Cabinet set to decide on 300 baht fee for foreign tourists

[sambum]

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

How many times is this same subject going to be discussed by the Government?   In most countries, the Government makes up its mind on a particular subject and then makes an announcement of its decision to the public.

 

In Thailand, we are initially led to believe, from a Government announcement, that a decision has been made but then later on it emerges that the plan has been delayed for a certain or indefinite period and the saga then goes on and on, leaving the public in the dark. A few recent examples: Entry fees, seat belts, wearing of masks and bar opening times.

 

This must be one of the most indecisive Governments in the world, particularly when we consider the real power they have.

"This must be one of the most indecisive Governments in the world,............"

 

Agree 100%, especially when you have a "A nut in" charge of the Health Service - "to mask or not to mask - that is the question" (for example)  

[bamnutsak]

I think we can all agree that 300 baht is not the REAL issue, or that it presents a financial burden for tourists, save the zero dollar tours where it will eat into their margin.

 

This isn't really about 300 baht. Or is it about unpaid medical bills. Or is it about maintaining and improving tourist attractions. It's about a 5.4 BILLION Baht (annually, based on 18 m tourists) slush fund for the MoT&T's minister and PERMANENT Secretary, where there will be zero accountability.

 

There's a reason Phipat is pushing this, and pushing it now. An interim government, and a new one longer term will mean his cash grab will be halted. I imagine he needs to share this fund with other to insure passage.

 

If this goes forward you can bet other ministries will jump on the bandwagon. MoE will charge a "Traveler Fuel Surcharge". MoPH will charge a "Traveler Health Fee".

 

Note that they are NOT increasing the PSC from 700 baht to 1,000 baht. Rather they (with Krung Sri Bank) will use an app to insure payment is made prior to boarding. Extortion, Thai style, stealing in plain sight, but with a smile.

 

Edited September 29, 2022 by bamnutsak

[sambum]

1 hour ago, Xonax said:

Tourism tax and othe price increases is a proven way to decrease the number of tourists.  Is that really what Thailand wants at the moment??

Furthermore tourist and expats are already being overcharged at Thailands hospitals. Wouldn't that cover the few tourists, who select to be self-insured, but cannot afford to pay the bills?

"Furthermore tourist and expats are already being overcharged at Thailands hospitals."

 

Recently I had a minor procedure performed at a Government Hospital which took app an hour from start to finish. The cost was 17,000 baht, and 2 private hospitals that I checked with wanted 22,000 baht and 85,000 baht respectively - even Bumrungrad was cheaper at just under 20,000 baht!  I didn't even check the price at the "best" hospital on the island!

Edited September 29, 2022 by sambum

[mnomad]

8 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

 

Note that they are NOT increasing the PSC from 700 baht to 1,000 baht. Rather they (with Krung Sri Bank) will use an app to insure payment is made prior to boarding. Extortion, Thai style, stealing in plain sight, but with a smile.

 

Will they also charge me an additional 220baht surcharge for using my foreign debit card to make this payment ????

[lujanit]

IIRC it is not only tourists who will be charged.  People who live here (not Thais) will also be charged.  In my 12 years here I have never been to a hospital without the hospital requiring payment before letting me go.  A small amount of the 300 baht will be allocated into the 'medical fund'.  I suspect that the vast amount of the unpaid bills will be by workers from countries like Burma, Cambodia and Laos.  A breakdown of the countries would be helpful, that is never coming.  The employers just don't take out medical insurance for their foreign workers.

 

This is just a cash grab for people in power.  Nothing less.

[gaucan]

5 hours ago, Fairynuff said:

The cash cow is coming back…..let’s milk it dry

 but u like being milkd dry , dont cha?

Edited September 29, 2022 by gaucan

[scorecard]

12 hours ago, Letseng said:

Singapore has a charge too. Nobody stops visiting Singapore. 

But how is the Singapore charge actually labelled:

 

- 'Singapore Airport usage charge (tax)'

- 'Singapore fund to cover unpaid medical bills of tourists'

- 'Singapore tourism tax to help build infrastructure to enhance tourists experience'.

 

Or???

[bamnutsak]

10 minutes ago, mnomad said:

Will they also charge me an additional 220baht surcharge for using my foreign debit card to make this payment ????

No. But your credit card company MAY charge you 3% as the fee will processed in THB.

 

[phetphet]

I wonder how the insurance aspect of this will work. Because that is the only part of this fee that any tourist will be interested in.

 

Say a tourist had a motorbike accident near Bumrungrad for example. Could they be taken in and treated for their injuries there with no worries?

 

"It's OK. Don't worry. I have insurance with the Thai government scheme. Paid for when I bought my air ticket."

