Critics of new arrival tax call for greater oversight on the Thailand Tourism Fund

[ThailandGuy]

The endless search for free money never stops. I do not believe it will ever be used for coverage of medical costs for uninsured farangs. Just another milking cow.  How about the two pricing system even in hospitals?  So sad after 2 1/2years of covid they ahd enough time to think about things and nothing changed. They just carry on the old way we new tricks to get your money in to their pockets.

[billd766]

8 hours ago, Ginner said:

I remember the days when you had to pay 500 as you were leaving, at the airport.

The used to have those big machines that swallowed your money and spit the ticket out at you. And if you were really lucky, you got your change as well.

[Kalasin Jo]

14 hours ago, redwood1 said:

we will be hearing

" We will STILL be hearing" I think. At least weekly if not daily reports of foreigners being refused treatment without an upfront payment, foreigners being hit with very large hospital bills, foreigners with no means to pay and their families at home starting go fund me appeals. Yesterday was I think the latest report.

 

I would have thought that a substantial proportion of this new entry fee should go towards this and a certificate issued to arriving foreigners with details of duration and level of cover. 

 

I say "foreigners"  throughout this comment because that's the language used by the Ministry....all foreign arrivals, not just tourists.

 

If collection is on arrival rather than through ticketing ( ticketing perhaps difficult as Thais are not liable to pay this tax) there is going to be chaos and more delays at border points especially at the international airports of Thailand unless debit as well as credit cards can be used to pay, perhaps US $, alternatively provide ATMs before immigration...and plenty of them!  even though foreign arrivals are supposed to have, what is it?, 20k baht on them as they enter I bet many don't expecting ATMs.

 

 

 

[MaiChai]

I am rather interested in what my 300 baht tax will provide for me should I get critically ill in Thailand? I can't think the private hospitals would want foreign visitors heading to Thai government hospitals? And I can't think Thais will be happy that the government hospitals are clogged up treating foreign tourists? So where is the detail about this policy?

Edited February 18, 2023 by MaiChai

[ifmu]

MEDICAL EXPENSES      THATS WHAT THIS WAS FOR  .... LEFTOVERS CAN BE DIVIED UP 

 

 

MEDICAL MEDICAL   

[jacko45k]

22 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

And we still pay a 500 TBaht charge when you leave the country. Used to be cash but then they included it in all ticket sales and has never been cancelled.

I believe it is more nowadays. 700 maybe. 

[bamnutsak]

9 hours ago, MaiChai said:

I am rather interested in what my 300 baht tax will provide for me should I get critically ill in Thailand?

Nothing.

 

OK, maybe two paracetamol.

 

 

This 300 baht fee is not payment for a health insurance policy.

 

It is a "Landing Fee". Which will go into a fund managed by the Permanent Secretary of Tourism and Sport.

 

Heck, it could be used to pay for 2026 FIFA World Cup broadcast rights, or to develop Thai olympic atheletes.

 

 

 

 

[herfiehandbag]

On 2/18/2023 at 7:18 AM, Damrongsak said:

I wonder how many people subsist solely on the free meals they get for attending committee meetings and whatnot.  There is such a thing as a "free lunch" in LOS, I'm sure. 

 

 

I am not sure that "subsist" is quite the right word - if they are in the circles which attend committees, carry out studies and influence decisions they do very much better than "subsist". 

 

It would indeed be fascinating to know just how many there are, and to what extent their formal salaries are supplemented by various "benefits"!

[herfiehandbag]

On 2/18/2023 at 7:29 AM, AussieinThaiJim said:

It’s not the collection that is the problem. It’s the DISTRIBUTION! 
“One for me and one for you”

The delays in implementing the scheme are likely due to continuing negotiations over the details of the distribution!

[KhaoNiaw]

11 hours ago, MaiChai said:

I am rather interested in what my 300 baht tax will provide for me should I get critically ill in Thailand? I can't think the private hospitals would want foreign visitors heading to Thai government hospitals? And I can't think Thais will be happy that the government hospitals are clogged up treating foreign tourists? So where is the detail about this policy?

It's not meant to provide anything for you. They would reimburse hospitals who have been left out of pocket by tourists skipping out without paying or uninsured and can't pay etc. Obviously that opens up huge opportunities for corruption and mismanagement in itself. But the intention was never to provide individual healthcare for foreign tourists? 

[sandyf]

23 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

sandyf

• Explorer Member
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Posted 5 hours ago

  6 hours ago, DGS1244 said:

And we still pay a 500 TBaht charge when you leave the country. Used to be cash but then they included it in all ticket sales and has never been cancelled.

That is now 700 THB and is the Passenger Service Charge. Thailand will probably cancel it as soon as every other country does.

Over and above the PSC the UK charge Air Passenger Duty which is from around 4500 THB upwards depending on the type of seat you have.

Of coarse on the this forum only Thailand are seen as money grabbing parasites.

If you can't stand the heat, the kitchen has a door.

 

•  This is your post isn't??? you write that Thailan will cancel it as soon as other countries do... 

Yes that is what I said, but it was tongue in cheek, didn't anticipate anyone ever contemplating that might happen, apologies if you were led to believe it was a realistic possibility.

 

"dream on... Thailand will never cancel the 700 THB PSC"

 

 

 

[sandyf]

8 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I believe it is more nowadays. 700 maybe. 

Charges from my UK flight last year via Dubai..

