Thailand to Implement 300-Baht Tourism Tax Starting with Air Travel

[mikeymike100]

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

How is that? 

 

My guess when this is finally rolled out everyone who is not Thai will be required to get an ETA

and Pay the 300 baht.

Quite so, to differentiate between actual tourists and long term 'expats' would be far too difficult for them?

[brianthainess]

So now not only ETA but register online to pay 300 baht, register where you stay in 24hrs,  what else can they do to deter tourists ? Stay tuned folks..........

[ikke1959]

The greed of Thailand.... 300THB entrance fee at airports, and when in the country you have to pay extra for attractions as tourist, imported foods and drinks are have already extreme high taxes( although they promised that wines and alcohol would be cheaper) and there is of course the double pricing.. Thailand will become more and more attractive for visitors.....

[popabear]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

covering up to 1 million baht in the case of accidental death, and 500,000 baht for injuries.

Every body is forgetting that this seems to be covering death and injuries only , what about health problems such as heart attacks , strokes or a lot of other serious health problems , there are more and more older people that find it impossible to get insurance because of age, or to many pass health reasons , to be covered with this insurance would be good for them also..  Regards Popa

[JoePai]

21 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

The State not the government............

🤣

[Captain Monday]

Anyone deterred by a paltry 300 baht? 

Does Thailand still want tight-fisted travellers ?

[popabear]

7 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

So now not only ETA but register online to pay 300 baht, register where you stay in 24hrs,  what else can they do to deter tourists ? Stay tuned folks..........

Yes they made it easy to come in, now they are going to make it harder to come in , it seems to me the end product to all this is , they want follow what you are doing in their country , I think like a lot others , I will be finding some were else to holiday .  Regards Popa

[sqwakvfr]

So how long would it take to the get the ETA-Thailand approved?  ETA-Korea took 10 minutes the last time I went to S. Korea.  The cost was 10,000 KRW($7.25 based upon todays exchange rate).  As usual no clear and definite answer.  TIT.  For those who entered during  Covid times the then Thaialnd Pass time frame was uncertain. Can this country handles millions of ETA applications at any given time? 

[brianthainess]

3 minutes ago, popabear said:

Yes they made it easy to come in, now they are going to make it harder to come in , it seems to me the end product to all this is , they want follow what you are doing in their country , I think like a lot others , I will be finding some were else to holiday .  Regards Popa

There was a suggestion here years ago, I think by the Prayuth coup 'government' about fitting tourists with a tracking device...........

[lordgrinz]

22 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

There was a suggestion here years ago, I think by the Prayuth coup 'government' about fitting tourists with a tracking device...........

 

I remember that, of all the insane ideas to come out of Thailand, that one takes the cake....LOL

[Denim]

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

There still is a departure tax. Bt700 I think. I thought everyone new this.

 

I've not left in years. A trip to the mall is about as far as I go these days.

[JimTripper]

1 hour ago, lordgrinz said:

If it's not added to the airline fees which are paid ahead of time, then it will just becomes another headache that tourists don't want to deal with, especially as soon as they land, and all they want to do is just get out of the airport. I can only imagine the circus created at the airport or borders waiting for each and every tourists to find a way to pay this fee, or to load an app to do so. Plus, will these fees and ETA requirements be needed for longtime VISA holders every time we leave and return?

Also, the money exchange issue or finding an elusive ATM. Reminds me of having to carry new crisp dollars into Cambodia for their visa fee.

 

1 hour ago, popabear said:

Yes they made it easy to come in, now they are going to make it harder to come in , it seems to me the end product to all this is , they want follow what you are doing in their country , I think like a lot others , I will be finding some were else to holiday .  Regards Popa

 

Bingo! That's what the check-ins and hovering is about.

 

Hovering. You can see it in the culture in staff at shops (which is watching to see that you're not stealing) and guards at almost all at condo buildings. People watching, basically.

 

It's done under the cover of service and helpfulnesss, but it's really about watching & monitoring people that are different (outsiders). You would probably not notice or care as a tourist though, thinking it was people just over catering.

[worrab]

So what about non tourists? In other words, expats like my self who live here but go abroad to visit family, friends etc. Are we excluded from this fiasco?

[LukKrueng]

4 hours ago, Denim said:

Years ago there was a 500 baht departure tax so nothing really new. I can't  imagine it will make a shade of difference to anybodies travel plans since 300 baht is hardly a make or break amount.

