Thailand was originally planning to impose a tourist fee in June, but according to the Bangkok Post , Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has confirmed that the 300-baht tourist fee will be postponed but not after September.
Vietnamese tourists are among the top 10 largest tourist markets of Thailand.
He insisted the fee would not be scrapped, although the way it was charged on airline tickets has been criticised by airlines for violating the International Air Transport Association's Chicago Convention on equality.
Thailand is considering outsourcing the collection of fees for all three modes of entry - air, land and sea - through online applications, websites…
According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Vietnamese tourists are an important market for Thailand's tourism . In 2022, Vietnamese tourists ranked 6th among the total number of foreign tourists to Thailand with nearly 470,000 arrivals. In 2023, Thailand aims to welcome more than 500,000 Vietnamese visitors.
Under the plan, foreign visitors to Thailand by air will have to pay 300 baht, while visitors by land and sea will have to pay 150 baht.
A tourism fund is expected to be established using 60-70% of the revenue collected from this fee, helping to develop tourist destinations, build infrastructure as well as public services...
The Thai government expects to collect about 3.9 billion baht ( $114 million ) in fees this year, some of which will also be used to provide medical and accident insurance for tourists during their stay in Thailand.
Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports said that between 2017 and 2019, the Thai government spent 300-400 million baht per year on the Ministry of Public Health to pay bills left behind by foreign tourists after receiving medical care at public hospitals.
Thailand aims to welcome 25 million international visitors this year, while some other organizations predict it could reach 30 million. Thailand's long-term plan is to welcome 80 million foreign visitors by 2027, contributing up to 25% of GDP.
Thailand has discussed the issue of charging international tourist fees many times but has never implemented it. The fee for foreign tourists was previously planned to be applied from April 2022, but faced strong reactions because it would affect the recovery of the tourism industry after the Covid-19 pandemic, so Thailand temporarily suspended it.
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