Thailand’s new entry fee – boon or bust for tourism?

[webfact]

Thailand’s entry fee will be imposed on every foreigner landing on Thai soil, including expats and migrant workers. However, it will be waived for foreign workers who have to cross the border daily. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)

 

By Thai PBS World’s Business Desk

 

While the Land of Smiles will be just as welcoming, from April it will also be charging every foreigner an entry fee of Bt300 if the government’s plan goes ahead. The government claims to have solid reasons for the move and expects tourism to start booming again once COVID-19 subsides.

 

The ins and outs of entry fees

 

Officials say the fee will be imposed on every foreigner landing on Thai soil, including expats and migrant workers. However, it will be waived for foreign workers who have to cross the border daily.

 

While Thailand has never charged an entry fee before, many other nations have. Bhutan, for instance, charges most foreigners US$65, while Japan, Malaysia, the US, and many European nations each impose the fee in different ways.

 

Full story:: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thailands-new-entry-fee-boon-or-bust-for-tourism/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2022-01-18

 

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[RandiRona]

It wont impact much, mongers will keep coming(pun intended) whereas families will calculate and fly somewhere else. 

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

While the Land of Smiles will be just as welcoming, from April it will also be charging every foreigner an entry fee of Bt300 if the government’s plan goes ahead. The government claims to have solid reasons for the move and expects tourism to start booming again once COVID-19 subsides.

It won't matter because COVID will never subside.

No hordes will be coming for the next 3-5 years.

Mass International tourism is gone, maybe forever.

[bkk6060]

If 10 bucks is really a concern then they are not the quailty tourists Thailand is seeking.

[internationalism]

"While Thailand has never charged an entry fee before, many other nations have"

That is a lie.

Each international air exit is 700b (included in price of ticket).

Before BKK airport was moved from Don Muang that was 600b cash on departure.

That is a special airport tax, on top of all others calculated by airline.

Never heard about entry tax to any european countries. Besides, the EU travel can't be taxed by each country separately.

Each and every entering thailand has minimum $50k health insurance. That's condition to get the TP. Insurance policy is checked at departure airport, on landing in thailand. Even stupid hotels require it before booking T&G, Sandbox, AQ.

How 20% (out of 300b), that is 60b premium, might help?

Premiums for travel and health insurance are hundreds and thousands $. Those 60b (less than $2) is absolutely nothing to upgrade insurance policy in any way. That is just a con.

 

[Karma80]

I'm stunned someone even thinks this news. If you genuinely feel aggrieved or strongly about $9 being hidden in your plane ticket, alongside the barrage of additional landing, departure, fuel surcharges, passenger movement fees and so on, you're really going to have a miserable time in Thailand ????

 

[ourmanflint]

Charged a fee to arrive and a bigger one to depart! This is a money grab plain and simple.
Tourists are an easy target to increase government revenues instead of actually relying on people paying their taxes for example

[mtls2005]

51 minutes ago, webfact said:

it will also be charging every foreigner

 

I think it will be embedded in the PSC on any airline ticket. So thais will be paying this 300 baht surcharge, along with the existing 700 baht PSC.

 

The existing 700 baht PSC is designated as "TS" on the e-ticket pricing breakout. Assume they'll keep the same designation, just increase it to 1,000 baht, then AoT will trough it.

 

 

 

 

That was the beauty of the old cash (500 baht at the time) departure fee. Foreigners could be charged while thais could pass Go.

 

 

 

thais finding out they'll be paying the increased fees...

 

 

 

[BritManToo]

25 minutes ago, Karma80 said:

I'm stunned someone even thinks this news. If you genuinely feel aggrieved or strongly about $9 being hidden in your plane ticket, alongside the barrage of additional landing, departure, fuel surcharges, passenger movement fees and so on, you're really going to have a miserable time in Thailand ????

 

Most of the international flights I take cost under 1,500bht (many at 1,000bht).

Adding another 300bht to the ticket is a 20-30% rise.

Not that it matters any more, easy cheap international travel is gone for good IMHO.

[mtls2005]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Most of the international flights I take cost under 1,500bht (many at 1,000bht).

 

Are you flying FedEx?

 

 

[BritManToo]

3 minutes ago, mtls2005 said:

Are you flying FedEx?

2018-2020

Return Chiang Mai to ChangSha 2,500bht.

Return ChaingMai to Saigon 2,000bht.

Return Chiang Mai to Da Nang 2,200bht.

Return Chiang Mai to Hanoi 2,300bht.

Return Chiang Mai to Siem Reap 4,000bht.

Return Chiang Mai to Phnom Penh 5,000bht.

 

Mostly AirAsia

[mtls2005]

So most of the flights you TOOK...

 

Ancient history.

 

And I need the receipts.

 

 

 

[DaLa]

I'm not so sure I want to label any tax by a government as a 'bargain' , however compared to the rip off airport charges in the UK I can live with 300 baht. My latest booking to the UK cost 73,595 baht of which  34,795 was taxes.

