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I'd Pay It - Thailand thinking of introducing "entry fee" to visit the country.

KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran
edited October 2013 in General Banter
Namaste,

I just read the following article in the online version of the Sydney Morning Herald. And I have to say, I agree with this and would pay it happily. While it is quite cheap (A$16.60) I think it's only fair considering how some tourists act and cause their own accidents.

It also shames me when you hear of the "Aussie Bogan" travelling overseas and making the rest of us look bad.

I'd be interested to hear what @ThailandTom thinks too.

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-news/thailand-considers-entry-fee-to-discourage-trash-tourists-20131023-2w12p.html

In metta,
Raven

Comments

  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    I disagree with the concept. "Tourism makes a larger contribution to Thailand's economy (typically about six percent of GDP) than that of any other Asian nation." No need to soak tourists even more when they are already contributing that much to the economy.

    Not that I wouldn't pay it.
  • KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran
    The concept may be distasteful to a lot of people, but I think that tourists skipping the country without paying for their hospital bills is worse. Even with travel insurance, they can rack up huge bills. Is there an alternative? (genuine thinking out loud and question, I'm not arguing with you).

    In metta,
    Raven
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    No, I understand what you're saying, but I also doubt the unpaid medical bills really amounts to much. And usually the bills are not huge unless they are there are for medical purposes. Thais get much of their medical care for free, and certainly don't pay what the care costs. It's just absorbed.

    I guess the thing that I don't like about the idea is that it's just one more case of white foreigners being treated like walking ATM machines.

    When living there, every 3 months I had to report to the immigration office, fill out paperwork, and pay a fee. I can only imagine tens of thousands of boxes of such paperwork in some warehouse where it would be totally impossible to find it. And in reality, it's just done to collect $$$.

    Perhaps tourists should charge Thailand for all the scams they will be subjected to. :D
  • KundoKundo Sydney, Australia Veteran
    edited October 2013
    @vinlyn
    Thais get much of their medical care for free, and certainly don't pay what the care costs. It's just absorbed.

    That's interesting, that's much like our Medicare system in Australia (our public healthcare). That does change things.
    When living there, every 3 months I had to report to the immigration office, fill out paperwork, and pay a fee
    In that case, I defer to you on this. I've never been to Thailand. Though I do hope to go before I can't travel anymore. My cousin goes every year for a month (he's also a Buddhist). He would love to move there.

    In metta,
    Raven
  • vinlynvinlyn Colorado...for now Veteran
    Although I have totally soured on Thailand, I urge you to go and experience Thai Buddhism first hand.
  • YishaiYishai Veteran
    I think it could be just a fancy way of not raising taxes on businesses. Just tax the tourist directly. Either way, we would be paying more for it. Either the business increases its prices, or we pay some kind of fee.

    The government is saying it wants more money. It will get that money from you one way or another.
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