Thailand to introduce US$9 foreign visitor entry fee as part of tourism campaign to reboot economy

The new charge will be incorporated into airfares and used to cover tourists’ insurance and infrastructure improvement for sustainable tourism

The Southeast Asian nation has been experimenting with various plans to revive its travel industry, with limited success

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Phra Nang beach, in Krabi, Thailand. The kingdom is to charge foreign tourists an entry fee of US$9 from April. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:15pm, 13 Jan 2022

Thailand will introduce a 300 baht (US$9) entry fee for foreign visitors from April, officials said, even as the kingdom seeks to lure travellers back and repair its tourism sector, battered by the impact of Covid-19 travel disruption.

Entry rules imposed to curb the pandemic hammered Thailand’s crucial tourism industry last year, contributing to the economy’s worst performance in more than 20 years.

The new charge will be incorporated into airfares, government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana said; the method of collection from entry by land has yet to be determined.

Foreign tourists will also need to have a maximum insurance coverage of 1 million baht each in case of death and up to 500,000 baht for hospital charges, Thanakorn said.

A banana pancake vendor in Phuket, which is part of the “Sandbox” scheme where fully vaccinated travellers spend seven nights in the sandbox area then can move elsewhere in Thailand. Photo: AFP

Although the entry fee has been under discussion for a long time, its implementation was delayed by Covid-19, said Suthipong Phuenphiphop, a vice-president of the Tourism Council of Thailand. The levy is similar to charges on tourists in many other countries, and the benefits that will come from the initiative will be huge compared to the nominal fee, he said.

Before the pandemic, nearly 40 million visitors a year flocked to Thailand, but the kingdom is hoping to revamp its tourism strategy with a greater focus on sustainability.