Thailand wants to sock it to Tourists.

[firecat69]

Does this sound familiar?

 

Sort of like when business is bad raise the prices.

 

Glad to see other governments besides the USA have idiots making decisions.

 

Who told him other countries charged for entry.  I don't think so??

 

Maybe some Asian countries charge for Visa on Entry.

 

Not Same Same!

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/375635/tourism-sector-opposed-to-b500-tourist-entry-fee

[vinapu]

Turkey does, they call it visa on arrival but in reality is just nothing more than something like postal stamp placed in passport -no form to be filed.

 

Actually I'd consider all countries offering visa on arrival in the same league- it's nothing else than nice dressing for arrival fee.

I received one in Indonesia in May and don't recall even filing an application

 

Idea is just cash grab.

 

I see already problem with implementing 30/baht per day fee for short term visitors, when it will be collected-presumably in advance, what if somebody will leave sooner, will they get refund?.

[Guest]

They want to "increase the quality of tourists"?  After paying ~40,000 baht to fly to Thailand, a 500 baht fee is hardly going to put me off.  Suppose it might stop a few people coming over the land borders.

 

Otherwise, tax would be much more efficiently collected when levied as a tax on the air fare.

 

If they want to increase the quality of tourists, how about taxing flights from Russia?   50,000 baht per person should do it.

[vinapu]

 

If they want to increase the quality of tourists, how about taxing flights from Russia?   50,000 baht per person should do it.

Are Russians really that bad?  Just asking as I have rather good opinion of them and I travel quite a bit, granted never been to Pattaya but this oversight will be corrected soon

[kokopelli]

Does anyone remember the departue fee which was charged as one passed through Immigation at the airport. That was later incorporated into the price of your airfare and now, I believe, is 700 Baht. Of course out of sight, out of mind. Now they propose to screw the tourist both coming and going.

[firecat69]

I do remember that and thank god they incorporated it .  It was a pain in the ASS.

 

Regards the Russians,  It appears the ones who come to Pattaya are a low class bunch.  I have been to Russia and met many nice people.

 

But as always a few can stereotype a group.  Many bars make them pay when drink is delivered because they leave without paying. They are known for being loud and obnoxious but again I am sure there are many nice families. Certainly they are a big boon to the economy. Russian signs and restaurants etc can be seen all over Pattaya.

[vinapu]

Does anyone remember the departue fee which was charged as one passed through Immigation at the airport. That was later incorporated into the price of your airfare and now, I believe, is 700 Baht. Of course out of sight, out of mind. Now they propose to screw the tourist both coming and going.

yes it was 500 baht and they even had automats to purchase this exit ticket

[vinapu]

I do remember that and thank god they incorporated it .  It was a pain in the ASS.

 

Regards the Russians,  It appears the ones who come to Pattaya are a low class bunch.  I have been to Russia and met many nice people.

 

But as always a few can stereotype a group.  Many bars make them pay when drink is delivered because they leave without paying. They are known for being loud and obnoxious but again I am sure there are many nice families. Certainly they are a big boon to the economy. Russian signs and restaurants etc can be seen all over Pattaya.

so likely as they spent boorish behavior will be tolerated, I wonder how good tippers they are, any  feedback from boys?

[firecat69]

Many Lady Bars have signs No Russians.  You can draw your own conclusions!

[vinapu]

Many Lady Bars have signs No Russians.  You can draw your own conclusions!

understand, read somewhere about boys complaining about them  looking for sex but not willing to pay and lady bars asking for tips to be paid up front so it must be something to it.

[Bob]

Years ago, one had to pay 500 baht to leave the country (Thailand), it being collected just before you entered the immigration-exit room.  What I've understood is that the Thai government made a deal with the airlines where the airlines all collect that amount and pay the Thai government (i.e., we still pay it although indirectly).  I never knew (or can't remember) what the justification was for that 500-baht fee.  [Yes, it was the "departure" tax/fee that  koko and vinapu mention above]

 

Now, they're struggling to figure out how to pay what they claim is the amount foreigners don't pay the Thai hospitals for services.  I've seen the claimed total somewhere but I actually didn't think it was very much.....certainly far less than the amount the Thai hospitals profit from treating us foreigners! 

