Thailand delays tourist entry fee until 2026 as arrivals dip and economy falters

The €7.50 fee is earmarked for travel insurance and projects that improve tourism infrastructure.

Thailand has postponed the rollout of its long-discussed – and frequently delayed – entry fee for tourists, citing sluggish visitor numbers and economic uncertainty.

Initially expected to take effect in 2025, the 300-baht (€7.50) “kha yeap pan din” (“stepping onto Thai soil”) fee will now be pushed back to the middle of 2026, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

Approved in principle by Thailand’s cabinet in February 2023, the fee would apply to all foreign visitors arriving by air, with a reduced rate of 150 baht (€3.75) for those arriving by land or sea. The funds would go toward projects that improve tourism infrastructure and provide insurance coverage for travellers.

But Assistant Tourism Minister Chakrapol Tangsutthitham confirmed this week that the government is holding off until demand rebounds. (Euronews)