 

 

[bamnutsak]

12 minutes ago, phetphet said:

I wonder how the insurance aspect of this will work.

This is not about insurance, that's just a smoke-screen. Unpaid medical bills will presumably be reimbursed from the MoT&S Slush fund to the MoPH Slush fund, and then maybe, the MoPH will increase their funding for hospitals, based on their claims.

 

This scheme is ripe for corruption.

 

Do not assume this is being implemeted for reasons other than graft, and corruption. Will a few baht trickle down to some politicos province? Maybe.

 

 

[ikke1959]

The 300THB will not be the problem in fact but that only Foreign tourists are being charged

It shows again that Thailand discriminates non Thai people with this entry fee and they have already accepted the double pricing system. Tourist dont like to be scammed

[Chelseafan]

4 hours ago, edogthong said:

Your comment shows a lack in knowledge of basic economics. It's like saying that nobody's going to stop drinking beer if they increase the price by just one baht. The truth is that with every price increase, the total consumption will go down. At the very least compared to if there hadn't been a price increase. This fee will negatively effect the number of visitors as a whole. That's an economic certainty. How much? Nobody knows but it's definitely a strange move for a country that claims to want to increase tourism.

I agree with your comments regarding economics but in this case I seriously doubt that $8 is going to put people off travelling to Thailand in the same way that no-one cares about the 600 baht to exit.

 

 

 

[Gandtee]

14 hours ago, DezLez said:

That is my point!

 

You do not "develop" or increase tourism by increasing costs unless you are giving the tourist an increased benefit.

 

Where is the increased "benefit" to a tourist in increasing their charges, especially if they already have travel insurance?.

 

I believe TAT will loose more than they will gain.

As the minister said, "If you die in Thailand."????

[Adumbration]

The fee is already in place at many entry points due to corruption.

 

Before covid I would drive down to Kota Bharu in Malaysia each year via Sungnai Golok.

 

Upon my return I see that all Malaysian crossing the border into Thailand have to put a 100 baht note in their passport before handing it over to the IO.

 

One of my good Malaysian friends is a bit of a lark.  I was in the queue behind him one day and he handed has passport over but he had put five and ten baht coins in it, not notes.  The coins spilled out all over the metal IO counter and the long line of people had to muffle their collective laughter.

[NoshowJones]

5 hours ago, edogthong said:

Your comment shows a lack in knowledge of basic economics. It's like saying that nobody's going to stop drinking beer if they increase the price by just one baht. The truth is that with every price increase, the total consumption will go down. At the very least compared to if there hadn't been a price increase. This fee will negatively effect the number of visitors as a whole. That's an economic certainty. How much? Nobody knows but it's definitely a strange move for a country that claims to want to increase tourism.

Why should the unelected soldiers bother about tourism? There income stream and offshore accounts will be doing very well anyway.

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

How many times is this same subject going to be discussed by the Government?   In most countries, the Government makes up its mind on a particular subject and then makes an announcement of its decision to the public.

 

In Thailand, we are initially led to believe, from a Government announcement, that a decision has been made but then later on it emerges that the plan has been delayed for a certain or indefinite period and the saga then goes on and on, leaving the public in the dark. A few recent examples: Entry fees, seat belts, wearing of masks and bar opening times.

 

This must be one of the most indecisive Governments in the world, particularly when we consider the real power they have.

Are you calling a bunch of unelected tinpot soldiers a government. They are nothing more than a tribute act trying to be the real thing.

[LukKrueng]

14 hours ago, internationalism said:

so the government was covering 700mln bht for some 40mln tourists - so on average 20b per person.

They had already 600b from airport departure tax.

Now, from this 300b some 30% is outright wasted for the tresury - it goes directly to airline for collecting this fee. Unless they decide to charge on arrival at the airport.

As I remember 20% so some 60b goes as an emergency medical help.

Now, how many tourists will neglect buying proper travel/health insurance because they will think they are sufficiently covered? Because of this the government will have to fork out much more, than the previous 20b per person.

 

Airport departure tax had nothing to do with it. All countries in the world have a departure tax. Some countries also have arrival tax (US was the only 1 with arrival tax some 30 years ago, but I think now more countries have it) - but that tax also goes for the airport facilities.

[scorecard]

7 hours ago, findlay13 said:

It'll all go into "sompeople's" pockets anyway.

So, perhaps TAT will explain the 'benefits' in specific terms?

