Thailand prepares ฿450 visitor fee proposal for Cabinet review
Proposed uses include visitor insurance and tourist safety, while officials will examine whether some revenue could legally support foreign film rebates.
Thailand’s proposed ฿450 charge for each foreign visitor will require rules on revenue collection and spending before public consultation and Cabinet review. Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun said on 9 October 2026 that she had instructed agencies to prepare those details.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports recommended the amount after discussions by the National Tourism Policy Committee, Suphajee said. Agencies must set out how payments would be collected, how funds would be disbursed and which uses would be permitted, with procedures open to scrutiny.
In response to concerns about tourism, she pointed to comparable charges elsewhere. She said Thailand must explain the intended uses of the proceeds, including safety improvements, insurance for overseas visitors and development of attractions without adequate funding.
Suphajee also tasked her adviser, Veerasak Kowsurat, with checking whether a portion of the proceeds could lawfully fund the Cash Rebate programme for foreign film productions. This could become relevant if increased production activity in Thailand exceeded what the regular budget could support.
She said the latest rebate meeting concentrated on payment delays and made no changes to the rules. A government transition had postponed the appointment of the committee responsible, but its establishment now allows faster processing of unresolved cases.
Suphajee outlined plans for fairer support between overseas productions supervised by the tourism ministry and Thai film operators overseen by the Ministry of Culture. She said greater integration between the ministries could simplify incentive administration in future.
