Damaging Thailand's reputation abroad

[DudleySquat]

7 hours ago, Pink Mist said:

That then asks the question of " will immigration have a separate booth to pay the 300 baht upon arrival for those whose airlines did not collect it and transfer it?"

Why the hell not?  Just place it beyond Immigration and make sure the lines are double that of immigration.  Nothing says you have arrived at your destination, like standing in multiple queues. 

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Muhendis said:

18 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

The issue as I see it is not the amount, but how it will be collected...

For me, it's more a question of what it pays for.

Wasn't there talk some while ago about paying for hospital bills?

Yes...   thats how all ‘this’ started - the complaints of the ‘cost burden of tourists’ to the Thai medical industry.... 

... Who ran with that  ???......  a certain vapid little cretin who has shown ‘anti-foreign sentiment’ numerous times in the past. 

 

So, as you rightly question, how would this 180 Million Baht be spent ???  

 

I think the Optics would be excellent IF Thailand introduced this fee and then announced ’tourists’ will get free emergency medical care in Thailand. 

 

 

The issue of course, as the airlines pointed out is the differentiation between tourists, nationals and expats. In a Typically clumsy manner authorities have attempted to ’shirk’ their responsibility for the logistic onto the Airlines who have said, no, we can’t do that. 

 

So.... the 300 baht will need to be collected upon arrival and how will that work without creating further delays for incoming tourists ?

 

 

 

 

[kingstonkid]

17 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Agreed... But a tourist arriving and facing a 1 hour queue to pay a tourist tax followed by another 1 hour queue for immigration is going to get fed up and question their desire for a return visit. 

 

Thailand needs to be courting tourism, not showing it contempt of tourists. 

I don; 't understand the contempt of tourism.    There is a simple solution most countries tack it on to the cost that the travel agent charges.  The other means is to simply tack it onto the airline fee.  

 

For those that get a visa before they come here they simply charge the money at that point.

 

For those tht are coming here on the 30 day then it is just an extra point.\

 

 

I seem to remember back in 97 having to pay a fee to leave the country.  I think it was 500 baht.  Not a big issue just an extra inconvenience.

 

Can you really see Fred who is coming here to drink and get his wick wet worrying because he has to stop and pay the 300 baht while waiting to get through immigration cue.

[kingstonkid]

21 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

None whatsoever IF handled correctly...     If it's simply added to tickets as a landing tax and distributed  separately then no one will notice. 

 

BUT... how else will this be handled ? will it be used to cover ‘insurance’ for tourists who find themselves injured in Thailand and in need of emergency medical care ??...  

 

OR... once in place will this subject go very quiet and we’ll see the same number of complaints from hospitals that tourists have ‘escaped’ without paying their medical fees ?

 

In a few years will be see how ‘Big Joke’ has discovered the extent of the graft as these additional funds were misappropriated and found their way into the accounts of senior politicians and authority figures ???

 

 

I may be too cynical, but it seems to me that policies such as these are so popular because anyone in a position of decision making power can see how they can benefit directly.

 

Toronto charges 2 fees 15 landing fee and a 30 departing fee

 

Changi  62.2 SGD

 

I am sure that every country and every airport has fees thast they charge that unless y ou read the fine print you would never know about.

 

Again 9 dollars is not going to stop a person.

 

The real reason that airlines are saying passengers will not like it is because they don't want to do the paperwork.

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

I seem to remember back in 97 having to pay a fee to leave the country.  I think it was 500 baht.  Not a big issue just an extra inconvenience.

The airport charge.... 500 baht for International departures and 30 baht for domestic departures. 

From 2007 (I think) it increased to 700 baht and was ‘hidden’ into the ticket costs.

 

At the time it ‘occasionally’ caused significant inconvenience, firstly there were the queues for the ticket, but also, tourists who had budgeted their last few hundred baht of the Taxi did not have cash.

 

IF forums existed at the time this would have been one of the largest repeated discussion points / complaints. 

 

 

[richard_smith237]

15 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Toronto charges 2 fees 15 landing fee and a 30 departing fee

 

Changi  62.2 SGD

 

I am sure that every country and every airport has fees thast they charge that unless y ou read the fine print you would never know about.

Thailand already has those charges and they are written into the Ticket. 

 

 

15 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

Again 9 dollars is not going to stop a person.

Agreed... but you’re being very short sighted with that. Where will the US$ 180 Million end up ?

When a foreign tourist has a medical emergency will they be treated for free, based on this 300 baht ?

 

 

 

15 minutes ago, kingstonkid said:

The real reason that airlines are saying passengers will not like it is because they don't want to do the paperwork.

Why should the airlines have to ‘do the paper work’...  The airlines have stated how difficult this is to discriminate between tourists, nationals and expats... and why should they have to?

 

IF there is to be a policy attached to ‘tickets’ then it should be across the board, as per the Airport and landing taxes.

 

IF Thailand wants to charge a ‘Tourist Tax’ then that is going to be extremely difficult to implement at the point of arrival and has the potential to cause further delays... hence the ongoing debate and delay of this policy - From its inception the idea has been extremely clumsy. 

