According to the Bangkok Post, Thailand's new Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong has announced his determination to implement a tax on tourists. With the above tax, each international tourist arriving in Thailand by plane will have to pay 300 baht (221,000 VND). Tourists arriving by road or waterway will pay 150 baht (110,500 VND).
"I believe that collecting tourism tax is beneficial to the tourism industry. This revenue can be used to develop infrastructure and destinations, as well as ensure the safety of tourists," Mr. Sorawong said.
International tourists arriving in Thailand by air may have to pay a small additional fee, about 300 baht, on their airfare.
In fact, the decision to apply this tax was passed by the Thai National Assembly in 2022. However, according to strict regulations of Thai law, a law only officially takes effect when approved by the King and widely published in the Royal Gazette. This is an important legal procedure to ensure transparency and fairness in the issuance of new regulations.
The implementation of the 300 baht tourism tax remains a big question mark. Both Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin have postponed the bill to be included in the Royal Gazette. It is clear that the Thai government is carefully considering the impact of this tax on the tourism industry, especially the psychology of tourists.
He stressed that because he still needs more time to study the readiness of the Thai tourism system, the Ministry of Tourism is not sure whether it can start collecting taxes as early as the fourth quarter of 2024. In addition, he affirmed that he will maintain the policy of Boosting Thai Tourism initiated by Mr. Srettha, and consider economic stimulus programs that have been very beneficial for domestic tourism during the pandemic.
The proceeds from this fee will be invested directly in upgrading and expanding the tourism infrastructure system.
TAT Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said that by 2025, TAT aims to enable secondary cities to generate 25% more revenue each year by attracting high-spending tourists. Ms. Thapanee said TAT will offer new tourism products and attractions to attract existing and new customers in Europe, the US, the Middle East and Africa, along with increasing flight capacity to support long-haul travelers.
Thailand’s tourism authorities will take a number of measures to attract tourists from across Asia and the South Pacific, including China, India, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan (China), Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines. They will also target visitors from neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to boost tourism in the long term.
