Surasak plans to set the foreign tourist fee at 450 baht, expected to take effect next year, alongside launching the economic stimulus campaign "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" on 1 October, distributing 1,000-baht coupons via the Paotang app.
On 14 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Surasak Pancharoenworakul, Minister of Tourism and Sports, revealed updates on the foreign tourist fee collection. The National Tourism Policy Committee (NTPC) has preliminarily approved the method and rate, with plans to enter a public consultation phase to gather opinions from the public and stakeholders. The proposed fee is 450 baht, and suitable collection methods are being considered, including via airline tickets, websites, applications, kiosks, or bundled with hotel charges.
Minister Surasak emphasized the necessity of this policy, stating that collected funds will go into a development fund for tourism sites, infrastructure, research support, personnel development, publicity, as well as insurance and health safety for tourists. He noted that the majority agree Thailand needs such a fund to develop tourism in various aspects. Without it, Thailand risks reaching saturation or decline, especially relying solely on increasingly limited government budgets annually, which limits competitiveness. The government aims to secure off-budget funds to drive and elevate tourism comprehensively.
Regarding progress on the domestic economic and tourism stimulus under the "Thai Teaw Thai Plus" campaign, the official start date is set for 1 October. The Ministry of Finance intends this to continue from the "Thai Chuey Thai Plus 60/40" project ending in September. Budget from a loan decree is expected to aid Thai entrepreneurs affected by the economic crisis. The project will distribute 1,000-baht coupons, expanded to include various service businesses beyond just restaurants, to spread income throughout the service sector. Eligibility is limited to 50 coupons per person and the coupons will be used via Krungthai Bank’s Paotang app platform.
“This project can only proceed once the Ministry of Finance’s backend and registration systems are 100% ready to prevent bottlenecks that could complicate user experience and cause confusion as happened previously. We aim to launch as soon as possible but must ensure readiness so citizens can use the system smoothly without issues.”
Natthariya Taweewong, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, added details on the foreign tourist fee collection. Initially proposed at 300 baht or 10 USD, recent studies considering economic factors, inflation, and related costs suggested a base rate over 490 baht. After evaluation, 450 baht (around 15 USD) was deemed appropriate without overly impacting tourists. The fee collection is expected to start via air travel next year, becoming effective 180 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, while land and water entry points require 360 days preparation due to complexity and border checkpoint density, notably at key points like Sadao checkpoint.