News Forum - Thailand tourist fee: 300 baht via air, 150 baht via land/sea

[Thaiger]

Thailand plans to charge foreign arrivals arriving by air a tourist fee of 300 baht (US$9.11) and a fee of 150 baht (US$4.56) for tourists entering the kingdom via land/sea by mid-2023. The 300 baht tourist fee for air arrivals has been in the pipeline for a long time and is set to be enforced in …

The story Thailand tourist fee: 300 baht via air, 150 baht via land/sea as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Leeshard]

So I book return air tickets from Thailand to the UK for myself and my Thai wife. At what point do I get charged 300 baht as a ‘tourist’ (even though I’ve lived here for 16 years) and she doesn’t? 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Leeshard

[MrStretch]

If this is a "tourist" fee and not a "farang" fee, then those that have any visa aside from a tourist visa, visa on arrival, or visa exemption should be exempt from paying this fee every time they enter the Kingdom.

[HolyCowCm]

5 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

If this is a "tourist" fee and not a "farang" fee, then those that have any visa aside from a tourist visa, visa on arrival, or visa exemption should be exempt from paying this fee every time they enter the Kingdom.

I was thinking the same exact thing.

[KaptainRob]

3 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

If this is a "tourist" fee and not a "farang" fee, then those that have any visa aside from a tourist visa, visa on arrival, or visa exemption should be exempt from paying this fee every time they enter the Kingdom.

It's a farang fee.  There's no way they could even begin carving it up among various visas but I wonder how it will be collected.  It appears to me as if we'll have to pay the tax upon arrival at a designated desks prior to or alongside immigration.

The ideal method is to apply a blanket charge on all entrants added to your airline ticket.  But no, that appears to simple, so it looks as if they'll create another speed-bump in the Arrivals Hall. 

[palooka]

Strange fee. 

Covid 19 is the reason for the fee.

If you arrive by land then you must be less likely to need it due to Covid-19, therefore you are given a discount.

Solly, forgot TIT logic.

 

 

[MrStretch]

2 hours ago, KaptainRob said:

It's a farang fee.  There's no way they could even begin carving it up among various visas but I wonder how it will be collected.  It appears to me as if we'll have to pay the tax upon arrival at a designated desks prior to or alongside immigration.

The ideal method is to apply a blanket charge on all entrants added to your airline ticket.  But no, that appears to simple, so it looks as if they'll create another speed-bump in the Arrivals Hall. 

If there are "designated checkers" to see that you have paid your entrance fee, that same person should be able to verify that you have a proper visa in your passport.

I don't see how they can include the price in your ticket as it would be a major hassle for the airlines to determine who is a Thai and who isn't and collect or not collect the appropriate fee.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, MrStretch said:

If there are "designated checkers" to see that you have paid your entrance fee, that same person should be able to verify that you have a proper visa in your passport.

I don't see how they can include the price in your ticket as it would be a major hassle for the airlines to determine who is a Thai and who isn't and collect or not collect the appropriate fee.

Good point. Previously they charged an exit tax which I believe was put in the tax on the outbound airfare (no one seems to mention that this is another tourist tax as one already exits in the ticket price). I assume that as it’s in the ticket, then when you book it and input your nationality, you don’t pay if you are Thai? 
 

It’s not a tourist tax. It’s a foreigner tax. To the Thai government, these are one and the same. 

[BigHewer]

Ill-advised decision. Reflects short-term thinking, perhaps populist revenue raising? Dumb.

Yes, the new fees will raise significant revenues. Kudos. Well done. And the the fees are not expensive compared with the price of a whole trip. Okay.

However, what is the message received when visitors travel here, there and elsewhere? Ah… Thailand is after every cent they can get from us. A greedy, unscrupulous country. Is the effect of the fee productive or counterproductive in the grand scheme of things?

[Marc26]

17 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Ill-advised decision. Reflects short-term thinking, perhaps populist revenue raising? Dumb.

