– Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on the 22nd of October that the government will not proceed with the proposed 1,000-baht departure tax for the time being.
– Officials cited the desire to keep tourism strong in the final quarter of 2026, elevated energy prices linked to Middle East tensions, and the risk of adding costs for travellers and airlines.
– The Revenue Department had opened public consultation on a draft Departure Tax Act running until the 29th of October. The initial rate under the draft would have been 1,000 baht for air departures of any nationality, with a legal ceiling of 5,000 baht.
– The delay does not affect the separate proposed 450-baht entry fee for foreign arrivals. Industry groups had previously warned the tax could cost tourism far more in lost revenue than it would raise.
Bangkok: The Thai government has postponed its proposed 1,000-baht tax on overseas departures, saying it prefers to maintain tourism momentum through the end of 2026 rather than add further costs for travellers and airlines. This came after widespread criticism of the proposal from tourists and businesses. However, the government did not agree to rule the proposal out entirely ‘sometime” in the future.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas made the announcement on the 22nd of October. He said the ministry had discussed the matter with the Revenue Department and decided against proceeding for now. “We want tourism to continue moving forward,” he said. “We want to build on the positive response to the World Bank and IMF meetings. People around the world want to return, so we want to maintain this positive atmosphere.”
Ekniti pointed to economic uncertainty and higher energy prices connected to the conflict in the Middle East, which have raised operating costs for aviation. Introducing the tax under those conditions, he said, would increase the burden on the public and airlines and could slow the sector’s recovery. The government expects tourism to stay buoyant in the fourth quarter and wants to preserve that trend.
The Revenue Department had been holding a public consultation on the draft Departure Tax Act from the 30th of September to the 29th of October 2026. The draft would have applied to travellers of all nationalities leaving Thailand. The initial rate for air travel was set at 1,000 baht per departure, under a statutory maximum of 5,000 baht. Land and sea exits were to remain exempt at first. The proposal was intended to update collection methods, support fiscal discipline and give the state more flexibility in emergencies. An earlier consultation period and industry objections were covered here.
Travel industry groups had already opposed the measure. The Association of Thai Travel Agents argued it would raise costs for families, students and businesses as well as holidaymakers, and that the potential loss of tourism revenue, estimated by some at 50 billion to 150 billion baht a year, could exceed the roughly 45.9 billion baht the tax was expected to raise. Airlines had also questioned the timing. Those concerns were reported here.
The postponed departure tax is separate from the proposed 450-baht entry fee for foreign visitors arriving by air, which remains awaiting final approval. No new start date for the departure tax has been set.