The Thai Government recently announced that international arrivals will need to pay a fee for entry as it nears pre-pandemic entry levels.
The fee, which was previously in motion by the Thai government before the arrival of the pandemic, comes as South East Asian countries experience an influx of international arrivals.
The payment will kick in on 1 June this year, a popular time for Aussie travellers to head to Thailand. International arrivals to the South East Asian country are predicted to hit 30 million this year, up from 11.2 million in 2022. In 2019, Thailand had about 40 million visitors, approximately 800,000 of which were Aussies.
So here’s the details you need to know for how this will impact Aussie travellers.
How much is the fee?
The entry fee is looking to be either 150 Thai Baht ($6) or 300 Thai Baht ($13). This varies based on if the traveller arrives via air, land or sea.
Air travellers will cop the $13 fee, while those entering through other methods will pay the $6 fee.
The Thai Government said that the fee is lower for sea and land arrivals because they are likely to stay in the country longer.
Who is exempt from the fee?
Travellers that don’t stay in Thailand overnight are exempt from the fee, alongside children under the age of two, diplomatic passport holders, Thai nationals and those with Thai work permits.
How can you pay the fee?
This levy is added on to international airfares. It has not yet been determined what collection method will be implemented for sea and land arrivals.
Where does the money go?
Some of the money is set to go to health and insurance coverage for tourists while they’re in Thailand, while the majority will go towards the development and preservation of tourist attractions, according to local news agencies such as the Bangkok Post.
When does the entry fee begin?
The levy will start on 1 June, 2023.
