A guide to Thailand’s proposed departure tax

[KannikaP]

10 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It never stopped people before!  In any case, farangs who are settled here won't need to pay it, unless they leave.

 

I would think the objections will be mostly from Thais who resent having to pay to leave their country.

And it will only be Thais able to vote on the proposal, so I would imagine a big NO should be the logical (555) answer.

[Mike Teavee]

31 minutes ago, biggles45 said:

The Philippines has two 'Departure' taxes. One is paid by everyone and has been included in the ticket price for many years. 

 

The other is called a 'Travel Tax' paid by all Filipinos and foreigners who have stayed more than a year since their last entry. It is 1,620 pesos

There are collection booths at the airport tho some airlines let you pay when booking online. When I book flights for GF and I it allows me to pay TT for her and decline to pay for me. 

 

It does feel like they're looking to copy the Philippines model of locals/long term residents paying & leaving the tourists / Non-IMM's alone, so if it does get implemented lets hope that you can pay at the same time as you purchase your tickets. 

 

That wasn't the case when I used to travel to the Philippines (mainly SIA SIN-DVO) with my ex-GF but I haven't been (or booked a flight for her) since 2018 (wow 5 years has flown by!). 

[Zapitapi]

1 hour ago, thainet said:

So you've spent 20 million, but would move to another country for the sake of a 1,000 baht....strange.

ever heared about "principal" or "enough is enough"?

[racket]

Taxes always increase overtime, even if you think its not a lot in todays environment. So it's a bad proposal to begin with. 

[ConnectionNotGuaranteed]

Foreigners living here shouldn't even be included in the thought process for this as we currently pay 700baht to leave (as does everyone on their ticket) plus approximately 1,900baht for single re-entry visa.

 

And then they want another 1,000baht to leave. Ridiculous

Edited May 15, 2023 by ConnectionNotGuaranteed

[Hockeybik]

So...if they were really concerned about money leaving the country, wouldn't they want to encourage retirement and general tourism in Thailand rather than doing everything in their power to discourage it?

[Toby1947]

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

In my 18years of living here I have invested well over 20 million baht to the Thai economy and yet they still want more if they introduce this crazy new tax I will move to the Philippines which will be a bonus as my U.K. pension will no longer be frozen 

Just think for that kind of money you could have lived somewhere half decent ????????

[10baht]

12 hours ago, webfact said:

The tax would be collected when purchasing tickets for overseas trips.

So crossing the boarder on foot  or in a private car is "FREE"?

[toho]

To introduce these fees because other countries do the same is not a reason. When other people jump from a bridge, I will not do the same.

If they would use the entry fee for travel/health insurance during the stay in Thailand, then I could understand it, because too many times we see foreigners in Thai hospitals while begging for money on the internet.

Departure fee: feels like having shopped in a mall, spent money everywhere and upon exiting the guard demands money before you are allowed to go out into the street; and if you do not pay you even go to jail!! They shoot a fly with a canon.

Instead of a departure fee, people should be thanked for having injected money in Thai economy; give them a nice jasmin garland instead of grabbing money out of the guests pocket.

Does not feel very welcome. Thailand needs tourism. These fees are not really helping to get a nice experience.

My girl friend is from Laos, she has to go out of Thailand to extend her visa regularly  We also travel to Laos several times a year. This means additional costs again.

Edited May 15, 2023 by toho

[Puccini]

The way I understand this is as follows:

 

1. A decree issued 40 years ago requires that the revenue department must canvass the opinion of the Thai population within a specific time frame whether a tax for some categories of people travelling out of Thailand should be imposed. 

 

2. This decree presumably was published in the Royal Gazette when it was issued 40 years ago.

 

3. The specifed time limit for this cavassing is approaching and the people are now being asked to register their opinion.

 

4. Apparently no news publication has thought of publishing the text of this decree.

 

5. Apparently no news publication has thought of publishing details of where and how people can register their opinion, if in fact the revenue department has given out such information.

 

6. Until this cavassing of public opinion is completed and unless the introduction of this new departure tax is then decided upon, it is premature to speculate on possible ways of collecting such tax.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Puccini

[natway09]

The 700 Bht has been incorporated into the ticket price since they stopped the auto machines before immigration at Don Muang.

This is an increased proposal of 300 Bht. 

Many, many countries have an entry & (or) exit charge.

Because it is included in the ticket price most would not even be aware.

The guy who is leaving Thailand after 18 years if implemented must be a very strange one

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, natway09 said:

The 700 Bht has been incorporated into the ticket price since they stopped the auto machines before immigration at Don Muang.

This is an increased proposal of 300 Bht. 

Many, many countries have an entry & (or) exit charge...

If implemented, the THB 1,000 departure tax would be separate from and in addition to the existing exit tax of THB 700.

