Thailand to collect entry fee from international visitors

Passengers at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)

Bangkok (VNA) - The Government of Thailand has approved the collection of an entry fee, ranging from 150 - 300 THB (4.3 - 8.7 USD), from all international visitors to this country, starting on June 1.

Accordingly, the fee will be 300 THB for foreign arrivals by air and 150 THB for those by land and sea.

However, all one-day visitors will be exempted from the fee.

Holders of work permits in Thailand will also have to pay the entry fee as the system doesn’t differentiate them from normal tourists, but they will receive refunds later.

The Thai Government expected to collect about 3.9 billion THB from the entry fee this year.

Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said part of the fee will be used to cover health and accident insurance for tourists during their stay in the country as well as to help restore local tourist attractions. 

Thai authorities have long considered the fee collection from international tourists, but the move was repeatedly delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In late January, the Tourism Council of Thailand forecast the country will welcome over 30 million foreign tourist arrivals in 2023, much higher than the prediction of 25 - 27.5 million issued earlier by the Government./.

VNA