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

[JonnyF]

5 hours ago, sandyf said:

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.

Thai is a nationality not a race. Therefore criticising one of Thailand's policies cannot be racist. If I was criticising Asian people in general it might be, but not all Asian countries have such ridiculous policies so it wouldn't make any sense to do that.

 

Just a word of advice, better you learn the meaning of words before you start throwing them around in an attempt to discredit someone - otherwise you end up looking uneducated and ignorant. 

Edited January 18, 2022 by JonnyF

[Fairynuff]

6 hours 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?

 

 

 

Why would I be paying for them?

why do you assume I pay no tax?

why do you assume most foreigners pay no tax?

why do you talk about bucks in Thailand?

[Fairynuff]

7 hours ago, crazykopite said:

Where can you get an international flight for a 1,000 baht you have never flown a an internal flight like Bangkok to Samui each way is at least 2,000 bhart

You’ve lived a very sheltered life if you don’t know about something as basic as low cost international flights. 

[puck2]

8 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

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

I think you are right.

Guess how many falangs have to come to Thailand in how many years until all the F-35 fighters for the military government will be payed by this fee ?

[curlylekan]

If they didn't charge foreigners so much at the hospitals, there might not be a problem. It is crazy that when you want to go to a hospital in Thailand, as a foreigner, you pay as much as a rich country would charge you if you didn't have insurance. Most people do not figure this into their budget when traveling to Thailand - they don't expect it.

 

Second, I doubt this money will go to a " tourist attraction development fund" unless that fund is to build more temples. I'm not sure if those in charge of these things in Thailand understand that once most foreigners have seen a few temples, they've seen them all and don't care to see more. If it were not for a Thai gf, and finding people I call family in Thailand, I would not come back. After a few times of going there, the country doesn't have anything new to offer and any museums they have are not well done, well preserved, or thought out. I don't think many Asians understand why westerners like museums so much, thus they don't see the value in them. Somehow, they see the value in continuing to build more temples, yet they don't see the value in teaching people where Buddhism can be good and why monks ask for food, and what monks can offer the lay person. All the building of temples, I think makes most foreigners think that Thailand's Buddhism is a religion like anywhere else and one to make money. Most (western) foreigners want beautiful parks and/or beaches without litter and they don't want to pay 10x the price of a Thai person to get in - at least that is what I want.

[Goldpanner]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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

 

Isnt it cold sitting on the wing?? 

[puck2]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I always take a mug and bags of 3in1 and use the free hot water in the airports.

I always enjoy having my own mug when everyone else is drinking from paper/plastic cups.

Only foolish people pay for a coffee at airport prices.

...hmm, only foolish people need coffee at the airport.

[Goldpanner]

8 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Bemused at people happy to give money away for free. Also, the guy quoting UK passenger duty/landing charges/fees. Thailand also has them (EVERY country does, buried in ticket price), so you need to post that as well. This is an additional tax/freebie for the rotten gov. Again, as long as you’re happy. Me, I’d rather put 300 baht in the drain. Same same but different. 

Dont forget the new £5 drop off fee at Heathrow now?

[Dumbfounded]

12 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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.

 

12 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Are you flying FedEx?

 

 

No offence to BMT as I understand what he's getting at, but that reply just cracked me up ????

 

[Goldpanner]

7 hours ago, Harveyboy said:

do you believe these clown's.. Oh did you also hear Elvis is working in a chip shop in Brighton  

He's in Bognor actually. At Butlins every weekend

[Fairynuff]

19 minutes ago, puck2 said:

...hmm, only foolish people need coffee at the airport.

Only foolish people think 3in1 is coffee

[NHPT]

It is definitely just another money grab.

But the last flight I booked there was more than 50% fees, taxes, extras and surcharges

Another few dollars won't stop anyone from going

There are so many other reasons not to go

[tingtong]

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

 

correct...but...

Thailand had a 500thb exit fee early 2000s....that later got built into airport tax and thus the ticket price.

 

 

 

 

 

[Thungrat]

22 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

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

How about a bunch of flowers for each tourists entering the country and brings all the much needed foreign currencies ???

[Canadian Snowbird]

Just another minor irritant to add to the very large list of existing irritants for tourists thinking of visiting Thailand now. 

[Smokey and the Bandit]

11 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

Only by a certain kind of person, so no, doesn’t make sense

The Covid virus originated in Wuhan, China! So calling it the Wuhan flu/virus makes perfect sense.

