Thailand will charge an entry fee for tourists for the first time from June. Those who reach the Southeast Asian country by air then have to pay 300 Thai baht (8 euros), the Bangkok Post newspaper reported on Tuesday, citing Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn.
The measure, which has been discussed for a long time, was decided at a cabinet meeting. If you enter by ship or by land, you pay 150 baht (4 euros). Only visitors who do not stay overnight in Thailand are exempt from the fee. According to the ADAC, people with a work visa or a border pass are also exempt from the fee.
The corona pandemic has delayed the introduction of the fee, which had been planned for a long time. The levy will be added to airline ticket prices, while the method for collecting the entry fee by land has yet to be determined, the government said last year.
The government expects to earn about 3.9 billion baht from the tourist tax this year, it said. A portion of the proceeds will be used to provide guests with health and accident insurance coverage during their stay. According to the “Handelszeitung”, another part of the fee will contribute to the development of local tourist attractions. In addition, the money will be used to modernize infrastructure and develop tourist destinations. “The entrance fee will help provide for tourists,” said Ratchakitprakarn. According to some estimates, up to 30 million international visitors are expected to visit Thailand this year.
Representatives of the tourism sector had resisted the project for a long time. After the corona pandemic, the end of travel restrictions and the opening of China, masses of holidaymakers are now pouring into Thailand again for the first time.
Sources: ADAC, “Handelzeitung”
