Airport Departure Tax To Be Increased To 700 Baht

[bluie]

well folks don't forget last to leave, TURN OUT THE LIGHT

[jdinasia]

Actually I am with Brit ..... 1000 would be just fine!

[meemiathai]

well folks don't forget last to leave, TURN OUT THE LIGHT

No! Don't! The buttons are not up to standard so are dangerous! I will do that for you!

[meom]

Actually I am with Brit ..... 1000 would be just fine!

Yeah... it'll save you the hassle of handing over the balance 300 to the BG that's dropping you off

[asiaworld]

well folks don't forget last to leave, TURN OUT THE LIGHT

No! Don't! The buttons are not up to standard so are dangerous! I will do that for you!

nice eh.. i must be the only one who voted with my feet,back here after almost 10 yrs love hate relationships with this country.. this ain't land of honest smiles, but when u learn whys & hows , u may actually start appreciating the place. Yes some racism IS HerE , comparing to more "civilized" countries, but what's the point, if here everyone is treated nicer than in most other equial opportunity places, where everyone is treated equially lousy...ah yeah , brit .. they should go for 40 quid,, like nice 1,500 baht we all "happily" pay in UK.. & keep it rising, like every second year

[jdinasia]

Actually I am with Brit ..... 1000 would be just fine!

Yeah... it'll save you the hassle of handing over the balance 300 to the BG that's dropping you off

BG dropping ME off? Don't put your proclivities off on me!

[meom]

Actually I am with Brit ..... 1000 would be just fine!

Yeah... it'll save you the hassle of handing over the balance 300 to the BG that's dropping you off

BG dropping ME off? Don't put your proclivities off on me!

Sorry mate, only now read the piece about you being a money queer. I sincerely apologize.

[Jeddah Jo]

Making life altering decisions like leaving a country of permanent residence based on a US$5 increase in a service charge you can't pay more than a few times a year is an interesting way to conduct your life.

[jdinasia]

hmmmmmmm

[brahmburgers]

jdinasia says there will be a free shuttle - is that to mean free shuttle buses driectly from the airport to various places downtown? That would be cool - but I rather doubt such a convenient service (for free!) could pass muster with airport authorities.

[jdinasia]

No, Free shuttles in the airport area ... but will take you to the city busses .. or to the hotel busses .. (or taxi area or limo area or car park etc etc )

[jii]

another example

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...c=58612&hl=

May I also point out that you have been taken to task by moderators before for generally being bitchy and causing problems with people for no reason at all.

If you want to have a go at my posts at least get your fact straight, then you can reply by PM as moderators have told you to do before when you want to be a troublemaker. That way I can just delete them and not have to reply to defend myself against posts by yourself that are not based on fact.

I put it to you that you are a bored moany old queen with nothing better to do that nit pick constantly at peoples posts. I've put up with it for months and as none have been directed at me i've let it go, now you try to argue when your facts arn't even straight.

say something useful or don't say anything at all.

I agree with most of what you are saying. There are so many uneducated trouble makers on this site. It is a farce. By the way many expats living in thailand have also really compained about some of the posters on this thai visa news on other thailand websites. So you are not alone.

I myself am really getting near the end of wanting to stay even one day longer in thailand. the thai goverment have a real shitty attitude towards foreigners and tourists. Like you said it is true they feel that foreigners must pay thru the nose without any extra value added. I am sick and tired of thai organizations putting a gun to my head with pay or else attitude. Guess what not only are individuals fed up with thailand so are many of the airlines. Did you know that the landing fees at Don Muang are double of Singapore and triple of K.L. Malaysia. How can they possibly justify that? Didnt Singapores Changri airport win for best airport in the world or something like that? And guess what something like 11 airlines have already said ###### it with don muang and moved there hub to singapore or k.l..

