Thailand reconsiders tourist tax – Da Nang English- News

Thai tourism operators are urging the Thai government to seriously consider measures to tackle overtourism. One of the proposed measures is a tourist tax of 300 baht (8.11 USD).

Tourists at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi airport terminal on April 11 during this year’s Songkran festival. (Photo: bangkokpost.com)

While Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has pledged to make 2025 a landmark year for tourism, Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (Fetta) secretary-general Adith Chairattananon said a white paper the federation will present to the government will include solutions to reduce overload to prevent. tourism, which took place in Thailand before the pandemic.

According to Adith, major destinations in Thailand such as Phuket, Samui and Pattaya, with a forecast of 40 million tourists, are on the brink of overtourism.

During the peak season, Phuket was already witnessing traffic congestion and water shortages, with the international airport running out of available slots for airlines, he said.

He also said that one of the key strategies is to attract tourists from major hubs to the country’s secondary cities, which offer enough potential attractions and space to accommodate a significant flow of tourists.

There should be incentives for airlines wanting to operate direct flights to provincial airports such as U-tapao, and for airlines serving Khon Kaen and Krabi, he suggested, adding that the measure will ease congestion between gateways such as Phuket Airport or Suvarnabhumi Airport . and will also help create regional business opportunities.

Moreover, relevant authorities should also accelerate connectivity between airports and inner cities. For example, the lack of public bus access from U-tapao Airport to Pattaya city discourages new airlines from operating flights because the current situation is not favorable for passengers.

Meanwhile, Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) vice president Surawat Akaraworamat said the government should reconsider collecting the 300 baht tourism tax to help finance tourism development as the plan and all related preparations are now rounded.

Surawat said the vital funds will benefit infrastructure development in tier two provinces to attract tourists and improve attractions that have deteriorated due to overtourism.

He said the 300 baht fee will help tourism authorities receive a bigger budget. He noted that a tax of only 300 baht will not deter foreign tourists from visiting Thailand, as some parties have raised concerns, as the tax is cheap compared to some other countries.

Thai authorities have reconsidered measures to tackle the problem of overtourism in the context of steps taken by other countries around the world. Last week, the city of Amsterdam banned the construction of new hotels in the city, while residents of Spain’s Canary Islands called for a limit on the number of tourists as they were hit by rising housing costs.

Source: VNA