News Forum - Thailand to charge foreign tourists entry fee from June 1

[Thaiger]

Thailand‘s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists yesterday, expected to come into effect on June 1. Foreigners arriving by air will be charged 300 baht (US$8.79) and foreigners arriving by land/sea will be charged 150 baht (US$4.40), as proposed by the National Tourism Policy Committee two weeks ago. Holders …

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[palooka]

Trisulee said the Tourism Policy Act allows for the establishment of a fund to support Thai tourism, which can be used for marketing the development and maintenance of tourist attractions, marketing, conservation of resources, and the development of facilities that support safe tourism as well as insurance for foreign tourists.

Think marketing and development will have priority on any funds and can virtually guarantee that none will be left for the following.

The collected tourist tax will be used as accident insurance for foreigners and for the repatriation of bodies of foreigners who die in Thailand, said the spokesperson.

Anyone think this will bring down travel Insurance to Thailand???????

[MrStretch]

"Holders of Thai passports, diplomatic passports, work permits, special work permits for specific professionals set by the Labour Ministry, transit passengers, and children under two years old are exempt from paying what Thailand calls the “stepping on the land fee.”

That sounds like all of us on Non-Imm O visas and extensions are still "tourists" and will have to pony up 300 baht every time we re-enter the Kingdom.

[Marc26]

52 minutes ago, MrStretch said:

 

That sounds like all of us on Non-Imm O visas and extensions are still "tourists" and will have to pony up 300 baht every time we re-enter the Kingdom.

It literally says "Non-Immigrant" as the Visa, which means they are tourists

[MrStretch]

Don't know about you, Marc, but I maintain my Non-Imm O so that I can live here, as a resident, even if not a citizen.

I pay taxes, put my kids through schools, and contribute to the local economy.  Doesn't sound like a tourist, does it?

[Marc26]

Just now, MrStretch said:

Don't know about you, Marc, but I maintain my Non-Imm O so that I can live here, as a resident, even if not a citizen.

I pay taxes, put my kids through schools, and contribute to the local economy.  Doesn't sound like a tourist, does it?

By definition, yes it does

 

A "non immigration" visa is nothing but a tourist visa

 

You may not feel like a tourist but, by definition, you are

Not trying to bust balls, but you guys willingly sign up for a "Non-Immigrant" visa then complain that you don't get the benefits of landed immigrant

 

You aren't

[Soidog]

I don’t think anyone is trying to fool themselves. Anyone on a Non-O visa extended for the purposes of retirement should not be classified as Tourists. They have extended their right to stay for the reasons of retirement. Retirement is not tourism and hence not tourists. People who don’t have the extension should be classified as tourists. Those with legitimate extensions should not be labelled as tourists. All of this rationale is of course wasted. You’re a foreigner and unless working you must be a tourist in the minds of the Thai government.  

[Marc26]

22 minutes ago, Soidog said:

I don’t think anyone is trying to fool themselves. Anyone on a Non-O visa extended for the purposes of retirement should not be classified as Tourists. They have extended their right to stay for the reasons of retirement. Retirement is not tourism and hence not tourists. People who don’t have the extension should be classified as tourists. Those with legitimate extensions should not be labelled as tourists. All of this rationale is of course wasted. You’re a foreigner and unless working you must be a tourist in the minds of the Thai government.  

It's the minds of many governments around the world, I'd imagine your own country

 

It is the literal name of the Visa, how is that hard to understand??

Non-immigrant...go read the definition

 

It's like people refuse to believe the actual name of the visa they accepted

Let me help you, the words "extension" and Non-immigrant means temporary

 

You guys constantly whine how Thailand treats foreigners, then act like petulant, entitled children

It's a real wonder.....

 

You think a Thai can apply for a Non-Immigrant visa in any of our countries and then land and demand all sorts of rights and benefits on those temporary visas??

No...........

[Slacker77]

ok 300bht for tourist ,but where to pay it ?

At arrival at the airport in bkk or pay up in front of the flight depart ,couldn't see anything regarding that in the article

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

It's the minds of many governments around the world, I'd imagine your own country

It is the literal name of the Visa, how is that hard to understand??

