Thailand postpones introduction of tourism tax

Thailand has once again pushed back the introduction of its tax on tourists arriving in the country.

The new fee will now be imposed from mid 2026, local media reported.

The tourist fee was first approved in 2023 at THB 300 ($14).

Assistant Tourism Minister Chakrapol Tangsutthitham has confirmed that it would be shelved due to current market conditions.

Thailand tourism arrivals are currently down about 5%.

“We are delaying implementation until tourism demand rebounds,” the minister said.

The long-planned fee is locally referred to as the Kha Yeap Pan Din (literally, “stepping onto Thai soil” fee).

Chakrapol said the decision was made following a review by Minister Sorawong Thienthong.

“We must wait to assess international tourist demand during the upcoming high season in Q4 this year,” Chakrapol explained, saying the ministry needs more time to study the details and determine an appropriate fee structure based on the mode of travel - land, sea, rail, or air.

The revenue generated will be used to enhance tourist sites and fund insurance coverage for foreign visitors.

Image: Koh Samui

Meet the famous English city that wants to gouge tourists

Most cities see tourism as a positive factor; helping local businesses by providing extra income.

But some cities in the UK, which have long promoted themselves as being tourist friendly, now see visitors as a cash cow.

One example is the university city of Cambridge, which is considering imposing a tourist tax at hotels.

Cambridge City Council is looking at a £2 per night hotel tax per room per night for properties with at least 10 rooms.

It would then increase £3 nightly in the third year.

A feasibility study commissioned by the council, the tax could raise up £2.6 million per year. And lose goodness knows how much more in goodwill. Many tourists hate being nickled and dimed.

The city would apparently set up a special organisation that would would manage the collection of the hotel tax. At a cost goodness knows how much cost.

The proposed tax would not affect short-term rentals or colleges which rent out rooms outside of term times, Travel Mole and the BBC report.

“In order for the [organisation] to be established, there needs to be a ballot of the hotels within that catchment area. It’s not something the council can decide,” said Jemma Little, economic development manager at Cambridge City Council.

Manchester recently announced a £1 plus VAT per room, per night hotel tax.

If proposals are approved, the new Cambridge system could start as soon as next year.

Labour councillor Cameron Holloway said: "I think it's a great initiative and one that would be really positive for the city."

So there it is. Cambridge is ready to gouge tourists. It is hard to see two quid a night discouraging anyone from visiting, but it is probably enough to annoy visitors.  

Fortunately, there are lots of alternative places to stay. 

Where tourists are made welcome. 

  

It will be more expensive to visit Bali from February

Bali's long-promised tourism tax will be imposed on visitors to the Indonesian holiday island from Valentine’s Day next year.

All foreign nationals arriving in Bali from February 14, 2024, will be required to pay a fixed fee of IDR150,000 ($15) when they enter the country.

The charge will also be levied on children.

Payment counters will be set up at Denpasar Airport to enable payment in cash or by credit card.

Local officials say it will take just a few seconds per traveller to process the fee, Travel Mole reports. But how long will the queues be? How much chaos will there be?

There have also been discussions about an advance online payment system, which may be implemented before the tourist fee payment is imposed.

Non-Indonesians arriving at Denpasar Airport via domestic flights will also have to pay the fee.

Funds raised by the Bali tourism fee will reportedly go towards environmental and tourism infrastructure projects.

Balinese officials recently proposed a light rail connecting the international airport to holiday hotspot Kuta and southern beach destinations as a way of cracking down on traffic jams.

Welcome to our country: now line-up to pay us a fee

Charging tourists to enter a country seems to be strangely counter productive.

Tourism officials spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money on promotions and advertising aimed at convincing tourists that their region or country is THE one to visit.

Then, when those tourist arrive - buoyant and ready to spend money - they are often delayed in long lines to pay an entry tax of just a few dollars.

It is nickel-and-diming at its absolute worst - and very silly. 

Now Thailand, having pondered the idea, has decided that it plans to a new charge when visitors enter the country.

Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn has said the new fee will come into effect in June, although it is still awaiting cabinet approval.

The proposed fee will be 300 baht (approximately $9 USD or $13 AUS), and will apply to all foreign tourists arriving in the country.

The minister said the fee will support medical costs for foreign tourists who are involved in accidents or injured while in Thailand, as well as aiding the development of tourist destinations in Thailand.

Frankly, if tourists are too stupid to get travel insurance they do not deserve support if they need hospitalisation.

We await full details of how the charge will be implemented,  but let's hope the cost is automatically added to the cost of airfares as there are already far to many airport queues for travellers to negotiate.

Foreigners with work permits will apparently not be charged - and there is still a possibility the charge might not be implemented.

Last January, Thailand officials proposed a similar fee that was never imposed.

Queensland mulls a tax on visitors

Queensland. Beautiful one day. Dumb the next.

The Australian state is considering whether to impose new taxes on tourists.

The Queensland Tourism Industry Reference Panel has proposed introducing visitor taxes for local attractions within the state.

“The idea of a visitor levy is not new. It has been modelled, canvassed and debated for the best part of a decade,” the panel’s report noted.

“While we appreciate that views are polarised as to whether it is an appropriate way to raise funding, everyone we spoke with saw a greater need than ever for increased funding.”

Money raised by the proposed new tax would be pumped back into the sector to maintain state-operated tourist attractions and national parks, as well as for marketing.

“We don’t just want to build back to where we were, we want to see the industry grow,” Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe said.

“We have very different destinations that have very different needs.”

A statewide levy ‘would not work’ the panel said, and it instead suggests local authorities should be able to set a visitor tax.

“Any mechanism needs to be flexible - able to be varied at the local council/destination level to suit local circumstances.”

Kevin Byrne of the Cairns Tourism Industry Association said: "I think an accommodation levy, a visitor levy of 5-8% in the first couple of years, would be appropriate.” 

Well Kevin, let me tell you that will the cost of living rising across Australia, there are lots of tourists who will opt for destinations where they are not being price gouged.