Thailand’s new minister of tourism and sports has vowed to start collecting a 300-baht tourism tax during his four-month term and instructed the relevant parties to communicate the benefits of the scheme to visitors.
Artthakorn Sirilatthayakorn said on Friday that the tax is important because the proceeds go to fund insurance coverage for visitors as well as tourism infrastructure development.
He acknowledged the additional cost could affect sentiment, as foreign travellers have voiced concerns about it in social media discussions in the past.
The idea is far from new. It was first mooted in 2020 and finally received cabinet approval in February 2023. But the previous four tourism ministers were unable or unwilling to initiate collection.
Though a study was completed on the benefits of the tax, it still has not been adopted because of concerns about the potential impact on tourism sentiment.
The rate approved in 2003 was 300 baht per person for arrivals by air and 150 baht for land or sea entries.
Former minister Sorawong Thienthong vowed earlier this year to start collecting the tax by the end of 2025, but he later changed his mind.
‘If we impose this tax, we must communicate how much tourists could benefit from it,’ said Mr Artthakorn.
Speaking during a visit to the ministry on Friday, he said new campaigns were planned in the fourth quarter to lift spending and arrivals. By the end of October, the ministry also aims to finalise the budget that was left over from a 1.76-billion-baht domestic subsidy scheme.
The new administration has also emphasised the importance of ensuring tourism safety and finding a way to bring foreign arrivals back to the pre-pandemic level of nearly 40 million, the minister said.
Thailand is currently on course to welcome about 33.4 million foreign arrivals in 2025, down from 35.5 million last year.
Mr Artthakorn said he had set targets for the fourth quarter this year and the first quarter next year, but was not ready to disclose these figures yet.