 

 

[mtls2005]

12 minutes ago, DaLa said:

I can live with 300 baht.

Exactly. Maybe make it a donation? Have the jar right there at arriving immigration. Maybe have a photo of some sparkling new coral reef?

 

Then folks like you wouldn't be limited to 300 baht.

 

 

[Letseng]

3 hours ago, RandiRona said:

It wont impact much, mongers will keep coming(pun intended) whereas families will calculate and fly somewhere else. 

Families who would pay even more tourist tax in their own countries. E.g. Austria charged us 4€/DAY when we were stuck there in 2020/2021. You get nothing in return.  300 THB one off payment is peanuts.

[Capella]

It's only 300 Baht, for heaven's sake. 

[The Hammer2021]

2 hours ago, DaLa said:

I'm not so sure I want to label any tax by a government as a 'bargain' , however compared to the rip off airport charges in the UK I can live with 300 baht. My latest booking to the UK cost 73,595 baht of which  34,795 was taxes.

 

 

Ripp off Britain

[MadMac]

"While Thailand has never charged an entry fee before..."

 

Do your homework, just because previous fees were hidden in ticket prices does not mean they were and are not charged.

[userabcd]

It a boon for Thailand, most on social media seem to be already ok with it.

 

Think of the Billions in additional revenue as it's charge is gradually increased.

 

But will its reason for charging and intended implentation and allocation be transparent to scrutiny by the public on how it is divided and spent.

[The Hammer2021]

I'm sure 'quality' tourists can afford a few dollars!

[jesimps]

2 hours ago, DaLa said:

I'm not so sure I want to label any tax by a government as a 'bargain' , however compared to the rip off airport charges in the UK I can live with 300 baht. My latest booking to the UK cost 73,595 baht of which  34,795 was taxes.

 

 

If that's the case, why is it cheaper to buy a return ticket UK-Thailand from the UK end than here? Not being a smart ass, just hoping you can let me know the reason.

[JonnyF]

Less customers? Raise the price. 

 

I very much doubt anyone would choose not to come here because of this 300 Baht charge. There are plenty of better reasons not to come.

[RobinV]

On 1/13/2022 at 8:21 AM, RobinV said:

One step further, I'm replacing my White Book. It's been 18 yrs since my initial PR.

Same procedure or do they try to convince me to become a citizen?

I can't sing the anthem, my Thai is timeless due to deafness.

 

Ok I drove up and was tested at the door. In and out in less than 30 minutes.

Total trip time 5 hrs from Sattahip.

Return in 3 days, pay 1902 Baht, and come home with me PR book.

Total cost including petrol, hwy fees etc will be about 5500 Baht.

[RobinV]

Be interesting to see if PR are charged as well. I am <deleted> off that they will not allow me tax exemption on purchases because I am not a citizen or a tourist.

So theory wise I'm exempt from this charge. ??????

[shackleton]

300 baht is not going to stop or deter the majority of people coming to Thailand

If people are worried about the cost change your plans of travel 

[userabcd]

7 minutes ago, shackleton said:

300 baht is not going to stop or deter the majority of people coming to Thailand

If people are worried about the cost change your plans of travel 

They could even triple or quadruple it and if it is hidden in the price of a ticket fly nobody would notice.

[DKA1961]

Not a big deal really.... tourists who can't afford the 300 baht fee are probably not the type of tourists that you want to attract anyhow ????

[TheFishman1]

This government always try to come up with more schemes to get more money they already get 700 every time you leave the country I guess not enough for them TIT

[Kerryd]

People forget the "real" reason this tax was brought in. Supposedly "foreigners" were leaving the country without paying their hospital bills and that was costing the Healthcare system a little over 300 million baht per year.

So the gov't decided to add a tax to airfare, on top of the "Airport Departure Tax" they already had. (When I was here in 1993, it was 250 baht flying out of Don Mueang. When Swampy opened I think it was at 700. They had switched from collecting it at the check in counters to simply adding it to the airfare. That way it is hidden and most people never see when it is increased or by how much.)

Considering they were getting nearly 40 million arrivals per year (before covid), a tax of just 10 baht would have more than paid for all those evil foreigners who skipped on their bills. (At one point I think they even tried to suggest it was "expats" who were responsible in an attempt to blame "white" people for the problem. That was when they also added that ridiculous health insurance requirement onto anyone with an O(A) visa.)

A 10 baht tax would have earned nearly 400 million per year but no, they decided to make it a 300 baht tax. A thirtyfold increase designed to bring in 12 billion baht a year with the excess (assuming they covered those unpaid hospital bills at all) going who knows where.

Sure, 300 baht isn't much to the average person. 300 baht times 40 million though is a lot even to a rich gov't minister just waiting to get his hands on it.

And you can bet that not a penny of that money will actually end up going to cover those unpaid hospital bills.

[jaiyen]

1 hour ago, Capella said:

It's only 300 Baht, for heaven's sake. 

That was roughly the taxi fare to Siam Paragon area. Always thought that was very cheap. Hate to think what it will cost next time !