Thailand’s Tourism Minister is planning to implement a 1000-baht fee, about $30, for Thais leaving the country on vacation, with the proceeds going to a fund to promote domestic tourism.
The fee has existed before, in 1983, when it was 500 baht, but was later dropped. The ministry says the new fee will be based on the same Emergency Decree on Departure Levy, which sets an upper limit of 5,000 baht.
According to the minister, the exit fee will be collected from outbound Thai tourists only. Based on about 10 million outbound tourists annually, the government can raise as much as 10 billion baht a year. The money will be spent on a co-pay scheme to subsidize the costs of Thais’ domestic trips.
