Thailand prepares to introduce arrival tax
Reports from Thailand suggest the government is considering a plan to charge international visitors an entry fee from January next year.
Public Health minister Pradit Sintavanarong said an entry tax would lead to an increase in the quality of tourists entering Thailand.
Andrew Wood, national president Skal International Thailand, said the tax was "a thinly disguised way for the government to introduce travel ‘insurance’ for all visitors to Thailand".
He said the government had come under pressure for its funding of treatment for tourists’ medical emergencies.
"My biggest concern is, who will collect this money and what is it going to be spent on?
"I’m sure there are better ways to collect this huge sum than taking cash from tourists arriving at the airport.
"In the past the government bundled the passenger airport tax with airfares which made a lot of sense.
"I also worry that the fee will be open to abuse and scams," Wood said
Pradit said the tourism ministry backed the introduction of a visitor arrival fee.
"Now is the time for us to have quality tourists. It’s not as if inbound tour operators won’t organise tours for foreign tourists to come to the country because of the entry fees," the health minister said.
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent