10 bucks will deter tourists (further) to come here, but Thai bureaucracy's incompetence. - Very likely they will ask arriving tourists to line up twice for an hour (behind 10 Chinese tour groups each time) to exchange money, and, again, to pay the money at a newly established counter to get a receipt, which they will have to show at passport control. 

 

Add that to quarantine, 100K Covid-insurance, overcharging, scams, etc., etc., and Suvarnabhumi is on it's way to become the "SEA Transit Hub with Few Actually Going to Thailand"...

How do you know it won't be included in the ticket price?