It is even a bigger challenge for Myanmar, a country that has just emerged from a 5 years civil war after the recent national election. Myanmar tourism has been most severely impacted and suffering from these unfortunate recent geopolitical conflicts and is trying to recover. Therefore, it deserves support from all stakeholders especially tourism players of the Greater Mekong countries.

As an avid promoter of Mekong tourism for 2 decades plus, I have signed up to support this forum immediately and looking forward to help contributing in a small way as I did before.

I do recommend the Myanmar government to open up the borders immediately for foreign visitors to enable seamless travel by land.

Thks Marvin spot on!

The new entry tax is set to take effect on the 20th June across all 6 airports under AOT. The current which is bundled up with air tickets. The arrival fee/tax/PST will increase to THB 300 (iup +53% ) Slated for travel insurance and infrastructure and a proposed new departure tax of Bt 1,120 (unclear what this tax will be used for?

Andrew

Thks Martin they bundle with air ticket so collection is relatively efficient HOWEVER the govt announced just recently it will not be THB 1,000 but higher at THB 1,120 per person!

Airports of Thailand (AoT) says the planned 53% increase in the international passenger service charge to THB 1,120 from June is UNLIKELY to deter travel demand.

BUT I say perhaps not individually, but collectively Thailand’s growing list of tourism-related fees, taxes and surcharges is beginning to send the wrong message at the wrong time.

Andrew

However, the plans so far on how the revenue will actually be used have been unclear and sometimes contradictory. We’re also still waiting for details on the collection mechanism, so it’s too early to know whether it will be truly seamless for visitors.

The bigger issue is distribution. Most infrastructure bottlenecks today are at the destination level — waste management, drainage, water/sewage, local roads, and climate resilience in places like Phuket. These areas generate enormous tourism revenue but receive relatively little direct central government budget in return.

We need a clear, transparent mechanism that channels a meaningful share of the funds back to the key destinations. Ideally one that can be communicated simply to tourists and the media: “Your 300 THB is directly supporting X project in Phuket.”

Not every investment will be glamorous, but visible, practical improvements would create a real sense of contribution and fairness — exactly what’s needed to build trust and support for the tax.

Add in the competitive set—Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia—all focused on reducing friction, not adding it.

If it’s not seamless, like Bali, it risks doing more harm than good.

Thank you Eric, an excellent and very balanced perspective. I particularly agree with your point that many of today’s long-stay residents, repeat visitors and even investors first arrived in Thailand as younger budget travellers. Thailand’s tourism success was built not only on luxury, but also on accessibility, warmth and emotional connection with the destination and its people.

You also make an important observation regarding the scale of the existing tourism economy. The industry supports far more than hotels alone. Restaurants, transport providers, markets, farmers, entertainment venues and countless SMEs all depend heavily on broad-based visitor flows.

I believe Thailand can and should continue moving toward higher value tourism, but as you rightly say, the transition must be gradual and carefully managed. Maintaining competitiveness while preserving Thailand’s broad appeal remains essential, especially during periods of global uncertainty.

Like you, I remain optimistic about Thailand’s long-term potential and resilience.

Warm regards,
Andrew

Lest we forget, many of today’s high-value tourists first came to Thailand as backpackers or budget travellers and later fell in love with the country, its culture, and especially its people. Many returned repeatedly, invested here, retired here, or became ambassadors for Thailand abroad. Hopefully, we are still on the correct path to attract quality tourism without losing the broad appeal that made Thailand so successful in the first place.

We must also consider the enormous tourism infrastructure already built around mid-market and mass tourism. Thailand has thousands of 3- and 4-star hotels and resorts employing hundreds of thousands of workers, while also sustaining farmers, transport operators, suppliers, restaurants, and many ancillary industries together with their families.

Perhaps this is partly a political stance, but tourism contributes close to 20% of Thailand’s GDP. Any transition toward a more luxury-focused model must therefore be gradual and carefully managed. I agree we should continue developing the high-end sector and gradually phase out some of the less savoury low-end aspects of tourism, but we cannot ignore the livelihoods connected to the broader industry.

I remain a great believer in Thailand, its people, and the country’s enormous potential.

Thank you Matt, I think you raise the key issue. Most travellers will probably accept a modest fee if the process is seamless, transparent and efficiently managed. The real challenge has always been less about the amount and more about the logistics, collection system and overall traveller experience.

Your second point is perhaps even more important. Travellers and the tourism industry alike will want reassurance that any funds collected are genuinely reinvested into improving infrastructure, safety, cleanliness, transport links and the overall visitor experience, rather than simply disappearing into general revenue. If visitors can clearly see benefits, acceptance tends to rise considerably.

Warm regards,
Andrew

Thank you Ben, I think many travellers and tourism businesses would agree with you. The timing is delicate, especially when the global economy is already facing uncertainty and travellers are watching every extra cost carefully. Tourism remains one of the world’s great confidence industries and people need encouragement to travel, not additional barriers. Let us hope stability and confidence return soon, because tourism thrives best in times of optimism and peace.

Warm regards,Andrew