Thailand: Proposed 450-Baht tourist fee takes shape

As the country prepares a broader revision of its visa exemption policy, including plans to reduce the visa-free stay from 60 to 30 days for many travelers, Thailand’s long-discussed tourist fee is also moving forward after years of debate and delays.

On August 14, 2026, the National Tourism Policy Committee (NTPC) reviewed the principles of the new scheme along with draft rules governing the collection of the fee from foreign tourists.

In its official summary of the meeting, Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports said the proposal will now enter the required public consultation process. Measures falling under the committee’s authority will then have to be submitted to the Cabinet for government approval.

Three days later, Thai authorities released further details on the proposed scheme, including the amount, rollout timeline and payment methods under consideration.

A flat 450-baht fee

The latest version of the proposal sets the fee at 450 baht per person, or about $13.50 based on the estimate provided by Thai authorities.

The same amount would apply regardless of how travelers enter the country:

• by air;
• by land;
• by sea.

The announcement issued by Thai authorities on August 17, 2026 clearly describes the 450-baht amount as a proposed fee, not one that has already taken effect.

The new approach differs from the previous plan, which called for a 300-baht charge on air arrivals and 150 baht for travelers entering by land or sea. Despite several announcements over the years, that fee was ultimately never implemented.

The exact rules governing any categories of travelers who may be exempt from the new fee have yet to be confirmed.

A phased rollout, starting with air arrivals

Thailand plans to introduce the fee in two stages to make implementation easier across the country’s different ports of entry.

The first phase would apply to travelers arriving by air. Under the timeline outlined by the government, collection would begin 180 days after the measure is published in the Royal Gazette, Thailand’s official government journal. Against that backdrop, an early 2027 launch is increasingly being mentioned.

Land and sea arrivals would be brought into the system during a second phase, approximately 360 days after the first phase begins.

The delayed rollout is intended in part to avoid creating operational difficulties at busy land border crossings, particularly along the border with Malaysia.

No firm implementation date has therefore been set at this stage, although early 2027 is now the timeframe most frequently cited for air arrivals.

TDAC among the options being considered for fee collection

Authorities are also working on how travelers would pay the 450-baht fee.

The August 17, 2026 government announcement lists five payment channels currently under consideration:

• adding the fee to the price of airline tickets;
• online payment through an official website;
• payment through a mobile app;
• payment at self-service kiosks at ports of entry;
• other payment methods approved by the Tourism Fund Committee.

The Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) could also play a role in the system.

According to NBT World, a public broadcaster under Thailand’s Government Public Relations Department (PRD), the Ministry of Tourism is considering collecting the fee either through airline tickets or through the Thailand Digital Arrival Card (TDAC) system.

That option, however, is not detailed in the broader government presentation. It therefore remains unclear whether the TDAC would serve directly as a payment interface, simply be connected to the future collection system, or ultimately be replaced by another solution.

The distinction matters: the TDAC itself remains free of charge. Thailand’s Immigration Bureau states that the digital form replaces the former paper arrival card and must be completed by foreign travelers before entering the country.

Any future integration of the tourist fee into the TDAC system would therefore not, at this stage, mean that the digital arrival card itself has become a paid requirement.

A possible solution for multiple entries

Authorities are also considering how the fee should apply to travelers who frequently cross Thailand’s land borders.

The government has raised the possibility of linking payment of the fee to a specific period of insurance coverage, meaning that a traveler making several entries over a short period would not necessarily have to pay 450 baht each time.

Officials have cited the example of a single payment covering multiple entries into Thailand over a one-month period. The exact rules for such a system have yet to be determined.

What would the tourist fee pay for?

Revenue generated by the proposed fee would be used in part to fund the development of tourism infrastructure and improve safety standards across the country.

Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports, Surasak Phancharoenworakul, has said the scheme is intended to provide additional resources for the tourism sector without placing the full cost of those investments on the government budget.

Traveler protection is also part of the proposal, with authorities seeking to link the fee to an insurance or coverage system for foreign visitors. The option currently being studied for multiple entries is itself based on the duration of that coverage.

Travelers are not yet required to pay the 450-baht fee

For travelers currently planning a trip to Thailand, there is no 450-baht tourist fee to pay at this time.

The amount is part of the new proposal under review by Thai authorities. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports says the draft measure must first go through the consultation process before moving ahead in the approval process and, where required, being submitted to the Cabinet.

Only after those steps are completed and the final measure is published in the Royal Gazette can the 180-day countdown begin for collection from travelers arriving by air.

Thailand therefore now has a much more detailed proposal than in previous rounds of announcements: a flat 450-baht fee, a two-stage rollout and several payment methods under consideration, potentially including the TDAC.