Yes, the new fees will raise significant revenues. Kudos. Well done. And the the fees are not expensive compared with the price of a whole trip. Okay.

However, what is the message received when visitors travel here, there and elsewhere? Ah… Thailand is after every cent they can get from us. A greedy, unscrupulous country. Is the effect of the fee productive or counterproductive in the grand scheme of things?

I have paid tourist fees in Cambodia, Vietnam, Colombia and some other places I can't recall

 

I never gave it a 2nd thought

 

Well, I would prefer not to simply because I had to go to another counter when landing, but after that I literally never thought of it again on my trip........and I'd suspect 99% of the tourists would do the same

 

As @KaptainRob mentioned above, it is more the hassle if you need to pay it on arrival than actually the monetary outlay

Which has been my only gripe in those countries I mentioned when I had to...........

[Faz]

4 hours ago, MrStretch said:

If this is a "tourist" fee and not a "farang" fee, then those that have any visa aside from a tourist visa, visa on arrival, or visa exemption should be exempt from paying this fee every time they enter the Kingdom.

Even long term expats are no more than tourists in the eyes of Immigration.
You're an 'alien' and only permitted a temporary stay of 12 months at a time.

[BigHewer]

2 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I have paid tourist fees in Cambodia, Vietnam, Colombia and some other places I can't recall

I never gave it a 2nd thought

All three have a tourist price for certain things. I never gave those a 2nd thought either. Or maybe I did in some cases (Angkor Wat entry fee etc). 

But none of those three countries charges a tourist fee for entry. It’s very little money (who cares about 300 baht?) but it creates a negative perception about the country. 

 

[Marc26]

Just now, BigHewer said:

All three have a tourist price for certain things. I never gave those a 2nd thought either. Or maybe I did in some cases (Angkor Wat entry fee etc). 

But none of those three countries charges a tourist fee for entry. It’s very little money (who cares about 300 baht?) but it creates a negative perception about the country. 

They did when I went there...........Laos was kind of stupid, $1

Vietnam you had to do the visa(which is a tourist tax basically), Cambodia way back I had to pay $25usd and I don't remember Colombia but in any instance I had to pay...........I never thought anything of it other than that was their rules..............

 

The average tourist, which is the majority and not guys like us on forums, won't care even a little bit

[BigHewer]

12 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

They did when I went there...........Laos was kind of stupid, $1

Vietnam you had to do the visa(which is a tourist tax basically), Cambodia way back I had to pay $25usd and I don't remember Colombia but in any instance I had to pay...........I never thought anything of it other than that was their rules..............

The average tourist, which is the majority and not guys like us on forums, won't care even a little bit

Visa fees are a different matter and Thailand won’t want to introduce them because it will raise issues of reciprocity and affect Thais traveling abroad. Also the revocation of visa fees is a mark of an advanced nation in the eyes of the World Tourism Forum and Henley Passport Index, in which Thailand is an aspiring climber (in my opinion).

Hence the BS “fees”. Can still sock it to the farangs without affecting the country’s standing. 

[Soidog]

33 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I have paid tourist fees in Cambodia, Vietnam, Colombia and some other places I can't recall

Oh well, that’s all right then. As long as other countries are doing things wrong, then join the club. 

[Marc26]

10 minutes ago, Soidog said:

Oh well, that’s all right then. As long as other countries are doing things wrong, then join the club. 

No , my point is the vast majority of tourists aren't of the whining Thai expat and frequent visitor variety and won't give 2 shits about paying a tourist tax of less than $10usd

The vast majority won't event think about it even if they had to pay triple that..............

 

Sometimes I think forum dwellers(i include myself) think everyone is like us

People don't put that much thought into their holidays, they go, spend money and enjoy it.........

[Soidog]

Just now, Marc26 said:

No , my point is the vast majority of tourists aren't of the whining Thai expat and frequent visitor variety and won't give 2 shits about paying a tourist tax of less than $10usd

The vast majority won't event think about it even if they had to pay triple that..............

