Thailand to introduce 500 baht tourist entry fee from Jan 1st

[khunpa]

Next is lady drinks and bar fines… when business is down raise the prices. Just Thai-logic.

[Bkk Brian]

Yea right..............

 

He said the fund isn’t intended to remediate financial losses suffered due to the pandemic, but rather to support long-term, local economic growth.

"The additional cost won't have an impact on tourists, as we want to focus on the quality market," said Mr. Yuthasak.

 

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/impacting-travel/thailand-to-impose-new-tourist-tax-next-year.html

[Guderian]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The cabinet will meet to decide the finer details of who should benefit. 

Ugh, no prizes for guessing who will be on that list!

Anutin's billion-dollar construction business must have been hard hit by Covid so it will be due a wodge.

Then I'm sure that Loong Prayut must have a small restaurant somwhere that's been hurt and is in desperate need of 100 million Baht or so.

Pipat's entire job is about tourism, the poor soul must be traumatised and is surely deserving of a few tens of millions.

[Fill in your worthy contenders for the prize money here, lol]

[bkkcanuck8]

1 minute ago, Boarn said:

It that's the case then the title is misleading. 

Headlines are often misleading...  It is unlikely to affect who buys tickets as a tourist to enter Thailand, but there would likely be an effect on locals doing regional trips... The $42 visa charge for Laos (Laos charges Canadians the most), is one reason I am unlikely to make any short trips across the border... yes... it does have an effect, but most people buying airline tickets from afar won't see enough of an impact (less of an impact than the normal fluctuation in price)... to even bother to notice or care about it. 

[Cherrytreeview]

16 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

In the grand scheme of things no one is going to worry about an extra 500 baht to travel. Many countries already charge a fee to enter and some also have a tourist tax added to their stay. 

There's always one.

It's just it's always the same one apologising and making excuses for the Thai government now having to tax tourists for there own incompetence.

If this was a 1000 baht surcharge to cover automatic covid health insurance then, for the sake of simplicity, everyone would applaud it.

As @Bkk Brian has pointed out, the contradiction of Thailand wanting tourists back with the one hand, but putting the other in their pockets, has not gone unnoticed.

[Dante99]

500 is a minor irritation, they should go for 1,500 or 2,000 and really <deleted> some people off.

 

And in February Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and India will impose similar fees on Thais entering their country.  Let the entry fee wars begin.

[Zikomat]

Make them pay on the exit too. And why only 500? Farang have money mak mak, 5000 should be OK.

 

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by Zikomat

[Doctor Tom]

4 minutes ago, Zikomat said:

Make them pay on the exit too. And why only 500? Farang have money mak mak, 5000 should be OK.

 

 

A silly idea, tourism is a competitive game, make it expensive and you take yourself out of the holiday market for many thousand of visitors. 

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, Emdog said:

Similar to paying a bar fine at entrance  before seeing what is available....

More and more, Thailand as a travel destination, feels like one of those former upstairs ripp-off bars on Patpong...

[bendejo]

Haven't tried lately but for years the entry fee when coming in via Sadao by minibus from Malaysia was 50 baht.  Never got a receipt for it  ????

 

One time got a cheap Air Asia rt KL-Siem Reap.  The entry to Cambodia cost more than the rt ticket.  The exit fee as well cost more than the rt tic.  Welcome to SEA.

 

 

[bendejo]

8 minutes ago, Zikomat said:

Make them pay on the exit too. 

sssshhhhhh.....................

 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

55 minutes ago, AwwYesNice1 said:

Like the 500 baht exit tax at Don Muang and all the backpackers who spent all their last baht before hitting that booth (at one time that was me).

Happened to me too the first time. Spent my last baht, then had to buy again, at airport exchange rates.

[473geo]

No surprise, the mechanics of funding the country germinate the methodology. 

Its a valid charge as infrastructure improvements which benefit tourists do cost millions

Of course 500 baht maybe a step too far for some, the price of a beer or three a reason not to holiday in Thailand, just who these paupers are will no doubt become clear.

Might I suggest just a handful of miserable people who put principle before common sense 

 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

5 minutes ago, bendejo said:

Haven't tried lately but for years the entry fee when coming in via Sadao by minibus from Malaysia was 50 baht.  Never got a receipt for it  ????

 

One time got a cheap Air Asia rt KL-Siem Reap.  The entry to Cambodia cost more than the rt ticket.  The exit fee as well cost more than the rt tic.  Welcome to SEA.

