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

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

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.

Believe that when I see it... I bet tourists will still get the huge hospital bill if in an accident.

 

[malibukid]

shake dow street. farang pricing is business as usual.  quoted $5k USD. for a hernia operation yesterday.  do you think people will flock to Thailand to get worked. 

Edited February 14, 2023 by malibukid

[hotchilli]

10 hours ago, zzzzz said:

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> 
 

I'm sure workers will be covered by a work permit or at least under the "MOU" packaage from bordering countries.

If not they are tourists and therefore have to pay 150 like anyone else.

[Mike Teavee]

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

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.

I look forward to my Health Insurance costs being reduced significantly as I'll be covered by the 300baht I'll pay each time I enter Thailand. 

 

Thinking about it, should I just cancel the policy as clearly I will no longer need it... 

 

[TheFishman1]

Somebody in the government will have a nice pay raise when the tax starts I think it’s around just thinking how can they pocket and keep more money cause you got 300 or whatever and price will be per person entering wind up going into somebody’s pocket or two pockets, TIT

[Bangkok Barry]

10 hours ago, mancub said:

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

Wait for the U-turn..... 10, 9, 8, .....

[IamNoone88]

Sounds like a manually collected tax upon arrival. That should do nothing to speed up the already embarressing delays at immigration arrivals.

[Bangkok Barry]

9 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

we wonder why tourists don't come

But they do don't they, in their tens of millions. Which is why the Thais don't give a rat's fart what we think.

[Bangkok Barry]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

receipts for tourism fee payments can be used by the tourists when applying for re-entry permits.

Tourists need a re-entry permit?

[RichardColeman]

Can but hope that every country in the world now puts an extra 300 baht fee on ALL Thai tourists in this xenophobic policy 

[Robbkk]

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

tax will be used for domestic tourism development and for insurance coverage for tourists while they are in Thailand.

What is tourism development lol

 

A good start would be abolishing the tax.

 

[NemoH]

So all retirees will be taxed? All elite holders and long term visa holders will all be taxed when they buy tickets because they have no Work permits? ???? what a crazy regulation.. I bet the implementation will be pure chaos.. until it settles down...????

[Robbkk]

11 hours ago, zzzzz said:

Wont make a hiccup at all, as no one will even know, as its included in the ticket,

Nah, the tax will be collected by immigration upon arrival which will double the waiting time for everybody as many tourists dont have local currency, etc 

Edited February 15, 2023 by Robbkk

[DPKANKAN]

2 hours ago, loong said:

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

And when TAT works out and applies their tourist number calculations suddenly there will only be about 1% of the supposed income!!! 5555

[JoePai]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

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

You are a tax payer = You have a WP = You do not pay

 

Simple enough

[Mike Teavee]

7 minutes ago, Robbkk said:

Nah, the tax will be collected by immigration upon arrival which will double the waiting time for everybody as any tourists dont have local currency, etc 

Anybody who's been through a similar process (e.g. the exit tax in Indonesia or Philippines) knows this is a stupid idea that will cost the country more money than it brings. 

 

 

Just stick the 300baht on the price of an airline ticket (Charge 150 baht at the land borders) forget everything about not charging this kind of passport or that kind of permit and get on with it. 

[DFPhuket]

I can't see how this can be collected by the airlines. I travel in and out of Thailand a lot. No airline website is setup to ask about work permits, etc., and charge a different fee for different passport and work permit status. I already have a ticket for a round trip with a return in June. Obviously no 300 baht was collected. 

 

That means the only viable option is to have a place at the airport to collect 300 baht upon arrival. Will they accept other currencies? Credit cards? Or will they tell airlines "do this" even though it's nearly impossible to implement - and what about people like me who already have a June ticket?

 

This sort of reminds me of the Covid Sandbox rollout where they made decisions but didn't think though the implementation and the startup was a complete mess. 

[Skeptic7]

Just another "Typically Thailand" greedy money grab. B300 is a subtle pittance hidden in the ticket price, but multiply it by 10 or 20 million entries per year and it's a nice ripe chunk of change for the takin' by by the corrupt and greedy fat in charge of this BS. Certainly won't be going towards improving or helping anything.

 

B6,000,000,000/year = CHA-CHING❗???? 

[proton]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

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

Kha Yeap Pan Din” (fee for stepping on Thai soil) no mention of health insurance there and anyone who thinks they are going to pay for your broken leg if you do not have travel insurance would be very optimistic.

[AhFarangJa]

11 hours ago, 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 

It cannot be included in the ticket. How will airlines put up with the extra work to see if a passenger is eligible to pay, or not. It must be paid at immigration.

[Foxx]

9 minutes ago, JoePai said:

You are a tax payer = You have a WP = You do not pay

 

Simple enough

Nope.  Retired people don't have work permits, but pay plenty of tax tax - income tax on investment income, 7% VAT on purchases, ludicrous taxes on every bottle of wine bought.  

[Bangkocker]

12 hours ago, findlay13 said:

This will go smoothly at Swampy I'm sure.

 

 

Great idea I reckon. Particularly if it's used for insurance purposes. Let's face it 300B will barely cover the cost of a beer or lady drink.

[AhFarangJa]

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

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.

Yeh, sure, can anyone believe that they will start paying for hospital treatment for tourists. AND, if they do, will the Government be charged the grossly inflated Farang rates, or local rates.

It is ALL going into the certain banks of a few at the trough.

[JoePai]

5 minutes ago, Foxx said:

Nope.  Retired people don't have work permits, but pay plenty of tax tax - income tax on investment income, 7% VAT on purchases, ludicrous taxes on every bottle of wine bought.  

Quote : not applied to those who hold diplomatic passports, work permits 

 

Nothing to do with the retired who have to pay

[bradiston]

12 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Anybody who's been through a similar process (e.g. the exit tax in Indonesia or Philippines) knows this is a stupid idea that will cost the country more money than it brings. 

 

 

Just stick the 300baht on the price of an airline ticket (Charge 150 baht at the land borders) forget everything about not charging this kind of passport or that kind of permit and get on with it. 

This is the breakdown of taxes and fees on a recently quoted return flight BKK to MNL. Comes to 3510 THB out of a total ticket cost of 9754 THB. Soon to add in 300 THB.

 

 

[tpbon]

I live here full time on a visa based on retirement.  So if I pay the 300 baht, (When returning from a family visit)  and then have an accident, my medical bills will be covered until I leave? Yea right. Just explain what exactly the insurance covers.   

[Hummin]

Tickets have more than doubled, so 300 baht is no worry! 

[WHansen]

17 minutes ago, Bangkocker said:

Great idea I reckon. Particularly if it's used for insurance purposes. Let's face it 300B will barely cover the cost of a beer or lady drink.

Those are some pricey bars you drink in Bangkocker

Edited February 15, 2023 by WHansen
typo

[Hummin]

Just now, WHansen said:

Those are some pricey bars you drink in Bangkoker

Guinness? hoegarden?

[sandyf]

7 hours ago, Prince77 said:

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

 

The trend on this forum for interpretation to be taken literally when it suits the agenda.

"insurance coverage for tourists" is to insure hospitals are covered for uninsured tourists.

Maybe they should have made insurance mandatory instead.