Thai Transport Ministry rejects higher airport departure fees

[webfact]

Transport Ministry rejects higher airport departure fees
By English News



BANGKOK, Oct 30 – A proposal by the Airports of Thailand (AoT) to increase departure fees for domestic and international flights will likely be turned down by the Transport Ministry.

Transport Minister Chadchat Sittipunt said the ministry would determine the cause of financial loss in its collection of departure fees, as claimed by the AoT.

AoT should find alternative to hiking the fees, he said.

AoT is a profitable state enterprise, he said, and its performance indicates it is unnecessary to increase departure fees. He expressed concern that the public would criticise the AoT move.

The AoT Board of Directors recently decided to increase departure fees by Bt100 per passenger for domestic and international flights.

The proposal has yet to be approved by the Civil Aviation Committee. The transport minister who also chairs the committee has the final say on the AoT proposal. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-10-30

[laurentbkk]

The AoT Board of Directors recently decided to increase departure fees by Bt100 per passenger for domestic and international flights.

Sorry for the board of directors , their pockets will be lighter after the comment from the Ministry of transport.

[Katipo]

Finally a sensible decision fronm the government.

IN Thailand it's really a case of not the amount collected, but how it is used.

[monkeycountry]

Interesting. Increasing the fee for tourists (who cannot vote) by 500 baht (the health cover scam) is not a problem at all, but a 100-200 baht increase that will also affect thai travellers (who can vote) is a big problem

[SlideRiceFC]

Glad to see they are being called to the floor on it. Personally I think 100 baht is a nothing sum and anyone that can afford air fare (locals included) probably won't have to sell their soul to cough it up. BUT, if it's something they feel needs to be charged then I think it only fair they justify the added cost and remain transparent on how it will be used to benefit travelers. You see staggering figures on how much the skytrain and tollways rake in daily and always have to wonder...just where DOES it all go?

[rametindallas]

AoT thought it would give itself a Bt. 2.4 billion raise. Sweet! The exit fee is already Bt. 600 and is included in everyone's ticket price. That fee is up a hundred Baht from just a few years ago. Their greed is insatiable.

The pool of money the Health Ministry wants to create with its Bt. 500 entry fee would be Bt.12 billion ($493.4 million). That amount would far exceed the health costs the government spend on tourists. The scammers on the street are being shamed by the scammers in the government who are showing them up in creativity and scope.

Edited October 30, 2013 by rametindallas

[soi41]

Glad to see they are being called to the floor on it. Personally I think 100 baht is a nothing sum and anyone that can afford air fare (locals included) probably won't have to sell their soul to cough it up. BUT, if it's something they feel needs to be charged then I think it only fair they justify the added cost and remain transparent on how it will be used to benefit travelers. You see staggering figures on how much the skytrain and tollways rake in daily and always have to wonder...just where DOES it all go?

Does it really matter, where it go ? Both companies provide a service for a fair price (?), what they do with their money is none of our business!

BTW. Both companies are public ltd's listed on SET, so what they are doing with "your" money is published every quarter. Check BECL and BTS.

[Ricardo]

So how are AoT supposed to pay for the 3rd-runway & terminal-expansion building-projects, now supposedly underway, at Swampy ?

edit to add : and weren't they also supposed to be doing a fairly-major expansion at Phuket, too ?

Perhaps it's better to charge the airlines, for use of the facilities, so that the voters passengers don't see the inflationary-increase.

Edited October 30, 2013 by Ricardo

[centrala]

Finally a sensible decision fronm the government.

IN Thailand it's really a case of not the amount collected, but how it is used.

It's just a ruse.

They decline the 100 baht increase in departing fee to deflect criticism of the new 500 baht arriving fee.

How wonderful of them.

Edited October 30, 2013 by centrala

[rametindallas]

So how are AoT supposed to pay for the 3rd-runway & terminal-expansion building-projects, now supposedly underway, at Swampy ?

edit to add : and weren't they also supposed to be doing a fairly-major expansion at Phuket, too ?

Perhaps it's better to charge the airlines, for use of the facilities, so that the voters passengers don't see the inflationary-increase.

Corporations (airlines) don't pay taxes. It is an 'expense' and they will pass the cost to their customers (you and me). Why would we not see a ticket price increase which we inevitably will?

[COXYATCITY]

as long as the increase gets immigration of their 24 hour lunch break to speed up the time it takes to get through.

[Jim walker]

Just had a drink with an English teacher tonight he has been in Thailand for almost 10 years and he is just sick of the Thai education system of stupidity and Thai greed and he has just bought himself a one way ticket back home to the UK and is not coming back ever again enough is enough allegedly.

[Lizard2010]

Interesting. Increasing the fee for tourists (who cannot vote) by 500 baht (the health cover scam) is not a problem at all, but a 100-200 baht increase that will also affect thai travellers (who can vote) is a big problem

Has anyone heard anymore about the health cover for Tourists ??

[Ricardo]

So how are AoT supposed to pay for the 3rd-runway & terminal-expansion building-projects, now supposedly underway, at Swampy ?

edit to add : and weren't they also supposed to be doing a fairly-major expansion at Phuket, too ?

Perhaps it's better to charge the airlines, for use of the facilities, so that the voters passengers don't see the inflationary-increase.

Corporations (airlines) don't pay taxes. It is an 'expense' and they will pass the cost to their customers (you and me). Why would we not see a ticket price increase which we inevitably will?

