At last we do not have to scrabble around for last minute cash at Suvarnabhumi to pay the departure tax. From 1st Feb we all know that the THB 500 goes up to THB 700 BUT the good news is that for departures from 1st Feb the departure tax will be INCLUDED in your ticket with all the other taxes, security charges, fuel surcharges. This I think means that those booths where you pay for the little departure tax ticket which you then present as you enter the departures area will disappear in due course,and just speed up things a bit. IF though your ticket is a return from somewhere issued prior to this chnage then you will still have to pay that has been For unsuspecting tourists and others this will make life so much easier. Quite how they will know who has paid the THB 700 in their ticket price and who has not does of course remain to be seen

Quite how they will know who has paid the THB 700 in their ticket price and who has not does of course remain to be seen

It's been like that in Australia for almost 15 years now - dep. tax is included in the ticket and the government just charges airlines/airport 30A$ for each international passenger let through.

Airlines then cross-charge others down to the end - the ticket issuer.

If it is not really new to Thais, they, as any country in the world know how to take their cut from each litre of petrol sold, for example. This is not much different.

Edited December 22, 200619 yr by think_too_mut