Thailand set to start collecting 300 THB tourist fee from June

[Derek B]

10 hours ago, webfact said:

“Fees won’t be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes,” said Mr Phiphat.

Further clarification required I believe.

If a non-Thai person enters as a tourist on a tourist visa they pay as a tourist.

If a non-Thai enters on a different visa or border pass they cannot be deemed to be a tourist so the 300 baht tourist fee should not be applied to a non-tourist.

[NoshowJones]

8 hours ago, Bangkocker said:

Who knows - but I thought that would at least pay for medical insurance for tourists. Was I wrong? Wasn't that the plan ? 300 baht X 300 million visitors - that's a sh**load of money.

What about returning expats, some with re entry permits? They are not tourists, so will not be subject to this 300Bt fee. Aye right!

[NoshowJones]

7 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Will retirees get taxed as well?

Silly question.

[Mickmouse1]

10 hours ago, DonniePeverley said:

I assume it will just be incorporated into the flight ticket. 

 

Of course not, must be in cash paid upon arrival .How else will it go into their pockets? How can it be controlled? 

[SunsetT]

“Fees won’t be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes,” said Mr Phiphat.

 

What about Expats? What does the re-entry permit fee go towards then? Or rather, who's a r s e does that disappear up?

[bbi1]

9 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Will retirees get taxed as well?

Of course! Why should retirees miss out on all the fun ????

[0815]

11 hours ago, edogthong said:

I've always enjoyed those precious few minutes of  not being fleeced for money until entering the arrival's hall. Now, the fleecing starts as soon as you leave the aircraft and it doesn't end until you take off back home again.

 

Impeccable timing as usual by the way. If there was ever any doubt about what they think of us, here's another little clue. Welcome to Thailand, give us your money, now F off! With a smile and wai of course.

Are you same stingy with ladydrinks for the bar chicks ? ???? 

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, mjakob007 said:

my take is TH will become more than twice as expensive as UK,

More expensive to whom?

[ikke1959]

3 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

What about returning expats, some with re entry permits? They are not tourists, so will not be subject to this 300Bt fee. Aye right!

As usual they did ot think about that...and also different cases... Just foreign tourists on tourist pay and exceptions???? OMG there are different entries too... meeting now, probably can't start 1 of June

[DFPhuket]

I book a lot of tickets on a lot of airlines. I know of no booking site that is set up to calculate a different rate of taxes or fees based upon a person's passport or work permit status. On full service carriers, the cost you see on the first page is what you pay. But I doubt that any government official proposing this idea has ever used an airline booking engine and has any idea how it works. 

 

The fee would have to be paid upon arrival by credit card or multiple currencies (since most don't arrive with baht). If they only accept baht, that means a queue for exchanging money, a queue for paying the fee, and a queue for immigration. Thailand, smooth as silk. 

 

[fusion58]

Another day, another greedy, outstretched hand demanding tea money. Shameful! ????

[Boedog]

You will be given a little brown envelope to put your donation in on arrival 

[biggles45]

So what does it actually cover? If I, a tourist am hit by a car/motorbike and I have no insurance, is my bill paid from this fund?

If I have a heart attack or other medical condition, no insurance and can't pay does it pay my bill? That was the complaint that started this, tho 7+billion baht tax to cover 500million baht in unpaid medical bills is a bit of a stretch. 

[Captain Monday]

Great idea but not enough. It should be more like 300 baht, per day. To include comprehensive accident insurance, fund infrastructure tourism improvements and environmental damage mitigation.

They could have discounts like 7500 baht for a month to encourage longer stays. Should not be applied to those who hold a non-immigrant visa????.

 

 

[Lokie]

6 hours ago, alex8912 said:

I've been to Turkey maybe 15 times in about 14 years and never had to do this. I'm not Turkish. Last time Two months ago. 

It was years ago, I was frequent visitor to Dalaman Airport between 1999 - 2006 all visitors queued to pay a £10 visa entrance fee, that was it only thing to make sure was you placed a £10 note inside your passport on slipping it under the kiosk window, if you put a £20 note in then you would not get change, this fee for LOS is just another way of extracting more from farang, pure & simple

[freedomnow]

They can't go a single day without bringing some new fee or rule ammendment or new visa class propasal can they ?

