Leaving from Bangkok could soon cost something more than the ticket. The Thai Ministry of Finance has in fact put in black and white the return of the tax on those who leave the country and this time, unlike in the past, everyone would pay it, Thais and foreigners, including Italian tourists. This was reported by the economic daily Thansettakij, which has viewed the public consultation document. The bill was entrusted by the ministry to the Revenue Department. The first round of observations opened on September 30th and will close on October 29th.
One thousand baht per flight, capped at five thousand
In the first phase the withdrawal would only concern plane departures: 1,000 baht for each exit, just over 26 euros at the current exchange rate. Exits by land or sea would remain exempt, at least initially. The law sets a ceiling of 5,000 baht (around 130 euros) per single trip. The actual rates would then be decided by ministerial regulation. The airlines or agencies would collect the money, along with the ticket price. Children up to two years old and passengers in transit who do not leave the dedicated area would be exempt. They would not even pay for government flights, the royal family, visiting foreign heads of state and airline staff on duty. In case of non-payment, a penalty equal to double the tax and an increase of 1.5% per month would be incurred. The rule would come into force 180 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. Tickets purchased before that date would remain exempt, even for subsequent departures.
A 1983 tax
The idea did not arise out of nowhere and is based on an emergency decree from 1983, which already provided for 1,000 baht for each departure by plane and 500 for departures by land and/or sea. However, it only affected Thais and resident foreigners, and the aim was to curb the flight of currency and defend the balance of payments. The exemptions arrived in stages: from 1986 for land and sea, from 1 July 1991 for flights. In 2023, a simple technical consultation on the old decree was enough to trigger an uproar, with the Department having to clarify that it had no intention of restoring the levy. Last April, Tourism Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul had relaunched the idea of a thousand baht to be paid only for Thais going abroad. The goal was to finance a holiday discount program at home.
The new text changes the audience and motivation, given that, according to the consultation document, the government wants to make the best use of the available resources while respecting budgetary discipline. He also wants to guarantee himself more margin for any future emergencies. Translated: revenue is needed. And this time, tourists who Thailand does everything to attract would also contribute.