 

 

Yeah, all the "hidden fees" when travelling in SEA... Learnt the hard way to always have small-denominated banknotes on me, cause, for some odd reason, they often can't give change.

[mancub]

27 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Yes in a positive way as “The money will be a fund to bail out tourism businesses hit by the pandemic. “

Tell that to those budget airlines who've been opposing this money-spinning "scheme" since before Covid times 

[ikke1959]

An entrance fee to visit the land of scam.. As this week already the court approved the double pricing, the charge for a CoE , an expensive travel insurance, some Covid tests and a probably quarantine hotel, because nobody knows if there is no quarantine anymore in January. If you are at last allowed to visit the place you want you have to pay a lot more for the same attraction than a Thai, even the taxis will rip you off.  And than all the restrictions on alcohol and so.........Thailand is really putting an effort to get tourists back..... but some other countries will be better to visit I think

Edited October 5, 2021 by ikke1959

[fondue zoo]

Have any other countries on the same level as Thailand announced something like this recently?

[Orinoco]

Thailand showing it's love for all others again. !!!!!!!!!! LOL.

TIT.

 

Ps, 500 baht extra in 2023 to cover hospital bills 

for foreigners doing a runner and not paying the bill.

TIT

 

[Misterwhisper]

When even a 2-year-old foreign toddler is going to be fleeced for an additional 500 baht "entry fee", you finally understand what TAT meant with its recently announced new slogan:

 

"Visit Thailand 2022, Now Even More Amazing Thailand Has It All"

[JonnyF]

Given there are so many unofficial ripoffs in LOS, it's good to see more official, state sanctioned ripoffs to even things up a bit.

 

Seriously though, I do question the timing. They should be begging people to come, not taxing them to do so.

[ThailandRyan]

53 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Yes in a positive way as “The money will be a fund to bail out tourism businesses hit by the pandemic. “

One can only hope your view is correct, but then TIT, and I have never seen or observed anything collected to be truly rolled downward to where it makes a big difference.

[Cake Monster]

1 hour ago, ThailandRyan said:

Does this mean even Thais who reside elsewhere but come back as tourists to visit family?

No ! The wording specifically says the charge is for " Foreign Tourists "

Or at least thats how I have read it.

In most other Countries you pay for these kind of things within the cost of your Air Ticket Etc

[bendejo]

58 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

Yes in a positive way as “The money will be a fund to bail out tourism businesses hit by the pandemic. “

I do hope you are being sarcastic.

 

 

[Kadilo]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

One can only hope your view is correct, but then TIT, and I have never seen or observed anything collected to be truly rolled downward to where it makes a big difference.

 The fact that you personally have neither seen or observed anything doesnt exactly mean it hasnt happened. 

[sanuk711]

8 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

Have any other countries on the same level as Thailand announced something like this recently?

No --most have had it in place for some years ...Vietnam $25---Laos--$52--- Cambodia fee is all wrapped up in the Covid Fee Of $3,000--Philippines--around $37

Indonesia $35

[Kadilo]

Just now, bendejo said:

I do hope you are being sarcastic.

 

 

 No as that may upset people. ????
 

I was quoting the OP in case you hadn’t read it. 

[ThailandRyan]

10 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

 The fact that you personally have neither seen or observed anything doesnt exactly mean it hasnt happened. 

Are you even in the country Sir.  I donate weekly to many families who have applied and been denied by this Government, and know a few business owners that have also been denied.  The unpaid medical bills that the hospitals have from foreigners has not been paid by funds collected by the government either.  Tell me more

[Kadilo]

1 minute ago, ThailandRyan said:

Are you even in the country Sir.  I donate weekly to many families who have applied and been denied by this Government, and know a few business owners that have also been denied.  The unpaid medical bills that the hospitals have from foreigners has not been paid by funds collected by the government either.  Tell me more

Yes we are truly blessed that you have so much inside information whether it be in business or hospitals along with being a Covid expert. 
 

 Nice gesture to donate to the needy. Many more should do, many already do, but do so in silence. 

 

 

 

 

[aussiexpat]

Aren't we already paying 700 baht to exit Thailand for the same reason (departure tax on ticket)

 

So that's 1200 baht per visitor, or 1.2 billion baht if 1 million visitors come as indicated in the OP

 

Add on the mandatory covid insurance at maybe 5,000 Baht per visitor and that's another 5 billion baht for the supposed 1 m visitors....way to go Thailand, keep biting the hand that feeds you

 

Edited October 5, 2021 by aussiexpat

[DaveSamutP]

They are about as thick as it gets. If you're going to introduce new fees like this, just do it quietly.