Thailand has been considering two new charges on international travel: a ฿1,000 departure tax on every air passenger leaving the country, and a ฿450 entry fee for foreign visitors.
On October 22, 2026, the Finance Minister announced that the departure tax is on hold, saying it wasn't the right time to add costs for travellers and airlines while tourism recovers and energy prices stay high. It hasn't been formally scrapped, so it could return. The ฿450 arrival fee is a separate plan under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and it has not been cancelled.
Neither charge is being collected today.
The short version
| Departure tax | Arrival (tourist) fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | ฿1,000 per flight out | ฿450 per visitor |
| Who pays | Everyone flying out, including Thais and foreign residents | Foreign visitors |
| Status | On hold since Oct 22, 2026 (not scrapped) | Approved in principle; awaiting Cabinet |
| Earliest start | 180 days after Royal Gazette publication | Officials target early 2027 |
| Can it rise? | Yes: the draft sets a ceiling of ฿5,000 | Not specified |
Sources: Revenue Department draft Departure Tax Act; The Nation and Thai Enquirer (Oct 22, 2026); The Thaiger (Oct 23, 2026); Khaosod English (Oct 9, 2026); Thai Examiner (Oct 7, 2026).
1. The ฿1,000 departure tax (now on hold)
The latest: on hold since October 22
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on October 22 that introducing the tax now would add to the burden on travellers and airlines, and that the ministry would assess conditions before proceeding. He pointed to tourism's recovery after the IMF–World Bank meetings in Bangkok, and to the effect of Middle East conflict on energy prices and airline costs. The Thai Hotels Association had also formally opposed the tax. The draft hasn't been withdrawn, so it could come back later.
Sources: The Nation (Oct 22, 2026); Thai Enquirer (Oct 22, 2026); The Thaiger (Oct 23, 2026); Thai Newsroom (Oct 22, 2026).
What it is
In September 2026, Thailand's Revenue Department opened a public consultation on a draft Departure Tax Act. It would charge ฿1,000 every time a passenger leaves Thailand by air, collected by airlines through the ticket price.
Unlike most of Thailand's tourism charges, it isn't aimed only at tourists: Thai citizens, foreign residents and visitors would all pay it. For expats who fly home or travel regionally several times a year, that makes it the more important of the two proposals.
Who would be exempt
Under the draft:
- Children aged two or under
- International transit passengers who stay within designated transit areas
- Airline crew on duty
- Royal family members and official guests
- Departures by land or sea, at least initially
When it could start, if revived
The draft would need Cabinet approval and then Parliament. If it ever passes, it would take effect 180 days after publication in the Royal Gazette, and tickets bought before that date would be exempt.
The ceiling to watch
The draft sets ฿1,000 as the starting rate but allows it to be raised to ฿5,000 per departure by ministerial regulation, without new legislation. That ceiling is what has worried frequent travellers most.
It's on top of what you already pay
Every international ticket from Thailand's main airports already includes a ฿1,120 passenger service charge. The departure tax would be added on top.
Thailand has done this before
Thailand charged a departure tax from 1983 until it was scrapped in 1991, so this would be a return rather than a first.
Sources: Revenue Department consultation notice; Bangkok Post (Oct 2026); globe.co.th and explera (Oct 9, 2026); travelmole (Oct 2026).
2. The proposed ฿450 tourist arrival fee
What it is
Separately, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports is pushing a ฿450 entry fee for foreign visitors, sometimes called the "fee for stepping on Thai soil". It replaces an older plan, approved by Cabinet in 2023 at ฿300 for air and ฿150 for land and sea, which was never collected.
Where it stands
- August 14, 2026: the National Tourism Policy Committee approved the ฿450 fee in principle.
- October 7, 2026: government and industry representatives backed the plan, with officials targeting early 2027.
- October 9, 2026: Deputy Prime Minister Suphajee Suthumpun ordered officials to set transparent rules for collecting and spending the money before the proposal goes to Cabinet.
