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

[John Drake]

11 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.

So another mile long line to stand in.

[Russtler67]

If it covers medical it’s a step in the right direction. Court of public opinion can’t moan about GoFundMe hard luck stories on one hand and then demonise this, which apparently has “medical” coverage.Let’s see what the “other benefits” are before it’s written off..

[Burma Bill]

7 hours ago, bendejo said:

While living in Malaysia I decided to do a trip to Siem Reap (Angkor Wat, Cambodia) a few years back.  The visa on arrival, and the stuff I had to pay when leaving (can't recall the names, exit fee or airport tax etc) combined cost more than my round-trip Kuala Lumpur ticket. 

 

Today, it is impossible for your airport fees to exceed the total cost of your air ticket, unless you are taking Khmer souvenirs (eg wooden carvings) back home via checked in baggage.

Current status: 

Entry to Siem Reap. Yes, one has to pay for tourist visa on entry (30-41$US depending on method used to get it). 

Exit from Siem Reap is FREE. Personally, I have never had to pay on leaving Cambodia during many flights in the past 8 years!

[new2here]

2 hours ago, mokwit said:

They think they can do anything and foreigners will just stand for it. 

I think there’s some truth to that… but… I don’t think it’s perhaps as narrow as that.

 

Looking back to all the various “rough” patches thailand has been through.. we’ll be that civil unrest, C19, etc., by and large Thailand tourist appeal - it’s “draw” has remained quite high… again, that’s not to say that they can’t do any wrong — but more to say that the appeal to Thailand has remained fairly strong across the rough spots .

 

So, my guess is that even IF they go forward with this, I honestly don’t think it’s going to have a long term, sustained and materially negative impact on the nett tourist inflows… 

 

It’s kind of like the tourist appeal here is a semi-teflon exterior.. so… to that end, I can’t say it’s a totally bad bet .. I’ll bet it works out net positive for them.. yes, some will stay away… but the number of those that stay away, and (most importantly the economic value they represent) I’ll bet will be dwarfed by those who come and spend. 

[Karma80]

Remind me why I bother to pay my Non-B, work permit, tax, extensions, multiple re-entry, social security and Thai health cover again? Yes, it's only 300 Bhat, but it's just a grubby move and one more small thing to add to the pile of discontent and annoyance at airports.

[Kalasin Jo]

So TAT says Thailand needs more tourists, then this whack a ( foreign tourist) mole project is revived. 

[Liverpool Lou]

11 hours ago, bendejo said:

Introduce another tourist fee! 

Another?  In addition to which other tourist fee?

[Nickcage49]

So let me see if I get this straight. Because of an incident that's causing a drop in tourism you're adding a tourism tax? Yeah, sounds about right, lol

 

Thai logic at its finest.

[Liverpool Lou]

10 hours ago, chris26be said:

So when a Thai citizen shoots someone, the tourists have to pay the costs?

Which tourists have had to pay the compensation for the Siam Paragon deaths?   There is no "tourist fee scheme" in operation at the moment.

[Liverpool Lou]

9 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? ????

In the case of the Siam Paragon shooting that is not what happened.  There is no fund providing money coming from foreign tourists in existence at the moment.  You'd know that if you read the whole report.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, nobodysfriend said:

Why not just let the airlines collect it when boarding ?

Because they cannot...the airline industry pushed back and told them to bugger off and collect it themselves when it was last proposed.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, Matthew2027 said:

A 'High Ranking' BIB explained a few years back regarding a fatal road accident involving a Foreigner... It's the foreigners FAULT, as if they where NOT in Thailand the accident would not have happened....

Garbage...complete myth dragged out now and again as being factual.

[gilamonster]

This fee tells tourists the Thai government feels there is a good chance that you will be shot dead or maimed/killed in a boating/bus/motorcycle/mugging event or just electrocuted on the street or in your hotel room from random acts of careless wiring.