I have a son here with thai so that is the only reason i am still here. And get this everyone thinks Cambodia is worse than Thailand. Thing again the last time i went thru poi pet with my son after giving the money for 1 visa for my son in his separate passport they gave all the money back after asking what i was doing in cambodia and testing the level of my khmer speaking ability. Wow i was surprised. The passport was stamped GRATIS on the fee part. And yet if you read the rules for cambodian tourist visas it clearly says children must pay for visas if under their own passport. That money so very easily the khmers could of just pocketed. But they gave it back. Something a Thai would never do. Fact is you as a foreigner will get a much better shake than you will in Thailand. Fact is the khmers are happy for you to come and see their country that is part of the reason behind the 100 baht extra corruption if you dont stay at least 1 day in poi pet to make the u-turn. You might say well there is still corruption going on there with the 1000 baht instead of the 20 us. well the salaries in cambodia are really starvation wages so it is a little bit understable. And at the the end of the day after 13 years here in asia no thai goverment anything has ever given me break or heaven forbid 1 baht back.

[Jingjok]

...

Is anyone else getting fed up with the way we are continually being taxed without being given anything back...

YES! That’s exactly why I left the UK in April 05!

I'm pretty close to taking my money elsewhere where it is appreciated and I will at least have some rights and be treated fairly.

Anyone else feeling the same?

I also feel that from an investment point of view Thailand has had its day, there are now better places to conduct business where rules protect us and returns are better. There are many places now looking more attractive than Thailand IMHO.

I’ve been coming to Thailand since 1978 as a tourist. I always loved it here: Land of Smiles and all that. Bought a condo in Hua Hin ten years ago, no regrets at all. As a holiday destination, I still believe Thailand has a lot going for it: fun; cheap; friendly people. So one gets ripped off sometimes; it’s the same everywhere, and you’re on holiday, so, so what?

BUT then I took the plunge and moved here, planning to stay for at least five years. I discovered a huge difference between being on holiday spending my days messing about, and living here, trying to make things happen.

I commissioned a house in Phuket: what a total nightmare. Nobody cares about anything or can do anything right. We’re already two years late. Last year I gave up, donned my overalls, and am doing a lot of it myself. (I grew up on building sites so, perhaps unfortunately, know when things are not correct). What strikes me most is the fact that no one cares about anything, except for collecting the money, whether the job is done properly, or even at all. Everything is a drama and a fight.

I’ve bought a lot of cash here (well, a lot for me), but do indeed get little back. Bloody SCB bank won’t even trust me enough to issue a credit card with a Baht 60,000 limit, to make paying small bills easier. My Amex Centurion and Coutts World cards mean nothing to them as a reference. Not good enough for head office. Well, bu**er it. I’m looking in Malaysia next week: ‘Malaysia my Second Home’ scheme: freehold property purchase, bank accounts, no visa, 90 day stamp at the airport in one minute, bring in one car with no import tax, food more varied that here and (unlike Singapore) just as cheap, fluent (even beautifully quaint) English everywhere.

Maybe I sound a bit arrogant above. It’s not true. I have tried very hard to make it work here. I speak passable Thai, can read and write a bit of it, I treat locals of all classes with respect, and have many Thai friends, including a delightful PA who tries her best to make things work at my house site, but is as equally frustrated as I am. There have to be limits, and I’m close to reaching mine.

So, yes, Mr Womble, there are others who feel the same.

<rant ends> I feel better now

[jdinasia]

a well written rant jingjok ...... nothing about the topic but hey!

[gazzz]

Well i for one will be leaving to malaysia too i find it much better to conduct business there after 13 years of putting up with this cr$p over here time to move on to a place im more welcome

[number6]

I for one am gettiing extremely fed up with the way tourists are being treated here. So much so that i'm considering leaving this country. We are treated as if we are fools and all they want is to take our money with no upgrades in service or thoughts for our welfare.

Please leave I am fed up with people like u moaning about everything here -

PLEASE GO - its far less than UK charge in taxes etc and I for one am fed up with

people seeing Thialand as a sort of cheap place that they are entitled to come to and pay

little - Personally id put a visa charge of say 2000 baht to come here and include free

vouchers to national parks - that will not deter the normal proper tourist - bring revenue in

etc it owuld also help stop so called tourists who do 30 dya visa runs - others on proper

long term visas wont mind and it will make no difference to business travellers please go find

somewhere el;se noone is forcing you to be here ok

[jdinasia]

and to bring this a little back to the topic .... the Thai departure Taxwill be changing from 500 baht to 700 Baht ... sometime ...... Malaysia's is 40MR or about 408 baht at today's exchange rate

[jii]

I for one am gettiing extremely fed up with the way tourists are being treated here. So much so that i'm considering leaving this country. We are treated as if we are fools and all they want is to take our money with no upgrades in service or thoughts for our welfare.

