Tourism fee fund to be fast-tracked after payouts to families in the Siam Paragon mass shooting

[KhunLA]

4 minutes ago, retarius said:

Is it a foreigner tax or a tourist tax ie people with tourist visas?

I believe the original thought/purpose was to pay the hospital bill for irresponsible people getting hurt or sick here without insurance or funds to cover their bills.

 

As usual, the majority have to pay for the few irresponsible folks with no common sense.  It certainly shouldn't fall on the Thai tax payer to pay foreigner's bills.

 

Certainly getting murdered while shopping at the mall was in that realm of thinking.

[retarius]

The message I'm getting from government actions is that Thailand is desperately short of money, and maybe having problems borrowing large amounts because of the higher interest rates. The future isn't looking so bright that you gotta wear shades. 

[retarius]

2 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

I believe the original thought/purpose was to pay the hospital bill for irresponsible people getting hurt or sick here without insurance or funds to cover their bills.

 

As usual, the majority have to pay for the few irresponsible folks with no common sense.  It certainly shouldn't fall on the Thai tax payer to pay foreigner's bills.

 

Certainly getting murdered while shopping at the mall was in that realm of thinking.

But it was a Thai child that shot them. Shouldn't Thailand have to pay when its 'criminals' shoot people?

[impulse]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

New foreign tourism levy to be paid on arrival at kiosks at Immigration Bureau points of entry, including at airports after landing. The fee will also be delivered via a website or smartphone app, said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in the latest update on a proposal that has been up in the air for decades but has yet to be implemented by successive Thai governments.

I have no objection to a tourism tax increase, but add it to the cost of a plane ticket, not a separate inconvenience.  And if you were smart, you could have done it years ago and nobody would have even noticed. 

 

Last flight into Thailand, the airfare was about 1/3 of the total ticket price.  The rest was taxes and fees.  Another $10 wouldn't even make a dent.  Getting set up to make a separate payment online on an int'l phone, or waiting in yet another queue would hurt worse.

 

[ChipButty]

13 minutes ago, Stevey Fishwick said:

There use to be a tax when you left the airport about 20 years ago, guessing that wasn't just scrapped it was just probably passed on to the airlines and then the passengers when they bought the tickets.  Can the not just do something similar with this tax instead of hitting people with an extra charge as they arrive in the country.  I suppose it does help prepare people to be charged extra for being non Thai during the rest of their stay though .....

They obviously don't want to make Thai's pay for their own mass murderers, 

[Mike Lister]

2 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

"Yes, it's a Foreign Tourist Levy, nota general levy for anyone who travels!

 

New taxes on tourists have become common in many countries:"

 

So its not a Foreign Tourist Levy, its a Foreigner Levy?

If you are not Thai and you remain in Thailand you are here on some kind of visa. Ergo, you may reside here temporarily but you cannot be a Resident even if you are on a long stay visa. However, if you are a foreigner and you have been granted permanent residency in Thailand you will not have to pay the charge. So no, it is not a foreigner Levy, it is a foreign tourist levy or a levy on people who do not hold Thai passports.

 

Are we done now!

 

[Mike Lister]

5 minutes ago, retarius said:

The message I'm getting from government actions is that Thailand is desperately short of money, and maybe having problems borrowing large amounts because of the higher interest rates. The future isn't looking so bright that you gotta wear shades. 

That's the wrong message. Thailand doesn't have more than 5% of foreign currency loans, all other loans are denominated in THB where the interest rate is still quite low by comparison to the West.

[foreverlomsak]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The fee will also be delivered via a website or smartphone app, said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports

Ah, but delivered to who or where?

[lordgrinz]

Just now, foreverlomsak said:

Ah, but delivered to who or where?

To the pockets of MP's, the trough is low, it must be replenished.

[Bundooman]

2 hours ago, In the jungle said:

Kiosk means cash.  They like cash.

Cash is liked because:

 

It can be folded into small objects.

It can be hidden by a sleight of hand.

It can be tucked away into a pocket.

A duplicate book of monies received can be maintained

A duplicate receipt voucher can be given. 

Yup. Cash is good!

Goodie, Goodie - Roll up - pay your fee!

We love our tourists!

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, retarius said:

But it was a Thai child that shot them. Shouldn't Thailand have to pay when its 'criminals' shoot people?

And Thailand did, what's your point?

[Hamus Yaigh]

The TAT must be so proud of this plan. "Tourists! Come to Thailand and pay insurance on arrival in case we shoot any of you."

[Jumbo1968]

I live in Thailand I go on holiday to Vietnam for a few days, I am not tourist so why would I have to pay the tourist fee when I arrive back in BKK ?

[thailand49]

What is the saying never let a tragic go to waste! 

Introduce a fee to line their pockets this time have the tourist pay for it, if a tourist got shot they will melt them to a point one has to go the GoFund route, if Thai they will brag but not tell you the payout which in general will be very low. 

This is the Land of Smile. 

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I live in Thailand I go on holiday to Vietnam for a few days, I am not tourist so why would I have to pay the tourist fee when I arrive back in BKK ?

Let's call it an airport landing charge then......a rose by any name.....

[Mike Lister]

1 minute ago, jacko45k said:

Let's call it an airport landing charge then......a rose by any name.....

It what some other countries do, have you seen the airport charges and taxes in countries like the UK!

