Travellers check in at Suvarnabhumi airport. (File photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)
Tourism operators say plans to introduce or raise taxes on travel services in Thailand remain unjustified and inappropriate at this time, given the lack of clarity on how the revenue would be allocated for development.Airports of Thailand (AoT) plans to raise the international passenger service charge from 730 baht to 1,120 baht from June 20 at its six airports nationwide.
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is studying a proposal to reimpose a departure tax on Thai travellers taking overseas trips, while the long-delayed 300-baht tourism fee for international arrivals is still pending cabinet consideration.
Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said tourism operators do not oppose such charges if the relevant authorities can clearly explain to the public, particularly those required to pay the fees, how the additional revenue would benefit tourism development.
He said neither the proposed departure tax for Thai travellers nor the arrival fee for foreign tourists has a clear spending plan, such as details of the projects that would be funded by the revenue collected from travellers.
