Going to Thailand will cost more: tourist tax introduction official

After years of rumors, announcements and retractions., now it is official: starting June 1, all tourists traveling to the Kingdom of Thailand will have to pay the new tourist tax.

Thailand thus becomes the latest country, in chronological order, to impose such a tax on all incoming travelers, regardless of what their final destination is.

The purpose of the new tax

According to local media reports, the motivation for this is to fund sustainability and tourism development projects throughout the nation. What is different from all other nations that have this kind of obligation is that it will include health and accident insurance coverage. At the moment, however, there are no details on what it will cover, the maximum limits, and how tourists will be able to make claims for damages.

Thailand's minister of tourism and sports, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, told reporters that the new tax could generate more than $115 million.

How much will be paid, how and who will be exempt

The fee will be THB 300, at current exchange rates just over €8 for all international arrivals by air. In contrast, the tax will be halved for those arriving by land or sea. Thai citizens and foreigners with residence permits or for those traveling on business visas will not be subject to the tax.

It is not yet clear how this tax will be collected. The easiest way would have to be to incorporate the cost into airline ticket surcharges, but this would require companies to have to implement an additional check to verify any exemption. It is also difficult to conceive of an on-the-spot payment: if chaos already reigns at immigration in Bangkok, I dare not imagine what might happen at a counter where one could pay and collect the eventual insurance certificate.

More likely to eventually opt for A system like the American Esta, A mandatory electronic visa to have in order to embark in the direction of Thailand

In conclusion

Eight euros certainly does not disincentivize a trip to Thailand, so I am not worried. In these post-pandemic years, I have been to this nation many times, and compared to before, I have seen an attempt to change mindsets and care a lot about the environment. If these millions are used to help this transition, it is a very good purpose that will benefit everyone for years to come.