Thai Tourism industry group warns against extra fee from foreign tourists

[bangon04]

Wont they just build this into airline ticket prices anyway??

And at the land crossings?

Just imagine the extra time it takes at a land border to convince the police that you are only staying 2 days....

[marcusd]

The reds will soon be under the beds because foreigners will go to cheaper and newer destinations.

Poorer Chinese flock here making up the numbers. Thai businesses dislike them. These extra hoards spend so little.

And who will suffer and complain the most at loss of income? The poor who voted the government. In so they deserve it for being so bloody complacent. I don't give a rats about Thailand and the government. I care about my partner and we are lucky we can go anywhere. The people need a wake up call.

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[Briggsy]

The AOT never quite got over the Passenger Service Charge going into the ticket as opposed to the previous pay in cash as you leave malarkey. They want their unaccounted cash stream back.

[marcusd]

100,000 begging on the streets  Bu/S##t,   Farrangs being the burden on the health service  Bu/S##t

  Foreign workers mostly cross border jobs.

 

Farrangs to blame--get them at the airport -it's always them they are a necessary evil in the Kingdom.  of course its not OUR fault we shouldn't have to organize workers to pay a little---OR have an arrangement with our neighbours on health.

we can all write travel reviews sending people elsewhere. That would fix the government.

Trip advisor..agoda..get going people!

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[Bender]

well this 500 baht tax entry, they will do the same trick with the 700 baht tax departure, they will hide it in your ticket airline price...

and slowly increase it.

[Angeledge777]

Too late. Many of my friends came here only once and they told me they will never come back because of the high price. This is what happens when you only think short term.

[impulse]

I get on Orbitz one day and a R/T ticket is $850. The next day, the cheapest R/T ticket is $1,250. A week later, it's $1,000. (BTW, the base price of the ticket is about $200-300 less than the total cost because of airport fees and other taxes.)

I checked into a hotel on a Wednesday and paid $79 for the room. On Friday, I asked to extend the stay a couple more days and the weekend rate was $189.

You think many tourists are going to notice a $17 difference in their airfare?

And if $17 is going to drive the tourists to a different destination, do you think they'll be missed in the Thai economic figures?

It's a tax increase. It sucks. But it's part of the life of a traveler. It's one of the few taxes that's 100% avoidable.

Edited November 1, 2013 by impulse

[dao16]

I assume this would be added to ticket prices....I can't imagine them seriously wanting 500 baht right there at immigration or wherever, although I guess that would make it slide into the "appropriate" pockets much more easily. None of this money will go anywhere near a health care agency, no matter how they collect it.

[DGIE]

Public Health and Tourism and Sports Ministries have thought of the easiest way to generate income by imposing that Bt500 for every person.

Hope that people planning to tour here must know about the Thai government plan and that they will think of going to another country instead of Thailand.

[tigermonkey]

Unfortunately, it hasn't dawned on them yet that they are creating a major problem for the health care system. Any foreigner having arrived here and having paid their "health care fee" will demand their free health care.

The Chinese, especially, will loudly and abrasively demand their health care that they have prepaid on arrival. Don't try to tell them that it is is private hospital - they will not listen and they won't care. Watch for this event coming soon to all hospitals in your neighborhood.

Edited November 1, 2013 by tigermonkey

[crazydrummerpauly]

This government has gone tax crazy and I see Thais following suit raising prices across the board on everything. The only exception I see is most food is relatively the same.

It's like the government has opened Pandora's box.

Food prices have gone up and up over the past 2 years alone.

[NRGF]

But surely this nothing new, I remember for many years having to pay 500 Baht airport tax every time I left Thailand.

[masuk]

Am I thinking the right way?

If the gov collects 500 baht from 26 million tourists they get 13 billion baht from this but the cost to the gov is only 200 million. That's 65 times more money than they need to pay for the foreigner's medical bills. How can they decide that 500 baht is fair when less than 10 baht would pay for the extra expense to the government?

Also, will they still collect from people who have work visas and Thailand social security who leave for a holiday or something like that? (I read that if you have a work permit you will pay for Thailand SS every month.)

So where will the money go.

Better not say.

Someone will not like that.

If they do.

Can you imagine paying it.

Sorry not have baht.

Will be like in Bali.

You have to pay for there Visa On Arrival Before you go though to Customs.

Last time there a plane load had just arrived before ours.

What a lot of long lines waiting

BALI and all other Indonesian airports require a fee to be paid at Immigration on the way in for a 30 day Visa on Arrival. It must be $25 US dollars in good, clean condition. Soiled, crumpled, old will not be accepted.

