Russian tourism bodies say Thailand's new tourist fee unlikely to cut demand
In short
Russian tourism associations say Thailand's planned 450-baht tourist fee, about 1,200–1,300 rubles, is too small to reduce Russian demand for trips there. The industry says the main open question is how the fee will be collected, with the payment being folded into tours or air tickets seen as the most convenient option.
Read the full story 2 min read
Thailand is discussing two charges on visitors — a tourist fee of 450 baht for foreign guests and a separate exit tax — while Russian tourism bodies say neither will reduce demand for trips to the country. TASS and Kommersant, citing the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, reported that the introduction of the tourist fee will not affect Russian demand for travel to Thailand. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Interfax, citing the Russian Union of Tourism Industry, gave the arithmetic behind that view. The planned 450-baht fee equals about 1,200–1,300 rubles at the current exchange rate, or around 1–2% of an average package that now costs 90,000–110,000 rubles per person, according to Tez Tour commercial director and RST expert Voskany Arzumanov. Kommersant, citing ATOR, put the sum at 1,200 rubles per person and said it was “small against the overall cost of the flight and the holiday.” [ 2 , 4 ]
Arzumanov said the main question is how the fee will be collected. If the obligation is shifted to tour operators, he said, the travel business will simply build the fee into the total tour price, and if it is included in air tickets travellers will not notice it because of constant fare fluctuations. RST board member and Space Travel CEO Artur Muradyan said including the payment in the cost of carriage is the most convenient mechanism, adding that under the original plans the fee would be included in all international air tickets. [ 4 ]
The RST also said the payment mechanism is important for the Russian market in principle. If travellers had to pay independently and needed an international bank card, that could create technical difficulties for some Russian travellers; including the payment in an air ticket or in the tour price removes the problem, the union said. [ 4 ]
RIA Novosti also published a report on the consequences of Thailand introducing the tourist fee, but no article text or summary was available. TASS, Kommersant and Interfax all based their coverage on the assessments of Russian tourism industry bodies rather than on any announced Thai implementation decision. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
Thailand is a major destination for Russian package travel, so how the fee is collected matters to tour operators and travellers alike. Industry bodies warn that requiring a separate payment by international bank card would create technical problems for some Russian travellers, while folding it into tickets or tour prices would hide it from them.
Key facts
- Thailand is discussing two charges: a tourist fee of 450 baht for foreign visitors and a separate exit tax, according to Interfax. [ 4 ]
- The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR) said the changes will not affect Russian demand for Thailand trips, according to TASS and Kommersant. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kommersant, citing ATOR, put the fee at 1,200 rubles per person, which it described as small relative to the total cost of flights and holidays. [ 2 ]
- Interfax, citing the Russian Union of Tourism Industry, put the planned 450-baht fee at about 1,200–1,300 rubles, or 1–2% of an average package costing 90,000–110,000 rubles per person. [ 4 ]
- Tez Tour commercial director and RST expert Voskany Arzumanov said the main question is the mechanism for collecting the fee. [ 4 ]
- RST board member and Space Travel CEO Artur Muradyan said including the payment in the cost of carriage is the most convenient mechanism. [ 4 ]
- The RST said that if travellers must pay separately and need an international bank card, that could create technical difficulties for some Russian travellers. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact scope and base of the separate exit tax being discussed in Thailand. Interfax's article is cut off mid-sentence while describing the exit tax, so its details are not stated.
- How the tourist fee will ultimately be collected. Interfax quotes industry experts discussing options — payment by tour operators, inclusion in air tickets, or direct payment by travellers — without saying which has been decided.
- What the expert cited by RIA Novosti actually said. RIA Novosti's document contains only a headline with no summary or article text.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS publishes ATOR's assessment that the Thai tourist fee will not affect Russian demand. [ 1 ]
- Kommersant reports ATOR's estimate that the 1,200-ruble fee is small against the total cost of travel. [ 2 ]
- RIA Novosti publishes a headline about an expert on the consequences of Thailand's tourist fee. [ 3 ]
- Interfax reports RST experts saying demand will not fall and discussing how the fee should be collected. [ 4 ]