Thailand is alarmed by a surge in tourist numbers and proposes a 300 baht tourist levy to combat excessive tourism.
Fearing an over-tourism problem facing popular tourist destinations, Thailand’s tourism operators are urging the government to consider the kingdom’s capacity seriously. Some are proposing a 300 baht tourist tax in an attempt to tackle the problem, the Bangkok Post reports.
Thai Prime Minister Settha Thavisin has pledged to make 2025 a landmark year for tourism, while Adit Chairattananon, secretary-general of the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations, said the white paper the federation will present to the government contains solutions to prevent the excessive tourism seen in Thailand before the pandemic.
Similar efforts were noted in other countries last week, with local authorities in Amsterdam announcing a ban on new hotel construction and residents of Spain’s Canary Islands calling for a limit on the number of tourists as they suffered from rising house prices.
‘With a projected 40 million tourists, popular destinations such as Phuket, Samui, and Pattaya are on the verge of over-tourism,’ Adit said.
Adit said Phuket has already experienced traffic congestion and water shortages during the ‘high’ season, and the international airport has run out of airline slots.
Adit said that the primary strategy is to attract tourists from popular tourist centres to the country’s secondary cities, which offer many potential attractions and space to accommodate a significant flow of tourists.
Incentives are required for airlines operating direct flights to provincial airports such as Utapao, Khon Kaen and Krabi. This will reduce congestion at airports such as Phuket Airport or Suvarnabhumi Airport and help create regional opportunities for tourism businesses.
The relevant authorities should also ensure connectivity between airports and cities. For example, more public bus service from Utapao airport to Pattaya city is needed to motivate new airlines to operate flights as the current situation is inconvenient for passengers.
Tourism Council of Thailand vice president Surawat Akaravoramat said the government should reconsider charging a 300 baht tourist levy to fund tourism development now that the plan and related preparations have been finalised.
Surawat said most of the money would go to infrastructure development in second-tier provinces, which would attract tourists from congested areas and improve attractions that have fallen into disrepair due to excessive tourism.
The 300 baht levy will help tourism authorities get a bigger budget. Every year, the Department of Tourism responsible for developing the offer receives a budget of 700 million baht, which is needed to maintain necessary projects,’ Surawat said.
Introducing a 300 baht tourist tax will not discourage foreign tourists from visiting Thailand, as some parties have said, as the fee is small compared to some countries, such as the Kingdom of Bhutan, where the tourist tax is more than US$100 per day.
Today, many countries tax tourists on airline tickets and hotel check-ins. Surawat summarised that Thailand should start a trial phase of collecting tourist tax through a mobile app or kiosks.
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