Thailand’s tourist fee: 450 baht per entry

Thailand has debated a tourist entry fee for years – the local press calls it “khao yeap pan din”, roughly “a fee for stepping onto the land”. In August 2026 the plan took a visible step forward: the National Tourism Policy Committee endorsed the principles of a 450-baht-per-person charge, with a public hearing and the Cabinet next in line. The government expects actual collection to begin in the first quarter of 2027. As of this guide’s update the fee is not yet in force, but it is worth pencilling into your trip plan already.

What the fee is and how much

Under the endorsed draft the fee is 450 baht per person for foreign visitors arriving by any route – air, land or sea. Officials say the figure came from a standard model reflecting current economic conditions. It sits above an earlier framework that proposed 300 baht for air arrivals and 150 baht for land or sea crossings. The money would go into a tourism development fund.

When it is planned to start

The plan is only part-way through the process: after the committee’s endorsement come a public hearing, a further review and Cabinet approval. The rollout would be phased: air travellers pay first, 180 days after the notification appears in the Royal Gazette; land and sea checkpoints would follow roughly 360 days later, to avoid queues at the borders, above all with Malaysia. The government is aiming at the first quarter of 2027, but both the amount and the timing could still change.

Who pays and who is exempt

Under the draft, foreign visitors entering by air, land or sea pay the fee. No official exemption list – for children, transit passengers or work-visa holders, for example – had been published at the time of this guide’s update, so treat any such lists online as unconfirmed. For frequent border-crossers officials are weighing a multiple-entry arrangement tied to the length of insurance cover: with a one-month policy, say, you would pay once and travel freely within that window. Before your trip, check official sources – the TAT and government announcements.

How the fee would be collected

Officials name traveller convenience as a priority. The options on the table: folding the fee into the air ticket price, paying through a website or mobile app, or using a kiosk at the border. The final mechanism has not been chosen yet – it will be fixed in the notification published in the Royal Gazette.

Where the money goes

• Insurance protection for visitors – safety and health coverage for foreign guests.
• Developing attractions and creating new tourist experiences.
• Support for research, conferences and tourism staff.
• The broader idea is to back the sector without leaning entirely on the state budget.

What it means for your trip budget

In the scale of a trip, 450 baht is a modest sum: roughly a day of scooter rental or a couple of meals at an inexpensive cafe. For a couple that is 900 baht, for a family of four 1,800 baht, and the fee is paid once on entry, not daily. It barely moves the budget of a two-week holiday, but for frequent visits and visa runs across land borders it adds up – which is exactly why the multiple-entry option is worth watching.

Verdict

At the time of this guide’s update, Thailand’s tourist fee is not yet in force, and the plan still has to pass the hearing and the Cabinet. The direction, though, is clear: a one-off 450-baht charge, a focus on insurance and safety, and payment methods meant to be simple. Planning a trip for 2027 or later, pencil in 450 baht per person and check the current status on official channels before you fly: the TAT and Thai government announcements.