 

Another one of those "TIT" moments, I suppose.

[Guest Devint6669]

I think it's a bit stupid to charge anything at the airport for that tourist like us come to spend money in there country. We are here to visit them and all there find to is take more out of our pocket... Here what a lot's of guy tell me before, Thai will be taking everything from you there have the chance to do it, and now event the government.

What is to come out of this situation i think it will just piss off a lot's of guy's for sure... Do their will stop comming to thailand i do not think so... 500thb still very low fee, But now if i Understand well it's not only gone a cost 500 because you have to had also the 700 on departure this mean it will cost you more then 1200  for a trip  this is just stupid.

But this is only my opinion.

[Moses]

Have no idea why so many noise about this fee. Fee existed for long time in past and has been temp. off just in Jan 2009 after world crisis 2008. Now it is back. Thailand now discuss visa exemption for Chinese ($25) and will substitute it with fee. The only nations which will be affected by fee - low budget travelers from Cambodia, Laos, Burma and Malaysia. Who cares abut 500 bahts?

[firecat69]

The purpose of my post was nothing to do about the 500 baht because this is nothing to someone who spends thousands to travel here and then spend money.

 

My question was how can there be anyone stupid enough in the government of Thailand to make statements that this fee will improve the quality of the visitor. Can he really be that stupid?

[ChristianPFC]

It seem so.

 

Most hospitals where Foreigners would go are private business, I assume. It's their business to make sure their customers pay.

 

As I said on gaybuttonthai, countries that require me to apply for a visa or have entry fees or exit fees or whatever, are seriously downgraded in my travel plans.

 

Next time I exit Thailand will be for a visa run, probably to Singapore and not Laos or Cambodia, because I don't need a visa for Singapore. A visa run to Laos or Cambodia would me come cheaper, but I don't want to apply for a visa. I did so when I went to Laos three years ago, and extremely unpleasant an incompetent service at the border crossing in Nong Khai.

[Bob]

Have no idea why so many noise about this fee. Fee existed for long time in past and has been temp. off just in Jan 2009 after world crisis 2008. Now it is back.

 

As I understood it, the exit fee of 500  baht which we used to pay directly upon departing was shifted to the airlines (the airlines through their tickets collected it from travelers to/from Thailand and then the airlines paid it directly to the Thai government).  And, unbeknownst to me, the departure fee was later increased to 700 baht.  I'd note the following language comes directly from the Suvarnabhumi website:

          "Since February 1, 2007 the 700 Baht international departure tax was included in the price of flight tickets."

 

Now you say that this departure fee was only temporary and is no longer in effect.  What information do you base that on?

 

Since I haven't read anything about the elimination of the referenced departure tax, I presume it's still in place.  The new 500 baht fee is in addition to that (although it's not in effect as yet) and the Thai government calls it not a departure fee/tax but an entry fee/tax.  And this new proposed fee (as reported in the papers) relates to the Thai government attempting to force foreigners in general to pay into a fund to compensate the hospitals for the fees foreigners don't pay or can't afford to pay.

 

There's little doubt that people who travel abroad to Thailand can in fact afford an extra 500 baht; however, that issue (whether any of us can afford it) isn't the gist of the original post or most subsequent/related comments.

 

P.S.  The justification of the new arrival fee/tax, as noted, is that foreigners aren't paying their full tabs to the government hospitals and The Nation recently reported these bills that foreigners don't pay add up to "over 200 million baht annually."  Well, in spite of the fact that I consider that amount to be somewhat minor in the grand scheme of things, let's analyze that.  Let's say (I think this is about right) that Thailand has about 55 million international entries per year.  If my calculator is working correctly, a 500 baht fee tacked on to all those entrants would raise 27.5 billion baht a year.  Maybe a little bit of an overcharge? 

[Moses]

Bob I never wrote about exit fee. I'm talking about entry fee. It existed in past and has been temp. discontinued at Jan 2009.