Please leave I am fed up with people like u moaning about everything here -

PLEASE GO - its far less than UK charge in taxes etc and I for one am fed up with

people seeing Thialand as a sort of cheap place that they are entitled to come to and pay

little - Personally id put a visa charge of say 2000 baht to come here and include free

vouchers to national parks - that will not deter the normal proper tourist - bring revenue in

etc it owuld also help stop so called tourists who do 30 dya visa runs - others on proper

long term visas wont mind and it will make no difference to business travellers please go find

somewhere el;se noone is forcing you to be here ok

you know you say the airport tax is cheaper than the UK. but you also get alot more protection there is something goes wrong and hgher safety standards. Guess what that subway accident before in bangkok the victims got ###### all compensation and it was totally the incomdense of the thais fault. that would not of happened in the UK. actually that accident had something like 6 near misses before and they still did not learn from it. Then there was the tsnumai. They were thinking of calling a warning but were afraid it would hurt tourism. They put money before safety. Well now some 10 000 people are dead because of it. There would of been warnings in the west before hand. The governments of the west most of them anyone put public safety above profit. So guess what it everything better by alot cheaper here as you get so much less.

[FlightRisk]

I strongly disagree with the suggestion in this thread that the departure fee be increased to 1000 baht to avoid scrambling for loose change. It that happens, how are you going to answer the question of the tear-stained Thai lady under your arm, when she says, "Honeyja, no have money, need 300 baht for taxi-meet!"

Edited August 29, 2006 by FlightRisk

[jhj2000]

I think it will discourage a few more people from leaving when the visa has run out. It will certainly make the newly found fiancé think about funding his departure when the money has run out.

[dirtbiketrails]

Is the AOT a publicly traded company?

[asiaworld]

cool all farangs r moving to Malaysia .. . Btw is there any similar forum over there with all the farangs >>oupss.. learn the new nick! ! Mat salleh's will post their greviances ?!? or it'll be set up once enough of them moved out ..?... Btw fyi >> KUL airport had free !!landing fees for a few years trying to get more airlines 2 fly there ,, alas more airlines pulled out , than came ..anyone wondered why ..

[womble]

...

Is anyone else getting fed up with the way we are continually being taxed without being given anything back...

YES! That’s exactly why I left the UK in April 05!

I'm pretty close to taking my money elsewhere where it is appreciated and I will at least have some rights and be treated fairly.

Anyone else feeling the same?

I also feel that from an investment point of view Thailand has had its day, there are now better places to conduct business where rules protect us and returns are better. There are many places now looking more attractive than Thailand IMHO.

I’ve been coming to Thailand since 1978 as a tourist. I always loved it here: Land of Smiles and all that. Bought a condo in Hua Hin ten years ago, no regrets at all. As a holiday destination, I still believe Thailand has a lot going for it: fun; cheap; friendly people. So one gets ripped off sometimes; it’s the same everywhere, and you’re on holiday, so, so what?

BUT then I took the plunge and moved here, planning to stay for at least five years. I discovered a huge difference between being on holiday spending my days messing about, and living here, trying to make things happen.

I commissioned a house in Phuket: what a total nightmare. Nobody cares about anything or can do anything right. We’re already two years late. Last year I gave up, donned my overalls, and am doing a lot of it myself. (I grew up on building sites so, perhaps unfortunately, know when things are not correct). What strikes me most is the fact that no one cares about anything, except for collecting the money, whether the job is done properly, or even at all. Everything is a drama and a fight.

I’ve bought a lot of cash here (well, a lot for me), but do indeed get little back. Bloody SCB bank won’t even trust me enough to issue a credit card with a Baht 60,000 limit, to make paying small bills easier. My Amex Centurion and Coutts World cards mean nothing to them as a reference. Not good enough for head office. Well, bu**er it. I’m looking in Malaysia next week: ‘Malaysia my Second Home’ scheme: freehold property purchase, bank accounts, no visa, 90 day stamp at the airport in one minute, bring in one car with no import tax, food more varied that here and (unlike Singapore) just as cheap, fluent (even beautifully quaint) English everywhere.

