News Forum - Thai govt postpones tourism tax due to airlines’ complaints

[Thaiger]

The Thai government has announced the postponement of the planned 300-baht (US$9) tourism tax from June to September due to complaints from airlines. The fee was proposed to help the Thai tourism sector recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, with a 150 baht sum for overland visitors and a 300-baht fee for airline passengers. However, airlines …

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[Ramanathan.P]

No need to impose all these taxes. Just make it mandatory that all tourists has to buy local Thailand medical insurance to cover their entire stay in Thailand. That way it is more transparent and clear. 

[KaptainRob]

We all knew the proposal was unworkable and would be rejected by airlines.  Unless they tax ALL arrivals the only other method is manual collection upon deplaning .... total shambles!

[Highlandman]

On 4/19/2023 at 4:29 PM, KaptainRob said:

We all knew the proposal was unworkable and would be rejected by airlines.  Unless they tax ALL arrivals the only other method is manual collection upon deplaning .... total shambles!

Or collecting it at the time of visa issuance like New Zealand does. Introduce am ESTA system for visa free nationals and the fee can also be collected this way. 

[TheDirtyDurian]

On 4/19/2023 at 4:25 PM, Ramanathan.P said:

No need to impose all these taxes. Just make it mandatory that all tourists has to buy local Thailand medical insurance to cover their entire stay in Thailand. That way it is more transparent and clear. 

Airlines will be unhappy with that too, as they're the ones who'd have to check it, as they did during C19. 

[Guest1]

On 4/19/2023 at 11:25 AM, Ramanathan.P said:

No need to impose all these taxes. Just make it mandatory that all tourists has to buy local Thailand medical insurance to cover their entire stay in Thailand. That way it is more transparent and clear. 

But then the money would go into the pockets of the local insurance companies

[TedG]

I'd be OK with this if I could use my E-ZPass express lane style. 

[Vigo]

On 4/19/2023 at 5:25 PM, Ramanathan.P said:

No need to impose all these taxes. Just make it mandatory that all tourists has to buy local Thailand medical insurance to cover their entire stay in Thailand. That way it is more transparent and clear. 

Nonsensical because it is not available. How many times do you have to be told that the local medical insurance for visitors excludes older travelers and pre-existing conditions. You cannot force an insurer to accept a risk that falls outside its underwriting parameters or that the  consumer does not want.  The government  cannot afford to provide medical insurance for visitors. if it did that the healthcare system would be bankrupted within a month. Look at what SE Asian medical tourists have done to UK NHS and Canadian medicare system.