‘Tourism fee’, now for all travellers to Thailand, ready to launch

[portlandtree]

most of us expats alredy have insurances that cover us 1 way or another. its gonna turn out no one will file a claim or will they let us for we need to file with our insurances there for its all pocket money for the corrupted ones

[PEE TEE]

Will you get a policy to guarantee payment if needed . if so why cant the long stay people get a cover for 3600b per year 

[PEE TEE]

Thai applies to ALL foreigners  they should change to title and delete tourist 

[LukKrueng]

7 hours ago, 2long said:

Anyone remember the 700B cash fee to LEAVE Thailand?

Yes we all do. It's called departure tax, and every airport on the world has this tax (different amount in deferent countries). You (and all other passengers, regardless of nationality) still pay it, but it has been collected by the airlines with the ticket for the last 20 years or so. 

BUT - do YOU remember the 1000 BAHT fee that only Thai citizens were charged about 30 years ago? That fee had to be paid at the airlines city office where you'd get a coupon that was later collected at the airport.

 

And if you go down memory lane already, do you remember the days when flight ticket was composed of only the actual date + the airport taxes? Unlike today that you have the airfare, airport departure taxes, security tax, fuel charge and many more made up as they go taxes...

Back then if you were buying a ticket with hard earned airline miles all you had to pay cash was the departure tax (that 700 BAHT of Thailand and the tax of your destination country). Now the airlines have reduced the process to near 0 and the rest is collected as all those various taxes, so a "free" ticket to say Europe might cost you 80,000 miles as payment for something like 15-20k BAHT airfare + 40k cash for the taxes.

Now that's something worth moaning about!!

[garyk]

To bad you cannot keep paying the extra at immigration with every extension. That would be handy.

If it is ever used the government will fleece the hospitals to the fullest.  10-1 the hospitals will not let you in if you don't pay cash. Telling you the government will repay you.

[Joseph98765]

7 hours ago, Zaphod said:

Since all "foreigners" will be paying this 300 baht fee, will my thai citizen spouse's airfare be 300 baht less than mine??

yeah, good question... I don't think agoda or any flight platform will make any exception...

[micmichd]

21 minutes ago, PEE TEE said:

Will you get a policy to guarantee payment if needed . if so why cant the long stay people get a cover for 3600b per year 

Maybe because you get repatriated with this kind of insurance, and long stay people wouldn't like that. I'm long stay, and I certainly wouldn't like to get repatriated to Germany. 

[thetravelbee]

 Thai authorities are imposing a double taxation for entering Thailand to all "non-thais".  Forced to get insurance and then forced to pay an additional flat THB 300 amount for "insurance". This is way beyond discrimination, it's pure theft! What a scam this is! And by the way, not all foreigners are tourists. Such a shame!

[BusyB]

7 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Sounds OK if they really provide the insurance as promised.

 

I'd imagine making a claim will be like getting blood out of a stone since the money will have already been diverted into officials pockets with no intention of returning it to foreigners making valid claims.

And also because admitting that bad things happen to tourists could 'harm Thailand's image' ...

[BusyB]

8 hours ago, 2long said:

Anyone remember the 700B cash fee to LEAVE Thailand?

I think that's already included in the airfare ... it never went away.

[Hamus Yaigh]

7 minutes ago, BusyB said:

8 hours ago, 2long said:

Anyone remember the 700B cash fee to LEAVE Thailand?

I think that's already included in the airfare ... it never went away.

This is the international airport tax to pay for the airports. There is also a domestic flight airport fee for less. In past we had to queue up and buy these at the airport until the airlines inc in the price.

 

This has nothing to do with the proposed 300THB tax on incoming foreign tourists to cover accident insurance etc which is what this thread is about. If 300THB just for tourists why get the airline involved at all? Why not just add it onto the cost of a tourist visa and leave the other visa types as they are now?

[CALSinCM]

I think it's a a good idea.

[BusyB]

2 hours ago, elektrified said:

300 for 30-days coverage up to 500,000 Baht sounds O.K. to me.

Just make sure if you're on a 60-day tourist visa that you have your accident within the first month. Then spend the rest of your stay in hospital.

[NoshowJones]

8 hours ago, 2long said:

Anyone remember the 700B cash fee to LEAVE Thailand?

I thought it was 500B. In fact I know it was, I paid it often enough.

[Harveyboy]

8 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

It however only covers a traveler for 30 days. Expats etc. who stay longer than 30 days have no use for it.

doesn't sound ok to me i live there permanent..i have insurance .. full cover..hospitals everything why do i need to pay for a months insurance thats no good to me ..

