Increase in Airport Taxes Thailand

Apparently according to my travel agent and Thai Air are set to increase next week sometime, they don't know the details of this, but this is typical in a downturn of the ecomony, because Thailand is probably "making money", the put up the taxes.

Not unexpected from Tricky Mark's government: they put up the tax on petrol, raising the pump price by over 50%, and are in the process of introducing a land/property tax, both measures guaranteed to fuel inflation.

Their latest move has been to increase the wholesale price of lottery tickets (the price at which lottery ticket sellers buy lottery tickets from the government) from 80 Baht for a "double" ticket to 100 baht, effective from 2 June, meaning that the lottery sellers have to sell them at 120 baht or more in order to make a profit. There has been no announcement of this, no reports so far as I am aware, and the tickets still show a retail sales price of 40 baht for a "single" ticket (the price set for re-sale by the TRT government).

The effects of this are twofold:

1. The number of ticket sellers coming from Issan every other week (the week preceeding the lottery) to sell tickets has already dropped by as much as a third, as some cannot afford to make the extra investment required and many do not think they will be able to sell sufficient tickets at the increased price to make any sort of profit. Thousands who were making a reasonable living are consequently now unemployed (and tens of thousands more will be if his proposal to sell tickets through the Post Office, as per the British system, is introduced).

2. Many of those who previously bought government lottery tickets will buy from the "underground" lottery instead, where although payouts may not be quite as high it is possible to gamble on several number combinations for as little as 20 baht. Less government lottery tickets will be sold, consequently the government will receive less revenue.

What else could one expect from an Old Etonian?

they put up the tax on petrol, raising the pump price by over 50%

Really? I don't know how I could have missed that, seeing as I fill up at least once a week...

BB, you must be filling up on gas or hot air - or are you just pumping up the bicycle tyres?

Pump prices were around 16 baht per litre when the government first started to remove the subsidy on gasohol (5.6 baht per litre), which it did gradually so that it went largely unnoticed, then raised the tax by between 2.4 and 2.8 baht per litre; the BMA has also imposed its own additional tariff on fuel sold in Bangkok. The change in the price of oil accounts for the remaining pretty minimal price change.

then raised the tax by between 2.4 and 2.8 baht per litre

So, when I fill my tank, the total price has increased (due to taxes) by only 144 to 168 baht (based on a 60-liter fill-up).

No wonder I haven't noticed...

2.4 to 2.8 baht per litre = 15 to 17.5% (@ 16 baht per litre)
removal of subsidy @ 5.6 baht per litre = 35% (@ 16 baht per litre)

15 to 17.5% + 35% = 50 to 52.5% increase in the pump price

Apparently according to my travel agent and Thai Air are set to increase next week sometime, they don't know the details of this.Are we still supposed to be holding our breath for the official announcement?

Apparently according to my travel agent and Thai Air are set to increase next week sometime, they don't know the details of this.Are we still supposed to be holding our breath for the official announcement?


I`ve searched high and low and asked some Thais - not a trace of any tax rise or a clue as to how much. Weird.

I just filled up my car last night. 1,500 baht. The most expensive I can ever remember was 2,400 baht. The cheapest, around 1,200 - 1,300. I use diesel, by the way.

Apparently according to my travel agent and Thai Air are set to increase next week sometime, they don't know the details of this.Are we still supposed to be holding our breath for the official announcement?


I`ve searched high and low and asked some Thais - not a trace of any tax rise or a clue as to how much. Weird.

When I posted this, all my travel agent said was "taxes" were going up, as I said I did not know the details at the time, and must admit even when I spoke to Thai Air, a little vague. However, I have just spoken again to Thai Air and they said the London BKK London run will cost an extra US$20 in fuel surcharges from next week sometime. So it's not a tax increase as such. I did not ask whether this applied to all flights, but I suspect it does. Oogleman, I have googled it but nothing coming up - strange!

When I posted this, all my travel agent said was "taxes" were going up, as I said I did not know the details at the time, and must admit even when I spoke to Thai Air, a little vague.You chose to call the thread "Airport Taxes". A fuel surcharge by a single airline is not an airport tax, is it? Are you this careless in your job?

Curious:

Once is enough, but a dig twice at me, well, I'm laughing now. Obviously, you've got a "thing" about me!!! Look forward to your next dig!

2.4 to 2.8 baht per litre = 15 to 17.5% (@ 16 baht per litre)
removal of subsidy @ 5.6 baht per litre = 35% (@ 16 baht per litre)

15 to 17.5% + 35% = 50 to 52.5% increase in the pump price

Don't forget that the Thai gov't waived the VAT (7%) on fuel somewhat around July last year, for 6 months.
That at least explains a possible jump in fuel prices in January when the VAT came back on.

When I posted this, all my travel agent said was "taxes" were going up, as I said I did not know the details at the time, and must admit even when I spoke to Thai Air, a little vague.You chose to call the thread "Airport Taxes". A fuel surcharge by a single airline is not an airport tax, is it? Are you this careless in your job?

