Tourist arrival ‘tax’ postponed, foreign arrivals drop

[webfact]

Arrival Suvarnabhumi Airport Bangkok

 

By Peter Roche

The tourism industry is requesting much clearer guidelines on the implementation of the much-discussed 300 baht tourism fee, which the caretaker Minister for Tourism and Sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, has, again, postponed until September due to “difficulties in enforcing it”.

 

Meanwhile, the number of daily international arrivals in Thailand has fallen more than 15% since February.

 

GRAPH: Trading Economics

 

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally. The Minister had earlier said that locals and expats with a valid work permit would be exempt from the tax.

 

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally.

 

Full story: https://phuket-go.com/phuket-news/national-news/tourist-arrival-tax-postponed-foreign-arrivals-drop/

 

-- © Copyright Phuket GO 2023-04-19

 

- 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.

[dinsdale]

9 minutes ago, webfact said:

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally.

Fair enough but surly immigratin can. Seems like TAT are looking for a way out for their always over inflated predictions. As for the reduction maybe part of that is as many Russians who have already got out of Russia has peaked. Just a thouight.

[anchadian]

I understood links to Bangkok Post were not allowed in this forum?

 

Reading the full report, it directs  you to the source namely the B.P.

[ezzra]

Amazing that for once, Thais and foreigners are treated equally, hopefully that will lead to that in the future foreigners will be 'treated equally' more often.

[Crossy]

17 minutes ago, anchadian said:

I understood links to Bangkok Post were not allowed in this forum?

Reading the full report, it directs  you to the source namely the B.P.

 

The rule: -

 

The OP doesn't link directly to BP so would actually be fine for an ordinary member to post.

 

[dinsdale]

2 minutes ago, ezzra said:

Amazing that for once, Thais and foreigners are treated equally, hopefully that will lead to that in the future foreigners will be 'treated equally' more often.

Only satatistically in this case so I wouldn't hold your breath.

[webfact]

Tourism Fees Delayed Until September With Implementation Issues

by Editor

 

 

Tourism operators are calling for clear measures regarding the 300 THB tourism fee after the Tourism and Sports Minister said levy collection will be delayed from June until September because of issues with the implementation.

 

Tourism and Sports Minister Phipat Ratchakitprakard said the fee collection from foreign arrivals by air must be postponed because the airlines could not adopt a selective approach between foreign tourists, Thais and expats.

 

The airlines have insisted that all passengers must be treated similarly for the regulations.

The advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourism Association, Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, says if the collection is postponed for air travellers, it must also be pushed back for land and sea for consistency.

 

Instead of relying on airlines, there should be a central agency responsible for fee collection and the management of arrivals by air, sea and lad, he said.

 

Mr Bhummikitti said he agrees with a tourism fee systematically collected and managed to help develop destinations and communities as well as to cover medical expenses for tourists in public hospitals.  Unpaid medical bills in Phuket amount to more than 10 million THB a year, he said.

 

However Mr Bhummikitti also said the 150 THB fee for land entries may effect the number of cross-border visitors, such as Malaysian tourists in Songkhla, as they are mainly travellers who with Thailand for weekend breaks.

 

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, President of the Thai Hotels Association said the delay will help ease the burden for tourists  to some extent as other travel costs have surged.

 

The country’s tourism sector is still in recovery phase, still lagging behind the level of arrivals in 2019, she said.

 

Mrs Marisa said transparency in fee collection and fund management are paramount for this scheme.

 

Earlier Mr Phipat said 60-70% of the fees will be earmarked for a tourism fund, while 17% will be used for medical insurance for tourists.

 

Other suggestions called for hotels to help collect the fee, but Mrs Marisa said it would be unfair for tourists as Thailand still has many unregistered hotels and these operators may not apply the same rules.

 

Source: https://royalcoastreview.com/2023/04/tourism-fees-delayed-until-september-with-implimentation-issues/

 

-- © Copyright Royal Coast Review 2023-04-19

 

- 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.

[Wiggy]

26 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Fair enough but surly immigratin can. Seems like TAT are looking for a way out for their always over inflated predictions. As for the reduction maybe part of that is as many Russians who have already got out of Russia has peaked. Just a thouight.

