Thailand shelves plans for new border fee as tourist numbers fall

FILE PHOTO: Tourists take photos in front of the Patong Beach sign by the seafront on the southern Thai island of Phuket on November 29, 2024. Thailand had planned to charge 300 baht (US$9.20) for air arrivals and half that for those getting off boats or coming overland from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia after agreeing measures in 2023 in response to growing disquiet about so-called overtourism. - AFP

BANGKOK: One of the world’s most popular holiday destinations has postponed the introduction of a new tourism levy after a surprise drop of nearly six per cent of visitor numbers during the first half of this year.

Thailand had planned to charge 300 baht (US$9.20) for air arrivals and half that for those getting off boats or coming overland from Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia or Malaysia after agreeing measures in 2023 in response to growing disquiet about so-called overtourism.