 

Nah, forget that suggestion, TIT.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, lujanit said:

IIRC it is not only tourists who will be charged.  People who live here (not Thais) will also be charged.  In my 12 years here I have never been to a hospital without the hospital requiring payment before letting me go.  A small amount of the 300 baht will be allocated into the 'medical fund'.  I suspect that the vast amount of the unpaid bills will be by workers from countries like Burma, Cambodia and Laos.  A breakdown of the countries would be helpful, that is never coming.  The employers just don't take out medical insurance for their foreign workers.

 

This is just a cash grab for people in power.  Nothing less.

But where is the specific report confirming that the 300Baht will all go into a fund to clear unpaid medical bills of tourists?

[NoshowJones]

3 hours ago, IamNoone88 said:

Maintain the compulsory travel insurance and have done with it. No insurance, no entry. AseanNow is full of news of foreigners chalking up uninsured motorcycle accidents and associated large hospital bills, repatriation costs of the deceased, injuries sustained during drunken brawls (there's another today), suicides, sickness, emergencies ............ the list goes on......

"Maintain the compulsory travel insurance and have done with it." That would be okay if it only applied  to tourists and only tourists, not people with re entry permits etc.

[scorecard]

25 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"Maintain the compulsory travel insurance and have done with it." That would be okay if it only applied  to tourists and only tourists, not people with re entry permits etc.

Well yes and no. There's thusands of old/elderly farang in LOS with no private health insurance (incl., me) and they cannot pay afford the private premiums.

 

Please don't instantly respond with negative comments 'can't afford to live here then go home', it's not that simple.

 

I suspect many of these farang would be interested in a gov't scheme which gives them some health cover (depending on the fees/premiums etc). 

[mancub]

Many posters seem focused on long haul arrivals. Bt 300 on a bt50.000 ticket is not seen as much in percentage terms as bt300 extra on a bt 3000 ticket within Asean

There's a reason why Asian (budget airlines especially) are opposed to this fee.

 

 

[joecoolfrog]

6 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

It would be zero, as no-one would notice it or even care about 300 baht added to an airfare that costs thousands. Many, many countries impose fees, sometimes as in the UK amounting to hundreds of pounds.

There are airport taxes in the UK but no specific tourist taxes.

Indeed a zero rate of VAT for tourists has just been reintroduced.

The basic principle of encouraging investment ( eg tourists) is enticement , NO level of additional taxation is enticing.

[terryofcrete]

7 hours ago, Moti24 said:

As far as I can remember, some of the 300Baht was to provide medical insurance for travellers.  Whatever it was for, to take 300baht before they've even collected their luggage is a bit below the belt.

My family are Hi So... They have all visited Thailand ...once ...they don't understand my frequent visits , or they are too polite to tell me what they think... lol. My son commented on the upcoming new 300:baht entry tax ... " they charged 600 baht to get out of that third world  ***hole , now they wanna charge you to get in , and you will pay it... Jesus Da ! 

[IamNoone88]

56 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

"Maintain the compulsory travel insurance and have done with it." That would be okay if it only applied  to tourists and only tourists, not people with re entry permits etc.

As an 18 year TH expat I have both private insurance and my social security payments - you be stuffed here without being insured. 

[spidermike007]

Though I do not think this tax will affect the arrival numbers at all, it is a move in the wrong direction, and is being done with the wrong spirit. The officials should be figuring out a way of being more generous with international tourists, more welcoming, improving the overall experience, and being more gracious.

 

Perhaps offering a free nights stay, a 3,000 baht voucher for restaurants, or at least talking the sourpuss immigration people into thanking tourists for coming?

 

Can you convince an arrogant grouch into at least pretending to be nice?

[BarraMarra]

Its not about the fee it's pittance its the principle same as using an ATM you are charged nearly this entrance fee to use an ATM machine in Thailand.

[BritScot]

15 hours ago, Letseng said:

Singapore has a charge too. Nobody stops visiting Singapore. 

Thailand is not Singapore and not even close.

[NoshowJones]

52 minutes ago, scorecard said:

Well yes and no. There's thusands of old/elderly farang in LOS with no private health insurance (incl., me) and they cannot pay afford the private premiums.

 

Please don't instantly respond with negative comments 'can't afford to live here then go home', it's not that simple.

 

I suspect many of these farang would be interested in a gov't scheme which gives them some health cover (depending on the fees/premiums etc). 

 I am referring to tourists who come in the short term, not people who live here. I agree completely with everything you have said.

[BritScot]

Having lived in Thailand for a total of 15 years I found it wore me down. Everything felt like "You pay more" and very much felt unwelcome by officials. Double then triple pricing and all sanctioned by the government. Some people have principles and yes I left in 2019 (400k/800k charge to stay in Thailand). I can imagine the outcry if my government did this, screams of racism!!!!