Thailand will impose an entry fee of 300 baht ($8.90) on foreign visitors starting June, the peak tourist season. Accordingly, visitors flying into Thailand will have to pay 300 baht per trip, while those crossing land borders and seaports will have to pay 150 baht per trip, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn shared the information after the cabinet calculated the application fee.
The fee, called “Kha Yeap Pan Din” (landing fee), will be applied to international visitors entering Thailand by air, sea and land, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. However, foreigners entering Thailand with a border card, not staying overnight or with a work permit will be exempted from paying the fee.
Thailand will impose an entry fee of 300 baht ($8.9) for foreign tourists from June - the peak tourist season.
According to Mr. Phiphat, the 300 baht fee will be applied to visitors entering by air. The 150 baht fee will be applied to those entering Thailand by land or by boat. He said the lower fee for those entering by land and boat is because these people usually only stay in Thailand for a few days.
The government expects to collect about 3.9 billion baht (about $114 million) in fees this year, part of which will be used to provide medical and accident insurance for tourists during their stay in the country, Phiphat added.
The entrance fee, which has been widely criticised by the local tourism industry, comes as tourists flock to Thailand. The government has introduced the fee amid a rapid increase in international visitors to the country following China's lifting of its Zero-Covid policy and the lifting of restrictions to prevent the spread of the virus.
Foreign tourist arrivals could reach 30 million this year, nearly triple the 11.2 million last year, according to some estimates. Thailand has long proposed imposing entry fees on foreign visitors, but the implementation has been delayed due to the pandemic, Phiphat said. Last year, the government said the method of collecting land entry fees had not been determined.
Mr. Phiphat said that Thai authorities have long considered imposing a tourist fee on international visitors. However, this has been delayed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Previously, the Thai government said that those entering by air would pay a tourist fee when purchasing a plane ticket, but has not yet determined the specific form of fee collection for those entering by land.