The virus is associated with Wuhan, and indeed has commonly been referred to as “the Wuhan virus” in the press (at least prior to the World Health Organization formally naming the virus and the disease). Naming a virus after the location of the outbreak that first brought it to attention isn’t unusual.

After all the West Nile virus emerged in the West Nile district of Northern Uganda in the 1930s. It is similar to the St. Louis encephalitis virus, which broke out around St. Louis, Mo., in 1933, and the Japanese ­encephalitis virus that caused outbreaks in Japan beginning in the 1870s.

Coxsackie in New York state, Marburg in Germany and Hendra in Australia all have viruses named after them.

[sirineou]

23 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

 

Are you flying FedEx?

 

 

Thank you , I needed the laugh. I am reading this drinking a glass of tomato juice, and It came out of my nose LOL

????

[Midwit]

21 hours ago, Capella said:

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

It’s also in addition to paying for a visa and a re-entry permit. It’s also not about the money it’s about where it goes. If someone reached into your pocket and took 300 baht would you be happy?  Since it’s the government you are ok with it as long as it goes to cover all of these “health care costs” for people you don’t know. Lick some boots of these criminals a bit more please. 

[Fairynuff]

8 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

The Covid virus originated in Wuhan, China! So calling it the Wuhan flu/virus makes perfect sense.

The virus is associated with Wuhan, and indeed has commonly been referred to as “the Wuhan virus” in the press (at least prior to the World Health Organization formally naming the virus and the disease). Naming a virus after the location of the outbreak that first brought it to attention isn’t unusual.

After all the West Nile virus emerged in the West Nile district of Northern Uganda in the 1930s. It is similar to the St. Louis encephalitis virus, which broke out around St. Louis, Mo., in 1933, and the Japanese ­encephalitis virus that caused outbreaks in Japan beginning in the 1870s.

Coxsackie in New York state, Marburg in Germany and Hendra in Australia all have viruses named after them.

A certain type of person

[NoshowJones]

On 1/18/2022 at 9:28 AM, internationalism said:

"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.

 

not 600Bt, 500.

[NoshowJones]

On 1/18/2022 at 9:51 AM, 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 ????

 

I think that anybody coming to Thailand have the right to know what the 300Bt is for, is it to do with insurance? To re emburse hospitals for people who skive off not paying for treatment?

Or what?

[NoshowJones]

If I was coming to Thailand for a holiday and needed hospital treatment, as soon as I was handed the bill, I would just wave it away and say I have already paid for it from my plane fare.

[Capella]

24 minutes ago, Midwit said:

It’s also in addition to paying for a visa and a re-entry permit. It’s also not about the money it’s about where it goes. If someone reached into your pocket and took 300 baht would you be happy?  Since it’s the government you are ok with it as long as it goes to cover all of these “health care costs” for people you don’t know. Lick some boots of these criminals a bit more please. 

Have you heard of a thing called taxation? It happens in lots of places. There are lots of different kinds: income tax, VAT, departure tax, tourist tax, etc. I'm in Australia at the moment, and I pay heaps more tax than I ever paid in Thailand. 

[NoshowJones]

19 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Bemused at people happy to give money away for free. Also, the guy quoting UK passenger duty/landing charges/fees. Thailand also has them (EVERY country does, buried in ticket price), so you need to post that as well. This is an additional tax/freebie for the rotten gov. Again, as long as you’re happy. Me, I’d rather put 300 baht in the drain. Same same but different. 

Think of those who have the Elite Visa, they have already put 500.000Baht or whatever it is down the drain.  

[Heng]

They should charge 300.25 and only accept exact change.     

[NoshowJones]

19 hours 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?

 

 

 

Do they get admission to a National Park in their country for free? In my country, yes.

[NoshowJones]

16 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Do they get admission to a National Park in their country for free? In my country, yes.

There was never any charge to get into the David Livingstone Park in Blantyre.

Can you name any park in Scotland that charges you?

[Rimmer]

A derogatory post has been removed

[Hanuman2547]

300 baht isn't going to make someone decide to go elsewhere, especially when it is imbedded into the price of the ticket.  There's already an airport tax in there anyway and has been for a long time.  It's better than the old days of having to have a 500 baht note ready when departing.  For a lot of tourists it was a pain in the ___.

[Uroller]

Pure cash grab, when it was first announced the justification was that it would defray the hospital costs for tourists with no healthcare ! This money will go straight into the corruption pit????????????