Thailand: you can leave but you must pay ฿1,000 more. Departures tax hailed as the kiss of death

[hotchilli]

2 hours ago, SAFETY FIRST said:

Wow, that'll rake in some money. 

 

 

Which is the general idea... pun intended.

[ThaiFelix]

Its time Thais learnt to stand on their own 2 feet and support themselves.

[paddypower]

1 hour ago, JayClay said:

Who in their right mind would be in favour of legislation that makes it harder to leave the country and spend time in foreign country in exchange for no tangible benefits...?

so called tax-perts, people who live in ivory towers. another reason to not retire here, part time or full time with family connection back in your home country.

[Srikcir]

I'd like to know what is being used by way of supporting data to prove long term foreign residents will spend less out of Thailand by paying 1k exit fee. You can't debate what doesn't exist.

[PJ71]

1 hour ago, Nigeone said:

i have travelled to Thailand countless times and its usually been quite reasonable to do so. Pre Covid I got a Ticket from Manchester return for around £450 . Now having just booked my third trip since last November its just short of £800 return. A big difference and as I have a initial flight also we are talking just under £1000 for a return with no overnight stops. How many families could afford that and this extra 1000 baht is just another nail. Yeah I know if you can afford the current fare thats its no big deal…But it is as so much more has gone up accordingly. Tell you what would willing accept this if they guarantee to get you through immigration without having to queue for ages. If your lucky its pretty quick but two of my last trips its been a nightmare. And as for the faces on the immagration staff ! Smacked crab comes to mind . 

Do you think people will not come to Thailand on what often is, a holiday of a life time, due to this departure tax? really....

 

As others have alluded to, it's likely to be hidden in the ticket cost.

[1duckyboy]

Follows the typical Thai business model, when business is bad raise prices. A shame the proposed departure tax won't be going to businesses that need it, but to government backhanders. Too bad foreign residents have to pay Thai taxes but can't vote.. 

[RefinedGentleman]

Why stop at 1k? Why not 10k? Better yet, 100k. ???? On top of that, they could take a queue from the Philippines make foreigners who have been in the country for more than six months fill out an application for permission to leave! Exit clearance, they call it. Quite a concept.

[Gandtee]

One gets the impression that Thailand's tourism industry is in self destruct mode. One section trying to boost travel and the other to curtail it. Are there any forward thinking people here? My brain hurts.????

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, PJ71 said:

Do you think people will not come to Thailand on what often is, a holiday of a life time, due to this departure tax? really....

 

As others have alluded to, it's likely to be hidden in the ticket cost.

Well it is an initial deterrent then I suspect with the inflated flight cost. I was reading but yesterday of complaints from Westerners after long haul holidays, regarding crowded destinations, poor service and quite expensive destination prices. That was about Vietnam, but I expect a Phuket holiday would yield similar comments. 

[AhFarangJa]

2 hours ago, ukrules said:

Yeah, I remember paying the 500 Baht fee at the counter many years ago at the old airport.

 

I believe this was increased and then they forced the airlines to collect the tax.

 

No doubt the airlines will collect the increased charge as well.

 

Yes, for years I made sure there was a 500 Baht note in my pocket for departure. What many people did not know at the time, was that when they got the airlines to put it on the ticket price, they upped it by 50% to 750 Baht per passenger. 

[RichardColeman]

Bunch of crooks and thieves. Imagine being 'fined' 5000 baht exit fee for your family holiday. Pure scam.

[spidermike007]

They keep saying they want more tourism, after Prayuth, Phiphat and Anutin nearly destroyed the entire industry with their extreme cowardice. 

 

Not the SOITF (shoot ourselves in the foot) gang continues to get it wrong. 

 

Hope they are ousted asap. Woe is Thailand with the goons in charge.

[stoner]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

prevent Thai people from spending excessively overseas

wait what.

 

the government is actively working against its citizens to make sure they give all their money to the few who own this country ? 

 

jokes abound. 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, RichardColeman said:

Bunch of crooks and thieves. Imagine being 'fined' 5000 baht exit fee for your family holiday. Pure scam.

Perhaps Re-Entry permits need to go up too!

