29.9 C
Vientiane
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
spot_img

Thailand Postpones Tourism Tax Again, Now Unlikely Before 2026

This Week

Thailand’s long-anticipated “Tourism tax,” often referred to as the “land entry tax,” has been delayed once again, with officials now targeting the second or third quarter of 2026 for implementation.

On 14 July, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports Jakraphon Tangsutthitham announced that 2025 would not be an appropriate time to begin collecting the THB 300 (approx. USD 9.26)  fee, citing “uncontrollable external factors” affecting the tourism industry.

The deputy minister emphasized that the timeline requires adjustment, with the Ministry planning to closely monitor international tourist demand during the high season quarters of 2025 before making any final decisions.

A Four-Year Journey of Delays, Reversals

The tourist entry fee concept originated in 2021 during the era of then-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, when the National Tourism Policy Committee approved a THB 300 (approx. USD 9.26) charge per person, initially scheduled to begin in 2022. 

The proposal faced immediate turbulence when Yuthasak Supasorn, then-governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, unexpectedly suggested increasing the fee to THB 500 (approx. USD 15.43) in October 2021. This higher rate was quickly abandoned following strong opposition from tourism operators.

The fee collection experienced multiple postponements throughout 2022 and 2023, with deadlines shifting from the original April 2022 launch to late 2022, then early 2023, and subsequently to June 2023. 

Despite Cabinet approval on 14 February 2023, implementation was delayed again to September 2023. As that deadline approached, uncertainty persisted, with TAT officials speculating the fee would not begin until 2024.

Political Changes and Policy Reversals

In June 2024, then-Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced that the plan would be scrapped entirely. His administration cited the importance of boosting tourist arrivals and easing post-pandemic recovery efforts.

Later that year, the new administration under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong revived the proposal. 

In March 2025, officials confirmed plans to introduce the tourists fee by the end of the year, in conjunction with the rollout of the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), a new electronic system designed to streamline immigration procedures and facilitate fee collection.

The TDAC system officially launched on 1 May.

Under the revised plan, once officially endorsed through publication in the Royal Gazette, all foreign tourists arriving by air would pay a fee of THB 300 (approx. USD 9.26), while those arriving by land or sea would pay THB 150 (approx. USD 4.63). 

Land and sea travelers would be granted multiple entries within a 30-60 day window, and the fee was also expected to include basic insurance coverage during their stay.

Current Status and Future

As of mid-2025, Thailand has not implemented any tourist entry fee, and foreign travelers continue to enter the country without additional charges beyond standard visa and immigration requirements. 

The policy remains under review by Tourism Minister Surawong Thienthong, with the Ministry maintaining that external factors necessitate the continued delay.

Latest article