Tourism minister to charge B1,000 departure levy

The tourism minister plans to impose a 1,000-baht departure levy on outbound Thai tourists to raise a fund for promoting domestic tourism.

Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Monday that the existing Emergency Decree on Departure Levy BE 2526 (1983) allows the collection of the exit fee.

Previously, it had been charged at 500 baht before it was revoked. The revival of the measure could happen soon because the relevant law remains in force. The law caps the levy at 5,000 baht per departure.

According to the minister, the exit fee will be collected from outbound Thai tourists only. Based on about 10 million outbound tourists annually, the government can raise as much as 10 billion baht a year.

The money will be spent on a co-pay scheme to subsidise the costs of Thais’ domestic trips.

Mr Surasak said he would discuss the timing of the departure levy’s revival with the Finance Ministry and that the measure could resume with cabinet approval.

He did not think the exit fee would affect outbound Thai tourists, saying the proceeds would promote domestic tourism and that tourists were more likely to be concerned about airfares, the minister added.