Thailand’s proposed departure tax of 1,000 baht is up for public consultation: the Revenue Department has opened the review, running September 30 to October 29, 2026, on the charge for every air traveler leaving the country, Thai nationals included. The plan is backed by Finance Minister and Deputy PM Ekniti Nitithanprapas, who argues it would curb outbound spending by Thais and redirect more tourism activity domestically.
Industry Pushback on the Thailand Departure Tax
On October 7, the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) formally objected. Secretary-general Dr. Adith Chairattananon warned the new tax would stack on top of the existing 1,120-baht airport passenger service charge and a separate 450-baht tourist-entry fee already planned for 2027 — a combined 2,570 baht per foreign visitor — at a time when the economy and tourism demand are already soft. ATTA’s board is set to discuss the issue on October 8 and plans to raise it directly with the Finance Ministry on October 9.
What Travelers Should Watch
Nothing has been finalized — this is a consultation period, not a confirmed charge, and it would apply to departures rather than arrivals. Anyone booking Thailand travel for later in 2026 or into 2027 should keep an eye on the outcome, since a combined departure-and-entry fee load would be a meaningful addition to the cost of a Thailand trip if all the proposed charges go through together. It’s also worth tracking alongside the separate checked baggage screening changes from October 16, another airport-process shift arriving around the same time. For the airport side of your trip, see our Bangkok Airport Guide and Phuket Airport Guide.