Making suckers of us

Once again the TAT is doing its best to ensure that tourists go to other country. Now they want to impose an additional 300-baht fee on every foreign visitor “for the management of local tourist destinations. The money will also be used to provide insurance benefits to international tourists visiting the country”.

It seems they “forgot” that they already impose an insurance requirement just to get into the country, which states that US$100,000 coverage is required for Covid-19 coverage as well as an additional 400,000 baht for other medical expenses. Did I mention that that coverage must be paid for before they apply for the tourist visa? The TAT also states that 34 baht will go for insurance coverage. So, every foreigner will now have two medical insurance policies (supposedly). I notice that the TAT neglected to say whether a certificate of medical coverage will need to be presented by foreigners at each and every tourist destination they visit (includes Central World, since this is a tourist destination) and whether TAT will impose another fee in order to provide said certificate to each foreigner.

The TAT also states “the fee collection is in line with the revised National Tourism Policy Act, which authorises the ministry to impose a tourism fee for use in developing local destinations and providing insurance coverage to foreign tourists”. Again, they must have forgotten that most tourist destinations already overcharge all foreign visitors for entry. So where (into whose pocket) is this additional 266 baht going?

Finally, where and when is this fee going to be imposed? Airline fees? Visa applications? Entry points? And what about all of the foreigners who live here and reenter the country? Are they going to be subjected to this ridiculous fee?