Bangkok, Jan. 13 (BNA): Thailand plans to charge 300 baht ($9) in fees from foreign tourists from April to develop attractions and cover accident insurance for foreigners who are unable to pay for themselves, senior officials said Wednesday.
Thailand, one of Asia’s most popular travel destinations, has been hit hard by the pandemic-induced tourism slump, with about 200,000 tourists arriving last year, compared to nearly 40 million in 2019.
Recent efforts to revive the sector have been complicated by the rapid global spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
“Part of the fee will be used to sponsor tourists,” the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Yuthasak Supasorn, was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.
“We have had times when the insurance did not cover the tourists… which has become a burden for us to take care of them,” he said, adding that the money will also be used to modernize the tourism infrastructure.
The fee adds to the list of requirements for foreign tourists seeking entry to Thailand, which includes prepayment for COVID-19 tests, hotel accommodation or quarantine, and insurance with COVID-19 treatment coverage of at least $50,000.
Thailand waived strict quarantine measures in November in place of a “Test & Go” scheme for vaccinated visitors, but suspended that last month over concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant.
Government spokesman Thanakorn Wangpunkongchana said the new fees will be priced in airline tickets and are part of the government’s sustainable tourism plans.
Thanakorn said Thailand expects 5-15 million foreign tourists to arrive this year, depending on the policies in place in its major tourism markets.
He said foreign tourists are expected to generate 800 billion Thai baht ($23.97 billion) this year.
Thailand’s leading business group on Wednesday forecast that the number of foreign tourist arrivals this year will range from 5 to 6 million.
HF