Pictures courtesy of Khaosod

 

The new minister of tourism and sports has pledged to implement a long-delayed 300-baht tourism tax within his four-month term in office, stressing the need to clearly communicate its benefits to international visitors. Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn said on Friday, 3 October, that the proceeds from the levy would fund visitor insurance coverage and support tourism infrastructure development.

 

The minister acknowledged that the additional charge could affect traveller sentiment, with foreign tourists having raised concerns about the tax in past online discussions. He underlined the importance of ensuring tourists understand what they would gain from the scheme, saying, “If we impose this tax, we must communicate how much tourists could benefit from it.”

 

The tourism tax was first proposed in 2020 and received cabinet approval in February 2023, but successive tourism ministers since then did not act to implement it. The approved rate is 300 baht per person for air arrivals and 150 baht for land or sea entries. Earlier this year, then-minister Sorawong Thienthong had also vowed to introduce the levy by the end of 2025 but later reversed his position.

 

Although a study was completed to assess the potential benefits, adoption of the scheme has repeatedly been delayed amid concerns over its impact on tourism sentiment. Four previous ministers either could not or would not begin collection. Mr Artthakorn now intends to move forward, setting the issue as a priority during his short tenure.

 

Alongside the tax plan, the minister announced new promotional campaigns for the fourth quarter to encourage spending and increase tourist arrivals. He said the ministry also intends to finalise allocation of funds left from a 1.76-billion-baht domestic subsidy programme by the end of October.

 

Tourism recovery remains a key focus for the government, with safety improvements and strategies to restore foreign arrivals to pre-pandemic levels of nearly 40 million visitors. Thailand expects around 33.4 million foreign arrivals in 2025, down from 35.5 million last year. Mr Artthakorn added that he has already set specific targets for the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year but has not yet disclosed the figures.

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Tourism minister Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn aims to enforce the 300-baht levy within his four-month term.

• The tax has been repeatedly delayed since first being proposed in 2020 and approved in 2023.

• New campaigns and budget allocations are planned to boost arrivals and tourism spending in late 2025.

 

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  Adapted by Asean Now from Bangkokpost 2025-10-04

 

 

 

 

SAnd wondering why tourists don't come in anymore.. It is not the 300 THB entrance fee but everything... no vaping allowed, limited alcohol buy/sales hours, double standards, scamming, double pricing, grumpy immigration, always negative news of foreigners, just because a few don't behave while hunderdthousands behave normal, and the list can go on...Thailand does not understand how to handle tourism and has no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

29 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

 no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

They have, either increase the price or Tax them, normal Thai logic

I wish they'd stop  calling it a tourist tax.  It's a tax on all non-Thai people entering the country, and that includes those who work or are retired here.

People are already taxed to the hilt, they don’t want to be having to dip into their pocket as soon as they set foot in Thailand. Totally cheapens the experience from the get go. If it is about insurance, stress that people should self-insure or not be allowed to check in for their flight. Otherwise, if you absolutely must do this paltry grab, at least bury it in the flight ticket. 

Im sure it will drive many people away or not return, I do know someone right now she has just gone back to BKK she has 2 weeks left on her ticket, and she's never coming back to Thailand, 

More of Anutin's Blue Party corrupt officials trying to make money for himself. 

28 minutes ago, ChipButty said:

Im sure it will drive many people away or not return, I do know someone right now she has just gone back to BKK she has 2 weeks left on her ticket, and she's never coming back to Thailand, 

Bad experience? Surely not because of possibility of B300 money grab?😘😘

Is this 300 Baht a day?

 

Otherwise the cost of collecting it will be higher than the income.

5 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

SAnd wondering why tourists don't come in anymore.. It is not the 300 THB entrance fee but everything... no vaping allowed, limited alcohol buy/sales hours, double standards, scamming, double pricing, grumpy immigration, always negative news of foreigners, just because a few don't behave while hunderdthousands behave normal, and the list can go on...Thailand does not understand how to handle tourism and has no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

Definitely NOT the place for you. Good luck and bon voyage!

1 hour ago, daveAustin said:

People are already taxed to the hilt, they don’t want to be having to dip into their pocket as soon as they set foot in Thailand. Totally cheapens the experience from the get go. If it is about insurance, stress that people should self-insure or not be allowed to check in for their flight. Otherwise, if you absolutely must do this paltry grab, at least bury it in the flight ticket. 

People are already taxed to the hilt, 

 

Could you please give more details and the amounts?

What are all the taxes a foreigner has to pay to the hilt - other than VAT, service charge,  etc.

Asking as I don't know.

1 hour ago, Peter Crow said:

Is this 300 Baht a day?

 

Otherwise the cost of collecting it will be higher than the income.

I am almost convinced they will collect it by the TDAC card.. Every tourist can fill it in for free now, although there are website who will charge you.. But the easiest way is for Thailand to let them pay for the TDAC 300 THB.. easy money to earn...And Thai people don't need to fill in and so not to pay for it, although several are coming for holiday too.. But the brainwashed idea that foreigners are rich, will all pay

7 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn said on Friday, 3 October, that the proceeds from the levy would fund visitor insurance coverage and support tourism infrastructure development.

More of the latter than the former I think,

The infrastructure should be in place to entice visitors, not make them pay for it.

As for visitor insurance I wonder if that's going to cover the entire medical bill, or will it be capped?