[bugger bognor]

Again you Muppets it's a proposal read the article! and they've been trying to implement a tourist tax for many years, fast track. could mean decades away every time a so called official makes a statement you take this as literal just like next year's tax story, delusional scaremongering nothing will happen to 99,9% of expats either get back on the beer and STOP complaining it's a non event

[off road pat]

10 hours ago, Gknrd said:

I think I will come in and retire there... I want to deposit 800K in the Thai bank, also I want to visit immigration every three months to let them know where I am. I also want to pay them extra so I can leave the country and come back in . I also want to go threw this process once a year so I can see them and just say hello, Pay them a few thousand extra.  Sounds like the nice thing to do...  Just a shout out to Thailand for making my retirement relaxing , simple and making me feel loved..

 

See ya soon... Thanks Thailand

 

Hm,...now, look at what you get for all this ! You stay in a sunny paradise like country, where almost everything is cheaper than in your country of origin (if you know the ways) ! And where you could get "companionship" (if you are interested in this) for a fraction of the cost in your country,....and great very affordable restaurants,...and so much more.

[retarius]

10 hours ago, Gknrd said:

I think I will come in and retire there... I want to deposit 800K in the Thai bank, also I want to visit immigration every three months to let them know where I am. I also want to pay them extra so I can leave the country and come back in . I also want to go threw this process once a year so I can see them and just say hello, Pay them a few thousand extra.  Sounds like the nice thing to do...  Just a shout out to Thailand for making my retirement relaxing , simple and making me feel loved..

 

See ya soon... Thanks Thailand

 

Great satire always contains an element of truth. And yes, Thailand is becoming slowly but surely a less attractive place to live and retire to. Charges, even small ones like 500 baht are going to mean queueing up at a kiosk, as Thai websites almost never work, and certainly one cobbled to gather in a few weeks without any expert guidance will not work. Plus given a few months they will put the price up to 600 baht, then 1000 baht. It's just a bigger, more expensive  ball ache than it was coming home last time.

I've been here since 2008, and each year it gets a little bit worse. When I came, if you had a Thai driving licence (meaning you weren't a tourist) you could get into national parks at the same price as Thais. Now you can't, you have to pay foreigner price. To be honest, I'm sick of being ripped off, even for small amounts of money.  It's demeaning, an insult to my intelligence, and irritates me. 

Stupid immigration laws that constantly change also irritate me. For goodness' sake, can't we have one law and keep it for a few years like sensible countries do. I lived in America....one visit to the immigration office, given a card and bye bye. No need to show up every five minutes at the police station to let them know where you are. Same in France, same in Mexico, same in Japan. 

I have the bug to move, and every, even small, insult is making me want to get the hell out of here more. There are now more reasons to leave and fewer reasons to stay. If I was 10 years younger I'd have left 5 years back, but at 71 it seems a bit daunting to move, although the immigration hurdles in 5 years time will be likely much worse than now. I don't feel like being a cow spending my life being milked by Thais.  

[retarius]

2 hours ago, John Drake said:

So another mile long line to stand in.

Exactly.

[sandyf]

6 hours ago, Smokey and the Bandit said:

What false assumptions are those?

You made the assumption you knew the accuracy in how the tax would be implemented.

Amazing how many crystal balls come out when a proposal appears in the media.

[sandyf]

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Because they cannot...the airline industry pushed back and told them to bugger off and collect it themselves when it was last proposed.

Not quite the case, countries add and change taxes regularly. The problem is that airlines cannot apply the tax selectively.

Even if they had come up with some arrangement it still left a problem with the land borders. The latest proposal would address both issues.

I suspect it may end up like the new motorway arrangement where you get so many days to pay.

[StayinThailand2much]

14 hours ago, chris26be said:

So when a Thai citizen shoots someone, the tourists have to pay the costs?

Yes, because those pesky tourists were roaming around in Thailand rather than just transferring their money... TiT!

[StayinThailand2much]

7 hours ago, Iamloki said:

2. 90 day check in... 3 minutes online - such a burden. (I think a pc works better than a telephone...)

