Thailand wants foreign holidaymakers to contribute to the recovery of the tourism sector in the country, after the travel industry has received a significant blow worldwide due to the corona crisis. The government in Bangkok has presented a plan to make every tourist pay 300 baht.
According to a government spokesman, the contribution will help finance local tourist attractions, similar to the tourist tax that exists in many other countries. The money is also partly intended for a kind of Insurance Program for vacationers, for example, when people end up in the hospital.
The measure should start in April. The charge will then be added to the prices of air tickets. It remains to determine how people entering Thailand by land should pay.
The Thai government expects about 5 million foreign visitors this year, mainly from Europe and the United States. In addition, the government assumes that Chinese and Indian tourists will stay away for a while. If they also travel en masse to Thailand, the number of visitors can reach 9 million. If more borders reopen, the total could even go towards 15 million.