[Harveyboy]

Farangs  loadsa money  

[Harveyboy]

50 minutes ago, thetravelbee said:

 Thai authorities are imposing a double taxation for entering Thailand to all "non-thais".  Forced to get insurance and then forced to pay an additional flat THB 300 amount for "insurance". This is way beyond discrimination, it's pure theft! What a scam this is! And by the way, not all foreigners are tourists. Such a shame!

Scam !! Theft.!!! wash your mouth out sir this is Tourist friendly Thailand 

[NRGF]

In the Netherlands we have compulsory health insurance, although we do have a choice of insurance company's, unfortunately there is very little difference in fees or services. This costs me 150 Euros per 

month plus the first 385 Euros of any claim is payable by me as my own risk, so for me if I choose to live in Thailand 300 bhat a month would be a very good deal. 

[IamNoone88]

Call it what by it is .... a "rip off" by any other name, especially for expatriates and foreigners who are local tax and social security contributors based in Thailand. Pretty much the same genre as two tiered hotel pricing that is being mulled.

[The Theory]

9 hours ago, webfact said:

The planned 300-baht tourism fee is now expected to apply to all foreigners without exception, serving as insurance coverage of up to 500,000 baht per person in case of accidents.

Tourism fee ?!!!! ????????????????           Not only "tourists" insurance, another way of making money from all farang. 

[Senior Player]

Quote

“The 300-baht fee will guarantee insurance coverage during foreigners’ stay in Thailand for up to 30 days,” said Mr Mongkon.

Since the government are considering extending the 30 day exemption to 45 days, shouldn't this insurance guarantee fee cover the proposed 45 days rather than just 30 days, or am I being overly perspicacious?

[Upnotover]

1 hour ago, possum1931 said:

I thought it was 500B. In fact I know it was, I paid it often enough.

It was increased to and still is THB700 and has been included in your ticket for 15 years or so.

[Geir Rasch]

Again they ignore that many expat live, pay tax and contribute to this country just as much as any thai. Just another racist act from the government.

[MrJ2U]

8 hours ago, John Drake said:

Back in the US where I'm from, people are paying $4.59 for one Big Freak'n Burrito and $6.59 for an order of Mucho Nachos. Things cost so much there that 300 baht is going to seem like chump change.

Unfortunately Mexican food is expensive here even if you can find a descent place. 

 

 

[Puccini]

10 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

That is food for thought.  When you buy a ticket does it ask for nationality? If it does why not put Thai in the drop down box.....is that how they will be charging the extra 300 Thb, or will every traveler pay it regardless.....

I tested it with booking an Emirates flight on their website from Milan (MXP) to Bangkok (BKK) and arrived at the payment page without having had to enter my nationality.

[ThailandRyan]

4 minutes ago, Puccini said:

I tested it with booking an Emirates flight on their website from Milan (MXP) to Bangkok (BKK) and arrived at the payment page without having had to enter my nationality.

Was your passport required 

[unblocktheplanet]

9 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

It however only covers a traveler for 30 days. Expats etc. who stay longer than 30 days have no use for it.

I don't have medical insurance. Be worth a border run once a month for me.

[VBF]

5 hours ago, Homburg said:

There is no compelling reason to have this as a separate charge rather than just adding it to the departure tax of 700 (?) Baht already added to the airline ticket price as the numbers of tourist foreigners arriving overland or by boat is insignificant in comparison to arrivals by air.  That would save the 30% collection "fee".  This is just designed to create an opportunity for more and bigger brown envelopes.

And, in fact even that isn't shown as such

 

This screenshot below from a LGW / BKK return ticket issued in December 2019 shows all the taxes UK, Dubai (if any) and Thailand, including the Thai departure tax. It's all converted into GBP so i cannot be sure which pertains to what country.  Having said that, it appears that the "GBP17.60-TS" is probably the Thai departure tax - assuming it is, 700/17.6 = 39.77 is about right for the exchange rate.

 

There is probably a list of the codes somewhere but who can be bothered to look them up? It's not as if one has a choice of not paying them, after all.

 

[John Drake]

51 minutes ago, MrJ2U said:

Unfortunately Mexican food is expensive here even if you can find a descent place. 

 

 

I make my own. It's still expensive.

[Geordieabroad]

I already have accident insurance in Thailand but i will have to pay 300 baht every time i come back to the country.  Certain Thais are going to get SERIOUSLY rich from this latest scam because you can guarantee the money is not going to be directed where they say it will. Another hub for Thailand, government scams