The Tourism Council of Thailand is again lobbying for the government to introduce the 300 baht (US$8) levy on all foreign tourist arrivals. Vice president Surawat Akaraworamat said the income was desperately needed to upgrade tourist sites and monuments, whilst the small amount would not deter the number of international arrivals.
The 300 baht revenue booster was first mooted in 2018 with cash to be divided between medical insurance for foreign tourists and a renovation fund for popular sites such as leisure parks and some temples. The idea was then shelved during the covid pandemic and then delayed by the change of government after the May 2023 general election. The current prime minister Srettha Thavisin has shown no interest in the proposal, preferring instead to boost international arrivals by reducing visa restrictions for some countries.
The tourist insurance issue has been addressed, sort of, by the introduction last January of the Thailand Traveller Safety Scheme which allocates up to one million baht (US$27,000) for the accidental death of a foreign tourist and up to half that amount for medical compensation such as loss of limbs. Negligence or carelessness or participation in illegal or dangerous activities voids the policy which is not available in any case for expats. The scheme ends in August 2024 and there is no public information about claims, successful or otherwise, made to date. Some hospitals claim not to have heard of any policy.
The other outstanding issue is the actual collection of the 300 baht, or 150 baht at land borders according to an earlier draft. As the scheme applies only to foreign tourists (not Thais or foreigners with work permits) simply adding the fee to airfares is problematical to say the least. Other ideas have included pre-payment by plastic card or QR code, but the danger of long queues at airports and border crossings remains a real concern. Incoming tourists wanting to pay by cash or needing change or claiming they knew nothing of the 300 baht fee pose a looming reality.
Many members of the Association of Thai Travel Agents are opposed to the introduction of the scheme. Don Chalermwong said, “There are too many practical problems potentially causing chaos. After all the government has so many other ways of getting cash from foreigners such as the increase in the airport departure tax which is hidden in the cost of the ticket, the extension of VAT and the forthcoming residents’ tax on income brought in from overseas. Enough is enough.”
