Thai travel agents oppose proposed B1,000 departure tax
ATTA Vice President Chotechuang Soorangura said the goal to raise more revenue was understandable, but the principle behind the scheme was unacceptable, reports the
Thai travel agents have criticized a proposed B1,000 departure tax on Thai passengers, saying the measure could damage travel demand and raise questions over how the money would be used. The proposal, raised earlier this week and watched closely by businesses in Phuket, would revive the 1983 Emergency Decree on the Departure Levy, which has been suspended for more than two decades.
ATTA Vice President Chotechuang Soorangura said the aim of raising more revenue was understandable, but the principle behind the plan was unacceptable, according to the Bangkok Post.
Revenue plan and stimulus fund concerns
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the Finance Ministry had previously planned the levy for Thai travellers only. He said outbound travel is estimated at 10 million passengers a year, allowing the tax to generate about B10 billion.
That revenue could be used for domestic tourism stimulus instead of relying solely on the state budget. Chotechuang said it remained unclear how much funding would be allocated to each type of stimulus, undermining transparency over management of the fund.
The ministry intends to keep the scheme separate from the B300 tourism tax charged only to foreign arrivals.
Industry warns of travel and airline impact
Chotechuang said additional charges already being prepared by other state agencies, including airport passenger service fees, are adding to travellers’ costs and weighing on sentiment. He said tourism businesses are still fragile amid the Middle East war and pressure from the rising cost of living.
He warned the levy would clearly affect outbound travel and could also hurt inbound arrivals because air traffic depends on two-way demand to maintain capacity. He also said collection methods remain unclear because the tax would apply only to Thai travellers, unlike Japan’s departure tax, which covers all departing passengers.
During Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn’s term as tourism and sports minister, attempts to collect a B300 fee from foreign visitors through airlines ran into problems. Aviation bodies said that system was impractical for airline operations and could be seen as discriminatory under International Civil Aviation Organization rules.
ATTA vice-president Kriangphon Piyaekchai said alternatives include regulating illegal accommodation and other unlicensed operators to widen the tax base, while continuing limited-cost domestic travel tax deductions.
Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/travel-agents-slam-b1-000-exit-tax-100063.php