 

 

IF Thailand really wants to work this out in an intelligent manner charge a ‘Tourist tax’ at hotels.

 

 

 

 

[ChipButty]

If Thailand is worried about unpaid medical bills from Farang, then why not offer some kind of Travel insurance to cover emergencies 

[Peterphuket]

It is not only this tax who makes the problems, we pay already the same amount being departure tax, add to that the exorbitant entrance fees to visit a park, or the 300% tax on wine, all these things together make it less attractive to visit this country......not to mention the extreme air pollution.

 

But especially continue this way Thailand, you can be sure that sooner or later there will be fewer and fewer tourist, even the better-off tourists will definitely stay away.

 

 

[Hummin]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

IF Thailand really wants to work this out in an intelligent manner charge a ‘Tourist tax’ at hotels.

 

 

 

 

Seriously? Living in Thailand, and I might have 60 days in hotels? 

 

And you to burden resorts and hotels to collect the tax? Rhat would be a total chaos out of reach and hands. 

 

Prepaid ticket online, web site or app, or at a ticket dispenser before emigration

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

If Thailand is worried about unpaid medical bills from Farang, then why not offer some kind of Travel insurance to cover emergencies 

They can require travel insurance or world wide health insurance instead. Problem solved, but I guess the critics would go off completely 

[richard_smith237]

Just now, Hummin said:

6 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

 

IF Thailand really wants to work this out in an intelligent manner charge a ‘Tourist tax’ at hotels.

 

 

 

 

Expand  

Seriously? Living in Thailand, and I might have 60 days in hotels? 

 

And you to burden resorts and hotels to collect the tax? Rhat would be a total chaos out of reach and hands. 

Why ??... its exactly what other countries do - the hotels charge a ’tourist’ or a ‘city-tax’...  sometimes residents of that country are excluded from said tax...  

 

 

Just now, Hummin said:

Prepaid ticket online, web site or app, or at a ticket dispenser before emigration

Perhaps they could issue a QR Code so they don’t have to check the actual ‘ticket’...  until, just as with Covid, they have to check the QR code, then the individual bookings, insurance, PCR tests etc etc...

 

 

Tourist tax is nothing new....  Thailand attempt to implement its collection at the Airport is, the reason other countries do not do this is because its so very impractical for the tourists... 

 

 

IF this is going to be implemented in Thailand, the first thing that needs to happen is that Thailand needs to place ATM machines inside the Airport (airside) for arrivals !!!!... 

 

The whole idea is extremely ill thought out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Denim]

I remember when you had to pay 500 baht to leave !!!

 

Never mind getting in.

[ChipButty]

Just now, Denim said:

I remember when you had to pay 500 baht to leave !!!

 

Never mind getting in.

Them were the days

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, Hummin said:

8 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

If Thailand is worried about unpaid medical bills from Farang, then why not offer some kind of Travel insurance to cover emergencies 

They can require travel insurance or world wide health insurance instead. Problem solved, but I guess the critics would go off completely 

Again... who checks that on arrival ?????

Do you want to queue up while a Public Health Official (or Airport official) checks your insurance documents to make sure you are covered.... ????   

 

... They did this during covid with far far few arrivals, what you suggest is a logistical impossibility with regards to making checks for said insurance at the airport. 

 

 

Firstly, I don’t believe Thailand actually needs to ‘increase the funds’ to cover medical burden of tourists as that burden is a minute amount compared to overall tourist and medical tourism... BUT, IF Thailand still wants to go ahead with this, there are better options to ‘collect’ and that is either... across the board and included in a ticket, or as a city tax applied at hotels (with resident exclusions - i.e. show a or form of residency, Work Permit, Non-Imm visa, pink ID etc).

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hummin]

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Why ??... its exactly what other countries do - the hotels charge a ’tourist’ or a ‘city-tax’...  sometimes residents of that country are excluded from said tax...  

 

 

Perhaps they could issue a QR Code so they don’t have to check the actual ‘ticket’...  until, just as with Covid, they have to check the QR code, then the individual bookings, insurance, PCR tests etc etc...

 

 

Tourist tax is nothing new....  Thailand attempt to implement its collection at the Airport is, the reason other countries do not do this is because its so very impractical for the tourists... 

 

 

IF this is going to be implemented in Thailand, the first thing that needs to happen is that Thailand needs to place ATM machines inside the Airport (airside) for arrivals !!!!... 

 

The whole idea is extremely ill thought out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I might come and go 3 times a year, and check in and out a hotel maybe 20 - 30 times or more, depending on how many motorbike trips I make a year. 

 

I believe we first have to see their proposed final solution before we can argue how it is going to impact us

[richard_smith237]

2 minutes ago, Denim said:

I remember when you had to pay 500 baht to leave !!!

 

Never mind getting in.

Its now 700 baht and written into the price of a ticket. 

[KiChakayan]

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

As living in the nordic countries, we have lost several direct flights, and now unless you going more than 20 hours one way, it is double and triple prices compare to before covid. before I could easily get tickets  below 20k roundtrip, now 50k and more. 

