Cabinet approves tourist fee of 150-300 baht for all foreign tourists

[snoop1130]

 

The Thai cabinet has approved the collection of a landing tax, ranging from 150-300 baht, to be collected from all foreign tourists visiting Thailand, tentatively from June 1st, as proposed by the National Tourism Policy Committee.

 

The landing tax for foreign tourists arriving by land and sea will be 150 baht per head and 300 baht for arrivals by air. The tax is, however, not applied to those who hold diplomatic passports, work permits or special work permits for specific professions as stipulated by the Labour Ministry, children under two-years-old and transit passengers.

 

The cabinet also instructed the Immigration Bureau to streamline its regulations and conditions regarding immigration documents and relevant immigration laws, under which receipts for tourism fee payments can be used by the tourists when applying for re-entry permits.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn explained that the landing tax will be used for domestic tourism development and for insurance coverage for tourists while they are in Thailand.

 

Full Story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/cabinet-approves-tourist-fee-of-150-300-baht-for-all-foreign-tourists/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-02-14

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

[zzzzz]

has anyone seen any thing concerning 
will Khmers, Laos, Burmese, Malays be forced to pay 150 baht each time they cross the land border from their own countries> 

seems unfair if they are, yet work permit holders are exempted> 
 

[findlay13]

This will go smoothly at Swampy I'm sure.

 

 

[zzzzz]

  On 2/14/2023 at 12:53 PM, findlay13 said:

This will go smoothly at Swampy I'm sure.

 

 

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Wont make a hiccup at all, as no one will even know, as its included in the ticket, same as the departure tax has been for decades 

[zzaa09]

What if one is not a tourist [per se]?

[mancub]

  On 2/14/2023 at 12:58 PM, zzzzz said:

Wont make a hiccup at all, as no one will even know, as its included in the ticket, same as the departure tax has been for decades 

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However, this fee is not applicable to Thai nationals, so how will ticket sales/prices be administered ?

[Yorkshire Tea]

  On 2/14/2023 at 1:32 PM, zzaa09 said:

What if one is not a tourist [per se]?

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Tough titties ????

[ikke1959]

tourists have money.. they pay  entree tax, and leaving tax, we have double pricing for them in national parks, no meter taxis, and we fine them for no helmets, e cigarettes, and no driverslicenses....  Alcohol can not be bought during daytime, and we wonder why tourists don't come

[Puccini]

  On 2/14/2023 at 12:58 PM, zzzzz said:

Wont make a hiccup at all, as no one will even know, as its included in the ticket, same as the departure tax has been for decades 

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The following paragraph from the news article in the OP (highlighting in bold is mine) seems to suggest that a separate ticket will be issued for this tourist arrival fee, but by whom?

 

  Quote

...The cabinet also instructed the Immigration Bureau to streamline its regulations and conditions regarding immigration documents and relevant immigration laws, under which receipts for tourism fee payments can be used by the tourists when applying for re-entry permits...

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[Prince77]

I am wondering about the insurance benefits - what is covered in what amounts?

 

[still kicking]

  On 2/14/2023 at 5:22 PM, Prince77 said:

I am wondering about the insurance benefits - what is covered in what amounts?

 

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Well, I take out top travel insurance what does it do for me?

[webfact]

300 baht ‘tourist tax’ to go ahead – starts June 1

By Peter Roche

 

Departure hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok Departure hall at Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok

On Tuesday, the Thai Cabinet approved the 300 baht “landing fee” for foreign air travellers, according to Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. The proposed tax was earlier referred to as the arrival tax or tourist tax.

 

The fee is anticipated to take effect on approximately June 1, or 90 days following its publication in the Thai Royal Gazette.

 

For foreigners who arrive by land or sea, the “Kha Yeap Pan Din” (fee for stepping on Thai soil) will be halved since they typically stay for just a few days. So only 150 baht.

 

Foreigners who arrive through a border pass, those on a one-day trip, or those with a current and valid work permit, will be excluded from having to pay the fee.

 

People on retirement-style visas will have to pay the fee, according to the information available today.

 

When the fee was proposed last year, Phiphat stated that the proceeds would be used to purchase insurance for foreigners, with the leftover amount added to the tourism development fund. This fund will help construct disabled access entrances and restrooms at tourist sites.

 

According to the Minister, from 2017 to 2019, the government has incurred up to 400 million baht in medical expenses for foreigners at public hospitals. If the ministry uses this charge to pay for insurance, it will not have to request a separate budget. This ruling has received criticism from internet users both in Thailand and abroad.

 

Source: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/300-baht-tourist-tax-to-go-ahead-starts-june-1/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-02-15

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information.

 

[Gwen1234]

Honestly the thai government are crazy if they think this sort of thing is okay, they may think "oh falang have money so they can pay this its only 300thb" they forget foreigners will factor this in per person plus the extras at national parks plus, the extras for long boat trips down near maya Bay. Plus the extras for not having a thai passport or I'd at checkpoints where police don't know visa rules, and also prices inflated in tourist areas. They're bat shut crazy Honestly. 

