Thailand puts brakes on 300 baht tourist fee
Music festivals and celebrity campaigns push soft power as pressure mounts to revive arrivals
Thailand’s ambitious plans to rake in trillions from tourism are hitting turbulence, with officials now backpedalling on a controversial landing fee amid falling visitor numbers.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surawong Thienthong revealed that the government is sticking to its 2025 target of 38 million tourist arrivals and 3 trillion baht in revenue – the same goal as this year. But looking ahead, the real dream lies in 2026, when Thailand hopes to break into the top 10 countries globally for tourism income.
However, hopes of reintroducing pre-Covid levels of tourism may be stalled by ongoing uncertainty – particularly surrounding the much-debated 300 baht landing fee.
Surawong admitted the plan to introduce the fee is on hold for now, fearing it could be blamed for the dip in tourist numbers.
“We don’t want it to be an issue that we announced the collection, and the number of tourists did not increase. We want the number of tourists to increase first and then collect it.
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“From talking with ambassadors from many countries, we are confident that the collection will not affect anything, but overall, we are afraid that people in the country will attack us.”
Although the legal and technical frameworks are ready, and a presentation has already been made to the prime minister, the actual implementation will depend on tourism trends next year. The system will be integrated with the online immigration platform when it rolls out.
The 300 baht fee will apply to all tourists entering via land, sea or air. Importantly, land and sea entries will be treated as multiple-entry passes within 30 days— a move likely designed to accommodate border-hopping travellers such as Malaysians, reported TNN Thailand.
Meanwhile, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool teased the unveiling of a new Global Brand Ambassador in August – a “world-class superstar that everyone knows and loves.”
Thailand is also gearing up for a major festival boom in 2026, including the debut of Tomorrowland Thailand – the first time the iconic event will hit Asia.
Other heavyweight music festivals like Creamfields, EDC, and Rolling Loud are on the way, along with concerts by global artists such as BLACKPINK and Mariah Carey.
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