The queues at immigration are already long enough without people having to pay to enter the country. 

[n00dle]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the number of daily international arrivals in Thailand has fallen more than 15% since February

what do they expect post high season?

[spidermike007]

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally. The Minister had earlier said that locals and expats with a valid work permit would be exempt from the tax.

 

OK, then how are they arriving at the tourist numbers at all? Are they pulled out of a hat? 

 

And with Chiang Mai recently being declared as have having the worst air on the planet, in international news, and the rest of the country suffering from the worst airpocalypse in memory, could it be that word is getting around that there are healthier tourism destinations? Is this a case of "we have done absolutely nothing to address this problem, and now it is coming back to haunt us"? Lethargy, malfeasance, and incompetence and extreme corruption, all have it's price. 

[JCauto]

8 minutes ago, n00dle said:

what do they expect post high season?

Cambodia and Laos were chockers this Songkran. Seems the tourists are discovering the neighbouring countries finally. 

If I've learned anything about Thai economics, the solution to the reduction in tourist numbers will be to double or triple the entry fee to make up the lost revenue.

[markclover]

Fines only punish the poor.  Make the fine 100 times more for the rich and I will happy pay my share.

[Rinato]

Not many foreigners ever liked to come to Thailand in April/May as it's too hot.

No surprise at all

[Tropicalevo]

Quote

In 2019, passenger arrivals at the Phuket International Airport should total 9,109,487

Quote

Mr Bhummikitti says he supports the implementation of a tourism fee that would, if used as described, help promote tourism destinations and cover the medical expenses of tourists in public hospitals, which amount to more than 10 million baht per year in Phuket alone.

So, in 2019 there were almost 10 million tourists flying in to Phuket.

How many by road and sea?

Unpaid bills are more than 10 million baht (a guess?)

10 million tourists at 300 baht each...........

Who gets the rest of the money?

[Jai Dee]

Several argumentative and off-topic posts (and replies) have been removed.

[Liverpool Lou]

1 hour ago, anchadian said:

I understood links to Bangkok Post were not allowed in this forum?

 

Reading the full report, it directs  you to the source namely the B.P.

Admin can post whatever they like but the OP links to PhuketGo, not to the Bangkok Post from where the info was sourced.

[itsari]

12 minutes ago, Rinato said:

Not many foreigners ever liked to come to Thailand in April/May as it's too hot.

No surprise at all

Combined with the abysmal  air quality in April and May i agree 100 percent 

[n00dle]

23 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Cambodia and Laos were chockers this Songkran. Seems the tourists are discovering the neighbouring countries finally. 

Im sorry what does this mean? Were you in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand to witness this first hand and compare? Do you have figures that quantify "chockers" or are you just speculating?    

[h90]

32 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally. The Minister had earlier said that locals and expats with a valid work permit would be exempt from the tax.

 

OK, then how are they arriving at the tourist numbers at all? Are they pulled out of a hat? 

 

And with Chiang Mai recently being declared as have having the worst air on the planet, in international news, and the rest of the country suffering from the worst airpocalypse in memory, could it be that word is getting around that there are healthier tourism destinations? Is this a case of "we have done absolutely nothing to address this problem, and now it is coming back to haunt us"? Lethargy, malfeasance, and incompetence and extreme corruption, all have it's price. 

Theoretical the immigration can count the tourist on the visa type they get. I don't know if they do but it would be easy.
But I would not trust any numbers, when you read how many percent tourism is from the GDP you find numbers from 5-25%.

 

Government can't even control the Taxi driver in Phuket to not rip off the tourists.....

[Lifetraxx]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally.

The only way for them to treat everyone "equally* is to

A: Charge EVERYONE the 300 bht 

B: Make entry to all parks 100 % free to EVERYONE! 

The steady income from the arrivals would far exceed any national park yearly ncome in just matter of months. 

[Goat]

35 minutes ago, JCauto said:

Cambodia and Laos were chockers this Songkran. Seems the tourists are discovering the neighbouring countries finally. 

If I've learned anything about Thai economics, the solution to the reduction in tourist numbers will be to double or triple the entry fee to make up the lost revenue.

