After a hot “will-they-won’t-they” over vaccination requirements to enter Thailand, the country is working on another entry regulation. From June 2023, Thailand is looking to introduce a THB 300 (approx. RM40) tourist fee.
The proposal is still subject to cabinet approval, and will be subject only to tourist arrivals, not locals or foreigners with work permits and border passes.
What a week for Thailand travel requirements. First, you needed vaccination proof, and then you needed Covid-19 insurance. The next day you didn’t need vaccination proof anymore, and everybody was clueless about insurance. Now, you may need to pay an entry fee instead. Welcome to 2023. Here is the latest to get you up to date.
Thailand to introduce a THB 300 tourist fee
The THB 300 tourist fee may sound familiar to those who have kept an eye on Thailand’s travel news in the last year.
Almost exactly a year ago, there was talk about a “sustainability fee” which would be charged to tourists entering the country. This went quiet for the months that followed, but now it seems to have returned with a new moniker and fresh excitement.
This time around, the fee is said to support accidents in which visitors to Thailand are involved, and help develop tourist destinations, according to a meeting held today. Luckily, locals and residents won’t be subjected to the fee.
Who has to pay, and who doesn’t?
According to Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, “fees won’t be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes.” This leaves many groups exempt from the fee, with a sharper focus on international arrivals.
The timing of the tourist fee proposal is interesting, as tourism to Thailand has been on the rise in the last months, with increasing numbers expected with the reopening of China. Ratchakitprakarn states that Thailand is expecting 25 million tourist arrivals this year.
At the time of writing, the tourist fee proposal is still subject to cabinet approval.
(Hero and featured image credit: Than Diep/Unsplash & Evan Krause/Unsplash)
