News Forum - Tourists unsure about new 300-baht fee, question how money will be spent

[Thaiger]

The jury’s out on Thailand’s new 300-baht tourism fee, with foreigners expressing reservations about its introduction. The Thai government has confirmed that all overseas arrivals will have to pay the 300-baht levy from April. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, a number of foreigners have questioned how the money will be spent. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana has previously stated that the fee will be used to develop and upgrade tourist attractions, creating disabled access and adding facilities such as public toilets. He says people flying into the kingdom will have the fee included in their airfare, while those coming by land […]

The story Tourists unsure about new 300-baht fee, question how money will be spent as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Sarisin]

The toilets will then be charged for to use!

[Simmie]

Typical Thailand any way to fleece money out of tourists !!! 

[Lawyers_Guns_and_Money]

30 minutes ago, Thaiger said:

The jury’s out on Thailand’s new 300-baht tourism fee, with foreigners expressing reservations about its introduction. The Thai government has confirmed that all overseas arrivals will have to pay the 300-baht levy from April. Speaking to the Bangkok Post, a number of foreigners have questioned how the money will be spent. Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana has previously stated that the fee will be used to develop and upgrade tourist attractions, creating disabled access and adding facilities such as public toilets. He says people flying into the kingdom will have the fee included in their airfare, while those coming by land […]

The story Tourists unsure about new 300-baht fee, question how money will be spent as seen on Thaiger News.

Read the full story

I don't have much of a say on how fees and taxes are used in my home country. Given that it is less than $10 USD, I am going to reserve "concern" over things that I can control. 

[HolyCowCm]

18 minutes ago, Sarisin said:

The toilets will then be charged for to use!

Yes becasue they need to be cleaned and that will probably not be part of their shiny bathroom promise for where the money goes. I hope they put them on Sukhumvit and the outside bars start popping up again. That was real nice to have them mobile bars back then, but no where to take a whizz was the one problem with drinking on the sidewalks.

[NAS]

Jury out on 300 baht, really?  You also managed to find concerned tourists-well done and welcome to the social media quality of seeking opinion and news. 

[Malc-Thai]

How about the ฿700 exit tax that was conveniently put on the return ticket and now quietly forgotten about, and seriously how much of this money will actually get to its final destination from all of the overpricing and backhanders down the line ..

[nobusinessofurs]

It should be 3000b, weed out some of the least undesirable

Edited January 17 by nobusinessofurs

[Graham]

Yes there are many questions related to this, we all know it's not a big amount of money and I personally do not see it as being an issue. My biggest question is, what exactly is the money to be used for, how will there be any proof that the money actually gets to where it was intended and not just filtered off to somewhere else, how are they going to distinguish Thai's from other nationalities if this is being added to ticket costs.

Or is this just another scam to put money into the governments accounts  ?

[Prosaap]

I dont mind pay 300 bath but the logic is stupid you have a tourist atraction you make mone from it in a normal country you put some of that money back to invest and develop and maintain the attractions so here they take all the money they can from a attraction for what you pay a fee already to use and ask you pay for it again beter ask 500 bath cancel the covid insurence and use it for upgrade the medical standard or the school system 

[Thommo]

48 minutes ago, Sarisin said:

The toilets will then be charged for to use!

No the translation was not correct,  he meant the money wil go down the toilet 

[MelBurn]

What's $10? Just open the damn country so that people can get their life back

[Buttaxe]

It won't be the last, Thais don't feel good unless they're screwing Farang to the absolute max possible. Tourist sites and National parks are already dual-price, charging foreigners AND their children, tourist OR RESIDENT, TEN TIMES more than locals, so we already subsidise them. None of this will go towards insurance either. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2pricethailand

 

[alex12345]

 

tourists really don't care about $7 included in their flight unless they actually live here or know anything about the government in thailand. This article isn't really accurate but I could see why people from India could be suspicious Thai culture in part comes from India so I guess they understand more whats going on than your average joe tourist

If the insurance is equivalent to government SSO insurance they might have a long wait in the hospital but they should be covered for most things, its the private insurances that are bad in thailand unless your employer pays a high premium.

Yes obviously in a corrupt society some of this money will get siphoned off and what about the fact foreigners already pay a fortune to get into places anyway

This fee does seem a bit like a cash grab its got to be said

But thats Thailand if you live here someone is always asking for money

 

[Benroon]

1 hour ago, Simmie said:

Typical Thailand any way to fleece money out of tourists !!! 

It's 300 baht for f***s sake ! How can anyone get stressed over such a ridiculous amount ?

Virtually every country now has a departure tax as well - the UK's is the nearly the same as Thailand, who would think it.

 

[Benroon]

8 minutes ago, alex12345 said:

tourists really don't care about $7 included in their flight unless they actually live here or know anything about the government in thailand. This article isn't really accurate but I could see why people from India could be suspicious Thai culture in part comes from India so I guess they understand more whats going on than your average joe tourist

If the insurance is equivalent to government SSO insurance they might have a long wait in the hospital but they should be covered for most things, its the private insurances that are bad in thailand unless your employer pays a high premium.

