Canadians who have travel plans to Thailand no longer have to worry about paying an extra “tourist tax.”
In June, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin announced the government’s decision to scrap the “controversial” 300 baht (about C$11) tourism fee.
“The fee, intended to be collected from each tourist entering Thailand, was abandoned with the rationale that its elimination could encourage higher tourist spending in other areas, thereby providing a more substantial boost to the economy,” reads a news release from Thailand’s public relations department.
The Southeast Asian country’s previous government approved the charge in February 2023, saying the cost would be used to develop tourist attractions and help cover healthcare for uninsured travellers.
“Part of the fee will be used to take care of tourists,” Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Yuthasak Supasorn told Reuters in January 2022.
“We’ve encountered times when insurance didn’t have coverage for tourists … which became our burden to take care of them.”
The so-called tourist tax was imposed on all foreigners travelling into Thailand by air, but faced a lot of opposition from the private sector, according to the government’s PR department.
It served as insurance coverage of up to 500,000 baht (nearly C$20,000) per person in case of accidents, according to the Bangkok Post.
This includes tourists who experience an accident, riot, terrorist attack, or natural disaster. Coverage for any damage caused by emotional distress can’t exceed 20,000 baht (close to C$800), reported the Bangkok Post.
The tourism fee had been repeatedly postponed since its proposal.
Thailand isn’t the only destination that has imposed a “tourist tax.” Canadians visiting this Spanish city now have to pay a higher fee.
We’ve also created a roundup of ALL countries where Canadians have to pay a tourism fee to visit.