Thai government pushes ahead with international tourist tax, 300 baht per visitor begins in April

[Lingba]

so will this the recent required insurance evryone is forced to get?

[Jack West Jr]

I am just listening to Randy Newman's brilliant song "It's Money that I Love" . It sums up the attitude of the Thai elite and tinpot general-cum- PM Prayuth to a T . Skip Thailand and teach 'em a lesson !

[sanuk711]

8 minutes ago, bristolgeoff said:

Allready a tax on the the ticket,I remember when u paid before u left to return home.500 baht in and thru to passport control.now it is raised again

Cost up to $us45 to walk across the border into Laos....... depending on your passport,  People from Oz used to get it the cheapest.  (I think they built the bridge)

----------------------------

 

The Laos visa fee is USD 30 to USD 45, depending on your nationality.

Proof you have sufficient funds to cover the duration of your stay in Laos.

A confirmed return ticket or onward travel ticket....WIKI.....

[animatic]

TAT Spokes Numpty ;

Open mouth

insert both feet

shoot from the hip

shoot both feet

and blow head clean off

in one move.

 

Send out next Numpty to retract.

[Chiang Mai Will]

"The government said the fund will develop local tourism destinations and provide visitors who fall sick with adequate medical care including insurance benefits."

 

I expect "developing tourism" will help to clear up piles of the locals' discarded rubbish from the streets and on any land they can find? Or perhaps they will spend it on "tourist lessons" informing locals that they depend on tourism and should keep their resorts clean and tidy? It's all "rubbish"!

 

The pittance left in the "pot" to pay for medical insurance will be added to the already "existing medical levy" -- it's all "rubbish" as all they need to do is to ensure every non-Thai arrival has adequate medical insurance for their proposed length of stay!

[sandyf]

37 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

[Bearing in mind that tickets into Heathrow are among the cheapest in the world]. On your chart where’s the air passenger duty into Thailand? Every state taxes inbound passengers. This latest extra charge is just a money grab in the guise of an ‘insurance’. 

Every country has a Passenger Service Charge and for Thailand it is 700 baht.

Air Passenger Duty is a tax unique to the UK over and above the PSC.

If Thailand increases the PSC to 1000 baht it will still only be a third of the PSC for the UK.

When it comes to a "money grab", APD is way out in front.

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, stigar said:

And there is no ATM before immigration.

That is so, but if my memory is correct from pre-Covid-19 days, in Don Mueang International Airport Arrivals (DMK) there are Foreign Currency Exchange booths before Immigration. I used to change the currency in my pocket from the country I had been visiting, for example Cambodia, back into Thai baht before progressing to the Air Asia Domestic transit desk and then Immigration.

[Bkk Brian]

46 minutes ago, Cherrytreeview said:

Simple answer for you, don't come back to the UK.

You'll not be needing those Astra Zeneca jabs that UK taxes help fund either. You know the non-profit ones that where distributed globally and put in your ungrateful arm.

Didn't hear you whingeing then about the UK.

At least the UK uses taxes for things like furlough schemes to ensure record low unemployment.

Thailand just lines the pockets of it's Hi So's and let's UK farangs feed it's citizens.

 

 

Brit bashing at its finest from him, nothing surprising despite this being about Thailand and not the UK

[welshissan]

26 minutes ago, thaitom said:

What ? in Chiang mai there is a currency exchange booth at the end of the escalator right after you walk off your plane before you give the "man" your passport and get stamped.  so yes, you can get the money needed.

So where do you fly into Chiang Mai from, China? If from most other countries you fly into Bangkok first and then fly to Chiang Mai !

[pops1]

Oh, you want to spend your hard earned money in our country and help our economy grow. Thanks, but I'm afraid you need to pay a tax for that????????????????

[pops1]

Oh, you want to spend your hard earned money in our country and help our economy grow. Thanks, but I'm afraid you need to pay a tax for that????????????????

[koratkarlos]

300 x 0 equals zero.  The focus here is wrong.  They should make Thailand a happy, welcoming place.

[Captain Monday]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

Remind us, how much tax is there currently on a ticket into Heathrow,  or do  you believe international visitors have a one way ticket.

 

This is what it was 5 years ago for Heathrow.

It is a warped mentality that thinks Thailand should be free and other countries charge what they want.