Because it will be shown as an increase in ticket-price, not as a higher airport-tax, which is identified separately on most tickets & airline web-sites.

[centrala]

Interesting. Increasing the fee for tourists (who cannot vote) by 500 baht (the health cover scam) is not a problem at all, but a 100-200 baht increase that will also affect thai travellers (who can vote) is a big problem

Has anyone heard anymore about the health cover for Tourists ??

.

We subsequently learned that it is totally bogus and never did provide any health care coverage whatsoever.

It is simply a new 500 baht fee upon arriving in Thailand whose new intention is to make sure only high-end tourists arrive (presumably because only high-end people have 500 baht).

.

Edited October 31, 2013 by centrala

[Carl64]

Wow!!!! I am impressed.

[marell]

Possibly someone (who signs things) over at the Transport Ministry is leveraging for a bigger slice of the pie.

Edited October 31, 2013 by marell

[Loles]

Do you know what is the different between corruption and good business ?

If you are in: good business,

but if you outsider: corruption.

[fab4]

Just had a drink with an English teacher tonight he has been in Thailand for almost 10 years and he is just sick of the Thai education system of stupidity and Thai greed and he has just bought himself a one way ticket back home to the UK and is not coming back ever again enough is enough allegedly.

Probably one less whinger on here then. Bon Voyage.

[Lupatria]

AoT should find alternative to hiking the fees, he said.

What does that mean- rename the rip-off and everything is OK?

[Baerboxer]

Just had a drink with an English teacher tonight he has been in Thailand for almost 10 years and he is just sick of the Thai education system of stupidity and Thai greed and he has just bought himself a one way ticket back home to the UK and is not coming back ever again enough is enough allegedly.

Probably one less whinger on here then. Bon Voyage.

And how long have you been in Thailand then ?

[Estrada]

AoT thought it would give itself a Bt. 2.4 billion raise. Sweet! The exit fee is already Bt. 600 and is included in everyone's ticket price. That fee is up a hundred Baht from just a few years ago. Their greed is insatiable.

The pool of money the Health Ministry wants to create with its Bt. 500 entry fee would be Bt.12 billion ($493.4 million). That amount would far exceed the health costs the government spend on tourists. The scammers on the street are being shamed by the scammers in the government who are showing them up in creativity and scope.

The current fee is B700 not B600.

[GeorgeO]

Finally a sensible decision fronm the government.

IN Thailand it's really a case of not the amount collected, but how it is used.

Hear hear, and kudos to the gentlemen for noting that it would likely receive significant criticism if it was pushed through.

How can an organisation such as AoT, which shows significantly rising profits on an annual basis, justify such an unnecessary increase? (other than to provide a thicker lining for their pockets....!!)

The first speck of common sense to come out of this government yet!

[Ricardo]

Finally a sensible decision fronm the government.

IN Thailand it's really a case of not the amount collected, but how it is used.

Hear hear, and kudos to the gentlemen for noting that it would likely receive significant criticism if it was pushed through.

How can an organisation such as AoT, which shows significantly rising profits on an annual basis, justify such an unnecessary increase? (other than to provide a thicker lining for their pockets....!!)

The first speck of common sense to come out of this government yet!

Simples, the money is needed to pay for the overdue supposedly-now-underway expansion (terminal & a 3rd runway) at Swampy, also Phuket's new much-bigger terminal.

That's surely also why they've built-up reserves, in recent years, in anticipation of the massive spending now due ?

But I would agree about the likely-destination of a substantial part of the necessary expenditure, brown-envelopes & trebles all round, chaps !

Edited November 1, 2013 by Ricardo

[techboy]

Finally a sensible decision fronm the government.

IN Thailand it's really a case of not the amount collected, but how it is used.

Yeah. That must be what has the world rife with economic stress. Thailand is the only country that has budget issues and it must be dragging down the other 195 nations.

[vicctor15]

I have one question. I have read that some passenges have to pay this 700 Baht/ 800 Baht for getting out from Thailand. So they are paying double? And not only this person, many people around also have to pay to. It's from a Facebook group of people living in Thailand.
If it is true, can u reject to pay it? Because u are paying this tax in your airline ticket.

[Ricardo]

I have one question. I have read that some passenges have to pay this 700 Baht/ 800 Baht for getting out from Thailand. So they are paying double? And not only this person, many people around also have to pay to. It's from a Facebook group of people living in Thailand.

If it is true, can u reject to pay it? Because u are paying this tax in your airline ticket.

It's always included in the ticket.

But that might not cover someone, who is a long-connection transit-passenger passing-through Bangkok, but who chooses to enter the country for just a few hours, for a business-meeting at the airport, or whatever other reason ? They haven't been charged the departure-tax, because they weren't expected to come ground-side, during their transfer.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Ricardo

[vicctor15]

I have one question. I have read that some passenges have to pay this 700 Baht/ 800 Baht for getting out from Thailand. So they are paying double? And not only this person, many people around also have to pay to. It's from a Facebook group of people living in Thailand.

If it is true, can u reject to pay it? Because u are paying this tax in your airline ticket.

It's always included in the ticket.

But that might not cover someone, who is a long-connection transit-passenger passing-through Bangkok, but who chooses to enter the country for just a few hours, for a business-meeting at the airport, or whatever other reason ? They haven't been charged the departure-tax, because they weren't expected to come ground-side, during their transfer.

I hope too, let's see if the user that has occurred this, can post again about that. About what has paid in the airport.