Thailand Weighs Reviving Departure Tax After 35 Years; Tourism Industry Pushes Back
Thailand's Revenue Department is reviewing a bill that would impose a departure tax of 1,000 baht (about $31) on each passenger flying out of the country, the Bangkok Post and other Thai media reported on October 13. The levy could apply not only to Thai nationals but also to all foreign travelers, and is being discussed as applying only to air passengers, with those leaving by land or sea exempt. If adopted, it would most likely be collected in advance by airlines or ticket agents as part of the airfare.
Lavaron Sangsnit, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance, said the draft legislation allows for a levy of up to 5,000 baht, but the rate actually applied under subordinate regulations would be 1,000 baht. He said part of the revenue collected from foreign travelers could be used to fund insurance or emergency medical assistance for foreign visitors. The government says the measure would ease fiscal pressure and support the tourism industry's recovery.
Thailand first introduced a departure tax in 1983, at 1,000 baht for those departing by air and 500 baht for those leaving by land or sea. The land and sea levy was scrapped in May 1986 and collection of the air departure tax was halted in July 1991, so the new measure would mark the tax's return after about 35 years.
Chai Arunanondchai, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said he had sent letters to the finance minister, the minister of tourism and sports, and the head of the Revenue Department, conveying concerns that the economic losses from the tax could outweigh the revenue it generates. The council said the burden would fall especially hard on families traveling together, students studying abroad, small business owners and frequent business travelers, and warned foreign tourists could delay trips to Thailand, visit less often or switch to cheaper destinations. The Revenue Department plans to collect public comments on the bill through the 29th, and whether and when the tax takes effect will be determined through the legislative process.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 曼谷素万那普机场航站楼登机口区域（示意）。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Grendelkhan 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0 授权
