Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has announced plans to begin collecting a 300-baht fee from foreign tourists arriving in the country starting in June.
According to Phiphat, the funds raised from this fee will be used to support visitors involved in accidents and to develop tourist destinations in the country.
Minister Phiphat noted, however, that the fee will not be collected from foreigners with work permits and border passes.
Thailand expects to see approximately 25 million tourist arrivals this year, a significant increase from the 11.8 million arrivals in 2022. In 2019, the country welcomed a record 40 million arrivals, with over 11 million of them being Chinese.
Tourism is a major contributor to the economy of Thailand, Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, contributing about 12% of its gross domestic product before the pandemic. Tourism spending is forecast to reach at least 2.38 trillion baht this year.
The proposal for a tourist fee was first considered in 2020 and is still subject to cabinet approval. (NNT)
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