WrLife still ok?

[webfact]

Phuket’s office of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS) has confirmed that the upcoming tourism tax, expected to be implemented early next year, will not impact foreigners who reside or work in Thailand.

 

A MoTS Phuket official clarified that the proposed tax has not yet been presented to the Cabinet for approval.

 

“We should wait for any further information because now the tourist tax has not yet gone to Cabinet, and some things may change once it goes into Cabinet,” the official stated.

 

The official indicated that the tax might be designed similarly to the entry fees approved by the Cabinet early last year.

Despite the impending changes, the MoTS Phuket assured that the tax would not apply to foreigners living or working in Thailand.

“The tourist tax will depend on the type of visa a traveller holds,” the official explained.

 

Foreigners holding non-immigrant or immigrant visas or those with valid work permits proving employment in Thailand will be exempt from the tax.

 

“This approach ensures that individuals residing or working in the country aren’t subject to the same fees as short-term tourists,” the official added.

 

However, the official advised staying informed about potential future modifications to the policy, reported The Phuket News.

 

“It’s important to stay updated, as future changes or adjustments to the policy may occur,” the official concluded.

 

by Mitch Connor 
Picture courtesy of AoT Phuket

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-10-28

 

 

[Tarteso]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

the official advised staying informed about potential future modifications to the policy

Here we go again..🤔

[wombat]

If the tourists aren't paying the tourist tax then who is?

Edited 2 hours ago by wombat

[Presnock]

18 minutes ago, wombat said:

If the tourists aren't paying the tourist tax then who is?

if you are serious, then realize that this is just more of the 300 baht added to the ETA for all tourists coming to Thailand.

[NemoH]

Hahaha.. 

I love to be optimistic but I don’t think the Thai system n process is designed to be smart enough to distinguish who holds exempted visas..🤣🤣🤣…

Firstly there are so many different visa types which are varied n changed upon whim n fancies of different Thai governments over different period of time ….and which varies in application 🤣🤣.

Next -The easiest mode of collection will likely be built into the air tickets … all other modes will be interruptive. So how can such system distinguish - unless Thai government spends money to modify the system.🤣🤣

In any event, another money grab by the Thaksin government. There will be more … 

Edited 1 hour ago by NemoH

[VBF]

17 minutes ago, NemoH said:

Hahaha.. 

I love to be optimistic but I don’t think the Thai system n process is designed to be smart enough to distinguish who holds exempted visas..🤣🤣🤣…

Firstly there are so many different visa types which are varied n changed upon whim n fancies of different Thai governments over different period of time ….and which varies in application 🤣🤣.

Next -The easiest mode of collection will likely be built into the air tickets … all other modes will be interruptive. So how can such system distinguish - unless Thai government spends money to modify the system.🤣🤣

In any event, another money grab by the Thaksin government. There will be more … 

I don't think the airlines will need to be involved.

 

Here's how it could work, and this is only "IMO"

The fee for the envisaged ETA could effectively form this tourist tax.  IE, if you  have a visa, you will have paid the fee for the visa and therefore don't have to pay the tax. This, as far as I can see will include tourist visas.

But, if you're arriving visa-exempt, then you must (when it's introduced) get an ETA, the fee for which will be regarded as the tourist tax.

 

So effectively,  you either get a visa OR an ETA.  Or possibly, if you choose to get a Tourist Visa, than you might have to get an ETA as well...BUT..... who is going to bother getting a SETV that gives 60 days when visa-exempt plus ETA also gets 60 days?  As for METV....I have no idea.

 

About now, I suppose I should apologise for being logical and forgetting TIT 🙄😞

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Phuket’s office of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS) has confirmed that the upcoming tourism tax, expected to be implemented early next year, will not impact foreigners who reside or work in Thailand

If you reside and work in Thailand then you can hardly be classified as a tourist.

[Presnock]

55 minutes ago, NemoH said:

Hahaha.. 

I love to be optimistic but I don’t think the Thai system n process is designed to be smart enough to distinguish who holds exempted visas..🤣🤣🤣…

Firstly there are so many different visa types which are varied n changed upon whim n fancies of different Thai governments over different period of time ….and which varies in application 🤣🤣.

Next -The easiest mode of collection will likely be built into the air tickets … all other modes will be interruptive. So how can such system distinguish - unless Thai government spends money to modify the system.🤣🤣

In any event, another money grab by the Thaksin government. There will be more … 

this is what they are currently planning - using the ETA system such as that in S. Korea whenever one plans to visit Thailand, they must file the ETA (electronic travel authorization) at which time the traveler will need to pay the 300 baht whatever (insurance, handling fee, whatever) but first of all it needs to be approved by the cabinet and indications are there might be some changes to that process and even if the cabinet approves this program, the managers of such program says it will take at least 6 more months from that approval to actually impement it.  This govt might not even last that long.

[TheFishman1]

Yeah, I thought originally this tax was to help the people with no insurance during their coronavirus. This is just another way. The government is gonna grab money. I wonder whose pocket most of the money will go into it surely not gonna be given to the poor people of Thailand, the rich get richer here and they don’t care about the poor people TIT 

[Tropicalevo]

1 hour ago, NemoH said:

In any event, another money grab by the Thaksin government. There will be more … 

This particular money grab was introduced by the illegal junta some while back whilst Thaksin was still on holiday.

All governments 'money grab'.

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Presnock said:

if you are serious, then realize that this is just more of the 300 baht added to the ETA for all tourists coming to Thailand.

That's the only way it could work.