News Forum - Tourists unsure about new 300-baht fee, question how money will be spent

[Vince]

2 hours ago, Graham said:

Yes there are many questions related to this, we all know it's not a big amount of money and I personally do not see it as being an issue. My biggest question is, what exactly is the money to be used for, how will there be any proof that the money actually gets to where it was intended and not just filtered off to somewhere else, how are they going to distinguish Thai's from other nationalities if this is being added to ticket costs.

Or is this just another scam to put money into the governments accounts  ?

Welcome to government budgets! A local government ( not in Thailand ) I am aware of has raised taxes for something, then - possibly an emergency - "slushed" it into some other budget. And sometimes it gets spent as intended. 

That happens every where. You want to do financial forensics, have 100% transparency or third party audits? Ever heard of "Enron" - not a Thai company - they had their records faked for awhile by a famous 3rd party auditing company. 

I say assume good intent. Assume it's going to mostly go where it's meant to go.

Thailand has beautiful parks, an amazing BTS system, and lots of amazing buildings. It has the Guinness world record for longest highway. I think they can build some toilets. Nice ones. 

Don't worry about "double pricing". It's not a scam. Trust me! :-D 

[Jason]

If I could see real evidence that the funds would actually be spent in the way described, I'd have no nproblem with it.

[Travisa]

Questioning a 300baht country entrance fee?  A better question to ask is “why are you traveling, then???”

[LoongFred]

8 minutes ago, Travisa said:

Questioning a 300baht country entrance fee?  A better question to ask is “why are you traveling, then???”

I have a hard time with this since it's not our business.  I wouldn't be concerned about how the UK or other countries spend their tax dollars. I am concerned about how my country ,usa, spend tax dollar's.  I can't understand the falang's concern. 

 

[AJMann]

... He says people flying into the kingdom will have the fee included in their airfare ...

Means also Thais and Foreigners living/working in Thailand will have to pay these fees if hidden in the airfare ?? We buy our tickets in Thailand actually ??

Who actually can clarify what's a Tourist and what's a Business related travel and make the difference of such fee to be applied or not ...

 

[nobusinessofurs]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

If I could see real evidence that the funds would actually be spent in the way described, I'd have no nproblem with it.

555

[Beaconofdarkness]

It is not 300 baht, there is already 700 baht tax, so now it will be 1k. Can only be described as communism. Most people already have insurance for both sickness and accident, so now we have to pay for some pie in the sky scheme that will never benefit tourists.

[Poolie]

11 minutes ago, Beaconofdarkness said:

It is not 300 baht, there is already 700 baht tax, so now it will be 1k. Can only be described as communism. Most people already have insurance for both sickness and accident, so now we have to pay for some pie in the sky scheme that will never benefit tourists.

How?

[LoongFred]

6 minutes ago, Beaconofdarkness said:

It is not 300 baht, there is already 700 baht tax, so now it will be 1k. Can only be described as communism. Most people already have insurance for both sickness and accident, so now we have to pay for some pie in the sky scheme that will never benefit tourists.

Please explain how some tourists run out and don't pay the hospital. In my areavthey ask at admissions for your passport and how you want to pay. Some people are asked for a deposit.  I assume that emergency admissions could be different. Some people especially with socialized medicine at home don't have other or travel insurance.  They run up big bills and skip out. The present tax is to  cover those unpaid bills.

This is primarily an issue with tourists. Long term resident generally have a plan to deal with the bills.

Your never required to visit so payments of these taxes are optional. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

5 hours ago, Benroon said:

If you think Thailand is always asking for money, don't even think of going to the UK where just to fart will attract 28 different types of tax ! The professional whingers here not paying any tax bills, cheap petrol even now, paying 7% VAT, just don't know how good they've got it. 

As for the 'National Parks' mantra - jesus wept I would bet anything that the vast majority of the whingers haven't set foot in a national park but they've read on the forums about some perceived scam and decided that will do as my next whinge ! 

Went to one only 2 days ago. 100 baht for me, and 20 baht for my wife. I'm okay with that as it's run by the government and paid and managed through taxation. 

What pisses me off though is when private companies do it. But, driving past Sam Phan Nam Floating market near Hua Hin earlier which charged foreigners for entry whilst Thai went in free, I was pleased to be informed by my wife that the place has closed down because no customers. 

