Netizens slam Thai govt plan to charge foreign tourists THB300 landing fee

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BANGKOK (The Nation/Asia News Network): The government’s plan to charge each foreign tourist entering Thailand 300 baht from April, known as “Kha Yeap Pan Din” (landing fee), has drawn criticism from netizens.

Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said on Wednesday (Jan 12) that the extra cash would be used for tourism development, including building entrances for the disabled and toilets at various tourist attractions.

He said many countries, such as Japan, Malaysia and European nations, collect so-called landing fees, which are mostly included in flight ticket prices or accommodation fees.

“The Transport Ministry is discussing the issue with several airlines and expect the process to be completed by March,” he said.

“As for land travel, the government will develop an application to enable tourists to pay a fee on entry.”

Phiphat expects the landing/entry fees via air and land to generate between 1.3 trillion and 1.8 trillion baht in revenue.

“Up to 15 million [expected] foreign tourists visiting Thailand would generate approximately 800 billion baht in revenue this year,” he added.