Sometimes I think forum dwellers(i include myself) think everyone is like us

People don't put that much thought into their holidays, they go, spend money and enjoy it.........

And you know this how? Based on your own opinions of forgiving most things wrong in the country? You know this by assuming the only people who get offended or think it’s just the wrong thing by such sharp practice are old white expats? 
 

You underestimate how people perceive such things. Not everyone is apologetic for such blatant attempts to extort money and demonstrate short sighted and immediate financial gratification. 
 

Below is an extract from a report issued by the Maldives tourism board. Not all countries are as blinded by immediate cash as the Thais. Some have a more balanced, progressive and broader perspective on how to develop a nation. Take a read.  

Moreover, a mix of tourism tax policies tends to raise tax revenue but can have a detrimental impact on the economy, focusing on tourist arrivals and competitiveness. However, the current study argues that merely imposing tourism taxes is not a sophisticated tool of public policy in countries that largely depend on tourism if such countries’ objective is to boost inbound tourism and, by extension, contribute to their economic development.

As a small island economy dependent on tourism, this paper illustrates that the volume of inbound tourism to the Maldives is adversely affected by tourism tax and is a protracted problem that requires careful modeling and analysis of public policy options rather than crude and unsophisticated policy instruments such as introducing new tourism taxes or increasing the rate of existing ones.

[Marc26]

16 minutes ago, Soidog said:

And you know this how? Based on your own opinions of forgiving most things wrong in the country? You know this by assuming the only people who get offended or think it’s just the wrong thing by such sharp practice are old white expats? 
 

You underestimate how people perceive such things. Not everyone is apologetic for such blatant attempts to extort money and demonstrate short sighted and immediate financial gratification. 
 

Below is an extract from a report issued by the Maldives tourism board. Not all countries are as blinded by immediate cash as the Thais. Some have a more balanced, progressive and broader perspective on how to develop a nation. Take a read.  

Moreover, a mix of tourism tax policies tends to raise tax revenue but can have a detrimental impact on the economy, focusing on tourist arrivals and competitiveness. However, the current study argues that merely imposing tourism taxes is not a sophisticated tool of public policy in countries that largely depend on tourism if such countries’ objective is to boost inbound tourism and, by extension, contribute to their economic development.

As a small island economy dependent on tourism, this paper illustrates that the volume of inbound tourism to the Maldives is adversely affected by tourism tax and is a protracted problem that requires careful modeling and analysis of public policy options rather than crude and unsophisticated policy instruments such as introducing new tourism taxes or increasing the rate of existing ones.

I know from the MILLIONS of tourists who visited Thailand when you used to have to pay $500 baht to leave!

 

Not everyone is analyzing and critcizing every decision a country they decide to go on holiday, actually only an extreme few like us forum dwellers are

 

if you think even the tiniest amount of people will care that there is a less than $10usd tourist tax, I honestly don't know what to tell you

[Soidog]

9 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

I know from the MILLIONS of tourists who visited Thailand when you used to have to pay $500 baht to leave!

Not everyone is analyzing and critcizing every decision a country they decide to go on holiday, actually only an extreme few like us forum dwellers are

if you think even the tiniest amount of people will care that there is a less than $10usd tourist tax, I honestly don't know what to tell you

So you didn’t read the extract I sent you. You are missing the point Marc. It’s not about the up front reaction. It’s far more subtle than that. It’s a little like when governments raise taxes. They often find tax revenues fall. I’d have thought given your line of work you would be more understanding of such issues 
 

By the way, there is no used to about the 500 baht exit tax. It’s already there. Perhaps even the Thai government realised taking hard cash off people at the end of their holiday was too much even for them. So they made the excuse to make it more convenient by adding it to the airfare. A combination of that and the fact they didn’t trust those collecting the cash to not hide a few thousand baht

Whats of interest is looking at historic tourism numbers for Thailand. The tax was moved to airfares around 2008 if memory serves me? The graph below has a rate of change around this same time. Coincidence? Maybe. But people who give this more thought than the basic attitude of $10 is nothing, analyse these things. 

