Thailand plans to impose $12 fee for foreign tourists

BANGKOK • Thailand will introduce a 300 baht (S$12) entry fee for foreign visitors from April, officials said yesterday, even as the kingdom seeks to lure travellers back and repair its Covid-19-battered tourism sector.

Strict entry rules imposed to curb the pandemic hammered Thailand's crucial tourism industry last year, contributing to the economy's worst performance in more than 20 years.

The new fee will be incorporated into airfares, said government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana in a statement.

Before the pandemic, nearly 40 million visitors a year flocked to Thailand.

The kingdom is hoping to revamp its tourism strategy with a greater focus on sustainability.

"Revenues will be used for foreign tourists' insurance coverage and infrastructure improvement for sustainable tourism," Tourism Authority of Thailand governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Agence France-Presse.

Tourism revenues are forecast to come in at US$39 billion (S$53 billion) to US$54 billion this year, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Of that amount, around US$24 billion is expected to come from foreign travellers.

An estimated five million foreign tourists are expected to enter the country this year if current travel patterns remain the same.

But the tally could rise to 15 million visitors if arrivals from China, India and neighbouring countries improve.

Thailand eased its entry rules towards the end of last year as it sought to reboot tourism, but changed the regulations again as cases of the Omicron variant surged worldwide.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE