Any news on the new entry tax?

[hughben]

Last year, they used the 'foreigners use health care for free' so we need to tax every foreigner entering Thailand to cover health care for them. Then they had other excuses to justify it.

I haven't heard anything about it since.

I seem to remember they talked about a January 2014 introduction.

What's happening with it?

Edited January 14, 2014 by hughben

[tim armstrong]

Well it was the responsibility of the Health Ministry, but Immigration said it was their role to collect the levy. Then the Supreme court said it could lead to corruption at the point of entry, and it was illegal anyway. The Interior Minister was worried that there might be a problem with security at the airports, once the money was collected. The banks wanted a 15% cut for handling the monies. The Tourist Authority sensibly made the point that many arriving tourists may not have enough baht, something which Suthep knows well, as he definitely has not enough anymore. So finally an all Party committee was instructed to come up with a viable plan. But most of them have now resigned as politicians and joined the last Immigration officer on the 11pm Sunday night shift at old Swampy, who said he and a few mates would organise it, probably after the next election, whenever that happens. This new group looks to do well out of the whole deal, and is rumoured to be planning a new tourist campaign in other Asean countries offering free government paid flights to Thailand, BUT no waiver of the entry fee.

[wym]

As with most things in the media spun by politics, nothing comes of it - just don't keep reminding them by posting about it here. . .