Leaving Thailand: Prepare for an additional 1,000 Baht tax. Revenue Department opens for public feedback on the draft outbound travel tax bill.
Traveling out of Thailand will incur an outbound air travel tax of 1,000 Baht. This is the content of the draft Act on Tax for Traveling Out of the Kingdom, for which the Revenue Department is currently seeking public feedback.
What does this draft Act contain? If you agree or disagree, how can you express your opinion? And why does the government want to collect this tax?
The key content of this draft law is that everyone who travels out of the Kingdom, regardless of nationality, will have to pay the tax each time at the specified rate. In the initial phase, it will focus solely on air travel, with a tax of 1,000 Baht per trip, and set a maximum tax rate of no more than 5,000 Baht per trip. However, land and water travel will be exempt from this tax in the initial phase.
This tax will be collected by transport operators or ticket agents along with the fare, meaning it will be included in the air ticket price. However, if travel is undertaken without purchasing a ticket or without paying the fare through a transport operator, the tax will be paid according to specified criteria and methods. It will not be collected from those who have already purchased tickets before the law takes effect.
However, there will be groups exempted from this tax, based on the same criteria as the exemption for Passenger Service Charges (PSC), which include:
The King, Queen, Royal Prince, Royal Princess, Royal Son-in-law, Royal Daughter-in-law, Royal Grandchildren, and their entourage.
The Supreme Patriarch and their entourage.
Heads of foreign states and their entourage.
Royal guests of His Majesty the King or Her Majesty the Queen and their entourage.
Children aged not over 2 years.
Inspection teams of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Passengers on official government vehicles.
Transit passengers remaining within the airport area only.
สรุปข่าว
Traveling out of Thailand will incur an outbound air travel tax of 1,000 Baht. This is the content of the draft Act on Tax for Traveling Out of the Kingdom, for which the Revenue Department is currently seeking public feedback.
What does this draft Act contain? If you agree or disagree, how can you express your opinion? And why does the government want to collect this tax?
The key content of this draft law is that everyone who travels out of the Kingdom, regardless of nationality, will have to pay the tax each time at the specified rate. In the initial phase, it will focus solely on air travel, with a tax of 1,000 Baht per trip, and set a maximum tax rate of no more than 5,000 Baht per trip. However, land and water travel will be exempt from this tax in the initial phase.
This tax will be collected by transport operators or ticket agents along with the fare, meaning it will be included in the air ticket price. However, if travel is undertaken without purchasing a ticket or without paying the fare through a transport operator, the tax will be paid according to specified criteria and methods. It will not be collected from those who have already purchased tickets before the law takes effect.
However, there will be groups exempted from this tax, based on the same criteria as the exemption for Passenger Service Charges (PSC), which include:
The King, Queen, Royal Prince, Royal Princess, Royal Son-in-law, Royal Daughter-in-law, Royal Grandchildren, and their entourage.
The Supreme Patriarch and their entourage.
Heads of foreign states and their entourage.
Royal guests of His Majesty the King or Her Majesty the Queen and their entourage.
Children aged not over 2 years.
Inspection teams of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.
Passengers on official government vehicles.
Transit passengers remaining within the airport area only.
As for penalties, a surcharge of twice the tax payable and an additional 1.5% per month have been stipulated, as well as an administrative fine for those who provide false information, present false evidence, or attempt to evade tax.
The draft law also states that Thailand previously collected an outbound travel tax under the Travel Tax Royal Decree in 1983, which then collected 1,000 Baht for air travel and 500 Baht for land and water travel, but it was later suspended in 1997.
Previously, this issue gained traction in April this year, at which time Surasak Phanjaratsak, Minister of Tourism and Sports, pointed out that it was under study and public consultation. The government believes that a large number of Thais travel abroad each year, and if this fee is collected, the funds can be circulated as a budget to support domestic tourism.
Each time this issue is brought up for discussion, there are both those who agree and those who disagree, including the private sector, which believes it might burden Thai tourists and lead to a decrease in tourism.
If you have any opinions, you can now submit your comments and suggestions to the Revenue Department's website at https://www.rd.go.th/68716.html from September 30, 2026, to October 29, 2026.
ที่มาข้อมูล : กรมสรรพากร
ที่มารูปภาพ : AFP
