Headlines about a Thai tourist fee keep landing in your feed, so here is what is actually confirmed as of August 2026.
The proposal is a flat 450 baht per person, roughly 13 US dollars, for foreign visitors. That replaces the earlier plan of 300 baht by air and 150 by land or sea. It would apply whether you arrive by air, land or sea.
It is not in effect. The draft still needs public consultation, approval stages and Cabinet review. Once it is published in the Royal Gazette, collection from air arrivals would start 180 days later. Early 2027 is the timeframe most often mentioned, but there is no fixed date. Land and sea arrivals would follow roughly a year after that.
How it would be collected is still open. Five channels are under consideration: adding it to your airline ticket, a government website, a mobile app, kiosks at ports of entry, or other approved methods. The free Thailand Digital Arrival Card may be involved. Authorities are also looking at letting one payment cover several entries within a month, which matters if you do border hops.
Exemptions have not been confirmed, so do not assume long-stay residents or visa holders are exempt.
What to do now: nothing. Budget about 450 baht per entry for 2027 travel, check the official announcements before you book flights, and ignore any website asking you to pay today.