[richard10365]

I emailed ASEAN about this and they replied,

"In ASEAN, under ASEAN tourism agreement Article 2(3) (http://www.asean.org/news/item/asean-tourism-agreement-2),

Member States should phase out travel levies and travel taxes on nationals of ASEAN Member States traveling to other ASEAN Member States.

Putting travel taxes on nationals of ASEAN Member States is discouraged. We hope Member States would stick to what has been agreed earlier, at least for ASEAN nationals."

I wonder if Thailand has checked with it's ASEAN partners prior to heading down this path? As far as I can tell, they way the Thai government is selling this new import tax on tourist, it is definitely illegal. Thailand already ratified this agreement which makes it a law in Thailand. I hope those involved figure this out soon before the loose more face than they can afford to loose.

Edited November 1, 2013 by richard10365

[paddyjenkins]

I suspect if there is a 500 baht entry or exit fee that people will just spend 500 baht less on other things.

Personally I don't like sneaky little taxes and cheat fees, so I will probably make sure I spend 1000 baht less for every time I pay the 500 baht fee. Most people won't think about it that way, but they will probably save it back somewhere else just because most people are on a fixed budget.

Net this will make nothing for Thailand, but it will put money into the wrong pockets. And well, we all know what Thailand is about don't we, so really this is just business as usual.

[easybullet3]

is this an ENTRANCE FEE ? or an EXIT FEE ?

i mean: if its an Entrance fee, then what is to stop people from making their return flight within 3 days and then changing it for a month? (many flights have free date changes)

or, will they only give a 3 days visa?

anyway... i guess they just wanna find a new way to get a few billion baht every year. some top ranking people stand to be rich!

lets see how EFFICIENTLY they make the payment option.

Lets hope they do it by MACHINE with Credit card acceptance... and lets hope they install a LARGE number of machines!!! (not like the 2 or 3 ticket machines in the busy BTS stations!!)

[Baerboxer]

Am I thinking the right way?

If the gov collects 500 baht from 26 million tourists they get 13 billion baht from this but the cost to the gov is only 200 million. That's 65 times more money than they need to pay for the foreigner's medical bills. How can they decide that 500 baht is fair when less than 10 baht would pay for the extra expense to the government?

Also, will they still collect from people who have work visas and Thailand social security who leave for a holiday or something like that? (I read that if you have a work permit you will pay for Thailand SS every month.)

According to the PTP government themselves in various newspapers they plan to collect roughly 10 billion baht/year this way, and they need roughly 300 million baht to cover the hospital bills. They have confirmed that this leaves an estimated 9.7 billion baht, which will be spent elsewhere by the PTP government.

The government has not specified what "elsewhere" means, but given their track record, I think most people are able to figure that out for themselves

More private planes and helicopters with lights for Yinggy's shopping trips ? The Shins want a ROI on all that money used to buy the country.

[kannot]

Wont they just build this into airline ticket prices anyway??

And at the land crossings?

Just imagine the extra time it takes at a land border to convince the police that you are only staying 2 days....

I imagine this is aimed solely at incoming flights and the traffic from land crossings to be much smaller, thus the 3 day rule for local Myanmar Laos crossers , border runners etc

[Bluespunk]

Am I thinking the right way?

If the gov collects 500 baht from 26 million tourists they get 13 billion baht from this but the cost to the gov is only 200 million. That's 65 times more money than they need to pay for the foreigner's medical bills. How can they decide that 500 baht is fair when less than 10 baht would pay for the extra expense to the government?

Also, will they still collect from people who have work visas and Thailand social security who leave for a holiday or something like that? (I read that if you have a work permit you will pay for Thailand SS every month.)

This inept govt needs to pay off that rice debacle bill somehow. This could be their equally inept solution to the fallout from their economic incompetence.

[NoshowJones]

This government has gone tax crazy and I see Thais following suit raising prices across the board on everything. The only exception I see is most food is relatively the same.

It's like the government has opened Pandora's box.

If you want to see a country that is really tax crazy, look at the UK under a Labour government, especially when Brown was Chancellor.

[Loles]

This tourist fee a dumb idiot thing. Why?

Tourist doeasn't care to much about this pitiful amount, BUT

- Thai officers are so slow, like turtles,

- Tourists have not THB, cause just arrived, if they want ransom much better when tourist leaves Thailand and can pay Bath easily (like before),

- They will change USD/THB 25,- , EUR/THB 32,- rate, ant this will be the first feeling for tourists about "Thai smiling".