It appears that WD's job is making a prat of himself, with his wild inaacurate postings that even when pointed out to him he refuses to acknowledge or apologise for the errors. It must be all his claimed power-reading skills that have addled his brain
:study:

Not again, but here we go.

PLEASE READ MY ORIGINAL POST- READ IT THOROUGHLY. Simple really. Wild and inaccurate! Note I used the the "vague" in a post. Me a prat. I suppose it's better than being a twat which is what you are. I can if you so wish justify why you are a twat!

Me a prat.I think the avatar of the headless chicken sums it up.

I just filled up my car last night. 1,500 baht. The most expensive I can ever remember was 2,400 baht. The cheapest, around 1,200 - 1,300. I use diesel, by the way.

Sorry, BB, I had not realised you had only taken up driving comparatively recently in your long stay here. Even I can remember paying 11 baht a litre (some time ago!).

I got my first car here in 1993. Maybe my memory is going.

[mj_87-old]

[quote="Gone Fishing":3a0iy9bb]2.4 to 2.8 baht per litre = 15 to 17.5% (@ 16 baht per litre)
removal of subsidy @ 5.6 baht per litre = 35% (@ 16 baht per litre)

15 to 17.5% + 35% = 50 to 52.5% increase in the pump price

Yes "Gone fishing" but have you confirmed all this with the Bumrumgrad Hospital, you know the doctors there are a mine if information, they can even tell you how patients are doing and what operations they are about to have, in other hospitals that have nothing to do with them, so who knows what they are telling you about petrol prices, I filled up to night, I noticed nothing different in the price. :joker:[/quote:3a0iy9bb]


I read the BKK Post online and saw this article earlier this month.
From my reading of the article the fuel subsidy is 1.6 baht per litre and it is being extended into september.
If this article is correct GF appears to have gotten his figures wrong.
GF - where did your 5.6 baht per litre figure come from? It does not seem to line up with the BKK Post newpaper article.
And it appears that the subsidy is still in effect.

Great minds other than my own will have to figure out the discrepancey.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fuel subsidies to cost B16bn
By: YUTHANA PRAIWAN
Published: 2/06/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: BusinessThe State Oil Fund (SOF) will extend its price subsidies for retail fuels until the end of September at a cost of 16 billion baht, to curb the impact of soaring prices on motorists' pockets, says Energy Minister Wannarat Channukul.

The Ministry of Finance two weeks ago raised excise tax on all fuels by two baht in order to increase tax revenues. But retail prices have not been affected by the hike as the Energy Ministry decided to subsidise part of the additional costs for motorists until June.

The ministry used SOF funds to absorb the additional tax expenses.

Global oil prices are increasing to cope with the driving season in the United States, together with the economic recovery in Europe, China and India, which has boosted demand for crude.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) recently maintained its production at a low rate of 24.8 million barrels per day, resulting in a surge in oil prices to nearly $68 per barrel yesterday.

"We have subsidised retail prices at 1.6 baht per litre, costing the fund 4 billion baht a month, which is quite high. But with petrol prices rising almost every week, we need to consider how to help people cope with higher living expenses," Mr Wannarat said.

"However, the fund's total cash on hand is 16 billion baht, so we are only able to absorb the expenses for three months."

In the meantime, the state will accelerate the development of alternative fuels, renewable energy and biofuels, in an attempt to encourage energy conservation among consumers and to rapidly reduce the country's use of petroleum fuels.

"This is the only way to deal with the volatility of global oil prices both for oneself and for the whole country," Mr Wannarat said.

"We will increase privileges as much as possible to investors who develop alternative fuels, including soft loans, tax holidays and price subsidy programmes," he said.

Biofuel (B100) consumption in the first half of May (1-15) rose 6.2% to 1.88 million litres per day - up from 1.77 million in April - a rise of 44.6% from 1.30 million litres per day in October last year.

However, the consumption of ethanol - the raw ingredient for gasohol - decreased slightly to 1.20 million litres per day in mid-May, from 1.23 million litres in April.

No "discrepancy", mj_87. The subsidy /tax relief /call it what you will, was 5.6 baht per litre at its peak, and it was being reduced gradually, as I said, and was due to end by the beginning of this month; I had not realised that that finish date had been extended by three months, nevertheless it is being removed by this government.

The additional excise tax of 2 baht per litre imposed by the Ministry of Finance last month has only been subsidised by the Energy Ministry / State Oil Fund temporarily, so pump prices will be going up by another 2 baht per litre this month (and 1.6 baht in September), as also explained in the article you quote.

Comparatively simple, really - one Ministry quietly puts up the tax, while another makes a big show of subsidising pump prices (albeit temporarily). I think its called politics and spin.


.....Maybe my memory is going.

Age catches up to all of us - aren't you alleged to be on the wrong side of 60??! More recently I can remember paying as much as 44 baht a litre for petrol (and I would guess diesel was a similar price, although I have never used it).