Phuket airport 'tax' on Chinese is no more

[webfact]

Phuket airport 'tax' on Chinese is no more
Naraporn Tuarob

PHUKET: After a deluge of complaints, Immigration officers at Phuket International Airport have stopped levying their informal “tax” on Chinese arrivals, which at one time was as much as B200 per person, cash only, in baht or yuan.

“We lodged many complaints [about the tax] to many sections of government in Phuket,” Qin Jian, China’s Vice-Consul in Haad Yai, told The Phuket News today (August 20).

“I have asked the tour operators about the special tax collected particularly from Chinese tourists, and this is apparently no longer an issue.

“The last case I heard of was on August 1. Since then I have had no more complaints.’

Mr Qin said, “I have also been told that there is now a sign at every Immigration counter stating, ‘No taxes collected.’ I think the Immigration Police have taken their responsibility for this seriously.

“I believe perhaps one reason is that many senior government officials have been visiting Phuket, and this tends to make everything run on the right track.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-airport-%E2%80%98tax%E2%80%99-on-chinese-is-no-more-41484.php

-- Phuket News 2013-08-20

[LivinginKata]

Just shows what power the Chinese embassy officials have here in Thailand.

[eezergood]

This was as good as the tour operators on the Gold Coast charging Japanese tourists to go onto the beach! The VIP section between the flags!

Edited August 20, 2013 by eezergood

[theblether]

Bang, once again the Chinese force the issue while our mobs sip pina coladas.

It's embarrassing

[stevenl]

Bang, once again the Chinese force the issue while our mobs sip pina coladas.

It's embarrassing

Makes sense for them, since this 'tax' was only levied on the Chinese.

[KarenBravo]

The Chinese ambassador came right out and said the Thai police and Immigration were corrupt.

No Honarary Consul, or Ambassador from a Western country would ever do that.

I really don't think that it was an accident that the powers that be in Bangkok actually started doing something about the rip-offs and corruption in Phuket, after the Chinese Ambassador threatened to stop his countrymen coming.

After all, Bangkok had totally ignored the Western ambassadors for years.

[NamKangMan]

Was this a "tax" or a scam? If a scam, why aren't people being charged?

These tourists haven't even gone through the airport exit door and have already been scammed.

Now that really is "tarnishing Phuket's image." :)

[LivinginKata]

Was this a "tax" or a scam? If a scam, why aren't people being charged?

These tourists haven't even gone through the airport exit door and have already been scammed.

Now that really is "tarnishing Phuket's image."

Good point - looking like a scam, guess Immigration just did not know there was not a 'special' tax. Was there not an insinualtion that the tour operator were working in collusion with Immigration ...

[NamKangMan]

Was this a "tax" or a scam? If a scam, why aren't people being charged?

These tourists haven't even gone through the airport exit door and have already been scammed.

Now that really is "tarnishing Phuket's image."

Good point - looking like a scam, guess Immigration just did not know there was not a 'special' tax. Was there not an insinualtion that the tour operator were working in collusion with Immigration ...

Surely the immigration officers are not that naive.

I pay the 300 baht for the Certificate of Residency, that should be free, but this is 200 baht from hundreds of thousands of tourist, over a long period of time.

We are talking millions of baht, and no one is accountable or responsible for this crime and no one will face the consequenses for their criminality.

<deleted>????

I suppose they would have to fire and charge the whole immigration section at the airport. All of them on the make and not an honest one amongst them

[Sirius1935]

Was this a "tax" or a scam? If a scam, why aren't people being charged?

These tourists haven't even gone through the airport exit door and have already been scammed.

Now that really is "tarnishing Phuket's image." :)

The same thing happens to all Yachties who arrive at or depart from Satun.

Immigration charge a fee of 200 Baht and " 200 Baht for Officer. No receipt. O.K.!"

In other words: " Welcome to Thailand where there is No Law and the officials are the criminals."

[NamKangMan]

Was this a "tax" or a scam? If a scam, why aren't people being charged?

These tourists haven't even gone through the airport exit door and have already been scammed.

Now that really is "tarnishing Phuket's image."

The same thing happens to all Yachties who arrive at or depart from Satun.

Immigration charge a fee of 200 Baht and " 200 Baht for Officer. No receipt. O.K.!"

In other words: " Welcome to Thailand where there is No Law and the officials are the criminals."

There's a lot more Chinese tourist flying onto Phuket than yachties sailing into Phuket.

The money generated from this scam would have been staggering.

[andreandre]

Just shows what power the Chinese embassy officials have here in Thailand.

Just a thought..i was wondering if that is to do with long time Chinese connections/blood to many hi-so and royalty [including the present HM] that go back a long way..[and also a lot of average Thai people are Chinese ethnicity.]

Thailand has either the biggest or 2nd biggest Chinese community outside of China..some 14% of Thai Population

That gives a lot of 'collective' reasoning power...

[FireMedic]

Hi! We are from the DSI. Who at this airport approved this "tax"? Where did it go and who did you give it to? Seems easy enough...Too bad Thais are allergic to common sense.

[PhilipCook]

in breaking bad speak, I Am The One Who Knocks

[Halion]

Words like responsibility and seriously have no context in Thailand . Simply one scam is deleted for another to be reborn. It is all they know.

[atyclb]

How about clubs in bkk that charge cover fee to western expats where thais enter free?

Thats like making asians pay to enter a EC pub while non asians enter free.

Scamming Chinese tourists was very wrong. I guess the only saving grace is that is shows how they will scam ANYONE regardless of ethnicity, race, etc etc.

[NamKangMan]

Words like responsibility and seriously have no context in Thailand . Simply one scam is deleted for another to be reborn. It is all they know.

Yes, it's all about the baht here, but, they better start to get real creative with new scams because the baht is starting to dry up here, rapidly. Most of the tourists here now are package holiday makers.

The drunk, gullible, first time to Phuket, wealthy western tourist is becoming an "endangered species" here in recent times. :)

[Sirius1935]

Was this a "tax" or a scam? If a scam, why aren't people being charged?

These tourists haven't even gone through the airport exit door and have already been scammed.

Now that really is "tarnishing Phuket's image."

The same thing happens to all Yachties who arrive at or depart from Satun.

Immigration charge a fee of 200 Baht and " 200 Baht for Officer. No receipt. O.K.!"

In other words: " Welcome to Thailand where there is No Law and the officials are the criminals."

There's a lot more Chinese tourist flying onto Phuket than yachties sailing into Phuket.

The money generated from this scam would have been staggering.

To be fair on Phuket Immigration, I said that it is Satun that extorts money from yachties. As do Customs at Satun, saying they are closed for a public holiday and you have to pay ฿500 for coming on a day when they are closed. Despite the fact that they were fully staffed and it was not a public holiday.

No, I must say that Phuket one stop service for yachties is fair and excellent. So is Krabi. The corrupt criminals are in Satun.