Yes obviously in a corrupt society some of this money will get siphoned off and what about the fact foreigners already pay a fortune to get into places anyway

This fee does seem a bit like a cash grab its got to be said

But thats Thailand if you live here someone is always asking for money

If you think Thailand is always asking for money, don't even think of going to the UK where just to fart will attract 28 different types of tax ! The professional whingers here not paying any tax bills, cheap petrol even now, paying 7% VAT, just don't know how good they've got it. 

As for the 'National Parks' mantra - jesus wept I would bet anything that the vast majority of the whingers haven't set foot in a national park but they've read on the forums about some perceived scam and decided that will do as my next whinge ! 

[Vince]

1 hour ago, nobusinessofurs said:

It should be 3000b, weed out some of the least undesirable

And they could toss in some covid insurance with it :-) 

[Bluesofa]

24 minutes ago, Benroon said:

If you think Thailand is always asking for money, don't even think of going to the UK where just to fart will attract 28 different types of tax ! The professional whingers here not paying any tax bills, cheap petrol even now, paying 7% VAT, just don't know how good they've got it. 

As for the 'National Parks' mantra - jesus wept I would bet anything that the vast majority of the whingers haven't set foot in a national park but they've read on the forums about some perceived scam and decided that will do as my next whinge ! 

Well at least farting in the UK is taxed on a non-racist basis, rather than Thai double pricing here.

[nobusinessofurs]

10 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

Well at least farting in the UK is taxed on a non-racist basis, rather than Thai double pricing here.

In over 15 years I've never experienced double pricing here.

[Vince]

13 minutes ago, Bluesofa said:

Well at least farting in the UK is taxed on a non-racist basis, rather than Thai double pricing here.

Double pricing isn't racist. Double pricing exists all around, in most countries, and probably in your favorite pub. 

Overcharging tourists happens in every tourist city. Even yours, if it's one. 

And double pricing isn't a tax, at least the examples I'm familiar with. 

Almost in all cases I know of "double pricing" is avoidable. You don't have to buy it. And you can get it somewhere else at a "normal" price. 

You can't usually escape a tax. 

[Bluesofa]

1 minute ago, Vince said:

Double pricing isn't racist. Double pricing exists all around, in most countries, and probably in your favorite pub. 

Overcharging tourists happens in every tourist city. Even yours, if it's one. 

And double pricing isn't a tax, at least the examples I'm familiar with. 

Almost in all cases I know of "double pricing" is avoidable. You don't have to buy it. And you can get it somewhere else at a "normal" price. 

You can't usually escape a tax. 

We had this discussion earlier, about the ferang who had Thai nationality and produced his Thai ID card to be told by a Thai, "You're still a ferang."

[LoongFred]

The answer to how the 300 baht is spent is non of the tourist business. It might be interesting to a Thai but as a visitor you have no say. It's like the foreign tourist want to tell the host how to act. Some people want to find every little thing to complain about. In reality the Thai couldn't care less about your opinions and have probably had enough of the whining. It's only 300 baht and will go up to 500 baht next year. If the cost keeps some from coming. Those are the cheapest ones noone wants.

[Transam]

6 minutes ago, Vince said:

Double pricing isn't racist. Double pricing exists all around, in most countries, and probably in your favorite pub. 

Overcharging tourists happens in every tourist city. Even yours, if it's one. 

And double pricing isn't a tax, at least the examples I'm familiar with. 

Almost in all cases I know of "double pricing" is avoidable. You don't have to buy it. And you can get it somewhere else at a "normal" price. 

You can't usually escape a tax. 

Can't say I have seen double pricing in the UK, I have seen over pricing for everyone though...

[LoongFred]

7 minutes ago, Vince said:

Double pricing isn't racist. Double pricing exists all around, in most countries, and probably in your favorite pub. 

Overcharging tourists happens in every tourist city. Even yours, if it's one. 

And double pricing isn't a tax, at least the examples I'm familiar with. 

Almost in all cases I know of "double pricing" is avoidable. You don't have to buy it. And you can get it somewhere else at a "normal" price. 

You can't usually escape a tax. 

Double price happens every where. Some store offer senior discounts on certain days. Others offer student discounts. Others still offer discounts to veterans.  You name it. Thailand offers discounts to Thais who are citizens. Only cheap visitors complain. If the price is to high your choice is not to buy or go.

[Transam]

1 minute ago, LoongFred said:

Double price happens every where. Some store offer senior discounts on certain days. Others offer student discounts. Others still offer discounts to veterans.  You name it. Thailand offers discounts to Thais who are citizens. Only cheap visitors complain. If the price is to high your choice is not to buy or go.

I don't think you understand, visitors who complain may not be cheap, they just come from a country where visitors pay the same as the host country's folk...