 

Taxes / Fees / Charges (TFC)
THB70.00-E7(Thailand Advance Passenger Processing Charge)
THB30.00-G8(Thailand International Arrival/Departure Fee)
THB700.00-TS(Thailand Passenger Service Charge)
THB100.00-ZR(UAE Intl Advanced Passenger Info Fee Arrivals & Departures)
THB680.00-F6(UAE Passenger Facilities Charge)
THB12210.00-YQ(Fuel Surcharge)
THB815.00-UB(UK Passenger Service Charge) 
THB3890.00-GB(UK Air Passenger Duty)

 

[sandyf]

21 hours ago, billd766 said:

The used to have those big machines that swallowed your money and spit the ticket out at you. And if you were really lucky, you got your change as well.

When Swampy opened they never moved the machines. When you were queuing up at check-in to check-out there were people going down the line selling the 500 baht tickets. 

If you didn't have the right money you had to get out of the queue and pay, absolute chaos and a nighmare for those with no Baht left.

Got me to the front of the queue quite quickly though, became part of your flight ticket shortly after.

[KhaoYai]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:20 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

Expect this fee to be raised to 500 or a thousand baht in only a short time...

Yes and disappear on to air ticket prices like the departure tax did...........leaving an opportunity to introduce a new 'Continuance of Stay Tax', probably payable by those who stay longer than a week.

 

What with the Arrival Tax and the existing Departure Tax, they'll have the full set.

[StayinThailand2much]

13 hours ago, sandyf said:

Charges from my UK flight last year via Dubai..

 

Taxes / Fees / Charges (TFC)
THB70.00-E7(Thailand Advance Passenger Processing Charge)
THB30.00-G8(Thailand International Arrival/Departure Fee)
THB700.00-TS(Thailand Passenger Service Charge)
THB100.00-ZR(UAE Intl Advanced Passenger Info Fee Arrivals & Departures)
THB680.00-F6(UAE Passenger Facilities Charge)
THB12210.00-YQ(Fuel Surcharge)
THB815.00-UB(UK Passenger Service Charge) 
THB3890.00-GB(UK Air Passenger Duty)

Those charges sometimes make up half the ticket price, esp. on shorter flights. No wonder flights are expensive...

Edited February 19, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[StayinThailand2much]

On 2/19/2023 at 4:31 AM, MaiChai said:

I am rather interested in what my 300 baht tax will provide for me should I get critically ill in Thailand? 

As it turns out now, zilch...

[Wiggy]

On 2/18/2023 at 8:32 AM, actonion said:

Support businesses ? what happened to tourist insurance,  &  helping to maintain tourist attractions  that was  printed here less than a week ago ........... more BS 

Support the businesses owned by the politicians more like. 

[Neeranam]

On 2/18/2023 at 5:20 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

Expect this fee to be raised to 500 or a thousand baht in only a short time...

It should be at least 1000, which is still cheaper than if a Thai tourist goes to UK, USA, OZ, etc.

[Neeranam]

On 2/18/2023 at 6:16 PM, ThailandGuy said:

The endless search for free money never stops.

It's not free money, it's tax. I'd bet a Thai going to your home country has to pay tax, or a lot more than 300 baht on a visa.

[Neeranam]

On 2/18/2023 at 7:57 AM, Classic Ray said:

If this is a tourism tax why is it being levied on retirement and marriage extension/visa holders who don’t have work permits? Really it’s just just another foreigner tax.

People who live here are not tourists, but if they leave the country, they are. 

[zzaa09]

25 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

It's not free money, it's tax. I'd bet a Thai going to your home country has to pay tax, or a lot more than 300 baht on a visa.

All these added service charges and tax fees are commonplace everywhere, all written into your ticket without notice - and more often than much higher than the pittance that folks are asked to forfeit for arrival/departure in Thailand. 

 

Yet, the usual exaggerating and whinging crowd will call out disparagingly how they might be treated unfairly - being ripped off. It's far from that......if one examines the comparatives. 

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, zzaa09 said:

Yet, the usual exaggerating and whinging crowd will call out disparagingly how they might be treated unfairly - being ripped off. It's far from that......if one examines the comparatives. 

Indeed, like the pensioners living in a 3 bedroomed house with a swimming pool for $700 a month, when they couldn't get a shoebox home in the US/UK for that. Still, it's unfair that they have to pay 300 baht ever couple of years but the dude with a WP or Thais don't. 

[daveAustin]

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

All these added service charges and tax fees are commonplace everywhere, all written into your ticket without notice - and more often than much higher than the pittance that folks are asked to forfeit for arrival/departure in Thailand. 

 

Yet, the usual exaggerating and whinging crowd will call out disparagingly how they might be treated unfairly - being ripped off. It's far from that......if one examines the comparatives. 

Thailand also has all the relevant taxes in place that are written into tickets. This is a not so subtle add on. Not a whinge, just pointing out the facts. 

[Neeranam]

On 2/18/2023 at 8:04 PM, Kalasin Jo said:

I say "foreigners"  throughout this comment because that's the language used by the Ministry....all foreign arrivals, not just tourists

I believe those foreigners who work here are exempt.

 

[Damrongsak]

On 2/17/2023 at 7:57 PM, soalbundy said:

So who is going to do the scrutinizing?......who's that laughing?

Perhaps they could hire Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Scrutinizer. 

[Gknrd]

One for me one for you, two for me one for you, none for you all for me..