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Thailand to start tourism fee collection by September

Thailand will not delay the tourism fee collection beyond September, and its Tourism and Sports Ministry also plans to ask provincial police to support the tourism police in its operations to clear out "zero-dollar" and illegal tours, an official has confirmed.
Thailand to start tourism fee collection by September ảnh 1Tourists in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand will not delay the tourismfee collection beyond September, and its Tourism and Sports Ministryalso plans to ask provincial police to support the tourism police in its operationsto clear out "zero-dollar" and illegal tours, an official has confirmed.

Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said thefee will not be cancelled, although the collection method of adding it toairfares was criticised by airlines as selective, claiming it violates theInternational Air Transport Association's Chicago convention that prioritisesequality.

He said his ministry is considering outsourcing togive external organisations responsibility for fee collection for all threemethods of entry – air, land and sea – through online applications, websites orkiosks.

Foreign arrivals by air are charged 300 THB (8.7USD) while travellers via land and sea must pay 150THB.

A tourism fund is expected to be established byusing 60 - 70% of the fees, helping to develop tourism destinations and newinfrastructure.

Facing mounting concerns over zero-dollar tours,he said the ministry will seek support from provincial police, which have morethan 200,000 officers nationwide, to help 2,000 tourist police officers crackdown on these illegal businesses./.
VNA
#Thailand#tourism fee#zero-dollar tours#International Air Transport Association#foreign arrivals#Vietnamplus#Vietnam News Agency
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