Tourism Tax in Thailand: People visiting Thailand will now have to loosen their pockets. The Thailand government is going to impose tourism tax again. Although the preparations for imposing this tax were done two years ago, but due to some reason it could not be started. Now it will be implemented soon. Know how much tax will have to be paid:
New Delhi: If you are planning to visit Thailand, then you may have to loosen your pocket a little more. Actually, the Thailand government is preparing to impose tourism tax again. This tax will have to be paid by tourists from all over the world coming to Thailand. The purpose of this tax is for the government to increase its revenue and infrastructure. Thailand’s Tourism Minister Sorawong Thienthong has announced the re-implementation of this tax. Under this, 300 baht (about 756 rupees) will be taken from tourists. The government’s target is to reach at least 3 trillion baht this year.
Approval was given in the year 2022
This tax was earlier discontinued under the administration led by Prime Minister Sritha Thavisin. A Bangkok Post report quoted Minister Sorawong as saying that the tourism fee benefits the tourism industry. Giving the reason for this, he said that the revenue can be used for infrastructure and development as well as ensuring the safety of tourists. In the year 2022, the cabinet approved this tax, but it was not implemented as it was not published in the Royal Gazette.
Which tourists will have to pay this tax?
Under the proposed plan, foreign tourists arriving by air will have to pay 300 baht. At the same time, a fee of 150 baht will be charged from those coming by sea and road. However, many people have been excluded from this tax. No tax will have to be paid for a child below two years of age. Also, this tax will not be taken from transit passengers, diplomatic passport holders and people with work permits.
When will it start?
No clear information has been given about when this tax will be levied. It will be started only after publishing it in the Royal Gazette. The minister said that more time is needed to assess the readiness of the system. But it will be started soon. Apart from the tax, the ministry is considering restarting those successful tourism programs which were closed due to Corona.
Other countries also levy such tax
Many countries around the world levy tourism tax. These include Austria, Belgium, Bhutan etc. This tax has to be paid in many cities as well. These include Edinburgh, Barcelona, Paris etc. This tax sometimes also depends on how many days the tourist coming here will stay here. That is, tax is levied on the basis of the day. Apart from this, the more luxurious the hotel in which you will stay, the more tax you will have to pay.
