Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports, Sorawong Thienthong, revealed that the National Tourism Policy Committee has reviewed a proposal to levy a tourism fee (commonly referred to as an "entry fee") on foreign tourists and has agreed to submit the fee structure and collection methods for public consultation. The current preliminary fee is set at 400 to 450 baht per person, with various collection methods under consideration, including through airlines, websites, mobile applications, payment kiosks, and integration with accommodation booking systems.

The Minister stated that the proposal still requires extensive public input, and the fee amount and collection methods will be re-evaluated based on current circumstances, while also taking into account practices in other countries. Following the public consultation period, the proposal will be resubmitted to the National Tourism Policy Committee for further deliberation and then submitted to the Cabinet for approval.

Regarding implementation timelines, if the regulations are officially published in the Royal Gazette, the fee for air travel arrivals is expected to take effect 180 days later. For land and sea border crossings, an estimated 360 days will be needed to prepare the collection systems, as border checkpoints are more complex to manage, particularly high-traffic areas like the Sadao checkpoint.

The revenue collected will be allocated to a dedicated fund for tourism site development, infrastructure, research, talent cultivation, tourism promotion, as well as insurance, safety, and health protection for tourists.

Thailand Source: tuchong creative

Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Congxiao

Editor Ⅱ: Zhang Wenwen

Editor Ⅲ: Pan Kaiyue