Thailand eyes B1,000 departure levy on outbound Thai travelers

Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on April 27 that Thailand could revive a B1,000 departure levy on outbound Thai travelers under an existing law, with Phuket among the provinces expected to feel the policy’s tourism impact. He said the Emergency Decree on Departure Levy BE 2526, issued in 1983, still permits the fee’s collection and that the measure could return with Cabinet approval.

The levy was previously set at B500 before it was revoked, while the law allows charges of up to B5,000 per departure.

Levy revenue aimed at domestic travel subsidy

Surasak said the fee would apply only to outbound Thai tourists. Based on about 10 million outbound travelers a year, he said the measure could generate as much as B10 billion annually.

He said the money would fund a co-pay scheme to help cover the cost of domestic trips taken by Thais.

The minister said he would discuss when to revive the levy with the Finance Ministry. He added that he did not expect the charge to deter outbound travel, saying travelers were more likely to focus on airfare costs than the additional fee.

Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/tourism-minister-to-charge-b1-000-departure-levy-100047.php