[yselmike]

1 hour ago, BigHewer said:

Visa fees are a different matter and Thailand won’t want to introduce them because it will raise issues of reciprocity and affect Thais traveling abroad. Also the revocation of visa fees is a mark of an advanced nation in the eyes of the World Tourism Forum and Henley Passport Index, in which Thailand is an aspiring climber (in my opinion).

Hence the BS “fees”. Can still sock it to the farangs without affecting the country’s standing. 

Lots of countries/city's impose tourist tax,hotels and camping places here in the Netherlands impose a tourist tax.Cambodia used to charge $25 for a e-visa and $5 departure tax but that was then added to the ticket price,the same as in Thailand.Vietnam wanted $5 dollars at passport control even though you needed and paid for a visa beforehand.that was a scam as was the $1 for a vaccination certificate.The only realistic way to get the money is to incorporate it into every ticket,then everybody including Thais will pay.

If the hit their target of 60 million over the next few years that's a nice little earner.Put 300 on as an hotel tax every time you book into a hotel that could could quadruple it.I stayed in five different places my last trip.

I already pay 500 departure tax,add on 300 arrival tax.They have already talked about the hotel tax,if that comes in then the total for one trip with multi hotel check inn's suddenly becomes a tidy sum,it could easily be 2000-3000 a trip.Then it becomes noticeable.

[BigHewer]

27 minutes ago, yselmike said:

Lots of countries/city's impose tourist tax,hotels and camping places here in the Netherlands impose a tourist tax.Cambodia used to charge $25 for a e-visa and $5 departure tax but that was then added to the ticket price,the same as in Thailand.Vietnam wanted $5 dollars at passport control even though you needed and paid for a visa beforehand.that was a scam as was the $1 for a vaccination certificate.The only realistic way to get the money is to incorporate it into every ticket,then everybody including Thais will pay.

If the hit their target of 60 million over the next few years that's a nice little earner.Put 300 on as an hotel tax every time you book into a hotel that could could quadruple it.I stayed in five different places my last trip.

I already pay 500 departure tax,add on 300 arrival tax.They have already talked about the hotel tax,if that comes in then the total for one trip with multi hotel check inn's suddenly becomes a tidy sum,it could easily be 2000-3000 a trip.Then it becomes noticeable.

All of this is true and it’s also all beside the point. Visa fees, camping fees, hotel tourism tax etc. This is not what I was talking about. 

How many countries can you name with a “tourist fee” paid by all nationalities upon entry to that country? It’s a nice revenue raiser but a stupid marketing decision because of the perception it creates. 

 

 

[Soidog]

5 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

All of this is true and it’s also all beside the point. Visa fees, camping fees, hotel tourism tax etc. This is not what I was talking about. 

How many countries can you name with a “tourist fee” paid by all nationalities upon entry to that country? It’s a nice revenue raiser but a stupid marketing decision because of the perception it creates. 

Correct BH. Shortsighted. Some of these tourists could be staying with friends as I often do. In countries such as the  Netherlands, the fee I think is about 7% tax on hotels and campsites and is paid by ALL people stating in a hotel as @yselmike mentioned. This again is not that. This is a “Foreigner tax” and has little or nothing to do with tourism. 

[Guest1]

8 hours ago, MrStretch said:

 

I don't see how they can include the price in your ticket as it would be a major hassle for the airlines to determine who is a Thai and who isn't and collect or not collect the appropriate fee.

Usually it would be easy, every Thai Passport holder does.not need to pay. If they use another passport for the booking, somnamnaa. ;-)

[Rodley]

There already is a Tourist Tax in operation. Visiting a Thai National Park, which many Tourists do, can cost you up to 10 times more than a Thai pays, for entry. And it's not only Nationsl Parks. Other attractions have similar discriminatory practices.

[AJTonyP]

Nothing like biting the hand that feeds you  ..... again .