Passengers flying into and out of Thailand must pay new Bt15 surcharge each per flight
By SUCHAT SRITAMA 
THE NATION

 

BANGKOK: -- PASSENGERS travelling in and out Thailand now have to pay a surcharge of Bt15 per person per flight segment.

 

The funds raised from the surcharge will be primarily used for improvements to the country’s aviation system as overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, such as upgraded safety standards. But the move has angered the head of a travel agents’ association.

 

The CAAT and the International Air Transport Association agreed on November 1 to implement the new charge, but it did not go into full effect until yesterday. 

The extra fee is being added to air-ticket prices by IATA members, and the global aviation authority will also get a cut of the proceeds.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/business/macroeconomics/30299989

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-11-15

The move has angered the head of a travel association,  why?

If the surcharge is going to be used to help increased safety damn good idea.

How likely do you think that is?

30 minutes ago, colinneil said:

The move has angered the head of a travel association,  why?

If the surcharge is going to be used to help increased safety damn good idea.

IF the surcharge is going to be used to help increased safety. I am thinking about the 'green' air tax in the UK, here, the only accurate part of that being 'tax'...

I wonder how many tourists will change their travel plans rather than pay a 50c levy to increase air safety.  More to the point, how many will know they are paying it?

I hope they also use the money to teach the Thai pilots real english. Was on a flight to BKK last week and i couldn't understand a word of that the pilot was trying to say. That scares me a lot, how can he communicate with the airtower in singapore if he can't speak english?

11 minutes ago, fruitman said:

I hope they also use the money to teach the Thai pilots real english. Was on a flight to BKK last week and i couldn't understand a word of that the pilot was trying to say. That scares me a lot, how can he communicate with the airtower in singapore if he can't speak english?

Reminds me of a flight deck visit I had on Aeroflot back in the 90s when the radio went off:

"Aeroflot 552, say again please?"

Garbled noise.

"Aeroflot 552, say again?"

Garbled noise.

"Aeroflot 552, say again?"

Garbled noise.

"O.K, Aeroflot 552".

The captain turned round to me, shrugged gloomily and said "Pakistan. They don't speak English." We still made it to where we were going...

it used to be 500bht just a few years ago

 

1 minute ago, o2eZy said:

it used to be 500bht just a few years ago

 

 

And then it become 700 which was included in the ticketprice for international tickets. So now it will be 715 baht.

 

They could at least build some decent smoking lounges from that money, like they have on Changi airport.

27 minutes ago, fruitman said:

 

And then it become 700 which was included in the ticketprice for international tickets. So now it will be 715 baht.

 

They could at least build some decent smoking lounges from that money, like they have on Changi airport.

Is 'Racket' the term you are looking for?

Surcharges are just that...need not say anything more.  Awkward at best.  

The AOT announced record profits this year, anounced generous bonuses for staff, but needs to suck even more money from visitors. You can say its only 15 Bht but as far as I know there is another 500Bht charged which used to be collected at booths in the airport, but has since been added to ticket prices.

2 hours ago, colinneil said:

The move has angered the head of a travel association,  why?

If the surcharge is going to be used to help increased safety damn good idea.

 

Yeah, increase the safety of the bosses by buying them new S Class Mercs. 

1 hour ago, halloween said:

I wonder how many tourists will change their travel plans rather than pay a 50c levy to increase air safety.  More to the point, how many will know they are paying it?

It starts low then it creeps up to 500 baht in two years time.  It is also wonderfully vague as to what upgrades need to be done.  Why can't they be more transparent ?   That is what the reforms were suppose to be about.  They owe an explanation to the Thai people and those who they are taxing.

15 Baht per pax, 30 million pax per annum = 450.000.000฿

35 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

It starts low then it creeps up to 500 baht in two years time.  

 

I thought that it was 500 baht almost a decade ago. 

 

What is the departure tax hidden in the ticket cost now?