It still needs Cabinet approval and a Royal Gazette notice. Reports suggest air arrivals would be charged first, with land and sea borders following later.
What the money would pay for
According to the ministry, the revenue would fund tourist safety, an insurance fund covering emergency costs for uninsured foreign visitors, and the upkeep of tourist attractions. It wouldn't replace proper travel insurance.
Will expats on long-stay visas pay it?
Not confirmed. Earlier drafts proposed exemptions for groups such as work-permit holders, diplomats and some residents, but the latest ฿450 proposal hasn't reconfirmed the final list. If you live here on a retirement, marriage or other long-stay visa, watch for the official exemption rules before assuming either way.
Sources: Khaosod English (Oct 9, 2026); Thai Examiner (Oct 7, 2026); Siam Legal (Aug 2026); destinationthailand.io (Sept 2026).
3. What it would cost you if both went ahead
The departure tax is on hold, so these figures show what you'd pay if it returns.
A foreign tourist's round trip (if both pass)
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Arrival fee (proposed) | ฿450 |
| Departure tax (proposed) | ฿1,000 |
| Passenger service charge (already in your ticket) | ฿1,120 |
| Total in fees | ฿2,570 (~$76) |
An expat flying out several times a year (departure tax only)
| Trips out per year | At ฿1,000 | If raised to the ฿5,000 ceiling |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ฿2,000 (~$60) | ฿10,000 (~$298) |
| 4 | ฿4,000 (~$119) | ฿20,000 (~$595) |
| 6 | ฿6,000 (~$179) | ฿30,000 (~$893) |
USD at ฿33.6 = $1. The arrival fee is excluded here because long-stay exemptions aren't confirmed.
4. How it compares with other countries
At ฿1,000, Thailand's departure tax would be modest by international standards:
| Country | Departure charge (economy) | Approx. in baht |
|---|---|---|
| Philippines (travel tax) | ₱1,620 | ~฿900 |
| Thailand (proposed) | ฿1,000 | ฿1,000 |
| Netherlands | €30.25 | ~฿1,160 |
| Australia (Passenger Movement Charge) | A$70 | ~฿1,550 |
| United Kingdom (long-haul Air Passenger Duty) | £106 | ~฿4,700 |
In other words, someone flying from the UK to Bangkok already pays more than four times Thailand's proposed rate in UK taxes alone. The real concern is the ฿5,000 ceiling, not the starting figure.
Sources: HMRC (UK APD from Apr 2026); Australian Department of Home Affairs; Dutch Tax Administration (2026); Philippine travel tax schedule. Conversions approximate.
5. Can you still comment?
The Revenue Department's consultation page was scheduled to stay open until October 29, 2026 on law.go.th, and anyone, including foreign residents, could submit a view. With the tax now on hold, the consultation matters less in the short term, but if the proposal returns, a new hearing would be the place to have your say.
What to do now
- Nothing is being collected. Ignore any website or booking add-on charging you for either fee.
- The departure tax is on hold, so there's no new charge when you fly out. Watch for any revival.
- The ฿450 arrival fee is still planned for early 2027. If you live here long term, watch for the final exemption list.
FAQ
Is Thailand charging a departure tax now? No. The Finance Minister put the proposal on hold on October 22, 2026. It hasn't been formally scrapped, so it could return.
Would expats and Thai citizens have paid the departure tax? Yes. Under the draft it applied to all nationalities flying out, with exemptions for young children, transit passengers, crew and official guests.
Is the ฿450 tourist fee also on hold? No. The Finance Minister said the ฿450 fee falls under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and isn't part of the decision.
Is the tourist entry fee ฿300 or ฿450? The current proposal is ฿450. The ฿300 version was approved in 2023 but never collected and has been replaced.
When will the ฿450 fee start? Officials are targeting early 2027, but it still needs Cabinet approval and a Royal Gazette notice.
Do I pay the departure tax if I leave by land? Under the draft, land and sea departures would be exempt at first.
Could the departure tax go up? Yes. The draft allows the rate to be raised to ฿5,000 per departure by ministerial regulation.