Photo: Markus Winkler / Pexels
Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun has backed a proposal for a 450-baht tourism fee on foreign visitors. The Tourism and Sports Ministry recommended the amount, and the National Tourism Policy Committee has already discussed the plan. It is not law yet: it still needs public consultation and cabinet consideration, and no start date has been given.
What is being proposed
The fee would be 450 baht per person, charged to foreign visitors. The Tourism and Sports Ministry recommended that figure. The National Tourism Policy Committee has already discussed the plan.
What happens next
The proposal goes to public consultation first. After that, it goes to the cabinet for consideration. No start date for the fee has been given, so it is not in effect now. If you are planning a trip, watch for the consultation announcement and the cabinet decision.
Conditions set by Suphajee
Suphajee set out several conditions for the fee:
- Thailand must say clearly how the revenue will be spent. Her examples are improving tourist safety and developing attractions that lack adequate funding.
- She has told agencies to draft detailed rules on collection, disbursement and intended use.
- All procedures must be transparent and open to scrutiny.
The rules on how the money is spent have not been written yet.
Will it put visitors off?
Suphajee said the fee could deter visitors. She answered that many countries impose similar charges.
A related issue: the film cash rebate
The article also covers the cash rebate for foreign film productions:
- The latest meeting focused on resolving payment delays, not on introducing new criteria.
- The government transition delayed the appointment of a new committee. It has now been set up, which should speed up payments.
- Suphajee assigned her senior adviser, Weerasak Kowsurat, to examine whether part of the fee revenue could legally fund cash rebates for foreign film crews. This would apply if the number of productions exceeds what the regular budget can cover.
- She also proposed better support for the film industry, to make things fairer between foreign productions and Thai filmmakers. Foreign productions fall under the Tourism and Sports Ministry, while Thai filmmakers fall under the Culture Ministry. She said co-ordinating the two ministries could make support measures more consistent.
What we don't know yet
The article does not say whether there will be exemptions, how the fee would be collected, how much revenue is expected, or whether it would replace or add to existing fees. The decision on a start date and collection method is still pending.
Information sourced from Bangkok Post.