More reservations about the implementation of the new Thai tourist entry tax

No exceptions would be made, it was revealed, and ALL foreigners entering Thailand would have to pay the 300 baht to the airlines. The measure was originally intended to exclude foreigners and persons with work permits who were already residing in Thailand earlier this year. The introduction of the new “tourist tax,” a 300 baht per person arrival levy to fund required insurance coverage, was confirmed last week by the Thai government. Amounting to 11.3 percent of the charge, “limited medical insurance coverage” for foreign visitors with a cap of 500,000 baht for 30 days following their arrival was to be provided as automatic and required insurance coverage. Additionally, the government disclosed last week that an additional 88.7 percent will go to a fund to be used for “international tourism infrastructure in the country,” but it did not specify what that would entail.
Many foreigners expressed their displeasure with the new “tax” on social media, claiming that it came at the wrong moment, that work permits and long-term visa holders should be excluded, and that insurance coverage shouldn’t be required for those who already have it or local insurance plans. The 300-baht tourist levy is experiencing more instability as the upcoming general election approaches and airlines and Thai tourism players scramble to boost arrival numbers. The new tax is roughly $8.00 in US dollars.
On how the Thai government would collect the tax from land and marine arrivals, there are also delays. International airlines are now joining a lengthy list of organizations opposed to the new 300-baht arrival fee, mostly because they do not want to be in charge of its collection and because they perceive it as yet another obstacle to resuming flight schedules with the kingdom. More delays are being experienced, however, as a result of difficulties determining who would be exempt and who wouldn’t be, as well as opposition from overseas airlines charged with collecting the taxes. The gathering of passenger arrival data has also become more legally murky as a result of Thailand’s new privacy rules, which might be contested by international airlines and travelers.