Thailand may charge Thais THB1,000 per overseas trip to fund ‘Tiew Khon La Krueng’

The government is considering reinstating a THB1,000 exit fee for Thai citizens travelling abroad, with the revenue earmarked to support the domestic travel subsidy programme “Tiew Khon La Krueng”.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has been holding talks with the Ministry of Finance on bringing back into force the 1983 decree on overseas travel tax, which would allow the state to collect an exit fee from Thais at THB1,000 per person per trip. The ministry estimates the measure could generate around THB10 billion a year, and would be used to subsidise 10 million entitlements under the “Tiew Khon La Krueng” scheme.

Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul said on Monday that the ministry is exploring the feasibility of reviving the Royal Decree on Overseas Travel Tax B.E. 2526 (1983) to collect the fee from Thai travellers.

Based on data showing Thais make about 10 million overseas trips per year, Surasak said the proposed fee could raise roughly THB10,000 million annually for the state.

He said the funds would be allocated to support the “Tiew Khon La Krueng” programme to stimulate domestic tourism and curb capital outflows from overseas travel.

The proposed exit fee would apply only to Thai citizens, not foreign tourists, Surasak said, to avoid concerns over double charging for both entry and exit. He added that the ministry believes the measure would not materially affect Thais’ decisions to travel abroad.

Surasak said discussions are continuing with the Finance Ministry. As the legal basis already exists, he said the measure could be implemented quickly if approved by the Cabinet.

Thailand previously collected an overseas travel tax of THB500 before it was later scrapped. Surasak said that compared with rising airfares, a THB1,000 fee is likely to have a smaller impact on travel decisions and would serve as a clearly targeted funding source to reinvest in domestic tourism.

“With a programme like this, we can help Thailand’s tourism sector grow sustainably without relying on the state budget,” he said. “It also allows long-term planning because the operating budget is clear.”

He added that the government is also pursuing a separate plan to collect a THB300 entry fee from foreign tourists—often referred to as a “landing fee”—to support a tourism development fund and insurance coverage.

Meanwhile, Thanapol Cheewarattanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), led a delegation to meet Surasak and raised concerns about the proposed THB1,000 overseas travel tax.

One key proposal from the group was for the government to delay reinstating the THB1,000 fee under the 1983 law, arguing it could affect Thai outbound travel volumes and potentially influence international flight capacity in the future.