[Smokey and the Bandit]

25 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

If you are not Thai and you remain in Thailand you are here on some kind of visa. Ergo, you may reside here temporarily but you cannot be a Resident even if you are on a long stay visa. However, if you are a foreigner and you have been granted permanent residency in Thailand you will not have to pay the charge. So no, it is not a foreigner Levy, it is a foreign tourist levy or a levy on people who do not hold Thai passports.

 

Are we done now!

 

Just being accurate!

If you are working in Thailand and have a work permit/visa or a long permission to stay, like being married to a Thai or a 'retirement' visa you are obviously not a tourist!

A tourist is a person who comes or goes to Thailand for a vacation and goes home!

So calling it a 'tourist levy'  is inaccurate!

[jacko45k]

3 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

It what some other countries do, have you seen the airport charges and taxes in countries like the UK!

Seen them, paid them, the breakdown for the price of an airfare reveals some little bombs.

[Mike Lister]

27 minutes ago, retarius said:

The message I'm getting from government actions is that Thailand is desperately short of money, and maybe having problems borrowing large amounts because of the higher interest rates. The future isn't looking so bright that you gotta wear shades. 

And also, Thailand's government debt is only around 54% of GDP, that's very low by anyone standards today, especially when compared to countries in the West where over 100% of GDP is common. And, the country has circa USD 214 billion in Foreign Currency Reserves.

 

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/thailand/government-debt--of-nominal-gdp#:~:text=Government Debt covers Central Government only.&text=In the latest reports%2C Thailand,USD bn in Mar 2023.

[ChipButty]

12 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I live in Thailand I go on holiday to Vietnam for a few days, I am not tourist so why would I have to pay the tourist fee when I arrive back in BKK ?

You are an Alien get used to it, 

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, Mike Lister said:

And also, Thailand's government debt is only around 54% of GDP, that's very low by anyone standards today, especially when compared to countries in the West where over 100% of GDP is common. And, the country has circa USD 214 billion in Foreign Currency Reserves.

 

https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/thailand/government-debt--of-nominal-gdp#:~:text=Government Debt covers Central Government only.&text=In the latest reports%2C Thailand,USD bn in Mar 2023.

Yes I see your point.... and agree. Thailand has a bit more fiscal responsibility than many of the big players.

[ChipButty]

3 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

 USD 214 billion in Foreign Currency Reserves.

They have that much in Gold at Wat Chalong 

[Purdey]

I can imagine what the cabinet is thinking.

”We need more money from foreigners.”

“A couple of dirty foreigners were killed by a Thai with rich parents.”

”Give them money then tax foreigners to get it back again.”

”But shouldn’t we just hide the tax in hotel prices like other countries?”

”Foreigners need to know they are paying for the compensation. It will make them feel we are a caring country.”

[mikeymike100]

7 minutes ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

Just being accurate!

If you are working in Thailand and have a work permit/visa or a long permission to stay, like being married to a Thai or a 'retirement' visa you are obviously not a tourist!

A tourist is a person who comes or goes to Thailand for a vacation and goes home!

So calling it a 'tourist levy'  is inaccurate!

Correct a 'tourist' would be a person on a 'tourist visa', who comes to Thailand for a few weeks for pleasure and leaves. A person who 'lives' in Thailand is certainly not a tourist!

However it seems all foreigners will be paying the 'Tourist Levy' ?

[shackleton]

Here we go again before it was kicked into the long grass as no idea how they were going to implement getting the money ????

Let's wait and see what they do easy option put it on the Ticket price but if Thais are exempt that could cause Airlines a lot of grief ????

[sandyf]

4 hours ago, khunjeff said:

Right. The Thai son of wealthy Thai parents goes into a Thai shopping mall owned by Thai billionaires and kills some foreigners. To show how much it cares, the Thai government pays compensation to the victims using money coming only from foreign tourists.

 

Wait, what? ????

Typical falang rhetoric, the tourist tax has been on the go for long enough and would have come about, shooting or not.

Nobody wants to mention the Tourism Assistance Fund that had been in place.

[Jumbo1968]

24 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

You are an Alien get used to it, 

My Thai wife and son are not though ?

[Cabradelmar]

And what will happen with the funds collected when not paid out to the dead and dying tourist? "Administrative expenses"  no doubt... ???? classic Thailand. Spending money they don't have on populist giveaways, and then collecting more fees from the only hand that feeds (tourist) - without any transparency - to enrich the corrupt and contemptible. 

[Marco51]

4 hours ago, khunjeff said:

A few of those, like in Bhutan, are genuinely fees or taxes on foreign tourists. Most of what the media labels as "tourism taxes", though, are simply hotel taxes that are implemented with the assumption that very few locals will end up paying them.

Quite so. Even Bhutan's 250$/day is not a tax but has to be brought into country and can be spent. Burma used to have something similar a while ago. In Bhutan's case it is to make sure a very poor country with extremely limited resources and a unique culture so far unworried by McDonalds and Amazon bike riding hooligans  is not flooded by mass zero $ tourism. Makes a certain sense looking at Phuke It today. But no worries, JingPingDick has already marked it for always having been China since time immemorial. Once Taiwan is bombed to pieces......

[Enzian]

36 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Thailand has a bit more fiscal responsibility than many of the big players.

That's because it's nothing close to a real democracy; it's actually run by autocrats who have some lines they will not cross, at least not yet.

But what if we all put out some PSAs to insure that every person paying the incoming tourist tax connects it in their minds for a moment to a deranged random killing of foreigners in a mall--and don't let them forget!

The baht today is 37.07/dollar; keep it up Thailand.