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

[Chongalulu]

3 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Would you be happy the people you are going with will be charged also 400 Baht - since you will be the one who will pay for them, won't you?

 

I am always amused by these complaints. The local people people pay tax (or maybe not) in their own country, their govt make it easy for them.

 

Whilst the farangs who live here mostly pay no tax here  - and probably neither in their own country throughout their whole life. So, the 12 bucks more is not so big deal for them.  Do they get admission to a National Park in their country for free?

 

 

 

Very few Thais actually pay any income tax - it’s mainly collected by indirect taxes (spending - sales tax) so Farangs spending considerably more pay more taxes. Speaking as a UK citizen I am liable to pay uk income tax on my uk earnings including pensions and rent and that income pushes me into the 40% higher rate band. You don’t really understand tax law to make the rather ill informed statement that ‘farangs pay no tax in their own country throughout their whole life" 

[apetryxx]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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

Yeah right, plus plus plus! You’re dreaming if you think the ticket price is all there is to it. I’m surprised there’s not a coin slot on board to get in the loo.

[ed strong]

It's 10 bucks, 99% of travellers won't know or won't care about this small charge.

 

It's peanuts compared to what most people spend on a holiday.

 

Surprised anyones really bothered about it!?

[MikeN]

2 hours ago, Capella said:

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

It is only 300 baht (for now) but I'm just curious about where it will be going. Supposedly it's for insurance and tourist infrastructure ? No details about the insurance coverage, I'm sure there will be lots of small print excluding just about everything. Tourist infrastructure ? Can we expect to see signs in English and other non - Thai languages at tourist destinations telling us what we are actually looking at ? Or perhaps even entrance fees written in English showing the difference between Thai and farang prices instead of hiding it in Thai script.

Call me sceptical, but if there are any improvements made it will be for all visitors, including the Thais that are not financing this "tourist infrastructure".

[kingstonkid]

6 hours ago, RandiRona said:

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

Do you really think that people are going to even notice $10 extra with all the other fees that airlines have.

 

I wonder how many people are turned off because of the 700baht leaving fee

[BangkokReady]

5 hours ago, ourmanflint said:

Tourists are an easy target to increase government revenues instead of actually relying on people paying their taxes for example

Seems likely that the whole of Thailand is subsidised by tourism.  I wonder if it never returned, how long Thailand could actually last economically.

[BritManToo]

16 minutes ago, apetryxx said:

Yeah right, plus plus plus! You’re dreaming if you think the ticket price is all there is to it. I’m surprised there’s not a coin slot on board to get in the loo.

They didn't get a dime more from me on any of those flights.

[Tengtai]

It will have 0 negative effect. If someone care about the 300 baht, the price of a cheap bar fine, then better stay home.

 

[BangkokReady]

32 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Whilst the farangs who live here mostly pay no tax here  - and probably neither in their own country throughout their whole life.

You're living in a dream world and have absolutely no idea what it is like to live in a Western country.  You shouldn't be commenting on anything involving Western people as you seem to be pulling things out of your imagination simply to allow you to make racist comments that have no bearing on reality.

 

I'm actually quite saddened by your comment as it shows so little understanding of what you are discussing and the use of that ignorance to fuel racist hatred.

[sandyf]

29 minutes ago, Saanim said:

If you are e.g. in Germany or Switzerland in a spa city they charge so called Kurtax, procedure practised for ages. Wondering whether the visitors in their forums complain about that much higher amount similarly as they complain in Thailand (about 10 bucks).  

Very unlikely, whinging is a way of life to many on here.

[Gerard052]

6 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

It is not the amount, it is the principle.  Got it???

[0815]

Some people who comment negative need a Go Fund Me Page ?  ????

[DaLa]

2 hours ago, jesimps said:

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.

I'm not so sure that the following exercise was a totally fair and accurate example, however Emirates BKK to MAN  outbound 9th February  inbound 16th February returned 71,360 baht , so let's say at 45 baht to the GBP Sterling £1586 (ish).  MAN to BKK outbound and inbound the same dates came in at £2216 . I've been travelling back and forth from the UK to LoS for 12 years and have varied my  bookings accordingly because as you point out on occasions UK-Thailand-UK routing can be cheaper.

 

I use different Emirates sites ( that is  .uk and .com) and pay using a card in  whichever currency the site is based.  Can't comment on other airlines, so again your experience could be 100% true all of the time.  Fare calculation and pricing in the airline business is very complex, however I do know that the taxes and charges in the UK cost more for business class than for economy, even to the extent that  they also factor in extra charges just to transit through DXB.  I always worked on the basis that  Thailand and the UAE airports aren't squeezing every last penny out of the visitors to their country thus they don't charge extortionate levies. We in the UK have to live with the fact we have very few options in terms of transport to exit the country. 

[Burma Bill]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Mostly AirAsia

Thanks for the list and it was Air Asia that I also regularly flew with to/from Khon Kaen via DMK to ASEAN destinations in Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Laos. Happy days and no "entry surcharge"!

