New fee for tourists in Thailand: foreign travelers may be charged $13.5

The Thai government is discussing the introduction of a single fee of 450 baht (about $13.5) for foreign tourists entering the country.

 

Initially, it was planned to charge 300 baht from tourists arriving by plane, and 150 baht from those entering by land and sea. Now it is proposed to set a single fee of 450 baht for all travelers, regardless of the method of entry.

 

It is planned to initially collect the fee from tourists arriving by air, and later apply it to those crossing the border by land and water as well. 

 

According to the authors of the initiative, the fee collected only from air passengers could raise more than 12 billion baht (about $360 million) per year. Once the mechanism is fully launched, revenue is expected to reach 15 billion baht ($450 million).

 

Thailand's Department of Public Relations has stated that the collected funds will be directed toward modernizing tourism infrastructure and improving safety standards.

 

It is planned to begin collecting the fee from the first quarter of 2027. The project is currently undergoing public discussion, and the process will conclude on September 28. After that, the document will be reviewed by the National Tourism Policy Committee and the government.