Thailand will begin charging international arrivals a 300-baht tourism fee in the third quarter of this year. The fee will be used to provide benefits such as insurance and emergency assistance to foreign travelers.
According to Chote Trachu, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Of Tourism and Sports, the Thailand Tourism Fee (TTF) system will be implemented by airlines between August and September 2022. The collection of the fee is in line with the National Tourism Policy Act of 2008, which authorized the creation of a fund to be funded by fees collected from foreign visitors.
Chote said the fund will be used to develop tourist sites, provide 30-day insurance coverage, and assist tourists in emergency situations such as sickness, accidents, or other incidents while in Thailand.
The TTF system is expected to be integrated with airline websites, displaying a fee collection screen for holders of foreign passports. Airlines must assist in screening fee-paying tourists before issuing tickets, and the final passenger manifest must be submitted to the data link 15 minutes after each flight departure.
Diplomats, government officials, people with work permits from countries that have signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand, and children under the age of two will be exempted from paying the tourism fee.
Officials said local and international airlines will be invited to register to pilot the system integration, which will begin on May 2. The ministry will provide training and conduct tests to ensure that the TTF system operates smoothly following its publication in the Royal Gazette. (NNT)
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