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

[Hamus Yaigh]

The guy in the lead photo is going to need a much longer telephoto lens to see where these funds are going.

[proton]

If it works like government compensation schemes there will be a small fixed amount put by year on year and quickly used up, then nobody will be covered. Nobody will answer phones letters or emails.

[Sydebolle]

The answers could include:

• populistic action by the ruling few in sight of the upcoming elections. Take as much money from tourists; after all, they can go on faraway holidays while Khon Thai has to stay home
• lining of pockets like all those other slush funds (nobody every accounted for the "wild boar" or the various "Tsunami" crowd funding)
• this week's story of a British lady being hit and left to (almost) die on the road who ultimately clocked UKP 40'000 in hospital expenses. I am pretty sure that the health insurance, so wisely being a 11% part of the tourism fee, would pay within the framework of a tiny fraction of it. 
• why should Khon Thai (making money on tourism) cover health costs for tourists, if fellow tourists (not responsible and not making any money on visiting Thailand) can be creamed? 

We are not far away from the scenario shown in "No Escape 2015" ........ Thailand, quo vadis? 

[DGS1244]

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.

[dallen52]

There's already charges and costs associated with being a tourist or resident in Thailand..

Plus the farang costs -v- thai costs.

Plus the reports. 

Plus selective fines by the BIB.

20 million tourists will generate 6 billion baht additional revenue. 

 

Pointless asking for transparency...

[sammieuk1]

Look no further ????

 

[LaosLover]

I see a fair bit of tax when I book a room on Agoda too. Tourist taxes are popular because the taxed complain and moan, and then they votelessly depart. They use the infrastructure, the police, and sometimes the health system, and they are very pluck-able sitting ducks.

 

If it goes to 1,000 baht, are you not going to come here? Tourist taxes and fees are pretty elastic in popular destinations. In Las Vegas, you pay a fee above the room rate and tax, called a resort fee. Basically, it's a charge for using the lobby. The Taj Mahal wants' $70 and there's never not going to be a line to get into it. Can Thailand demand a small premium to visit? I think yes.

 

Expect surrounding countries to start charging soon. In Laos, the famous Pak Ou Caves are in pretty bad shape despite years of admission fees. It's owned by 6 families who rotate taking the revenue on a yearly basis. So when it comes around to be one or another family's turn, they're never quite in the mood for capital improvements. A lot of what we think must be public sites are not in SEA. 

 

If it could be credibly demonstrated that my super-inflated Farang price admission to a hot spring was going into a conservation land trust, they could double it as far I'm concerned. Thailand should follow the Bhutan model of milking tourists and providing a pristine paradise. That goes triple for the islands.

[Guderian]

This is where they discover that the system is already set-up to send the money collected into a bank account in the name of P. Chan-o-Cha, lol.

[proton]

33 minutes 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.

700 baht now

[Ginner]

4 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

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

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

[swerve]

Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya and other places are full of tourists. Tourism numbers are back to normal and Chinese tourists are starting to return. This "tourism fund" is not necessary.  Sounds like a slush fund to me.

[tomacht8]

The new Arrival Tax 3 (2023) - 10 (2024) billion baht will be paid by the tourists and should benefit them. LoL

I estimate 10% will go to Alibi PR projects. The rest 90% is shared for administration, VIP dinners and among friends, families and party members.

 

Transparency, budget control and accountability for state budgets? As likely as Thailand will be the world's new ski resort.

[Regyai]

Anyone who expected anything different

 

be sure to pay up for all your psychiatric help here as the magic fund wont pay for it if you don't 

[ikke1959]

They should make it a visa on arrival... for tourists yes indeed... so Thai people and long visa holders are exempted... but than there are no 30 million tourists anymore.. Arrivals are not tourists..Besides an extra tax for people who frequently fly in and out but pay taxes here is not correct and of course there is  no control of any institution how much and on what they will spend it.... 

[sandyf]

50 minutes 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.

 

[ikke1959]

1 minute ago, sandyf said:

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.

 

dream on... Thailand will never cancel the 700 THB PSC...probably will raise it and give it another name...Unfortunatey Thailand thinks that tourists need Thailand... not the other way around

[Bangkok Barry]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents says there must be transparency around management of the fund, with checks and balances to show accountability and avoid accusations of misappropriation of funds.

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn says the sub-committee responsible should comprise members from both the government and the private sector to ensure there is no favouritism shown to certain groups.

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Sisdivachr has also expressed concern about how the fee might be collected at land borders, pointing out the risk of corruption.

Such a wonderful culture. Such a wonderful country. Following on from today's daily tale of police breaking the law instead of upholding it (today's one by committing murder), or selling underage girls for sex.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Bangkok Barry

[NoshowJones]

6 hours ago, Willy Wombat said:

Tourism slush fund to be divided by a select few.

 

Same same

The fattest brown envelopes wins.

[DaLa]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Look no further ????

 

Keeping those ticking over must cost a fortune in batteries. 

 

[shackleton]

Let's be Frank it's just a other Tourist board making money scheme ????

Tourists will still have to arrive with  insurance cover ????

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

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

You would have to show me where I said they would.

The only dreaming is what people think they see in posts, the actual content going over their heads..

[worgeordie]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

However, there are concerns about a lack of transparency as to how the money will be spent.

I think that applies to all money spent by any Government agency ,leakage will occur

that's a given .

 

regards worgeordie

[Dave0206]

On 2/15/2023 at 2:19 AM, Liverpool Lou said:

Huh?

My reply was spelt wrong I meant to say physique ( thief's body style big and overweight like myself) I must try to improve my grammar 

[StayinThailand2much]

5 hours ago, Ginner said:

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

That was the airport tax. Nothing special, as it is added to the ticket price around the world. But not many countries charge a "landing fee" like this for an unclear purpose.

[StayinThailand2much]

10 hours ago, MrJ2U said:

Hopefully some of it will go to infrastructure, especially widening and improving the highway system. 

Yes, and hopefully the hair on my head will grow back. Just as likely...

[ikke1959]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

You would have to show me where I said they would.

The only dreaming is what people think they see in posts, the actual content going over their heads..

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... 

Edited February 18, 2023 by ikke1959

[Sigma6]

6 hours ago, Ginner said:

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

You still do pay it, only its built into your flight ticket, oh, and its 700b now.

[lavender19]

I know it is only 300 baht but that to a family of four plus exorbitant air fares is just another reason to give this money grabbing rip off country a wide berth and I hope they do

[paul1804]

Well we are all on the same page are we not, very obviously it will be someones private slush fund! 

Thailand when will you rise above these practices, rather obviously not in my life time!

[John Drake]

12 hours ago, redwood1 said:

The stated purpose of this tax was to pay for farang that skipped out on their  hospital medical bills and nothing else......

 

Now it sounds like the medical bill part has almost been forgotten about.....

 

Which means in a few more years we will be hearing loads of stories of farangs not paying their medical bills............So yes folks a new tax will be needed.........

Yes, the medical "trust fund" has become a tourist industry slush fund.