BANGKOK, April 28 — In an effort to boost its domestic tourism, Thailand is considering reintroducing a ฿1,000 (RM121.58) outbound travel fee for its citizens and channelling the proceeds to fund Half-Half Travel, a Thai government stimulus project that provides 50 per cent subsidies for local tourism.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said they are in discussions with the Finance Ministry to reinstate the Royal Decree on Taxation for Travel Outside the Kingdom (1983), which would enable authorities to collect an exit fee from Thai nationals travelling abroad.
The proposed fee, set at ฿1,000 per person per trip, is projected to generate around ฿10 billion (RM1.21 billion) annually, based on an estimated 10 million outbound Thai travellers.
“The revenue will be used to support the Half-Half Travel programme, offering 10 million entitlements to encourage domestic tourism and curb capital outflows,” he said in a statement today.
Surasak is confident that the measure would not significantly affect travel decisions among Thai citizens, since the fee is relatively modest compared with current airfares.
He said the outbound fee would apply exclusively to Thai nationals and would not be imposed on foreign visitors.
Further details are being finalised with the Finance Ministry, with the legal framework for the measure is already in place.
“If approved by the Cabinet, the fee could be implemented immediately,” Surasak said, adding that the proposed reintroduction at a higher rate reflects current economic conditions and the need to support tourism stimulus measures.
Thailand previously imposed a similar outbound tax of ฿500 (RM60.79), which was later abolished and replaced with a ฿700 airport (RM85.10) departure tax in the early 2000s.