That's kharma..

Expose bad practice, name and shame. Put videos on YouTube. They're are plenty of avenues to complain without worrying about getting sued

[TheDirtyDurian]

24 minutes ago, Beaconofdarkness said:

It is not 300 baht, there is already 700 baht tax, so now it will be 1k. Can only be described as communism. Most people already have insurance for both sickness and accident, so now we have to pay for some pie in the sky scheme that will never benefit tourists.

Taxes = communism. That's an interesting concept.

[LoongFred]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

If I could see real evidence that the funds would actually be spent in the way described, I'd have no nproblem with it.

Ask how exactly your taxes in the UK are spent first. Don't worry about how Thailand spend you small sum. Smile and have a good time. Like the song,"Don't worry be Happy".

[palooka]

2 hours ago, AJMann said:

... He says people flying into the kingdom will have the fee included in their airfare ...

Means also Thais and Foreigners living/working in Thailand will have to pay these fees if hidden in the airfare ?? We buy our tickets in Thailand actually ??

Who actually can clarify what's a Tourist and what's a Business related travel and make the difference of such fee to be applied or not ...

 

Booked a night online for a hotel in Rayong last year, 1,000 baht on the hotels site, but when I tried to pre pay with a foreign visa card the price doubled. Wife paid cash, 1,000 baht.

[Poolie]

27 minutes ago, palooka said:

Booked a night online for a hotel in Rayong last year, 1,000 baht on the hotels site, but when I tried to pre pay with a foreign visa card the price doubled. Wife paid cash, 1,000 baht.

Dont believe you. You've 'stretched the truth' again.

[palooka]

15 minutes ago, Poolie said:

Dont believe you. You've 'stretched the truth' again.

Knew that was coming.

Is a true story though, told it was because of international transaction fees and that they had been stung a few times with dud credit cards. Plausible.

[Poolie]

27 minutes ago, palooka said:

Knew that was coming.

Is a true story though, told it was because of international transaction fees and that they had been stung a few times with dud credit cards. Plausible.

Always best to pay 'local' if you can.

[Rain]

51 minutes ago, Poolie said:

Dont believe you. You've 'stretched the truth' again.

Akin to making something up to justify a predisposed personal agenda? 

That never happens here - 

[Vince]

1 hour ago, palooka said:

Booked a night online for a hotel in Rayong last year, 1,000 baht on the hotels site, but when I tried to pre pay with a foreign visa card the price doubled. Wife paid cash, 1,000 baht.

And this proves what? 

[Vince]

5 hours ago, Jason said:

If I could see real evidence that the funds would actually be spent in the way described, I'd have no nproblem with it.

How about a new toilet? 

[Changnam43]

It is not so much about the cash sum.

For tourists (do they even still exist?) it's more about the feeling that the Thai government are money grabbing piss takers.

Before I had any particular connection to this country this, and other factors, would make me think no I will go somewhere else where I am more welcome.

[Rain]

3 minutes ago, Changnam43 said:

It is not so much about the cash sum.

For tourists (do they even still exist?) it's more about the feeling that the Thai government are money grabbing piss takers.

Before I had any particular connection to this country this, and other factors, would make me think no I will go somewhere else where I am more welcome.

That might suit some quite nicely. 

Buh-Bye...

[Changnam43]

4 minutes ago, Rain said:

That might suit some quite nicely. 

Buh-Bye...

I don't understand your comment.

What are you trying to say?

[Convert54]

19 minutes ago, Changnam43 said:

It is not so much about the cash sum.

For tourists (do they even still exist?) it's more about the feeling that the Thai government are money grabbing piss takers.

Before I had any particular connection to this country this, and other factors, would make me think no I will go somewhere else where I am more welcome.

In general terms I have held that opinion about most governments in general. While we all in general may have have objections based on perceptions the test is in persistence of presence in any expat locale. In reality  same applies to perceptions of origin if becoming "expat" is a tenable  alternative. No?

[Rain]

Or....another option might be to overthink most everything. 

[Prosaap]

I dont care if they spent it on airplanes or what ever but how you run a business put all the profit in your pocket then tell others to pay for your attraction development its the logic the toilets must be there already like everything put it on somebody else we are poor you have to pay charge a  1000   Or 3000 i dont care but not come with a stupid thai story its just tax had nothing to do with tourism