AND Yingluck's Gov. is so hungry

[Emdog]

I am on retirement visa, which should mean I am not a "tourist", correct? Therefore, if they hide it in the ticket price, would I be right in assuming that 500 baht charge would be taken out? To dream the impossible dream.....

[mrfill]

The government’s plan to collect Bt500 from foreign tourists staying in Thailand more than three days will severely affect the local tourism business

Classy tourists whose budgets are so tight that Bt500 affects them, possibly.

At present, airline prices include such things as arrival tax, departure tax, special invented taxes etc. Mostly these are contrived ways for governments to grab some money but people pay them with barely a whimper.

Now, all of a sudden, they will be outraged at having to pay 500 Bt and will never visit Thailand again.

I don't think so

[Thai at Heart]

I can imagine the big mess at the airport if people need to change money to pay those 500 bath , I can imagine the long queue at "Entering Thailand fee counter" , immigration ..those at immigration but who forgot to go and pay this fee .....ETC ....... dont you see it coming that way ? And that's how some other countries will benefit from tourism instead of some greedy Thai .....

You can bet you bottom dollar that they will accept major currencies too - at a set, and profitable, exchange rate!

I will deliver it in Zimbabwean dollars.

How earth are they going to administer this on a cash basis? Impossible, particularly on arrivals.

[Benmart]

100,000 begging on the streets Bu/S##t, Farrangs being the burden on the health service Bu/S##t

Foreign workers mostly cross border jobs.

Farrangs to blame--get them at the airport -it's always them they are a necessary evil in the Kingdom. of course its not OUR fault we shouldn't have to organize workers to pay a little---OR have an arrangement with our neighbours on health.

we can all write travel reviews sending people elsewhere. That would fix the government. Po

Trip advisor..agoda..get going people!

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I intend on doing just that. I returned yesterday from a week long trip to Issan and Laos. The Lao people were generous, friendly, and I feel I got good value for my money. Even the immigration and Customs folks smiled and said welcome to Lao.

When I returned to Pattaya, I dropped my two friends off at a large hotel on 2nd Road aka Cental. (Begins with an "M" and ends with an "N").

When I picked them up this morning to take them to the airport the desk wanted 100 Baht to weigh each bag (6 of them). That's 600 Baht, not counting the 600 Baht they wanted each of my friends to pay for the breakfast buffet. Had they said, 100 Baht to weigh the bags, that would have been fine. Afterall, they have to lift them 6 inches and put them on and take them off the scale.

I declined the kind "gesture" from hotel and we left post-haste. This is a vivid example of gratuitous gouging of the cash cow. This kind off greed is endemic and will continue until the tourists read and experience the darker side of Thai tourism and elect to go elsewhere such as Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam or Myanmar.

I like living here and have adapted to the dynamics fairly well. What I don't like is the decline in service accompanied by the expectation of a tip for mediocre service. To watch the tourists being taken advantage of is very distressing and does not serve the Thai tourism agenda very well.

Tripadvisor and Agoda are on my email list.

[Chalard]

Finally a Thai lady talking some sense!!

She will probably be moved to an inactive post tomorrow??

Let us hope that the international media picks this up and questions the Thai governments true motives.

Benmart. Look at disc 13.

[Benmart]

The governments plan to collect Bt500 from foreign tourists staying in Thailand more than three days will severely affect the local tourism business

Classy tourists whose budgets are so tight that Bt500 affects them, possibly.

At present, airline prices include such things as arrival tax, departure tax, special invented taxes etc. Mostly these are contrived ways for governments to grab some money but people pay them with barely a whimper.

Now, all of a sudden, they will be outraged at having to pay 500 Bt and will never visit Thailand again.

I don't think so

Never underestimate the fickle consumer. Regardless of the amount, if a savvy shopper feels they are being fleeced, they may shop elsewhere. In the electronic age, good news, as well as bad travels fast and as the word gets out we may see some interesting results.

IMO there are several things that can negarively affect tourism. Fear of being hurt or killed, fear of being caught up in political unrest and fear of being ripped off. Seems to me that Thailand meets all three.

[Benmart]

Finally a Thai lady talking some sense!!

She will probably be moved to an inactive post tomorrow??

Let us hope that the international media picks this up and questions the Thai governments true motives.

Benmart. Look at disc 13.

Thanks

[oldsailor35]

How about everyone paying with a bag of 1Bht coins !

[Benmart]

How about everyone paying with a bag of 1Bht coins !

Make it more fun. Pay in 10 Satang coins.