Thailand to introduce compulsory travel insurance/tourist tax

[GroveHillWanderer]

Not sure if you caught it in the article, but the proposed 300 Baht tourist tax/levy has been dropped.

If you read it, it says it has been sidelined while they look for an alternative so a tax/insurance for foreigners is still on the cards.

A 'tax' is just a fee where the government takes money, and an 'insurance' gives the illusion that the payer is getting something back. So it'll probably be under this guise though not offering much - a bit like the fake health insurance many have to pay now to renew non-O visas.

You said they are saying, "you may not get fleeced by our hospitals if you pay our insurance 'tax' ..." whereas what they (the current government) are saying is that there will be no insurance tax so long as they are in power.

As the article states, "the government is shelving the 300-baht fee scheme during its administration [and] the ministry must seek a new plan to protect tourists."

All the alternatives they are looking at involve central government funding.

So it might be on the cards for later - after a new government comes in but for now (at least according to what is written in the article) it is off the table indefinitely.

[Big Boy]

As I see it, this Gov't are intent on spending cash they don't have:

1. Free holiday insurance.
2. 10,000฿ handouts.
3. Wants a bigger minimum wage rise.
4. Electricity subsidies for the poor.
5. Extension of fuel subsidies.

Should I go on? I don't think the the Gov't can carry on like this indefinitely.

[2/cb]

As I see it, this Gov't are intent on spending cash they don't have:

1. Free holiday insurance.
2. 10,000฿ handouts.
3. Wants a bigger minimum wage rise.
4. Electricity subsidies for the poor.
5. Extension of fuel subsidies.

Should I go on? I don't think the the Gov't can carry on like this indefinitely.

Bit like most western nations. Italy, Spain, Portugal each have debt/GDP ratios of 110-114%, Greece 144%, UK is over 90%. Spending other people’s money is fun but raising the taxes to pay for it isn’t as enjoyable.

[buksida]

Call to renew levy on tourists
Tourism operators are urging the new tourism minister to resume the plan to collect a 300-baht fee from tourists because it is not considered an obstacle to arrivals.

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) said it plans to discuss the necessity of this project with Sermsak Pongpanich, the new tourism minister, as soon as he takes office.

Surawat Akaraworamat, vice-president of the TCT, said most stakeholders in the industry as well as the Thai Chamber of Commerce agree that initiating this fee collection is important because the tourism development priorities do not have other mechanisms to raise funds.

For instance, he said the Tourism Department has 56 tourism-related standards that operators nationwide should apply to ensure quality of services, but the budget for regulating tourism standards is only 10 million baht per year.

"We have serious problems with safety standards," said Mr Surawat.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/ge ... n-tourists

[Big Boy]

"We have serious problems with safety standards," said Mr Surawat.

Really???

I'm sure the 300฿ tax will be spent very wisely to alleviate the problems

[Green Nomad]

There used to be a kiosk at Don Muang that collected your 500 baht after check in on departure. Then it was added to tickets, the thing is where will they draw the line and will we see the benefits?

[Big Boy]

I don't remember that one, but I remember the 1,000฿ tariff for Thais leaving Thailand. I'd just given all of my remaining Baht to the Outlaws who had come to see us off. I was not too pleased.

[HHTel]

There used to be a kiosk at Don Muang that collected your 500 baht after check in on departure. Then it was added to tickets, the thing is where will they draw the line and will we see the benefits?

A long time ago but from what I remember, that was 'airport tax' not 'tourist tax' and applied to everyone, Thais and tourists alike.

[Dannie Boy]

Wasn’t it a straight forward “departure tax”, which as HHTel has said applied to all travellers ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk