Thailand‘s Cabinet yesterday approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists. It is expected to come into effect on June 1.
Foreigners arriving by air will be charged 300 baht (US$8.79) and those arriving by land/sea will be charged 150 baht (US$4.40), as proposed by the National Tourism Policy Committee two weeks ago.
Holders of Thai passports, diplomatic passports, work permits, special work permits for specific professionals set by the Labour Ministry, transit passengers, and children under two years old are exempt from paying what Thailand calls the “stepping on the land fee.”
The committee decided to halve the fee to 150 baht for land/sea arrivals after concerns that the 300 baht fee would put off Malaysian tourists crossing into southern Thailand for short trips of a few days.
The collected tax will be spent on quite a range of pricey projects,…