Departure tax has nothing to do with this. There still IS a departure tax, 700 THB for the last 20+ years or so. The only difference to the 500 THB you mentioned is that since it was increases to 700 THB it's been added to the ticket price.

[suestra29]

So what happens to retirees who have paid for re-entry permits?

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours ago, Celsius said:

Finally all tourists will be insured.

For certain specific circumstances, apparently.  Don't, for one minute, assume that this proposed cover will obviate the need for travel insurance for tourists.

[Gaccha]

9 minutes ago, worrab said:

So what about non tourists?

 

It looks like we'll be ok. The way they are linking it to the arrival procedure for tourists probably is good news.

[LukKrueng]

I wonder if they actually write a new article about the 300 THB every time or just re-post from the archives as this proposal has been floated so many times in the past 10+ years and every time it is then removed.. just to be introduced AGAIN... 

[harryviking]

I wish they could include the tax in the air ticket! I also really do not thrust the new planned ETA system that is to be implemented next year. Millions of people going on line to get "permission" to come to Thailand and at the same time pay 300 Baht....yeah...sure....I see a lot of down time on that web site! NOT GOOD! This will not be a smart move. Many people will choose new destinations. Mark my words. What will happen if the site is down, you already have a ticket and have little time before departure?? Will it be a lottery to buy a ticket and hope everything works out well?? What if not?? 😫

[BL1958]

Is this tax for tourists or all foreigners entering the country. If I pay 1500 return on my retirement visa I expect not to be taxed like a tourist 

[mran66]

3 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

This 300 THB 'fee' is simply a cash grab by the Ministry of Tourism and Sport. There has been little to no rationale behind this 'fee' (insurance, hospital bills, coral reef restoration,etc.). Nor will there be any transparency in the future.

 

 

Isn't that the whole rationale? The talks about using it for this or that is just smoke and mirrors to cover the real rationale. 

 

Try to sneak it in as small 300 baht one... Then if it actually gets done, easy to jack up the price as hunger grows 

[Cabradelmar]

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Travellers would use a dedicated website or app to process their payments, mirroring South Korea's K-ETA registration system. Essentially, visitors would pre-register and pay online prior to entering Thailand

😂 Thailand again threatens to implement technology to ease the experience... What could go wrong 😂 

[black tabby12345]

Does this proposal mean  every entrant will then be issued with 

the Certificate of the State-Run Travel Insurance?

 

With the complete lack of transparency, it will only serve earning  another easy billions to  0.1% of the kingdom.

 

Or will it end up as another example of Saying But Not Doing?

[rocketboy2]

3 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Next year when you find evidence of this corruption please post a link

Amazing people choose to live somewhere they despise and distrust the local Government

I could stay in my country and do that

 

Honestly, 

Jog on mate.

[rocketboy2]

2 hours ago, brianthainess said:

So now not only ETA but register online to pay 300 baht, register where you stay in 24hrs,  what else can they do to deter tourists ? Stay tuned folks..........

 

They are working on it, for sure.

[Brigante7]

Straight into the pockets of corrupt officials?

 

 

 

Brigante7.

[bamnutsak]

10 minutes ago, black tabby12345 said:

Does this proposal mean  every entrant will then be issued with 

the Certificate of the State-Run Travel Insurance?

 

 

This isn't really about "insurance". That's just a word they use on a PPT deck, occasionally.

 

Some of the collected monies might be disbursed to hospitals to cover unpaid bills, that have been estimated to be 300 million baht on the very high end.

 

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

Next year when you find evidence of this corruption please post a link

Amazing people choose to live somewhere they despise and distrust the local Government

I could stay in my country and do that

Well said.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

There has been little to no rationale behind this 'fee' (insurance, hospital bills, coral reef restoration,etc.). Nor will there be any transparency in the future.

From where did you pull that "information"...somewhere unpleasantly dark and cheesy?

[Sydebolle]

Departure tax was and still is an airport tax, applicable to every traveller and meanwhile collected through air ticket sales directly from the airline. 

The arrival tax; let's see. Thais with dual nationality, foreign residents with work permits or one-year visas, PR holders? Asking as this tax cannot be collected via air ticket sales from the airline as not every person is a tourist. 

Where to collect and how; can you imagine the total clogging of the arrival area when Kumar from India with hardly recognizable rupees, Kim Lee Wee from Seoul with Won and the rest showing up with cruzeiros, a selection of different dollars or Bhutanese Ngultrum? 

Happy days ahead, publish the day of introduction and avoid flying into the land for at least two weeks afterwards 😉