Don't you see this as a good thing? You only have to travel three times less. And the planet will love it.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

Again... who checks that on arrival ?????

Do you want to queue up while a Public Health Official (or Airport official) checks your insurance documents to make sure you are covered.... ????   

 

... They did this during covid with far far few arrivals, what you suggest is a logistical impossibility with regards to making checks for said insurance at the airport. 

 

 

Firstly, I don’t believe Thailand actually needs to ‘increase the funds’ to cover medical burden of tourists as that burden is a minute amount compared to overall tourist and medical tourism... BUT, IF Thailand still wants to go ahead with this, there are better options to ‘collect’ and that is either... across the board and included in a ticket, or as a city tax applied at hotels (with resident exclusions - i.e. show a or form of residency, Work Permit, Non-Imm visa, pink ID etc).

 

 

 

 

 

 

That could have been the solution required instead of a small departure fee, and equally what europe requires for schengen visa. 

[mokwit]

The idea that they could make the airlines their unpaid tax collectors.

[richard_smith237]

Just now, Hummin said:

I might come and go 3 times a year, and check in and out a hotel maybe 20 - 30 times or more, depending on how many motorbike trips I make a year. 

I think it would be easy enough for the government to implement this policy on a ’tourist only’ basis and exclude nationals and residents (i.e. Non-Imm Visa, Work Permit holders etc).

 

 

Just now, Hummin said:

 

I believe we firat have to see their proposed final solution before we can argue how it is going to impact us

I am arriving in Thailand about 6-10 times per year (on international flights)....  300 baht per arrival would cost me up to 3000 baht... that still seems insignificant - it is the queueing to pay that 300 baht which will cause problems - there are already significant complaints about queues at the airport. 

 

 

 

[Denim]

2 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Them were the days

Indeed. I once flew Aeroflot and a Thai girl flying back to her hubby in Sweden didn't have the money. I paid it for her and she said she would suck me off later in the toilets of the plane.

 

Didn't happen of course ( shades of unlucky Alf ....oh <deleted> ) as we got put in a different section of the aircraft.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, KiChakayan said:

Don't you see this as a good thing? You only have to travel three times less. And the planet will love it.

I need to work sometimes to make a living in Thailand and also visit family and friends, but Im sure it will only be two times for me this year, and wife one time only as well. 

[Denim]

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Its now 700 baht and written into the price of a ticket. 

In those days it was a cash payment. No pay , no go.

[Hummin]

1 minute ago, richard_smith237 said:

I think it would be easy enough for the government to implement this policy on a ’tourist only’ basis and exclude nationals and residents (i.e. Non-Imm Visa, Work Permit holders etc).

 

 

I am arriving in Thailand about 6-10 times per year (on international flights)....  300 baht per arrival would cost me up to 3000 baht... that still seems insignificant - it is the queueing to pay that 300 baht which will cause problems - there are already significant complaints about queues at the airport. 

 

 

 

As said, first we need to see their solutions before we argue if it will work or not ????

 

Im sure you and me could show immigration on our app we paid, and even more easy when they open for vip passenger again.

[richard_smith237]

12 minutes ago, Hummin said:

That could have been the solution required instead of a small departure fee, and equally what europe requires for schengen visa. 

Agreed....  For any 'Visa Application’ proof of insurance could be a requirement, but then there are those who want to ‘self insure’ because the cost of insurance is prohibitive. 

 

But, this would excluded ‘visa exempt on arrival’...   So there needs to be another more convenient and inclusive method to collect this ‘tax’ without creating an airport choke point. 

 

 

OR... Thailand just accepts that the ‘medical cost burden of tourists’ is only 0.014% of income from tourism and that it would be better to write this cost off and simply encourage more tourism and more national profit.

 

[richard_smith237]

3 minutes ago, Denim said:

In those days it was a cash payment. No pay , no go.

And it caused chaos, queues, hassles and remained a reminder of the non-developed status of Thailand. 

[Denim]

2 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

And it caused chaos, queues, hassles and remained a reminder of the non-developed status of Thailand. 

Yup

[richard_smith237]

8 minutes ago, Hummin said:

As said, first we need to see their solutions before we argue if it will work or not ????

 

Im sure you and me could show immigration on our app we paid, and even more easy when they open for vip passenger again.

Valid point - but that would take Immigration longer to process passengers... and the queues at immigration are already long enough, immigration are already defensive enough with their quotes that it only takes 45 seconds to process each passenger (which is rubbish).... 

 

IMO Anything which adds any extra process at the airport is going to cause extra queues for arrivals which is wholly unsatisfactory....  

 

Whatever system is put in place, it needs to be automated - but ideally, there is no need for such a system at all.  IF Thailand courted and attracted more tourism the profits from the increased tourism could outweigh and exceed the ‘medical cost burden’.... 

 

Thailand officials are approaching this form the perspective that ‘Tourists are a burden’ rather than the value Tourists bring.

[2baht]

8 hours ago, bogs smith said:

they are masters at shooting themselves in both feet.

They can get by with a limp! 

[metisdead]

Please continue in the same topic now running in the Thailand News forum:

 

 

//Closed//