Government wants to attract tourists of «better quality»
The Thai government may impose a fee on foreigners entering the country, announced Health Minister of Thailand Pradit Sintavanarong, according to Komentari.
During the meeting, which was attended by heads of the National Police, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Health, it was decided to submit to the Cabinet plans to introduce fees in the amount of 500 baht ($17) for each person who enters the country for more than three days. For those who are going to stay in Thailand for three days or less, the fee will be limited to 30 baht ($1) a day, he added.
According to Sintavanarong, the fee will not depend on whether a foreigner has a Thai visa, or they come to Thailand on visa waiver. The entry fee may be introduced in mid-January 2014, so as not to disrupt plans for tourists to come to Thailand during peak tourist season, which falls on New Year's period.
The participants agreed that the new measure may force some tourists to give up traveling to Thailand, but the introduction of the entry fee, «will not scare away visitors of higher quality», the official stated. «Now is the time to welcome to the country better quality tourists and for them this small fee will not be a problem», he said.
