News Forum - Thailand ‘tourist tax’ to come into effect next year

[Marc26]

14 minutes ago, bushav8r said:

Airlines have been adding it for years now.

But it is not a designated tourist tax

 

This would exclude Thai citizens...............

 

The other tax does not

 

I guess they could possibly give Thais a refund, similar to the VAT desk for tourists 

[bushav8r]

5 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

But it is not a designated tourist tax

This would exclude Thai citizens...............

The other tax does not

I guess they could possibly give Thais a refund, similar to the VAT desk for tourists 

I don't know much about it.  I hope someone else can clarify.  I think it was an entry fee as opposed to an exit fee.  I think someone hopes to have another revenue stream.

[Marc26]

4 minutes ago, bushav8r said:

I don't know much about it.  I hope someone else can clarify.  I think it was an entry fee as opposed to an exit fee.  I think someone hopes to have another revenue stream.

The old exit fee was a pain in the ass

You'd have to remember to save the 500 baht

 

Then you had all the backpackers begging for money at the counter

[ChrisS]

I can't see 300THB making much difference to most tourists given the already rapidly rising air fares.

[Janneman]

34 minutes ago, ChrisS said:

I can't see 300THB making much difference to most tourists given the already rapidly rising air fares.

Nope. But the airlines cannot and will not collect this tax. So all those  tourists will have to pay at the airports. They gonna need pretty big counters if the tourists are coming back by the millions. And those tourists wouldnt mind waiting another hour or 2 before they can finally enter Thailand  of course

[Thommo]

no different if you need to pay for a visa on arrival as per for example arriving into Bali, just line up and pay

[yselmike]

22 minutes ago, Thommo said:

no different if you need to pay for a visa on arrival as per for example arriving into Bali, just line up and pay

The problem is that pre pandemic Bangkok was the most visited city in the world,40 million a year were visiting Thailand.When China let's it's people go it's possibly going to be a mad house.Thats why I have a flight booked in November.Another thing,the people from India were only beginning to make there presence felt.Can the over seventies still use the priority lane? I think I'm going to need it,no way am I getting in the scrum at immigration when it's rammed with Chinese, Russians and Indian's.

 

[longwood50]

20 hours ago, Marc26 said:

All that may be true but no one is going to care about 300 baht

Even the old guys on here complaining will absolutely end up paying for it

The other 95% won't even give it a 2nd thought 

Again, it is not the 300 baht.  It is the optics of putting one additional straw on the camels back. 

You subsidize things you want more of like electric cars, you tax things you want less of like gas guzzling cars.  So whether it is 300 baht, 3,000 baht or 3 million baht it is only a matter of to what degree you are being discouraging. 

[Marc26]

4 hours ago, longwood50 said:

Again, it is not the 300 baht.  It is the optics of putting one additional straw on the camels back. 

You subsidize things you want more of like electric cars, you tax things you want less of like gas guzzling cars.  So whether it is 300 baht, 3,000 baht or 3 million baht it is only a matter of to what degree you are being discouraging. 

But no one cares but old white guys( who will pay the 300 baht)

 

There is absolutely no tourist, not one, that will decide they aren't going to Thailand because they have to pay 300 baht

[yselmike]

16 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

But no one cares but old white guys( who will pay the 300 baht)

There is absolutely no tourist, not one, that will decide they aren't going to Thailand because they have to pay 300 baht

If I have to line up to pay any amount I will be very annoyed.How are they going to collect this tax? That's the only thing that matters.

[TWS60]

Thailand's a One Trick Pony that can't keep from shooting itself in the foot over and over again with these dumb, often blatantly racist brain farts.  The last one from some bright spark at the morning meeting who suggested charging foreigners more for hotel rooms.  Leaders of the international hoteliers association gawked in horror followed by Laughing Out Loud.

Just call it an airport facility fee, put it on the cost of air tickets, and disburse it however you please, which is what you're going to do anyway, before being caught out for the usual graft and corruption.   If Thais who fly often enough want it back, let them file for a refund or lump it.  I get jammed up with a laundry list of fees whenever I fly back into my home country.  Airport facilities, Customs/Immigration and security fees.  Hell even have to pay 1 or 2 fees to the Tourism Fund for renting a car from an airport car hire company.

[longwood50]

On 9/1/2022 at 8:25 PM, Marc26 said:

But no one cares but old white guys( who will pay the 300 baht)

There is absolutely no tourist, not one, that will decide they aren't going to Thailand because they have to pay 300 baht

Do you have a brain freeze?  I am saying IT IS THE WRONG MESSAGE not that people won't pay it.  
You don't put on a surcharge no matter how small and anticipate that somehow it is stimulative. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

On 9/1/2022 at 4:48 PM, yselmike said:

If I have to line up to pay any amount I will be very annoyed.How are they going to collect this tax? That's the only thing that matters.

Sorry to break it to you but they don't really care if you get annoyed

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, longwood50 said:

Do you have a brain freeze?  I am saying IT IS THE WRONG MESSAGE not that people won't pay it.  
You don't put on a surcharge no matter how small and anticipate that somehow it is stimulative. 

My brain can't be bothered to worry about 300 baht and the reasons behind it

 

Just as my brain can't be worried about half of the nonsense that people whine about on this forum 

[reallyreal]

On 8/30/2022 at 12:43 PM, HolyCowCm said:

Thye will probably say bring in equiavalent to in your own money or Thai money and no change.

You must have the equivalent  of 20k baht anyway 

[Faz]

6 hours ago, reallyreal said:

You must have the equivalent  of 20k baht anyway 

40K for a family

[HolyCowCm]

10 hours ago, reallyreal said:

You must have the equivalent  of 20k baht anyway 

Didn't realise they were still doing that. I guess since I have a yearly stay and been here forever they just never ask me. But ho is one going to change large denominations and get change. I guess easiest is 300 baht flat out, or 9 Euro or 9 US dollars and forget about the change. So they make the extra 25 - 30 extra baht. 

[longwood50]

19 hours ago, Marc26 said:

My brain can't be bothered to worry about 300 baht and the reasons behind it

I can certainly understand that.  You obviously use it sparingly. 

[HiuMak]

On 9/1/2022 at 2:03 AM, ChrisS said:

I can't see 300THB making much difference to most tourists given the already rapidly rising air fares.

The authorities should just do a 300USD tourist tax so that the rich tourists they want to attract can go do a gofundme for them to go into Thailand