Non-immigrant...go read the definition

It's like people refuse to believe the actual name of the visa they accepted

Let me help you, the words "extension" and Non-immigrant means temporary

You guys constantly whine how Thailand treats foreigners, then act like petulant, entitled children

It's a real wonder.....

You think a Thai can apply for a Non-Immigrant visa in any of our countries and then land and demand all sorts of rights and benefits on those temporary visas??

No...........

The wording in this article states:

Thailand‘s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists yesterday

Defend it all you like in terms of wording. I never contested that as a non-O, you are by definition a foreigner who is not an immigrant. That does not mean you are a “Tourist” which is what this charge is said to be for, Please read above.
 

You can for example apply for a Non-O on the basis of visiting friends or family or for Medical reasons. Nowhere does that mention “Tourist”. See link: https://thaievisa.go.th/non-immigrant-o

 

It seems in your urgency to make excuses for the Thai policy you failed to read the details and simply assumed the Thais are doing no different to what other countries do. ITs also worth pointing out that in my country, foreign tourism doesn’t account for 12% of its GDP and so a more careful policy needs to be considered by Thailand to protect that and not reduce it.   

 

 

[Soidog]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

You guys constantly whine how Thailand treats foreigners, then act like petulant, entitled children

It's a real wonder.....

You think a Thai can apply for a Non-Immigrant visa in any of our countries and then land and demand all sorts of rights and benefits on those temporary visas??

No...........

Again you are either deliberately missing the point, or blinded by your desire to seem fair handed to the Thai government. I don’t think people want equal rights as they know they are not permanent residents or citizens. However, I’m not aware that a Thai can’t get the correct documents to work as an Engineer, hair dresser, taxi driver or anything else in my country. We don’t have “Professions” that only British can do (apart from an MP and possibly a Judge). We also allow foreigners to enter our national parks and museums either for free or at the same charge as I pay. So no one is looking for special treatment or even equal treatment. We are just looking not to be negatively discriminated against. 

I find it staggering that an American as you are and all that goes on in your own country with migrants and foreigners living and working in your country that you are looking to equate Thailand with many Western countries. The comparison is ridiculous frankly. 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

The wording in this article states:

Thailand‘s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists yesterday

Defend it all you like in terms of wording. I never contested that as a non-O, you are by definition a foreigner who is not an immigrant. That does not mean you are a “Tourist” which is what this charge is said to be for, Please read above.
 

You can for example apply for a Non-O on the basis of visiting friends or family or for Medical reasons. Nowhere does that mention “Tourist”. See link: https://thaievisa.go.th/non-immigrant-o

It seems in your urgency to make excuses for the Thai policy you failed to read the details and simply assumed the Thais are doing no different to what other countries do. ITs also worth pointing out that in my country, foreign tourism doesn’t account for 12% of its GDP and so a more careful policy needs to be considered by Thailand to protect that and not reduce it.   

I'm not making excuses for any Thai policies

 

I am just beyond bemused grown man willingly apply for a visa and then spend years whining they don't get the rights that visa does not provide

 

You know how childish and petulant that is?

 

 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

Again you are either deliberately missing the point, or blinded by your desire to seem fair handed to the Thai government. I don’t think people want equal rights as they know they are not permanent residents or citizens. However, I’m not aware that a Thai can’t get the correct documents to work as an Engineer, hair dresser, taxi driver or anything else in my country. We don’t have “Professions” that only British can do (apart from an MP and possibly a Judge). We also allow foreigners to enter our national parks and museums either for free or at the same charge as I pay. So no one is looking for special treatment or even equal treatment. We are just looking not to be negatively discriminated against. 

I find it staggering that an American as you are and all that goes on in your own country with migrants and foreigners living and working in your country that you are looking to equate Thailand with many Western countries. The comparison is ridiculous frankly. 

Again I don't give a flying F about Thai policies

 

I am merely commenting how petulant it is for grown men to apply for a temporary visa, knowing the rights they get/or don't get, then whine about what they don't get

 

And so many of the guys whining about their visas know full well what is available to them and they choose to live in a country on a temporary visa

 

You can't then demand to be treated as a permanent resident, or landed immigrant(work permit)

You aren't...............