Maybe I sound a bit arrogant above. It’s not true. I have tried very hard to make it work here. I speak passable Thai, can read and write a bit of it, I treat locals of all classes with respect, and have many Thai friends, including a delightful PA who tries her best to make things work at my house site, but is as equally frustrated as I am. There have to be limits, and I’m close to reaching mine.

So, yes, Mr Womble, there are others who feel the same.

<rant ends> I feel better now

Don't get me started on construction, the general quality or lack of is a downright disgrace. Most of the builders here don't even vibrate their concrete. They use plastic mains water pipes, and i've seen so many dangerous mistakes made eigher through lack of common sense or complete laziness it just amazes me. It seems there is often a complete lack of pride in their own work.

Walking around many houses in Phuket and samui, the construction quality is shocking, some of the materials shouldn't be used even for a wendy house. Yeah it's cheap to build here, but look at the end result.

To build a house properly in thailand is not as cheap as one may think. And to make sure those materials are not damaged, wasted, and used properly you will need to be there every single day pushing them to make sure the work is done in time and properly.

One of the most stressful things in Thailand is having a house built, there is no doubt about that.

[irene1510]

Your right - I'm fed up with this place too - I'm off to Malaysia - they are making it so easy for me to stay there and the roof over my head is 100% mine and nobody can take it away from me!

[jobsworth]

Who wants to go to Bali?

That is Indonesia isn't it?

25 US$ to enter and the same to leave.

Why not just leave?

It is not even Bali Hi of South Pacific fame.

That was an island off the south east coast of Malaysia.

Sorry folks I still love Thailand.

It has many problems but if you persevere you will win.

The problems are all known.

There are very few new ones to catch you out.

I will not be leaving for a long time.

[britmaveric]

Your right - I'm fed up with this place too - I'm off to Malaysia - they are making it so easy for me to stay there and the roof over my head is 100% mine and nobody can take it away from me!

Until the govt changes its mind.

[hkt83100]

I think they should keep the departure tax the same and jack up the National Park fees for foreigners up another couple hundred percent instead

Good idea :-(

I've been to Doi Inthanon abt. 5 times (paying respect at the chopper pilots memorial), before they hiked the admission up to 200 Baht. Then I took a Thai there to visit the place for the first time in his life. So, normally I should have gone there for free as guide?!? Anyway, due to my Thai driving license and my Tax I.D. I got the Thai price, but it was my last visit to any Thai National (Rip-Off) Park, about three years ago. If they go on like this (not talking just about National Parks), I am pretty sure a lot of people will "kit mai" about where to spend the rest of their lifes...

[Jingjok]

... Walking around many houses in Phuket and samui, the construction quality is shocking, some of the materials shouldn't be used even for a wendy house. Yeah it's cheap to build here, but look at the end result.

To build a house properly in thailand is not as cheap as one may think. And to make sure those materials are not damaged, wasted, and used properly you will need to be there every single day pushing them to make sure the work is done in time and properly.

One of the most stressful things in Thailand is having a house built, there is no doubt about that.

This I have learned. It is absolutely NOT cheap to build in Phuket. Many of the prices are equivalent to those in the UK. Most quality fittings are much higher in price: the Thai dealers’ mark ups, after allowing for import duty, are huge. I have imported many items myself, and have saved a lot of money. Even stupid WC pans from Italy: half the local price. A Miele washing machine and a dryer: ONE THIRD. I’m not making this up; it’s beyond satire.

Labour may be cheap, but not when you have to pay many times for repeated work. We are now on the sixth iteration of fitting the WCs. It almost becoming funny.

This is my point, if it were cheap to build here, and I was charged ‘cheap’ local prices, I can put up with a bit of dodgy work: you get what you pay for in this world.

BUT I am being charged full Western prices, therefore I will not accept less than full Western quality. The developer can not have it both ways. Thank God I have the time to be on site most days.

<secondary rant ends> I feel *much* better now.

Yes, yes, it’s off topic but this is Thailand so normal rules don’t apply.

[whitespider]

jdinasia - I might have this wrong but a previous post of yours seems to imply that you might still be doing visa runs to Laos/Cambodia.

If that IS the case the you ARE still a tourist - however long you live here, you would still be classed as a tourist wouldnt you?

If not - then I grovel, unreservedly

[womble]

nah, he's on a non immigrant, student visa. Still has to do border runs every 90 days tho.

Thank god I don't have to do border runs, that would drive me mad!