New immigration tax from January 2014?

[Marsilius]

Supposedly to ensure "quality" tourists!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/artic ... itors.html (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2469988/Thailand-looks-introduce-tourist-entry-fee-bid-improve-quality-visitors.html)

OK speckerlation not fact and those of us what read Thaivisa have known about this for weeks. Hoever the Thai Tourism Board seems very keen on disencouraging tourism to Thailand probably just as well right now with the next civil war shaping up in the streets of Bangkok

[Manforallseasons]

OK speckerlation not fact and those of us what read Thaivisa have known about this for weeks. Hoever the Thai Tourism Board seems very keen on disencouraging tourism to Thailand probably just as well right now with the next civil war shaping up in the streets of Bangkok


If 500 baht discourages tourism those are exactly the tourists they should discourage!

[thaiguest]

OK speckerlation not fact and those of us what read Thaivisa have known about this for weeks. Hoever the Thai Tourism Board seems very keen on disencouraging tourism to Thailand probably just as well right now with the next civil war shaping up in the streets of Bangkok


If 500 baht discourages tourism those are exactly the tourists they should discourage!

The tax is ostensibly to cover the cost of caring for broke non-insured tourists if and when they get sick in Thailand. By happy co-incidence or genuine mistake the amount to be collected is many many multiples greater than the annual average cost of caring for broke sick tourists at the present time.
Maybe the Thai Government is anticipating mass road rage resulting in assault and injury when the 20 million Chinese arrive in their massive snaking bus-trains?

[francois]

This new arrival tax would be in addition to the departure tax which, I believe is 700 Baht and hidden in the cost of your ticket to/from Thailand.

[aot871]

I wonder how it will be collected, ?

[danny99]

I thought there was already a 500 baht tax [charged on departure] you used to pay at kiosks outside immigration control then 3 or so years ago it was included in air ticket prices?

[anonone]

You are correct Danny, though it is not 500 baht now. The 700 baht departure tax is included on all air tickets with a visit to Thailand.

If your air ticket is just with a BKK connection (International to International), then the tax is not applicable. Only if you actually visit Thailand.

It does come into play for those folks with a long connection time and decide to head into Bangkok. When they go back through immigration / security, there is a fairly good chance they will charged the 700 baht. It is not a certainty...depends on how attentive the staff are being...but can be a shock for someone not familiar with it.

I haven't followed the news on the proposed new immigration tax. If they are really implementing for land crossings, I can see that being a real pain to collect the money... Wonder if they are going to end up with something like a toll booth at every crossing point?

[Halfhansum]

Mmmmm . So at a combined 1200 Bht for every passenger, they will be raking in 630,000 Bht. , every time a 777 touches down ? Nice Going....lol

1200 baht is a pittance compared to what some countries charge