Thailand to impose 300 baht entry fee for foreign travellers from June as tourism booms

THAILAND will impose an entry fee on foreign holidaymakers from June as the tourism-reliant nation presses ahead with the long-delayed levy following a better-than-expected recovery in tourist arrivals.

Travellers flying into Thailand will need to pay 300 baht (S$11.8) for each trip and those entering the South-east Asian nation through its land borders and sea ports will be levied 150 baht each, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn told reporters after the cabinet approved the charges on Tuesday (Feb 14). The fees will come into effect in June, he said.

The government expects to collect about 3.9 billion baht in fees this year and a part of it will be used to provide health and accidental insurance cover for the tourists during their stay in the country, Phiphat said.

The entry fee, widely criticised by the local tourism industry, comes as the nation, famed for its Buddhist temples, beaches and national parks, is witnessing a rush in tourist arrivals that’s gained momentum with the abolition of pandemic-era curbs and China’s move to end its Zero-Covid policy.

Foreign tourist arrivals may reach as high as 30 million this year, almost trebling from 11.2 million last year, according to some estimates. Thailand has for long mooted an entry fee for foreign travellers but its implementation was delayed by the pandemic.

A part of the fee will help fund the development of local tourist attractions, Phiphat said.

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The levy will be added to air ticket prices, while the method of collections from entry by land has yet to be determined, the government said last year.

Wuthichai Luangamornlert, managing director of Siam Park City, operator of an amusement park in Bangkok, welcomed the move but added that “the collection of the fees and strict control of its use must be ensured to avoid any problems that may arise in the future”.

Shares of some travel and tourism companies fell in Bangkok trading on the news.

Airports of Thailand declined as much as 1.7 per cent and an index of tour and leisure companies retreated as much as 1.6 per cent, poised for its lowest close in a week. BLOOMBERG