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JUST LIKE Indonesia, Thailand has now begun to target quality tourism for the sustainability of these tourist destinations. No longer as before, the State of the White Elephant has now begun to target potential foreign tourists to visit the country.
With a bold move, the country will soon implement additional fees for tourists. After a tug of war since a few years ago, Thailand is now determined to impose a tourist fee or surcharge starting June 2023.
Reported by Travel and Leisure, the additional costs that will be charged to tourists range from 150 to 300 baht (IDR65,000 to IDR131,000), depending on how they arrive. The policy, which has been announced since last year, has now received the green light from Thailand’s Cabinet Council, in a meeting held recently.
Those arriving by air are required to pay an additional fee of 300 baht or IDR131,000. For tourists arriving by land or water, they are charged a cheaper fee of 150 baht or IDR65,000.
According to a Bloomberg report, the Thai government is targeting 3.9 billion baht from the tourist tax fee. Later, the additional costs will be used for maintenance and development of attractions, as well as accident or death insurance for tourists.
For tourists arriving by air, the additional tax fee will be included in the ticket price. As for land and water routes, the Thai authorities have not detailed further.
Thailand is a country that has opened its doors to foreign tourists. They have also relaxed entry rules, by no longer requiring tourists to attach proof of vaccination or COVID-19 test results. [sources/photo special]
