Thailand is moving ahead with a long-discussed tourist tax for foreign visitors, with the National Tourism Policy Committee reviewing the principles of a new flat-rate system and draft collection regulations on August 14.
The current proposal sets a single fee of 450 baht ($13.50) per person, replacing an earlier tiered structure that would have charged air travellers 300 baht and those arriving by land or sea 150 baht. Under the new flat model, the fee would apply equally regardless of how a visitor enters the country. Officials have said rollout for air travellers would be staggered, beginning 180 days after the measure is published in the Royal Gazette, with implementation for other entry points to follow separately.
A public consultation ran from August 24 to September 28, drawing 5,954 submissions, and the proposal must still clear the Cabinet before taking effect. Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports said the move would bring the country in line with more than 80 nations that already charge similar arrival fees. Deputy government spokesperson Surasak Phancharoenworakul noted that tourism remains a central pillar of Thailand’s economy, pointing to more than 22mn foreign visitors recorded between January and September 2026, generating over THB1tn ($31bn) in revenue.
Authorities are also exploring how the fee would be collected, with five possible payment channels currently under consideration, including the possibility of integrating payment through airline ticket purchases or Thailand’s Digital Arrival Card (TDAC), the digital entry form travellers already complete ahead of arrival. The government has been explicit that the 450 baht figure remains a proposal rather than a fee currently in force, and no charge applies to travellers entering Thailand at this time.
The arrival fee isn’t the only levy under development. Thailand’s Revenue Department separately opened a public consultation on September 30 for a proposed Departure Tax Act, a draft law that would introduce a tax on exits from the country. Unlike the 450 baht arrival fee, the departure tax wouldn’t be limited to foreign visitors. That consultation remains open until October 29. Combined, the two measures under consideration could add as much as 1,450 baht ($43) to the cost of a trip for foreign visitors travelling by air, pending final approval of both proposals.