 

Is there any other country in the world that swishes and swooshes all the rules as much as Thailand in the history of the world ?

 

 

[Salerno]

Sometimes I wonder if the Thai Government actually has a department set up to come up with announcements and then just kick back at the end of the working day with their tipple of choice and have a laugh at the meltdown on here.

 

When this dies down perhaps time for another 10 Bht increase for taxis at Swampy 

 

 

[ThailandRyan]

2 hours ago, 0815 said:

Are you same stingy with ladydrinks for the bar chicks ? ???? 

Why do you think he sits on a barstool and partakes in the bar scene?

[ThailandRyan]

46 minutes ago, freedomnow said:

They can't go a single day without bringing some new fee or rule ammendment or new visa class propasal can they ?

 

Is there any other country in the world that swishes and swooshes all the rules as much as Thailand in the history of the world ?

 

 

I would have to say that I know of no other country to which I travel and visit that is constantly changing the rules and fees, between double pricing for National parks, and allowing hospitals to charge foreigners more it does get disconcerting sometimes to see Thailand playing these games and then flip flopping like this past Monday on the entry rules.  However, I can say I have benefited as I picked up one of the new 10 year visa at a lower cost then what 10 years of annual extensions with a ME re-entry permit would have cost me, and no 90 day reporting.

[Blumpie]

Okay its been twelve hours, where are the goal posts today LOL!

[zzaa09]

14 hours ago, Bangkocker said:

Who knows - but I thought that would at least pay for medical insurance for tourists. Was I wrong? Wasn't that the plan ? 300 baht X 300 million visitors - that's a sh**load of money.

Indeed.

Yet, that's what it's all about isn't it? 

Corrupt profiteering.

[mjakob007]

4 hours ago, sandyf said:

More expensive to whom?

users of airport services in TH.

[olfu]

...300bt?--good start. Highly advance countries like Russia charge me 200$ or about 6000bt.

[whatsupdoc]

21 hours ago, London Lowf said:

Not necessarily as that would also catch Thais. Before I discovered Thailand I used to got to Turkey - or Türkiye as they have now rebranded themselves - and non-Turks had to queue up at a kiosk to pay an entry fee and get a receipt before going through immigration. I can't remember how much it was but it was much more than B300. I think that quite a lot of countries do this.

About 4 months ago I went to Turkey and there was no such thing at the airport.....

[Chelseafan]

20 hours ago, edogthong said:

I've always enjoyed those precious few minutes of  not being fleeced for money until entering the arrival's hall. Now, the fleecing starts as soon as you leave the aircraft and it doesn't end until you take off back home again.

 

Impeccable timing as usual by the way. If there was ever any doubt about what they think of us, here's another little clue. Welcome to Thailand, give us your money, now F off! With a smile and wai of course.

 

I really hope this go's into the flight ticket. I appreciate a lot of people use cards (some with hefty charges) and many bring cash with them but a lot of passengers arrive (including me) without baht (yes, I know the rules say you have to show funds). The queues for the ATM machines will be huge.

[Chelseafan]

4 hours ago, olfu said:

...300bt?--good start. Highly advance countries like Russia charge me 200$ or about 6000bt.

Got to fund the illegal war special military operation somehow

[cheapcanuck]

Just more money to line the corrupt _____________ (insert official of your choice here) pockets. 

[StayinThailand2much]

21 hours ago, nglodnig said:

There used to be an exit fee (paid in cash and you had to use a special machine) that had to be attached to EVERY boarding-pass (Thai/non-Thai) before you could leave the country. The logic (?) being tourists can afford it and Thais who fly abroad can also.

Wasn't that the Don Muang airport tax before it was added to the ticket? - I remember spending my last baht on my first visit to Thailand, unaware of it, then having to buy baht at airport rates just for that purpose.

[StayinThailand2much]

25 minutes ago, cheapcanuck said:

Just more money to line the corrupt _____________ (insert official of your choice here) pockets. 

Exactly. Someone mentioned only 50 baht of it being used (if at all) for 'accident insurance'. Probably soon we'll read news that 'it is not enough', and 'the fee needs to be raised', or other fees charged...

[StayinThailand2much]

21 hours ago, riverhigh said:

I guess they will have a 300 Thai Baht equivalent in USD.

Probably 20 dollars or so...