[Skipalongcassidy]

The UK Air Passenger Duty amount is broken down based on the distance you’re flying, and the class of service you’re flying in. There are four different pricing bands, and here’s the pricing as of April 1, 2023:

• For domestic flights (only within England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), the APD is £6.50 (~$8) in economy, and £13 (~$16) in a premium cabin
• For international flights of up to 2,000 miles (short haul), the APD is £13 (~$16) in economy, and £26 (~$32) in a premium cabin
• For international flights of 2,001 to 5,500 miles (long haul), the APD is £87 (~$107) in economy, and £191 (~$236) in a premium cabin
• For international flights of more than 5,500 miles (ultra long haul), the APD is £91 (~$112) in economy, and £200 (~$247) in a premium cabin

 

Go back to the UK and complain... see what it gets you

[Drumbuie]

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-passenger-duty-rates-from-1-april-2022-to-31-march-2023/air-passenger-duty-rates-from-1-april-2022-to-31-march-2023

Air passenger duty in the UK is included in the ticket price so mostly you don't notice it. But I don't recall any government asking whether we wanted it or not.. [oops, I see someone else has just pointed this out - but now you have the link so you can check for yourselves]

[Henryford]

So to go abroad with my tgf that's an extra 3000 to pay (inc 1000 re-entry).

[ThaiFelix]

4 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Bunch of crooks and thieves. Imagine being 'fined' 5000 baht exit fee for your family holiday. Pure scam.

1000 baht for a single guy aint too bad but yes its a fair whack when you have a family.  Bottom line is, hidden in the ticket or up front thievery, it adds to the overall cost of a holiday in Thailand which would then be compared to Malaysia, Vietnam, PI holiday prices.  Thailand you lose!

[ThaiFelix]

8 minutes ago, stoner said:

wait what.

 

the government is actively working against its citizens to make sure they give all their money to the few who own this country ? 

 

jokes abound. 

Sad thing is its not a joke.  (Well, it is to the elite and their bankers I suppose.)

[bob smith]

my word. speechless. may as well just give them our credit cards when we land and say have at it fellas...

 

 

they really are totally without even a modicum of shame. 

[Mike Teavee]

27 minutes ago, PJ71 said:

Do you think people will not come to Thailand on what often is, a holiday of a life time, due to this departure tax? really....

 

As others have alluded to, it's likely to be hidden in the ticket cost.

It won't put off long haul travelers (an extra < 1% isn't going to stop me from visiting family) but it might put off people travelling from Malaysia / Singapore etc... where it could be an extra 10-20% on top of however much flight prices have gone up already (My UK flights were 46% more expensive than the ones I bought pre-Covid). 

 

A departure Tax of 750B is already included in the flight prices so I am guessing they will increase this to 1,750B.

 

But if they really want to shoot themselves in the foot they could make it a pay-2-exit & make the proposed 300B a pay-2-enter and watch the airport grind to a halt (as if it doesn't at times anyway). 

[Dan O]

Is that 1000 baht on top of the exit fee already included in the airline ticket?

 

One of the articles says everyone will be taxed the other says it's thai's and permanent residents???

 

I'm sure this is all wrapped up in the fact they can't figure out how to impose the entrance fee as originally planned and a backdoor effort to divert more money into "special projects". 

[thailand49]

Illogical and unrealistic was being kind the actual word is Stupid!

So they spend less abroad! LOL!  

 

The greed of these leader is just astonishing pure and simple! 

When is it going to be enough?

[gilamonster]

Why not 1,000B for exiting thais and 10,000B for non-Thais?  If those sneaky low-life non-Thais cannot pay, then off to Immigration prison when their visa expires. There they can sit in squalor for decades until someone rescues them with a first class air ticket and unpaid court levies.    

[zzaa09]

Thai authorities/officialdom and their always convoluted and enigmatic logic. 

[NONG CHOK]

On 5/6/2023 at 1:28 PM, ignore it said:

One should always walk facing traffic.

Second road is a one way, at least what's left of it. 

Must be at least a few meters of sidewalk.

By walking facing traffic  uou at least get to see the idiot who's going to hit you.

Firstly it maybe a good idea to tell the hiso's to stop spending excessive amounts of money overseas. Also the military who have brand new equipment laying about all over Thailand at Army bases and has never been used.

[LukKrueng]

The 1st article is saying 1000 THB for All while the 2nd is saying 1000 THB for Thai citizens and PRs only... So which is it? In the early 90's there was a 1000 THB tax for Thai citizens (don't know if it was for PR's as well) and it was a pain...

[Joe32]

Good timing from the current government, if they accept this. 

It's right before the election, so they probably are making sure no one will vote for any of them anymore. 

[Chongalulu]

You can tell they’ve not thought this through. They’ve forgotten to include the dual pricing element… amateurs! 

[metisdead]

An insulting post using ALL CAPS has been removed.