Thailand Puts Proposed 1,000-Baht Air Departure Tax On Hold

Thailand’s Finance Ministry has stepped back from a proposal that would have charged every air passenger leaving the country, Thai or foreign, 1,000 baht per departure. Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas said on October 22 that the ministry will not proceed with the tax for now, citing a wish to keep tourism growth going through the current high season, along with pressure on airline costs from elevated energy prices tied to the conflict in the Middle East.

The underlying draft Departure Tax Act has not been withdrawn or rejected outright — the Revenue Department’s public consultation on the proposal continues to run until October 29, 2026, and officials say they will keep monitoring conditions before deciding whether to revisit it. As originally drafted, the tax would have applied to all nationalities on air departures only, with the government free to set the actual rate anywhere up to a legal ceiling of 5,000 baht. The plan had drawn opposition from both the Association of Thai Travel Agents and the Thai Hotels Association, who argued it would stack on top of other charges travellers already face.

That other charge, a separate 450-baht fee on eligible foreign arrivals, is not affected by this pause and remains under its own separate approval process, with officials previously flagging a possible 2027 start. For now, anyone flying out of Thailand faces no new departure charge beyond the airport passenger service fee already built into ticket prices.