Thailand expected to delay launching of tourism tax

[webfact]

 

Thailand is expected to delay the launching of a 300-baht tourism tax once again. The launching has already been postponement from June to September last year. Still, new reports suggest that the launching might have to be paused till 2024.

 

Besides the 300-baht charge for visitors coming by air, the plan also include a charge of 150-baht for travelers coming by sea or land.

 

The pro-military alliance which anticipated the fees, seems to have lost the May 24 election. The new administration consisting of eight earlier opposition parties are not likely to take charge before August.

 

by Miabell Mallikka

 

Full story: https://scandasia.com/thailand-expected-to-delay-launching-of-tourism-tax/

 

-- © Copyright ScandAsia 2023-05-29

 

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[RichardColeman]

Shameful exploitation - can but hope every country on the planet now solely taxes thai tourists.

 

This said, I fully expect with Chinese numbers still down 90% it not to come into effect until that rebounds - either that or China become immune from this daft tax idea

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Thailand is expected to delay the launching of a 300-baht tourism tax once again. The launching has already been postponement from June to September last year. Still, new reports suggest that the launching might have to be paused till 2024.

Just give up the idea, most tourists coming here already get ripped off enough.

It starts at the airport with your first taxi ride. and ends as you pay immigration to leave the country.

Depending on how "green" you are is the level of rip-offs you are open to while you're here.

[richard_smith237]

30 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Shameful exploitation - can but hope every country on the planet now solely taxes thai tourists.

 

This said, I fully expect with Chinese numbers still down 90% it not to come into effect until that rebounds - either that or China become immune from this daft tax idea

A lot of countries already do levy a tax on tourist arrivals - they are usually in the form of ‘a city tax’ or hotel taxes etc... 

Most (if not all) aports charge a passenger tax which is billed through the ticketing. 

 

IF Thailand is going to charge Tourists a tax - it wouldn’t be a bad thing IF (and its a big IF) the money is used to support tourism and in reinvested in improving tourist sites etc. 

One specific area would be for free emergency healthcare for tourists at government hospitals when / if they are injured and found not to have their own cover, or their cover avoids paying out due to the circumstances of the incident in which they were injured (i.e. riding a motorcycle being the common one). 

 

Thailand could ’turn’ the optics of this issue into a positive and advertise how with such a tax it welcome and supports tourists who will be looked after when they are here....   this is certainly better Optics than they ‘we will red card you’ messages currently being put out there. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dinsdale]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The pro-military alliance which anticipated the fees, seems to have lost the May 24 election.

".... seems to have lost....". No seems to about it. They were totally massacred. As for the tax well this is what happens with thought bubble policy. "Here's a good idea. Let's do this." Several months later: "Mmmm? Seems like it's unworkable."

[jacko45k]

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

Just give up the idea, most tourists coming here already get ripped off enough.

Plenty of places hit up visitors for taxes.... when I was working in Houston, Tx I was hit up with a hotel surcharge.... apparently to help pay for some new stadium!

Edited May 29, 2023 by jacko45k

[mikebell]

We all know that a tourist tax is fairly common in many countries across the world.  The difference here is the level of corruption which has worsened during the last Government.  The money raised would not go towards good causes but will be syphoned off by the scheme's administrators.