Visitors to Thailand to pay up to US$9 tourist fee

By Hoang Phong February 14, 2023 | 10:37 pm PT

Tourists visit the Grand Palace, one of the country's leading tourist attractions, January 2023. Photo by Reuters

Foreign tourists arriving in Thailand by air will have to pay a fee of 300 baht (US$9) while those entering the country via water and land transport will be charged 150 baht each.

The new entry fees will be effective from June after the Thai Cabinet approved the charges on Tuesday, The Bangkok Post reported.

The money will be used to develop tourist attractions and pay for accident insurance for foreigners who are unable to afford treatment, Minister of Tourism and Sports Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said.

Visitors who do not stay overnight will be exempted from the fees.

Thailand has long mulled charging foreign visitors an entry fee, but its implementation was delayed by the Covid crisis.

Thailand welcomed 11 million foreign visitors last year thanks to its open visa policy. The Thai government is targeting 30 million arrivals this year.

Many popular tourist destinations around the world plan to impose similar fees in 2023 to improve the quality of tourism services.

Venice will begin charging tourists a fee this summer. In November, the European Union will begin collecting a tourist fee.