Thailand plans to start 500 baht entry fee for foreigners

[Pattayarossoblu]

I read it will start this month:any news?Thanks for all your answers.

[krisb]

500 for what?

[krisb]

Also not everyone has Thai money on arrival so what's the plan then?

To many questions without the full story.

[ubonjoe]

It is a dead issue at the moment. It was never nothing more than a proposal and has gone no further.

[Pattayarossoblu]

Bangkok The Thai government is considering charging foreign tourists a 500-baht (US$16) entry fee starting in January 2014, said Public Health Minister Pradit Sintavanarong.

He said officials from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Ministry of Public Health, and the Royal Thai Police had discussed the plan and all agreed with the idea.

They believe the extra charge would lead to an increase in the quality of tourists to Thailand, said Mr. Pradit.

The tourism and sports minister (Somsak Phurisrisak) told me that every other country is collecting entry fees from foreigners, he said.

The money will be used for many purposes by the tourism, health and foreign affairs ministries, and the Immigration Bureau.

He said the new entry fee is expected to take effect January 1, but might be put off until mid-January because the high number of tourists entering the country at that time could lead to confusion, according to a Bangkok Post.

When the media asked him if the plan could backfire and result in fewer tourists, Mr. Pradit said the tourism ministry did not oppose the plan.

Now is the time for us to have quality tourists. Its not as if inbound tour operators wont organise tours for foreign tourists to come to the country because of the entry fees, he said.

He said foreign tourists who stay in Thailand no more than three days would be charged 30 baht (US$1) a day, while those who stay over three days will have to pay the 500 baht.

Foreigners who arrive at airports would be charged the 500 baht, while those who enter the country by land would be charged 30 baht per day, according to reports.

The plan is also intended to keep foreigners from staying in the country after their visas have expired. There are some 100,000 foreigners in Thailand whose visas have expired but they refuse to leave the country, say reports.

While the government claims the entry fee will keep out low-quality tourists, the feedback from the tourism sector appears to be all negative.

Samphan Panphat, adviser to the Thai Hotels Association, said he disagreed with the 500-baht entry fee because it lacked transparency and would significantly hurt hurt the tourism industry, and added that there are many foreign tourists who come here who do not cause problems.

Sitdiwat Cheevarattanaporn, chairman of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), also said it was not a good idea and not in line with the governments plan to promote tourism.

The plan will affect the tourism industry, both in the short run and the long run, because tourists will feel bad about Thailand and they may feel they are being cheated, said Mr Sitdiwat.

Porntip Hirunket, vice chair of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said collecting entry fees from foreigners would dampen the tourist atmosphere.

Authorities should do a better job of screening tourists, enforcing the existing laws and preventing tourists from being conned, she said.

[wym]

don't remind them

[JoeThePoster]

It's not required anymore because according to TAT a billion Chinese tourists have arrived yesterday to spend the Lunar New Year in Thailand.

[true blue]

didnt you in the distant pass, had to pay 500bht to get out of thailand,then after a while they addded it to the air fare.?????

[simple1]

didnt you in the distant pass, had to pay 500bht to get out of thailand,then after a while they addded it to the air fare.?????

Yes, same as the current Australian departure tax of A$55.

[aveabeeror2]

500 for what?

"ENTRY FEE",

[Sayonarax]

Its was only a purposeful from the hospitals claiming we "farang" rort them from time to time by leaving unpaid hospital bills.

[marcusd]

Not starting. Usual big mouth no action government crap. Don't worry

Sent from my RM-892_apac_laos_thailand_219 using Tapatalk

[namdocmai]

Let's do the same in Europe and USA, Thai who enter for a vacation shorter then a week pay 25 euro/dollar. Thai who go to any museum, zoo or viewpoint will be charged 10. Locals go in for free or regular price.

Thai who come in groups and only travel by coach will be charged double because they only follow their guide all day long or sit in the coach. They never spend any money at local shops/restaurants. In Paris you see huge groups of Thai all wearing a yellow cap and of course they all follow the leader non stop, too scared to undertake some trip individually.

[Soutpeel]

500 for what?

The government is running out options of how to pay the rice farmers, quite an elegant solution me thinks, get the foreigners to pay the rice farmers

[Showbags]

How much do Thais pay ?

[noikrit]

Slow news day ....Obviosly no tanks in BKK yet ...........

[wym]

How much do Thais pay ?

a lifetime of ignorance and childish immaturity

(sorry couldn't help it)

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As stated above, the 500 baht deal has been a proposal, supposedly, to help fund the government's health care expenses for uninsured farangs who end up in Thai government hospitals, among other things as more and more Thai govt agencies got their sticky fingers into the planning pie.

At last report, it was still just a proposal. It hasn't been enacted. But on the other hand, I don't think anyone's heard that the idea has been dropped either. The government and its ministers have had a few other more pressing things on their minds and agenda lately.