Took me the whole morning, incl. four hours to/from Chaengwattana Immigration (and hours waiting there). All because my online report was declined as 'a new TM.30 was needed', which was bollo**s, as it was not... More and more fees incorporated into flight tickets, entry fees, taxes on any funds transferred to Thailand, overcharging, scams; I get it, not wanted here! No problem, Thailand, instead of 365 days a year, in the future, I may stay 2 weeks (in transit) only...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, StayinThailand2much said:

All because my online report was declined as 'a new TM.30 was needed', which was bollo**s, as it was not...

How did Immigration deliver the message to you saying they wanted you to file an updated TM30.

 

And, what was your visa / extension / reentry permit situation in the months prior to your most recent 90-day report filing that got rejected?

 

Thanks!

 

[StayinThailand2much]

6 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

How did Immigration deliver the message to you saying they wanted you to file an updated TM30.

 

And, what was your visa / extension / reentry permit situation in the months prior to your most recent 90-day report filing that got rejected?

 

Thanks!

 

I filed my TM.47 online. (It was rejected by email.) It was my second TM.47. The first one was, as is required, also done in person.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

14 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

I filed my TM.47 online. (It was rejected by email.) It was my second TM.47. The first one was, as is required, also done in person.

I asked you about your visa / extension / re-entry permit status during the period leading up to this, because, normally, Immigration has NOT been requiring new TM30 filings for people on extensions with valid reentry permits, even if they travel abroad, so long as they're returning back home to the same address already on file for them.

 

But if you had changed your residence after your prior TM30, got a new visa or didn't have a reentry permit, then they likely WOULD be expecting you to file a new TM30.

 

[StayinThailand2much]

14 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

But if you had changed your residence after your prior TM30, got a new visa or didn't have a reentry permit, then they likely WOULD be expecting you to file a new TM30.

My residence did not change. Why the online TM.47 system wanted me to file a new TM.30, I do not know. Besides, I live in a rental property, so it is neither my duty to file a TM.30, nor am I able to, as I do not have copies of the property docs.

[ericthai]

14 hours ago, Mike Lister 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:

 

Barcelona taxes foreigners staying in tourist accommodation

Portugal charges foreign tourists 1 Euro per night

Austria adds 3.02% to foreign tourists bills

Belgium add about 7 Euro's per night to room bills

Bhutan charges foreigners a whopping USD 250 per day!

Bulgaria adds 1.50 Euro per night to bills

Caribbean islands, Croatia, Czech republic, 

France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia

etc etc etc, all charge foreign tourists more.

 

https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/09/11/tourist-taxes-all-of-the-countries-you-will-have-to-pay-to-enter-in-2022

 

 

but Thailand already changes a departure tax, which used to be paid when leaving but now included in your ticket. So they are now double taxing you!

[Mike Lister]

Just now, ericthai said:

but Thailand already changes a departure tax, which used to be paid when leaving but now included in your ticket. So they are now double taxing you!

Airports around the world charge a myriad of fees in different disguises, Departure Tax, Passenger Service Charge, Airport Tax, Arrivals Tax and doubtless others. So?

[ericthai]

Just now, Mike Lister said:

Airports around the world charge a myriad of fees in different disguises, Departure Tax, Passenger Service Charge, Airport Tax, Arrivals Tax and doubtless others. So?

yes, those are normal fees (landing, airport etc).  but as stated the Thai govt already has a separate charge as an exit fee (used to have to pay in cash before leaving), now they want to charge an entry fee too.

[Mike Lister]

1 minute ago, ericthai said:

yes, those are normal fees (landing, airport etc).  but as stated the Thai govt already has a separate charge as an exit fee (used to have to pay in cash before leaving), now they want to charge an entry fee too.

Creative and innovative, no?  ????

[Elkski]

So all tourists get free medical care anytime they need it?  We can pay 300 baht for 30 days rather than the 80$ fir a month with geo blue?