I'm surprised that such an operational expense is being published? After all, the carriers will have to report the number of passengers brought into/taken out from Thailand. Same as the airport tax in the past; initially at THB 120 international and THB 20 domestically.

Before some common sense settled in passengers paid at the end THB 500 internationally, hundreds of staff hired to sell, punch, invalidate and check those airport tax receipts  ........... 

36 minutes ago, DLang said:

 

I thought that it was 500 baht almost a decade ago. 

 

What is the departure tax hidden in the ticket cost now?

 

I believe it was an international agreement to include airport taxes in the price of tickets.

 

It was always a total pain to have to queue to pay and then have the right amount in currency.

I expect that the funds will go towards upgrading safety procedures to international standards.  Thailand lost its' International safety accreditation this spring.  They had to jump through some very expensive hoops to quickly provide and show they could maintain the safety standards required.

 

I believe (but could be mistaken) that many national airlines will or can not fly into non accredited airports.  Someone took a lackadaisical attitude towards their duties and almost caused the airplanes to stop coming.  I am sure that that discussion with their boss was....interesting.

1 hour ago, johna said:

15 Baht per pax, 30 million pax per annum = 450.000.000฿

Double that - It's bi directional! 30 Baht will not break my bank!

3 minutes ago, muzmurray said:

 

Nope and yes, but most importantly, I am English

 

Where is your full stop at the end of your sentence?? Tut tut.

1 hour ago, johna said:

15 Baht per pax, 30 million pax per annum = 450.000.000฿

1

Double that ... it said "per flight leg"!!!

3 hours ago, fruitman said:

I hope they also use the money to teach the Thai pilots real english. Was on a flight to BKK last week and i couldn't understand a word of that the pilot was trying to say. That scares me a lot, how can he communicate with the airtower in singapore if he can't speak english?

Oh great! Thanks for telling me this .  Makes me feel so much more safe.

 

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

....such as upgraded safety standards...

 

Any relation to those 2 billion baht x-rays on luggage carousels per yesterday's story?

Wow! 15 more baht or almost one more US dollar, not! maybe 60 cents more, Big news story hey,

your rich foreign travellers. Try going to Vancouver BC  Canada.  The city is planning to

raise  the parking charges in the city core.  How nice  you greedy city hall  people.

  This is just another news story to see if  anyone was reading.

Geezer

 

There is no any guarantee that the money from this source will be used for developing the security or even reimbursed to the aviation. 

Why do the aviation authorities think they can raise their prices every time but without any serious reason?

15 Baht is not shocking sum when we go to a holiday but if one follows the others, the result may be disappointing.

Normally if i pay something I will get something, e.g. when I pay my ticket airliner will hopefully land me at the point of destination, I pay airport tax, because I use the airport. But here I get nothing, thus it is either a begging or robbing

 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

The funds raised from the surcharge will be primarily used for improvements to the country’s aviation system as overseen by the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, such as upgraded safety standards.

This statement really makes me scratch my head. They got all this tourist money flowing in and they must nick them more. Would not surprise me if when you arrive in the future just before the metal detectors they will have a big metal monster resembling a human being that will grab you by the legs and turn you upside down. Whatever falls out is finders keepers. 

5 hours ago, colinneil said:

If the surcharge is going to be used to help increased safety damn good idea.

Ah therein is the rub. 

29 minutes ago, Honthy said:

But here I get nothing, thus it is either a begging or robbing

I think your on to something. When you got a good thing going you try and milk it for as much as you can. Could be a case of here today gone tomorrow. With this fast changing world maybe they can create a VR Thailand press one for  drink press two for a beautiful young lass. Press three oh crap I lost my train of thought again. 

28 minutes ago, Honthy said:

There is no any guarantee that the money from this source will be used for developing the security or even reimbursed to the aviation. 

 

 

There is! They just bought luggagescanners for 2 billion baht, guess who'll pay for that?