PATTAYA, Thailand – The Thai government is exploring a proposal to introduce an outbound travel fee for Thai citizens, with the aim of using the revenue to boost domestic tourism.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Surasak Phancharoenworakul said the idea is part of a broader “Thai Travel Thailand” initiative designed to encourage more local travel while creating a sustainable funding source for the sector.
Under the proposal, Thai nationals departing the country could be charged a fee—suggested at around 1,000 baht per trip. With an estimated 10 million outbound trips by Thai travelers each year, the scheme could generate up to 10 billion baht annually.
The funds could then be redistributed to support domestic tourism, potentially offering subsidies of around 1,000 baht per person for travel within Thailand, covering up to 10 million trips per year. Officials noted that alternative models and implementation methods are also under consideration.
Surasak said the approach would help strengthen Thailand’s tourism industry without relying heavily on the national budget, while enabling more consistent long-term planning backed by a dedicated funding stream.
The proposal is still in the discussion stage and has yet to be finalized, but it has already sparked debate over its potential impact on travelers and the broader tourism economy.