[still kicking]

So I booked my flight months ago does that affect me at all?

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, natway09 said:

The 700 Bht has been incorporated into the ticket price since they stopped the auto machines before immigration at Don Muang.

This is an increased proposal of 300 Bht. 

Many, many countries have an entry & (or) exit charge.

Because it is included in the ticket price most would not even be aware.

No, it's not a proposed increase from 700 baht to 1000 baht, it's a completely separate tax. The 700 baht you refer to is a Passenger Service Charge and is paid to the the relevant airport (in the case of BKK & DMK that's Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited).

 

More details in the link below. PSC applies at all airports for both domestic and international travel. Amount depends on the location.

 

https://thailand.go.th/issue-focus-detail/002_021

[Lemsta69]

12 hours ago, ConnectionNotGuaranteed said:

Foreigners living here shouldn't even be included in the thought process for this as we currently pay 700baht to leave (as does everyone on their ticket) plus approximately 1,900baht for single re-entry visa.

 

And then they want another 1,000baht to leave. Ridiculous

Single re-entry permit is only 1K. Also the 700 baht is a fee levied by the airport authority, nothing to do with where bind proposed here by a separate branch of government ????????????

[Lemsta69]

5 hours ago, Puccini said:

The way I understand this is as follows:

 

1. A decree issued 40 years ago requires that the revenue department must canvass the opinion of the Thai population within a specific time frame whether a tax for some categories of people travelling out of Thailand should be imposed. 

 

2. This decree presumably was published in the Royal Gazette when it was issued 40 years ago.

 

3. The specifed time limit for this cavassing is approaching and the people are now being asked to register their opinion.

 

4. Apparently no news publication has thought of publishing the text of this decree.

 

5. Apparently no news publication has thought of publishing details of where and how people can register their opinion, if in fact the revenue department has given out such information.

 

6. Until this cavassing of public opinion is completed and unless the introduction of this new departure tax is then decided upon, it is premature to speculate on possible ways of collecting such tax.

That's also my understandingv but hey, why let facts get in the way of a good Thai bash ????

[StayinThailand2much]

22 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

They have substantial Covid loans to pay.

Some parties have big spending plans. No easier targets to fleece than tourists.

Edited May 15, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[StayinThailand2much]

12 hours ago, 10baht said:

So crossing the boarder on foot  or in a private car is "FREE"?

Word was that one pays "only" 500 baht crossing overland...

[StayinThailand2much]

20 hours ago, DrDave said:

Many years ago there was a vending machine in the departures area of Don Mueang where you'd pay the tax and be issued a coupon to be collected when passing through Passport Control.

Wouldn't be surprised if such machines came back...

[StayinThailand2much]

Wonder, where one can find the 40-year old decree published.

Edited May 15, 2023 by StayinThailand2much

[ikke1959]

2 hours ago, StayinThailand2much said:

Wonder, where one can find the 40-year old decree published.

It only shows that Thailand keeps on living in the past... decree of 40 years back and implemented? Happy there will be now a better liberal Government, with  new laws and decrees

[Lemsta69]

3 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

decree of 40 years back and implemented?

It hasn't been implemented yet.

[ikke1959]

3 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

It hasn't been implemented yet.

than it is completely out of date.. But I thought 20 years back there were machine at the airport to pay departure tax ... I am not sure if it was 1000 or 500 THB...later they added to the ticketprices, but nobody seems to care at the tax revenue or who ever will charge this money

[10baht]

On 5/16/2023 at 3:18 AM, StayinThailand2much said:

Word was that one pays "only" 500 baht crossing overland...

That has been going on for a while.

[Puccini]

On 5/15/2023 at 10:18 PM, StayinThailand2much said:

Word was that one pays "only" 500 baht crossing overland...

No, there wasn't.

[StayinThailand2much]

3 hours ago, Puccini said:

No, there wasn't.

Only because you're not well informed doesn't mean it isn't so...

 

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/a-guide-to-thailands-proposed-departure-tax/

[StayinThailand2much]

On 5/15/2023 at 10:58 PM, natway09 said:

The 700 Bht has been incorporated into the ticket price since they stopped the auto machines before immigration at Don Muang.

This is an increased proposal of 300 Bht. 

I don't think so; this has nothing to do with the airport tax, raised by airports around the world to maintain, well, airports, but an extra tax proposed by the Revenue Department 

(because they can) of 1,000 baht, officially to 'keep citizens and residents spending too much money overseas', i.e. creating extra revenue for Thailand's incorruptible government, while keeping the money Thais and residents (hello, reentry-permit holders) would spend abroad in the country.

 

Mind you, once Thailand's internationsl airports need more money, say in 1-2 years, the 700-baht airport tax could very well be raised too...

Edited May 21, 2023 by StayinThailand2much