[Robert Tyrrell]

Good morning,

 

Inflation , Coming out of a Pandemic and war in Ukraine and double pricing Foreigners and Thailand charging more fees !!!?? 
You certainly have ALL !! The right ingredients for Foreigners to travel elsewhere !! 
In the end this money , Money , Money all the time will turn around a bite you in the Ass !! 

[loong]

  On 2/14/2023 at 8:12 PM, webfact said:

According to the Minister, from 2017 to 2019, the government has incurred up to 400 million baht in medical expenses for foreigners at public hospitals.

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So average of roughly 4 to 6 Baht per tourist per year!

[smedly]

explain what it is for ?

[bbbbooboo]

Hmmm…. I’m sure i can hear the Abba song “money, money, money” playing in the background ?

[Mike Teavee]

  On 2/14/2023 at 12:58 PM, zzzzz said:

Wont make a hiccup at all, as no one will even know, as its included in the ticket, same as the departure tax has been for decades 

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So every airline/flight booking portal is going to update their website to ask if you have a Diplomatic passport or Work Permit and charge you accordingly?  

 

Oh & give you the opportunity to enter your receipt number if you're travelling on a re-entry permit? 

 

Obviously not so this fee will be charged to everybody (Including my Thai partner if I book us flights together) or (as I suspect will be the case) collected at the airport... Which will be a nightmare, will be canned after 1-2 months & cause irrepareable damage to Thailand's reputation as a tourist desination. 

 

Very few people care about the 300b but I'll never go to Bali again after having to stand in line for almost 2 hours to pay for a Visa to enter... It's not what I go on holiday to do. 

 

[TimeMachine]

Not sure why the people who are more likely to afford spending more money such as highly paid diplomatic passport holders are exempt? Maybe because they can afford their own bills? Maybe because it's tax payer money to begin with? Also, is the amount I pay only going to pay for those that skip out on bills or will it afford me any advantage?

[SuperSilverHaze]

 

As I recall to this day they still cannot state what they money is for.

 

It's insurance (for what, whom??) some nebulous, random fee to help the tourism industry. This is farce bc the country has been in an economic mess for a decade and it was the tourism industry always looked upon as the bright spot that was to prop up the nation in these uncertain times.

 

Mixed messages to this day

[Millcx]

Shock Horror .. Didn’t see that coming 55555

[SuperSilverHaze]

  On 2/14/2023 at 10:56 PM, Mike Teavee said:

t I'll never go to Bali again after having to stand in line for almost 2 hours to pay for a Visa t

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Not visa on arrival?

[Tish 2]

  On 2/14/2023 at 1:32 PM, zzaa09 said:

What if one is not a tourist [per se]?

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Clearly a VIP.

[jacko45k]

  On 2/14/2023 at 12:58 PM, zzzzz said:

Wont make a hiccup at all, as no one will even know, as its included in the ticket, same as the departure tax has been for decades 

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So the onus is on the carriers to determine if arrivals are foreign or Thai? 

[jacko45k]

  On 2/14/2023 at 5:22 PM, Prince77 said:

I am wondering about the insurance benefits - what is covered in what amounts?

 

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Forget it... it is just a money grab...... 

[ikke1959]

But I am a taxpayer in THailand... Do I have to pay while 75% of Thais don't pay tax at all??

[DrMJA]

  On 2/14/2023 at 1:44 PM, Yorkshire Tea said:

Tough titties ????

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I know her - 

555

[jacko45k]

  On 2/14/2023 at 11:16 PM, ikke1959 said:

But I am a taxpayer in THailand... Do I have to pay while 75% of Thais don't pay tax at all??

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You know how it works... they try and get money out of you, if it works, good, if not, they move on. 

[Mike Teavee]

  On 2/14/2023 at 11:09 PM, SuperSilverHaze said:

Not visa on arrival?

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Yes Visa on Arrival... I don't mind paying for it (Was in Laos at the weekend where I paid $40 for a Visa which took 10 minutes at Nong Khai) but I do mind having to stand in a line for almost 2 hours to go through the process (My Filipina ex-GF was through in 30 minutes). 

 

In terms of entry to the country process, this 300baht charge is no different than getting a Visa on Arrival (I know immigration wise they are very different) as you need to mess about paying for it, getting a receipt, showing said receipt to the Immigration officer etc... 

 

The only reason I travelled back to Udon Thani and flew back to BKK from there rather than flying directly from Vientiane was so I wouldn't have to go through Immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport & this new "Tax" is just going to make entering Thailand via BKK even worse... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hotchilli]

  On 2/14/2023 at 12:46 PM, snoop1130 said:

The Thai cabinet has approved the collection of a landing tax, ranging from 150-300 baht, to be collected from all foreign tourists visiting Thailand, tentatively from June 1st, as proposed by the National Tourism Policy Committee.

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As if foreigners don't pay enough here when the tour around and get the "extra admission charges"