 

Government, authority and airport charges	Per adult
E7AD	THB 35.00
E7AP	THB 35.00
Passenger Service Charge (Domestic) - Thailand	THB 700.00
Air Passenger Duty - United Kingdom	THB 3,425.00
Passenger Service Charge - United Kingdom	THB 3,010.00
Total government, authority and airport charges* > More information	THB 7,205.00

nmenthority and airport charges

 

I have heard of airline staff travelling standby taking a train to Paris to avoid UK APD,.

If they are lucky to get Business class, the APD is doubled! Or flying home from Belfast, with none.

 

Now I read it is 5 quid to drop somebody off at Heathrow?

[RayC]

Like governments all over the world, the Thai government needs to raise revenue to off-set the costs of the pandemic. From their perspective, this tax makes a lot of sense. It has the potential to raise a significant sum of money and has little, if any, effect upon the electorate. I doubt that there will be many well attended 'Smash the Tourist arrival tax' demonstrations organised.

[Chivas]

Cant really see 300 Baht (so around £7) being added to the ticket price becoming a barrier to visitors

 

Obviously absorbed within the ticket price, added to the 700 Baht departure tax that the vast majority didnt actually realise was there anyway as time as gone by these last years...

 

Pretty much a non event I'd dare to suggest

[Dialemco]

Good news end of compulsory Covid insurance presume everyone will pay including Thai's but how will this be collected at land borders?

[Dazauz]

Oh yeah right it for those who don't have enough insurance, what bs. It's impossible since covid because we have to have complete cover to get into Thailand. 

[Cake Monster]

Thailand has got it all wrong again as usual.

They are supposed to be offering more Bang for the Buck to attract more Tourists.

Not More Buck for the Bang

Value added Thailand - Not !

[Captain Monday]

12 minutes ago, Dazauz said:

Oh yeah right it for those who don't have enough insurance, what bs. It's impossible since covid because we have to have complete cover to get into Thailand. 

Hopefully the nonsense insurance requirement can be repealed.  $50,000 USD minimum, that usually does not cover quarentine  for non-medical reasons as required by Dr. Forehead and his supplicant devotees in the Thai government.

[Peterphuket]

3 hours ago, calbts2 said:

In all my years here I don't think I have ever seen a short period(the last month or so)  where an inept government is making one decision after another to dissuade tourists from visiting the country.

Because the Thai government including the own people are still thinking all the foreigners are rich and we the Thai people are poor.

Its a matter of thinking, nobody can change.

[Burma Bill]

40 minutes ago, welshissan said:

So where do you fly into Chiang Mai from, China?

Back in pre-Covid-19 days, not only China but direct flights from Laos, Burma (Myanmar) and Singapore.

[zzaa09]

25 minutes ago, Chivas said:

Cant really see 300 Baht (so around £7) being added to the ticket price becoming a barrier to visitors

 

Obviously absorbed within the ticket price, added to the 700 Baht departure tax that the vast majority didnt actually realise was there anyway as time as gone by these last years...

 

Pretty much a non event I'd dare to suggest

Yet, many will use most any trivial excuse to justify their ongoing and petty whinging.

[terryofcrete]

3 hours ago, stigar said:

Rigth.Same beer prices in a pub/bar.

Rumour has it that it's the same with the ladies .... no customers ? ...increase the fees ! ... only rumours ..  I wouldn't know of course !

[chrissables]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Thought they'd upped it to 500bht?

 

500 was brought in years ago, so now it is 800 it seems.

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, stigar said:

And there is no ATM before immigration.

"will you take a check?"

[ezzra]

With the poor tourist numbers coming in i think the Thai government should PAY THE TOURIST 300 baht and not the other way around, and beside, what are they really going to do with the paltry amount they're going to collect given the poor incoming numbers? not much really...

[chiman]

Doesn't matter, nobody is coming ATM and nobody will notice when they do... its all baked into the airfare - hippy isn't going to skip TH because his flight went from 800 to 810 USD 

[Jonathan Swift]

3 hours ago, calbts2 said:

In all my years here I don't think I have ever seen a short period(the last month or so)  where an inept government is making one decision after another to dissuade tourists from visiting the country.

What you said LITERALLY is that you've never seen the government dissuade tourists. I'm sure you meant: "In all my years here I don't think I have ever seen a short period(the last month or so)  where an inept government ISN'T making one decision after another to dissuade tourists from visiting the country."

[Chelseafan]

Jeez, who cares, if you can't afford an extra £6.50ish to come to Thailand then don't bother coming at all. 

[anchadian]

According to the BP, the 300 baht would be used to cover accident or death insurance for all tourists.