The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has announced that it will postpone the collection of the 300-baht tourism fee until the fourth quarter of this year and will propose the cancellation of the Thailand Pass starting next month.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn announced that the ministry has decided to withdraw the proposal to implement a tourism fee in order to conduct additional research on the matter. In light of tourists who only stay one or two nights in the country, he believes that the tourist fee for land arrival should be reconsidered.
The ministry will submit the proposal to the cabinet within two months, with the implementation of the fee taking place 90 days after the Royal Gazette publication. This suggests that the starting date could be between the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2023.
Piphat stated that the proposal for the cancellation of the Thailand Pass registration for international arrivals to the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) during its next meeting will attract more tourists, as they will no longer be required to purchase travel insurance or deal with complex entry procedures. The Tourism Authority of Thailand will also meet with tourism operators to discuss any pressing concerns that should be brought up at the next CCSA meeting. (NNT)