 

 

 

 

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, Soidog said:

 

I find it staggering that an American as you are and all that goes on in your own country with migrants and foreigners living and working in your country that you are looking to equate Thailand with many Western countries. The comparison is ridiculous frankly. 

I am an expat in a foreign country and I have the proper permit to be granted most of the rights anyone has in the country

 

My wife has switched from work permit to temporary resident visas throughout the years and we know what benefits she gets or doesn't get with either one

 

That's how visas/permits work

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

I'm not making excuses for any Thai policies

I am just beyond bemused grown man willingly apply for a visa and then spend years whining they don't get the rights that visa does not provide

You know how childish and petulant that is?

But who’s whining? People are simply trying to say that people who are on a non-O and extending for reasons of retirement are not Tourists - Fact.

This is a charge which the Thai government are saying is for tourists - Fact.

So it follows, people who are not tourists but in the country for reasons other than tourism should not be charged - Obvious.

So either the Thai government call it what it really is, a foreigner tax or have people rightly complain. They won’t call it a foreigner tax as they know they will come under scrutiny and attack from other countries. Once again, this is the Thai government trying to look foreigner friendly when in fact they are anything but. The facade has been called out and no one is fooled by it.

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

Again I don't give a flying F about Thai policies

I am merely commenting how petulant it is for grown men to apply for a temporary visa, knowing the rights they get/or don't get, then whine about what they don't get

And so many of the guys whining about their visas know full well what is available to them and they choose to live in a country on a temporary visa

You can't then demand to be treated as a permanent resident, or landed immigrant(work permit)

You aren't...............

And once again you are not addressing the point. This is a “Tourist tax”. I’ll post it again:

Thailand‘s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists yesterday

So how is anyone on a Non-O and hence a  non tourist visa option and then extended it for non tourist reasons, possibly a tourist? How? 

Just because people have plenty to complain about doesn’t make them petulant. People aren’t asking the Thais to start driving on the right, or start knocking down temples to build churches. This is a serious matter that highlights the outright disdain for foreigners residing in the country. I can list many unequal issues with how foreigners are looked upon and treated in Thailand compared to how they are in foreign countries. These aren’t whines they are legitimate issues. 
 

Maybe, when you stop being a tourist yourself and actually live in the country long term for a number of years, your views will change? 

[Soidog]

1 hour ago, Marc26 said:

I am an expat in a foreign country and I have the proper permit to be granted most of the rights anyone has in the country

Like what is missing?

The right to become a taxi driver?

The right to be an engineer?

The right to work in a restaurant or hotel? 

The right to own your own land and house?

How about the right to 100% own your business?

How about the ease by which you can gain citizenship?

Or how about social care or hospital care for 30 baht?

Or maybe the right to pay the same price as Thais for entry to national parks and museums ?

Should I continue? 

It is utter nonsense to see the way the Thai government view foreigners and set their policies in any way as fair and reasonable as western countries treat Thais. Utter nonsense. 
 

Where foreign governments are more strict with Thais it’s based on data and facts. Immigration and visa rules being one. How many Thais leave Thailand and work illegally compared to westerners in Thailand. That’s why it’s harder if you are a Thai. Not just because you are a Thai. Thai policies are set on nothing more than you aren’t Thai. It’s a disgrace and as a foreigner you shouldn’t be defending it in any way. 

[Mandy]

We're walking away from Thailand and the nonsense with constant changing of minds with about visa rules and checking in like school assembly every 3 months, its tiresome,  I'm currently trying to sell my car, more waste of time with excess paperwork. Off to beautiful clean beaches and a much easier life for the retirees  that we are.

[TWS60]

So it's basically 1,000 now (air side).  700 + this new 300. 

They get ya' comin' and goin'.  Literally. 

A one-time $30 USD facility use fee for all the bits, bobs and moving parts required to staff and operate a large international airport hub.  I don't consider that extortionate.  If I did, it wouldn't matter anyway. 

And so we can only soldier on, enduring the escalating price of life on Earth as we get older, same as all those who came before us, until you manage to escape into the warm embrace of the NeverNever; which also requires a gratuity for the Temple gatekeepers to pay the Boatman before they burn you to a crisp in a pizza oven.  

The Man gets ya' comin' and goin', indeed.