Articles · Fees & rules
Thailand’s New Travel Fees: The Departure Tax and Entry Fee, Tracked
Over the past few months Thailand has been discussing three different charges on air travellers. The discussion has produced a fair amount of confusion. One charge is already in force. Two are proposals that may or may not become law. None of them is something you pay in cash at the airport. This page sets out where each one stands today and what it would add to the cost of a trip.
The short version
| Charge | Amount | Status on 17 Oct 2026 | Who it applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger service charge, international departures | 1,120 baht (about £25) | In force since 20 June 2026 | Everyone departing internationally from the six main airports |
| Foreign tourist fee | 450 baht (about £10) | Proposed. Consultation finished; awaiting committee and Cabinet approval | Foreign tourists arriving by air, at first |
| Departure tax | 1,000 baht (about £22) | Proposed. Public consultation open until 29 October 2026 | Air departures, all nationalities |
If both proposals go ahead at these rates, a foreign visitor flying in and out would face up to 2,570 baht (about £58) in these charges combined. Of that, 1,120 baht is already being paid today, inside the ticket price.
1. The passenger service charge: already in force
Airports of Thailand (AOT) raised its passenger service charge for international departures from 730 baht to 1,120 baht per person from 20 June 2026. The new rate applies at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang–Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai. Domestic departures stay at 130 baht.
This is an airport charge, not a tax. It is built into the fare when you buy your ticket, so there is nothing to pay at the airport. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, tickets issued before 20 June were not affected. Smaller airports charge less. Thailand’s aeronautical information publication lists 700 baht at Samui and 425 baht at Krabi, Surat Thani and several regional airports for international departures.
What it means for you: nothing to do. If a fare looks slightly higher than it did last year, this is part of the reason.
2. The 450-baht foreign tourist fee: proposed
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is proposing a 450-baht fee for foreign tourists. Under the current draft it would apply at first only to eligible visitors arriving by air. Collection from land and sea arrivals would be postponed for a year. The money would go into a tourism fund. Part of it would pay for insurance covering medical costs and death for visitors who pay the fee, and the rest would go towards tourism development and the restoration of destinations.
An online consultation ran from 24 August to 28 September 2026. It reported 80.5 per cent support for the draft and 78.3 per cent for the 450-baht rate. On 9 October the deputy prime minister overseeing tourism asked officials to draw up transparent rules on collection and spending before the proposal goes forward. It still has to pass the National Tourism Policy Committee and then Cabinet, and then be published in the Royal Gazette. Officials have spoken of a start in the first quarter of 2027. That is a target, not a confirmed date.
What it means for you: nothing is being collected today. Tourism industry groups have publicly backed the fee itself but not the insurance element, so details may still change. It is not the same as national park entry fees, which are charged separately at each park.
3. The 1,000-baht departure tax: out for consultation
The Revenue Department is consulting on a draft Departure Tax Act from 30 September to 29 October 2026. Key points of the draft:
- Who pays: travellers of every nationality, Thai citizens included. This is a change from the dormant 1983 framework, which covered only Thais and foreign residents.
- How much: the draft sets a legal ceiling of 5,000 baht per departure. The proposed starting rate for air departures is 1,000 baht. Land and sea departures would be exempt at first.
- How it would be collected: through airlines and ticketing agents, added to the fare. It would not be paid at a kiosk.
- Exemptions: these would mirror the passenger service charge. They include children aged two and under, transit passengers who stay within the transit area, and official government guests.
- Existing bookings: tickets bought before the law takes effect would be exempt, even if you travel afterwards.
- Timing: if passed, the law would take effect 180 days after publication in the Royal Gazette.
On 13 October the Finance Ministry’s permanent secretary said 1,000 baht was an appropriate rate. He also said the ministry was looking at how the departure tax and the tourist fee could be coordinated so that travellers are not charged twice. One option under consideration is charging on only one leg of the journey.
What it means for you: no departure tax is being collected. Because of the 180-day lead time, even a quick approval would not affect trips in the next six months. Under the draft, tickets already bought would be exempt.
What this adds to a trip
For a typical return trip from the UK, the charge you are paying now is the 1,120-baht airport charge (about £25), already in your fare. If both proposals become law at the stated rates, the extra would be 1,450 baht (about £33) per foreign air traveller. If the government charges only one of them, as the Finance Ministry has suggested, it would be less.
It is worth knowing about. On its own, it is not a reason to change a trip.
A note on third parties
Neither the tourist fee nor the departure tax exists yet. Nobody can legitimately collect either one from you. If a website, agent or message asks you to pay a “Thailand entry fee” or “departure tax” in advance, do not pay. Check with your airline or the official sources below.
Update log
- 17 Oct 2026: Page published. Departure tax consultation open until 29 October. Tourist fee awaiting committee and Cabinet. Passenger service charge of 1,120 baht in force since 20 June.
For how these charges fit into the overall cost of a trip, see our guide to what Thailand really costs in 2026. For the cheapest way to get cash once you land, see our guide to Thai ATM fees.
Sources
All checked 17 October 2026.
- Revenue Department of Thailand: notice of public consultation on the draft Departure Tax Act, 30 September to 29 October 2026 (Thai). rd.go.th/68716.html
- Nation Thailand: “Revenue Dept holds public hearing on 1,000-baht departure tax until Oct 29”, 8 Oct 2026. Covers rate, ceiling, exemptions, collection method, the 180-day lead time and the exemption for existing tickets. nationthailand.com
- Nation Thailand: “Foreign visitors could face 2,570 baht in Thailand travel fees”, 8 Oct 2026. Covers the tourist fee draft and consultation results. nationthailand.com
- Nation Thailand: “Thai finance ministry backs 1,000-baht departure tax plan”, 13 Oct 2026. nationthailand.com
- MGR Online: deputy prime minister’s instructions on the tourist fee, 9 Oct 2026. en.mgronline.com
- Thai Examiner: officials’ first-quarter 2027 target for the tourist fee, 7 Oct 2026. thaiexaminer.com
- Airports of Thailand: notice of the passenger service charge adjustment. investor.airportthai.co.th (PDF). Also the AOT investor FAQ.
- Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand: notification on passenger service charges (No. 3), 2026. caat.or.th (PDF). Rates at other airports are from the CAAT AIP, GEN 4.1.
- TAT Newsroom: PSC increase from 20 June 2026, 18 May 2026. tatnews.org
- Exchange rate: Xe GBP/THB mid-market, 17 Oct 2026, 08:39 UTC (15:39 UTC+7).