Thailand's Proposed 450-Baht Entry Fee for Foreign Visitors Moves Toward a Decision

Thailand’s long-discussed tourist entry fee has moved a step closer to reality: a national committee has endorsed a flat 450-baht charge on foreign visitors, with the proposal now going to a public hearing (open for comment until September 28) before it needs final Cabinet approval. As planned, the fee would be charged once regardless of whether a visitor arrives by air, land or sea, and would cover unlimited entries and exits within a 30-day window under the linked insurance scheme. Diplomats, holders of Thai work permits, border-pass holders, transit passengers, crew and children under two would be exempt. If approved, collection would start with air arrivals first — roughly 180 days after the notice is published in the Royal Gazette, which officials have pointed to as sometime in the first quarter of 2027 — before expanding to land and sea crossings about a year later. The plan and its timeline have shifted more than once already, so anyone budgeting a Thailand trip for 2027 should treat this as the direction of travel rather than a locked-in date, and check for the Cabinet decision before assuming the fee applies.