News Forum - Departure Tax: Thailand considers charging 1000 baht to leave country

[Thaiger]

Thailand‘s Revenue Department proposed that a 1000 baht “departure tax” be applied to all outbound airline passengers – both Thais and foreigners – in a bid to prevent excessive overseas spending. The idea has been met with resistance from tourism officials. Airline passengers would be charged 1000 baht to leave the country and those exiting …

The story Departure Tax: Thailand considers charging 1000 baht to leave country as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Alavan]

The logic of paying escapes me:

I should pay 1000 Baht when leaving Thailand to prevent me from excesive spending in my home country? Country where I live, worked and now get a pension?
The excesive spending I do in my home country is paying for holidays in Thailand (and other countries).

[Grumpish]

10 minutes ago, Alavan said:

The logic of paying escapes me:

I should pay 1000 Baht when leaving Thailand to prevent me from excesive spending in my home country? Country where I live, worked and now get a pension?
The excesive spending I do in my home country is paying for holidays in Thailand (and other countries).

The logic escapes me too, but then it is Thailand that we are talking about. And how is this different to the departure tax that is already part of the airline ticket price?

[Guest1]

15 minutes ago, Alavan said:

The logic of paying escapes me:

I should pay 1000 Baht when leaving Thailand to prevent me from excesive spending in my home country? Country where I live, worked and now get a pension?
The excesive spending I do in my home country is paying for holidays in Thailand (and other countries).

You are paying 700 already!

So the question would be, since the 700 is not on land borders:

ANOTHER 1000? 

And why, if it should stop Thais from spending money outside the country, has the average tourist to pay it?

Also the airlines will have to put it in the ticket prices, one more tax on the list, most tourists will not even hear/know about it.

[KaptainRob]

1 minute ago, Grumpish said:

The logic escapes me too, but then it is Thailand that we are talking about. And how is this different to the departure tax that is already part of the airline ticket price?

Don't worry, the whole thing is a non-starter.  Seems someone in an obscure Govt position decided a 1980's directive required airing in public.  The further damage a mere poll, and ensuing rumour-mill, does to Thailand's already fragile economy was never considered.  Flip Flop diplomacy continues unabated 

[BigHewer]

A money grab, pure and simple. Pay to get in, pay to get out. But still the hordes will come. 

The justification is BS. Preventing Thais from spending too much abroad? Please…

[ChrisS]

In the grand scheme of things 1000THB is not a lot to western tourists paying large sums already for flights in to Thailand to spend their holiday money however it does not have to put off too many people from coming to end up losing money for the economy.

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, BigHewer said:

 

 

2 hours ago, ChrisS said:

In the grand scheme of things 1000THB is not a lot to western tourists paying large sums already for flights in to Thailand to spend their holiday money however it does not have to put off too many people from coming to end up losing money for the economy.

.00000001% will not come because of it

 

It is a ridiculous money grab but no one is cancelling their trip and 95% of people wouldn't even be aware of it until they had to pay it

[Marc26]

3 hours ago, BigHewer said:

 

The justification is BS. Preventing Thais from spending too much abroad? Please…

I wouldn't put it past being a bit of a jealousy thing, stick it to the Thais that are able to travel overseas

 

My wife says they look at anything expensive on Thais coming back

She doesn't carry any of her expensive bags because she says she will be stopped, so she puts them in her luggage

 

Her one friend is pretty wealthy and gets stopped every time

[HolyCowCm]

It’s like extortion for the foreigners but put as a deterrent or penalty against their people for traveling outside the borders. Do these officials and their families have to pay it when they travel for pleasure and business? My guess is no. Huge money vacuum suck grab. 

[BigHewer]

20 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

.00000001% will not come because of it

It is a ridiculous money grab but no one is cancelling their trip and 95% of people wouldn't even be aware of it until they had to pay it

3 hours ago, BigHewer said:

But still the hordes will come.

Yep. Correct. Won’t make a lick of difference.

A real win win for the government.
Most “customers” don’t know they’re being cynically fleeced; most of the rest are already jaded.

[Marc26]

2 minutes ago, BigHewer said:

Yep. Correct. Won’t make a lick of difference.