[Bob]

Bob I never wrote about exit fee. I'm talking about entry fee. It existed in past and has been temp. discontinued at Jan 2009.

I don't get off arguing any particular point but I've been coming here since the late 90's and I don't remember any entry fee ever being charged.  I never paid one as far as I know. Anybody else ever hear of this? 

 

Perhaps you mean the fee for certain visas which was waived for a short period of time? 

[Guest]

Regards the Russians,  It appears the ones who come to Pattaya are a low class bunch.  I have been to Russia and met many nice people.

But as always a few can stereotype a group.  Many bars make them pay when drink is delivered because they leave without paying. They are known for being loud and obnoxious but again I am sure there are many nice families.

I agree.   The educated professional Russians I deal with in my job are fine.   The Russians in Pattaya are a different matter.

[vinapu]

The purpose of my post was nothing to do about the 500 baht because this is nothing to someone who spends thousands to travel here and then spend money.

 

My question was how can there be anyone stupid enough in the government of Thailand to make statements that this fee will improve the quality of the visitor. Can he really be that stupid?

This is what governments and businesses are always saying when raising taxes and prices. "In order to serve you better", so they simply used this time tested formula not even thinking anybody will believe it anyways. 

While I agree with Moses and you that for most visitors 500 is just a drop in the bucket I still rather spend it at say, Nature Boy than Swampy. 

[vinapu]

It seem so.

 

Most hospitals where Foreigners would go are private business, I assume. It's their business to make sure their customers pay.

 

As I said on gaybuttonthai, countries that require me to apply for a visa or have entry fees or exit fees or whatever, are seriously downgraded in my travel plans.

 

Next time I exit Thailand will be for a visa run, probably to Singapore and not Laos or Cambodia, because I don't need a visa for Singapore. A visa run to Laos or Cambodia would me come cheaper, but I don't want to apply for a visa. I did so when I went to Laos three years ago, and extremely unpleasant an incompetent service at the border crossing in Nong Khai.

Absolutely trouble free and fast visa on arrival  issued at Luang Prabang airport last May so may be you just had a bad luck / or I had good one /

[vinapu]

Let's say (I think this is about right) that Thailand has about 55 million international entries per year.  If my calculator is working correctly, a 500 baht fee tacked on to all those entrants would raise 27.5 billion baht a year.  Maybe a little bit of an overcharge? 

Consider it sealed, no sane government will forfeit revenue of such magnitude at cost of few fee collecting booths at border points.

Hope Thai treasury minister did not read this post 

[vinapu]

I don't get off arguing any particular point but I've been coming here since the late 90's and I don't remember any entry fee ever being charged.  I never paid one as far as I know. Anybody else ever hear of this? 

 

Perhaps you mean the fee for certain visas which was waived for a short period of time? 

I remember only  exit fee of 500 charged at airports

[vinapu]

The educated professional Russians I deal with in my job are fine.   The Russians in Pattaya are a different matter.

I don't want to step on anybody's toe but well before influx of Russians I heard the same words  about all farangs in Pattaya and Kho San in BKK. It's why I never bother going there and hoping to correct this mistake in few weeks.

[Rogie]

 

 I did so when I went to Laos three years ago, and extremely unpleasant an incompetent service at the border crossing in Nong Khai.

 

 

Absolutely trouble free and fast visa on arrival  issued at Luang Prabang airport last May so may be you just had a bad luck / or I had good one /

 

I think fair to say any problems at the airport would be minimal. I haven't flown into Luang Prabang but would be surprised to learn of any unpleasantness.

 

I think the problem with the land border crossings is their unpredictability. I cannot remember the situation at Nong Khai, but at some border posts they charge a supplement if you arrive 'out of hours'. Then there is the discrepancy between paying the fee in dollars versus baht - but that's a minor point. One nasty problem for the lone traveller is being swamped by other people. I seem to recall at some immigration crossings you have to queue at one booth to get your application form, then go away and fill it in and take to a different booth with your money for processing. In the meantime, a few coachloads appear, their occupants spill out, and before you know it you are at the back of the Q!