Thailand is moving ahead with a long-debated plan to charge foreign visitors an entry fee. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has put a flat charge of 450 baht per person, roughly $14, out for public consultation, and officials hope to start collecting it from air passengers in 2027.
Nothing changes yet. No fee is being collected at Thai airports or border crossings today, and the proposal still has to clear several steps before it becomes law. But for anyone planning a trip to Thailand next year, here is how the plan would work.
What is being proposed
- One flat rate: 450 baht for each foreign visitor, whether they arrive by air, land or sea. An earlier version of the idea set 300 baht for air arrivals and 150 baht for land and sea, but it was never introduced.
- 30 days of cover: one payment would cover several entries and exits within 30 days, together with insurance for the same period.
- Payment: the fee could be added to the price of an air ticket or paid through a website, mobile app or airport kiosk.
- Air first: collection from air passengers would begin 180 days after the rules are published in the Royal Gazette. Land and sea arrivals would follow about a year later, to give border posts such as Sadao on the Malaysian frontier time to prepare.
Who would not pay
The draft exempts royal and government guests, holders of diplomatic and official passports, people with Thai work permits, border-pass users, airline and ship crew, children under two, and transit passengers who stay on the same airline and flight. Thai citizens are not covered by the plan.
Where the money would go
Revenue would flow into a tourism fund for upgrading attractions and infrastructure, restoring damaged natural sites, training tourism workers, marketing and community projects. Part of it would pay for insurance and health protection for foreign visitors. Officials say the state currently absorbs 300 to 400 million baht a year in hospital bills that foreign patients leave unpaid. The Association of Thai Travel Agents estimates the fee could raise about 10 billion baht a year.
Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul argues that, without such a fund, Thailand’s tourism industry is “approaching saturation”. Weerasak Kowsurat, a former tourism minister who chairs the working group behind the plan, was blunter about the cost: “If someone cannot afford a fee at this level, that may tell us something.”
The timeline
The public hearing runs from August 24 to September 28, 2026. After that, the proposal goes back to the National Tourism Policy Committee and then to the Cabinet. Only once it is approved and published in the Royal Gazette does the 180-day countdown for air arrivals begin. Officials have pointed to the first quarter of 2027 as a target, but that depends on every step staying on schedule.
Why now
Thailand welcomed about 35 million international visitors in 2024 and nearly 33 million in 2025, and the ministry expects 2026 to come in close to last year’s level, with conflict in the Middle East weighing on long-haul travel. Popular areas are under pressure from crowds, while other parts of the country see few visitors. The government wants a dedicated source of money that does not depend on the annual budget.
Thailand would join a growing list of destinations that charge visitors directly, from Japan’s higher departure tax to new city and park fees in Europe and Asia.
What it means for your trip
- If you are travelling to Thailand in 2026, there is no fee to pay.
- For trips in 2027, watch for a final decision from the Cabinet and the Royal Gazette notice, which will fix the start date.
- If the fee is bundled into air fares, most visitors will pay it without noticing. Travellers arriving overland should check the rules nearer the time, as land and sea collection would start later.
Sources
- Nation Thailand — Thailand proposes 450-baht fee to fund tourism upgrade
- Nation Thailand — Thailand advances proposed 450-baht tourist fee towards early 2027 collection
- Deep Arrival — Thailand 450-baht tourist fee: public hearing
- The Star — Thailand proposes fee on foreign visitors to fund tourism upgrade