A real win win for the government.
Most “customers” don’t know they’re being cynically fleeced; most of the rest are already jaded.

I just don't care, to be honest

 

I'd rather not pay, but I have paid in lots of places, Cambodia, Colombia, etc

 

I think it is all a money grab but I am not going to worry about $25-30

 

I liked Laos, think it was $1usd    :)

[HolyCowCm]

2 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I just don't care, to be honest

I'd rather not pay, but I have paid in lots of places, Cambodia, Colombia, etc

I think it is all a money grab but I am not going to worry about $25-30

I liked Laos, think it was $1usd    :)

What ya gonna do? Stay away or come and never leave? Gonna pay it a bite the lip. 

[Skip]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departure_tax

While I do not particularly like to be taxed the fact is that many countries see this as an income to defray many aspects of their expenses concerning tourism.

[HiuMak]

20 hours ago, Thaiger said:

Thailand‘s Revenue Department proposed that a 1000 baht “departure tax” be applied to all outbound airline passengers – both Thais and foreigners – in a bid to prevent excessive overseas spending. The idea has been met with resistance from tourism officials. Airline passengers would be charged 1000 baht to leave the country and those exiting …

The story Departure Tax: Thailand considers charging 1000 baht to leave country as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

Seems like the proposal only applies to airport departure.

Take the opportunity to visit neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia doing land crossing before flying out from there.

[Marc26]

Just now, HiuMak said:

Seems like the proposal only applies to airport departure.

Take the opportunity to visit neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia doing land crossing before flying out from there.

For 1k baht?????

 

Really???

[HiuMak]

34 minutes ago, Marc26 said:

For 1k baht?????

Really???

For tourist that are particular about this tax perhaps

A great idea to visit neighbouring countries and put it together with same trip too.

I don't really care with small money.

[Marc26]

2 hours ago, HiuMak said:

For tourist that are particular about this tax perhaps

A great idea to visit neighbouring countries and put it together with same trip too.

I don't really care with small money.

I think most flights would end up back through BKK so a lot of time spent

 

Before covid I always went to another Asian country for 3-5 days before going to Thailand

 

I want to get back to that

[Guest1]

18 hours ago, ChrisS said:

In the grand scheme of things 1000THB is not a lot to western tourists paying large sums already for flights in to Thailand to spend their holiday money however it does not have to put off too many people from coming to end up losing money for the economy.

Most people even know, that they are paying 1700 Baht departure taxes, then!

That is "the good thing", with packing it as tax into the duties of the airlines. It is in the ticket price, who is really reading all the taxes listed in it?

Unless you cancel a ticket, and wanna have all the taxes back, mostly we all aren`t to interested in it.

Did you know, till now, that you are paying already a 700 baht departure tax?

In one or two years, only the people reading about it, now, will know!

Unless they really go through with the 500 on land borders, perhaps.

We`ll see

 

[Guest1]

4 hours ago, HiuMak said:

For tourist that are particular about this tax perhaps

A great idea to visit neighbouring countries and put it together with same trip too.

I don't really care with small money.

What I think, could be "a killer", if transiting people, using BKK as hub, will have to pay that, too!

 

[Marc26]

17 minutes ago, Guest1 said:

What I think, could be "a killer", if transiting people, using BKK as hub, will have to pay that, too!

You guys really do Crack me up

 

"Honey, unpack your bags, we have to pay $30 dollars more!"

 

We going to my Mom's house for vacation  5555

[HolyCowCm]

If they are really going to do this and if like the old days make you pay at the departure entry, then then they should have payment kiosks or something allowing it to be prepaid beforehand a online that kicks you out or sends you a receipt. Back in the old days I remeber being so plastered drunk and forgetting about this when it was 500 baht needed to pay. Always was a pain in da arse and felt corrupt leaving a bad feeling.

[KaptainRob]

24 minutes ago, HolyCowCm said:

If they are really going to do this

Refer my post, here > 

 

[shahan]

This is really stupid idea. If you impose this departure tax you will be loose the most number of foreign touristers

[SGrant]

I am so sick if the stupidity of thai government officials. Seriously, imposing more taxes on tourists that already pay inflated local prices. Stop making stupid decisions !