Cambodia has nothing on Thailand as far as higher quaility tourists are concerned. The place is a dump with no infrastructure.

Communist Loas with no beaches will never threaten.

Thailand number one in SEA. Always has been, always will be.

 

Quality tourists are not going to be stopped by this insignificant fee. 

[shackleton]

I can see them cancelling this tourist arrival tax

No thought has been put in on collecting and what to do with the money ???? 

Now getting to complicated  to enforce ????

[bob smith]

way to go airlines!!!

 

i'm sick to death of being fleeced (or trying to be fleeced) by this wretched system.

[StayinThailand2much]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, the number of daily international arrivals in Thailand has fallen more than 15% since February.

Ouch! Has this announcement been coordinated with the TAT? Someone losing a ton of 'face'...

 

Also, is the post-Covid-pandemic pent-up travel demand perhaps coming to an end, and being replaced by recession-fear travel postponements?

[JCauto]

Just now, Goat said:

Cambodia has nothing on Thailand as far as higher quaility tourists are concerned. The place is a dump with no infrastructure.

Communist Loas with no beaches will never threaten.

Thailand number one in SEA. Always has been, always will be.

 

Quality tourists are not going to be stopped by this insignificant fee. 

Where to start with this one? I take it you're with the TAT given that you're talking about the "quality tourists" and think that silly admin fees don't deter people from coming. You may be surprised to discover that Cambodia is no longer a war-torn craphole and has quite nice infrastructure all over the place nowadays, and Laos is on the way as well. Cambodia got 16 million tourists over Songkran, not sure what the numbers were in Thailand but as someone who thinks like the TAT you could probably tell me off the top of your head. Is there some Wonder of the World in Thailand that competes with Angkor that I'm not aware of? Couldn't get a hotel room in Luang Prabang, but closed hotels all over the Night Bazaar area in Chiang Mai and discounts galore. Air quality in LP was worse too.

[dinsdale]

1 hour ago, Wiggy said:

The queues at immigration are already long enough without people having to pay to enter the country. 

You seemed to have misunderstood my post. I didn't actually address the payment it was about the numbers. Airlines might not know who's who but immigration does so surely a programme could be put in place to share these details and come up with a more accurate number of actual tourists. As for the queues already being long enough the payment will make absolutely no difference as it will be added to airfares or charged when getting a tourist visa if border crossing. Border hop probably have to pay at the border.

[Tom H]

54 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally. The Minister had earlier said that locals and expats with a valid work permit would be exempt from the tax.

 

OK, then how are they arriving at the tourist numbers at all? Are they pulled out of a hat? 

 

And with Chiang Mai recently being declared as have having the worst air on the planet, in international news, and the rest of the country suffering from the worst airpocalypse in memory, could it be that word is getting around that there are healthier tourism destinations? Is this a case of "we have done absolutely nothing to address this problem, and now it is coming back to haunt us"? Lethargy, malfeasance, and incompetence and extreme corruption, all have it's price. 

Computer routine.

Easy to programm.

[StayinThailand2much]

54 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

OK, then how are they arriving at the tourist numbers at all? Are they pulled out of a hat?

I guess, arrivals minus Thai citizens.

[JCauto]

28 minutes ago, n00dle said:

Im sorry what does this mean? Were you in Cambodia, Laos and Thailand to witness this first hand and compare? Do you have figures that quantify "chockers" or are you just speculating?    

I live in Laos and have family in Cambodia. Google the photos, you'll be quite astonished to observe massive crowds even in small towns like Kampong Speu in Cambodia. They're reporting 16,000,000 tourist arrivals over Songkran. I have friends in Luang Prabang so I can observe their FB pages and see the same thing. I considered going there too, but the lack of hotel space made prices crazy compared to Chiang Mai which had unlimited supply and low demand.

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

According to the minister, the airlines have stated that they cannot differentiate between foreign tourists, Thais, and expatriates, and therefore, all passengers must be treated equally.

Seems the airlines are more educated than the minister.

Why not add the "tax" to people leaving the country and let immigration decide who is who?

Or is it back-tracking on saying  the tax would be used to cover medical insurance and now thinks the money might not be available when needed?