Friday 30 October

Customs exit and arrivals area inside Suvarnabhumi Airport

Money & fees

Tourism groups back 450-baht entry fee with conditions

The ministry says the fee would also pay for visitor insurance. Hotel and travel groups dispute its hospital-bill figures and want the money spent on facilities, with public reporting on how it is used.

Thai hotel and travel associations have backed a proposed 450-baht entry fee for foreign visitors, but want changes to the insurance plan.

Why it matters: no one pays the fee today. If the government approves it, air arrivals would pay first, and reports say it could start in early 2027. Officials have not confirmed a date.

The National Tourism Policy Committee and the Cabinet still have to consider it. Land and sea collection would be postponed for a year. Work permit holders, transit passengers and children under two are among the groups under consideration for exemption.

Part of the money would pay for insurance covering death and medical costs for visitors who pay the fee. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports estimates at least eight billion baht a year would remain for attractions, conservation and tourism development after insurance and collection costs.

Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said 32 hospitals treated foreign patients worth 16.957 billion baht in 2024 and collected 9.935 billion baht. The Thai Hotels Association and the Association of Thai Travel Agents said those figures include migrant workers and other foreign patients, and that many tourists already hold travel insurance. They asked for more of the money to go to facilities and emergency help.

In a public consultation with 5,954 participants, 78.3% approved the 450-baht rate. The most popular collection method, at 36.26%, was adding the fee to the ticket.

Background The 450-baht tourist entry fee

Thailand has tried since 2023 to charge foreign visitors an entry fee. The first version was 300 baht by air and 150 baht by land or sea; it was never put into force and was postponed several times. The current proposal is a flat 450 baht, collected from air arrivals first. It has been through public consultation and still needs the National Tourism Policy Committee and the Cabinet. The fee is separate from the 1,000-baht departure tax, which the Finance Minister put on hold on 22 October.

The story so far →Departure tax and tourist entry fee: where they stand →

Visas & entry

Phuket's Blue Tree immigration office closes indefinitely

Visitors extending a 30-day stay should expect longer waits in Phuket Town. The province has about 60 immigration officers, and a request for more staff is with headquarters.

Phuket’s Blue Tree immigration office has been closed since 19 October, and Phuket Immigration has set no reopening date.

Why it matters: visitors who need an extension or another in-person service now go to the main Phuket Town office, where the number of people at Service Counter 101 has roughly doubled.

Blue Tree first described the closure as temporary and due to renovations. The Phuket Immigration superintendent said staffing was the main cause: two officers retired and a third entered police training, leaving about 60 officers for the province. He has asked headquarters for more staff and said he will consider reopening Blue Tree if enough arrive.

The main office has also closed its drive-through counter for good, after traffic complaints that reached the Office of the Prime Minister.

Background Background

Visa-free stays for most eligible nationalities were cut from 60 to 30 days on 15 September 2026. Visitors who want more time apply to Immigration for an extension, which means a visit to an office.

What to do Use the main Phuket Town office for in-person services, allow extra time at Counter 101, and check first whether your procedure can be done online.

Law

Thailand probes 19 firms tied to Chabad rabbi

The Department of Lands and the Department of Business Development are finishing a case file on the companies. Officials said land confirmed as unlawfully held while he was a citizen would have to be sold.

Thailand is investigating 19 companies tied to the head of its Chabad network, stripped of Thai citizenship, the Deputy Interior Minister said on 30 October.

Why it matters: the nominee crackdown now reaches the companies and land of a high-profile religious leader. Officials said land confirmed as unlawfully held during his citizenship would have to be sold.

The man is a prominent rabbi, head of the Chabad network in Thailand and a leader of the Jewish community. Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said officials found he kept using his US nationality after becoming a Thai citizen. The prime minister signed the revocation order after the Department of Special Investigation referred the case to the Department of Provincial Administration.

The Department of Lands and the Department of Business Development are working together on the case file. Polapee said the firms will be treated as nominee businesses if shareholdings in the 19 companies exceed legal limits. Investigators are checking whether they hold stakes in other companies.

Investigators are also examining when each plot was acquired and whether holding it broke Thai law. Officials said they will pursue asset seizures, freezes and compulsory sales where offences are found.

Background The nominee crackdown

Foreigners generally can't own land in Thailand, and many businesses on the Foreign Business Act's restricted lists need majority Thai ownership. A "nominee" setup puts land or a company in Thai names while a foreigner pays for and controls it, which breaks the Land Code (for land) or the Foreign Business Act (for businesses). Raids have spread since 2024 across Phuket, Koh Samui and Pattaya. This October, land offices were ordered to finish investigating 1,397 suspected companies, holding 2,360 plots, by December. Land confirmed as nominee-held faces a forced sale. Registered leases and condos within the foreign quota are legal.

The story so far →Renting and condo life →

In brief

WeatherMinister orders help for tourists hit by Phuket floods.
Tourism and Sports Minister Surasak Phancharoenworakul told the provincial tourism office, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Tourist Police on 29 October to coordinate with provincial officials on visitor safety. He said no tourist injuries had been reported and he does not expect trips to be cancelled.
TransportPattaya motorbike taxis return to orange vests.
Chon Buri’s governor cancelled the planned switch to dark blue vests on 22 October. Drivers have been handing the vests back at the Bang Lamung District Office since 26 October for refunds of 550 baht per vest.
LawLand Transport Department says lifetime licences stay valid.
Posts online had claimed lifetime licences would be recalled. Director-General Sorapong Paitoonphong said on 30 October that the fitness evaluation for applicants aged 55 and over applies only to first-time and new licence applicants.

The Thursday Newsletter

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