[wym]

Fair enough. But should be a sliding scale, no surcharge for <30, B100 for each decade thereafter, waived if you show your receipts/policy for an approved insurance plan.

And renting motorbikes must include good accident cover, with the moto owner responsible for verifying valid driver's licence.

[i claudius]

Just another scham to charge Falangs extra , Thais get in free i suppose?

[SickOfEm]

They should be paying tourist 500 Baht to enter.

[wym]

Just another scham to charge Falangs extra , Thais get in free i suppose?

Returning to their own country? I'd certainly hope so.

Already covered by their own scheme, the point is all the foreign old farts landing in their ERs requiring expensive treatments without a sou. Obviously they should find a way to get us to cover those costs, it's not their obligation.

[Wavnarok]

How much do Thais pay ?

Why should they pay an entry fee for entering their own country ? otherwise than the one that use to be included on the air fare ?

As per my understand they are talking about an extra 500 thb to be payed at Airport when lets say stamp is placed on your passport by immigration

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As best as I recall, it's never really been clearly spelled out just how exactly it would be implemented, or more specifically, whom it would be charged against...

Tourist visa entries, visa exempt entries, what about those with extensions and re-entry permits, what about business and other regular visa holders? And what about those who have proof of already existing Thai medical insurance coverage or travel insurance coverage?

Details details... and none of that has ever been fully fleshed out in the public proposals, as far as I can recall.

[aveabeeror2]

How much do Thais pay ?

a lifetime of ignorance and childish immaturity

(sorry couldn't help it)

"Thais pay a lifetime of ignorance and childish immaturity"????????????????

[wym]

How much do Thais pay ?

a lifetime of ignorance and childish immaturity

(sorry couldn't help it)

"Thais pay a lifetime of ignorance and childish immaturity"????????????????

An admittedly weak joke.

Some idiot was suggesting that Thais should also have to pay an entry fee when returning to their own country.

I pointed out the high cost of just being Thai, B500 being tiny in comparison.

[jackr]

There are some 100,000 foreigners in Thailand whose visas have expired but they refuse to leave the country, say reports.

Don't think so. How would charging 500 baht (~US$15) dissuade non-'quality' tourists from coming anyway? They wouldn't know about this until asked to pay on entry. Are they going to put out a huge campaign to notify the real world? Folks arriving by plane have likely just spent upwards of 30,000 baht on a ticket, like 500 baht would make a difference other than being inconvenient and smacking of being ripped off. And do you think 'quality' tourists would be okay with having to put their hand in their pocket to enter a country, it's not a national park or on UNESCO's endangered list is it? And how about the folks on visas who have already paid a re-entry fee? Strewth. What a bunch of so & sos. This gets around it'd have the opposite effect and put people off, including your quality tourists.

every other country is collecting entry fees from foreigners

Where's this then? I've never had to pay cash to get into any country.

[fifthcolumn]

How does charging b500 encourage "quality" tourism? I understand how it might decrease low quality tourism.

Thailand has been crying for decades about the lack of quality tourists. I think some reflection is long overdue. When 80% of men come here for cheap sex they might want to think about that.

There is nothing about Thailand that is quality. Why would jetsetters, yachties, etc want to come snd live or visit? Immigration is a mess snd this announcement is a further testament of that.

Thailand is all about cheap. If you want tropics, US and EU have Carribean. Oz has gold coast. There is Malaysia with few scams, English speaking and cares for its nature.

Thailand has always sold cheap, that is what it attracts.

Cheap.

Thailand will cease as a tourist destination as prices rise. It will only attract sex tourists.

100k overstayers?? Surely this would prompt a wholesale scrutiny of our passports with each and every police encounter no?

[jackr]

I'm with the ministry if they're concerned with some of the lowlifes that wash up here, but they are coming for one thing and thus you reap what you sow. If you don't want these types in, bar them or pull down the areas of ill-repute. Clean up your backyard before harping on about the quality of foreigners coming in. They are all spending money and Thailand is at where's it's at regards the tourist infrastructure based largely on the nefarious activities that go on unabated EVERYWHERE here. Think yourselves lucky Burma is not up with you, where it should be, as it would have most of your tourists in a heartbeat! Mutton dressed as lamb!

[wym]

The quality tourists thing is just to placate those who claim it will bring numbers down, as others point out it won't actually have any impact at all.

And to the Thais "quality" simply refers to dollars per day spent, they're happy to have sex tourists come (obviously), they just don't care about tourists that are so cheap that B500 might make a difference.

And they do need to solve the problem of skint foreigners showing up at their hospitals needing expensive treatment, not fair for the already overburdened social medical system here to cover it.

Lots of countries require proper insurance, that actually makes more sense but of course would cost a LOT more than B500.