[Jiggo]

Good idea raising money for Thai Tourist sites that we already pay a lot extra to visit, just wonder where the other 250 baht will end up....

[sandyf]

16 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

I wonder how many people are turned off because of the 700baht leaving fee

A lot less than those turned off by the taxes in general, 700 baht doesn't get you a place on the chart.

 

https://www.valuepenguin.com/taxes-raise-international-airfare

[sandyf]

9 minutes ago, Gerard052 said:

It is not the amount, it is the principle.  Got it???

The principle of a tourist tax is fairly widespread, but obviously unacceptable to whose without principle.

[JonnyF]

50 minutes ago, Saanim said:

Whilst the farangs who live here mostly pay no tax here  - and probably neither in their own country throughout their whole life. So, the 12 bucks more is not so big deal for them.  Do they get admission to a National Park in their country for free?

Nonsense.

 

I have paid income tax in Thailand for 14 years. Millions and millions of Baht. The reason I have to pay extra to visit a national park is because I am Caucasian.

 

I also paid income tax in my home country. We don't use race to decide the entry price there. We're better than that.

[Cake Monster]

3 hours ago, Capella said:

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

Its not 300 Baht

Its principle

[DaLa]

1 hour ago, Chelseafan said:

I'm a left-turner so usually pay around 180,000+, though not for much longer, prices are going through the roof!

 

Hi Chelseafan, that is left, or to be more precise upstairs. The rates for bus/1st are a bargain presently. I've just checked and 1st is now down to 128,590. I'be booked several flights at these rates especially as they have no change fees. Long may it last.  PS. I personally prefer to spend the extra cash on better hotels / meals / entertainment (cough) than 1st.  Do you return 1st for every home game?

 

[Jaxxper]

Come next high season this will be long forgotten by the potential tourists.

[sandyf]

18 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

Thanks for the list and it was Air Asia that I also regularly flew with to/from Khon Kaen via DMK to ASEAN destinations in Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Laos. Happy days and no "entry surcharge"!

Bob Dylan had it right.

 

Holidaymakers are often used to it – many destinations require to pay a tourist tax. Often the fee is incorporated into the overall fee, for example in an airline ticket, during payment at hotels or at Airbnb apartments. In recent years this has become a common trend in the industry and more and more countries are likely to implement these rules sooner rather than later.

https://www.tourism-review.com/tourist-tax-all-around-the-world-news10978

[meshborg]

Pollution,dangerous drivers,face mask hysteria and high prices is enough to put most people off visiting land of fake smiles.Should be paying people to come.

[Boedog]

6 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

Quality tourist,  just another government scam to fill there pockets its a long list, its the principal, they are desperate for tourists to come yet they just cant help themselves to come up with new ways to fleece the tourist,  lm sure 300baht is better is some small shop owner or restaurant rather than line the pockets of the corrupt politicians 

[sandyf]

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

We don't use race to decide the entry price there. We're better than that.

Only a racist would make such a comment. The policy of dual pricing is based on residency, as is the dual pricing on Scottish buses.

I got a card to go to Pattaya floating market as the same price as a Thai. I got into Muang Boran at the Thai price with my yellow book and other places with my pink card.

I have also encountered those that would choose to interpret the policy differently and just walk away.

It is a sad mentality that tars a nation with the same brush.

[BadSpottedDog]

Are most of you clicking through to the main article? It says this.
 

What do tourists get?
The government says that in exchange for the Bt300 fee, foreigners will get medical insurance coverage of up to Bt500,000 and Bt1 million in case of death or serious injury.

 

If that covers covid, I think it's a win. So many questions though ....

• How long is the coverage good for?
• Will it work for expats returning?
• Does it cover private hospitals?

[DaLa]

10 minutes ago, BadSpottedDog said:

Are most of you clicking through to the main article? It says this.
 

What do tourists get?
The government says that in exchange for the Bt300 fee, foreigners will get medical insurance coverage of up to Bt500,000 and Bt1 million in case of death or serious injury.

 

If that covers covid, I think it's a win. So many questions though ....

• How long is the coverage good for?
• Will it work for expats returning?
• Does it cover private hospitals?

Good points . Also how have they arrived at the figures.  Allowing for say 50% in administrative costs they are looking at 1 in 3000 requiring treatment in hospital and 1 in 6000 with death  (I'm not sure how to differentiate death and serious).  We'll know the answer to your questions next week and then once the system starts running they will change those answers.

[The Hammer2021]

3 hours ago, MadMac said:

"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.

We used to have to pay an exit fee as I remember

[Millcx]

What does a Tourist recieve for this tb500 … Medical insurance cover ??? Or is it just for elite Xmas parties and Soapies ???

[Surasak]

7 hours 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 ????

 

Do try to remember not every one is rolling in money. but then you don't have to think like that no doubt.