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

SAnd wondering why tourists don't come in anymore.. It is not the 300 THB entrance fee but everything... no vaping allowed, limited alcohol buy/sales hours, double standards, scamming, double pricing, grumpy immigration, always negative news of foreigners, just because a few don't behave while hunderdthousands behave normal, and the list can go on...Thailand does not understand how to handle tourism and has no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

Thais have no concept of the future; they only look at what they can collect today.
And that doesn't just apply to the government.
And what they “earn” is immediately spent, saved or put aside for later... what is that?

And to increase sexual health they will institute a ฿ 1000 condom tax. 

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

that the proceeds from the levy would fund visitor insurance coverage and support tourism infrastructure development.

 

That's the one that's going to come around and bite them in the butt.  If tourists think they're getting some kind of meaningful insurance for a whopping $8.50 USD, they're going to be sorely disappointed.

 

It will reimburse the hospitals that can't get blood out of a turnip when they treat indigent foreigners with no coverage.  But it ain't insurance.

 

And holding it out as insurance will convince a lot of tourists that they don't need to pay for real coverage.

 

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

Thailand does not understand how to handle tourism and has no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

 

How could they? They've never bothered to enquire what tourists like, and like to do. The tourists are told that they should visit the temples, behave, and spend more money in a short time. It has never been about hospitality, but 'milking' foreign tourists as much and quickly as possible. More and more tourists understand this and give Thailand a wide berth, while the ones who still come do so only once, thanks to their bad experience...

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn said on Friday, 3 October, that the proceeds from the levy would fund visitor insurance coverage and support tourism infrastructure development.

Government hi-so Mercedes, BMW's, new condo purchases, and upkeep of mia-noi's. There, fixed that.

300 baht tourist tax will not deter people coming to Thailand 

But the cost of air flights hotels and prices in general food ect could   🤔

 

12 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

That's the one that's going to come around and bite them in the butt.  If tourists think they're getting some kind of meaningful insurance for a whopping $8.50 USD, they're going to be sorely disappointed.

 

It will fund the hospitals that can't get blood out of a turnip when they treat indigent foreigners with no coverage.  But it ain't insurance.

 

I would be surprised, if even 1 satang of those 300 baht went into 'insurance coverage'. But once foreign tourists try to use it at the hospital, finding out that it's worthless, it will backfire...

How exactly will tourists benefit from yet more tax?

This is definitely the way to increase tourism

How much has this on off tourist tax actually cost the government?  Wasted hours debating at least 20 times since I've been living here and no closer to it being implemented 

For me, the issue isn’t the tax, it’s where is it going to go?

 

I very much doubt that there will be any accountability and for sure there won’t be any insurance.

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

SAnd wondering why tourists don't come in anymore.. It is not the 300 THB entrance fee but everything... no vaping allowed, limited alcohol buy/sales hours, double standards, scamming, double pricing, grumpy immigration, always negative news of foreigners, just because a few don't behave while hunderdthousands behave normal, and the list can go on...Thailand does not understand how to handle tourism and has no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

I agree with you, especially about the vaping.  Many people in Europe have managed to quit smoking cigarettes by vaping instead.  It can come as a very nasty surprise for those visitors when they come here to find it illegal, particularly since it’s so common all over Europe to vape these days.

13 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

I would be surprised, if even 1 satang of those 300 baht went into 'insurance coverage'. But once foreign tourists try to use it at the hospital, finding out that it's worthless, it will backfire...

 

I added a sentence of the most dangerous aspect.  Tourists that think it is insurance won't buy real coverage.

 

Edit:  I read once that Thailand pays out about 400 million baht a year to hospitals to reimburse them for tourists that can't (or won't) pay for their emergency medical treatment.  I believe that there will be 400 million for that. 

 

But 300 baht x 30-40 million tourists is a lot more than 400 million.

 

6 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

SAnd wondering why tourists don't come in anymore.. It is not the 300 THB entrance fee but everything... no vaping allowed, limited alcohol buy/sales hours, double standards, scamming, double pricing, grumpy immigration, always negative news of foreigners, just because a few don't behave while hunderdthousands behave normal, and the list can go on...Thailand does not understand how to handle tourism and has no clue how to solve the declining visitors.. 

0nly let in the new generation of ' back packers ' free, they always had money in there back pocket, they ran out of money it was easy to get work,just like,france,germany,spain etc. alote came back later in life with there familys with money to spare but more importanly with great storys about friendly people, cheap food,cheap accomodation and a knowladge of paradise 

1 hour ago, Lucky Bones said:

Bad experience? Surely not because of possibility of B300 money grab?😘😘

Not at all she has loads, just had enough of Thailand, 

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

. Mr Artthakorn added that he has already set specific targets for the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of next year but has not yet disclosed the figures.

How can a Government Minister set specific figures for tourists?? He has no say whatsoever into how many will come, if they do with all the tourism traps here!

8 hours ago, Georgealbert said:

The new minister of tourism and sports has pledged to implement a long-delayed 300-baht tourism tax

Thai Logic: To implement a tourism tax will increase the number of tourists coming to Thailand.

So they plan on making visitors pay for the infrastructure that should be there in the first place as a way of attracting visitors? And they plan on making ME pay for the insurance of people who don't bother insuring themselves?