Thailand delays tourist entry fee amid sharp fall in arrivals
Thailand postponed its US$9 tourism levy due to a 6 per cent drop in visitors and border tensions with Cambodia
One of the world’s most popular holiday destinations has postponed the introduction of a new tourism levy after a surprise drop of nearly 6 per cent in visitor numbers during the first half of this year.
“We must wait to assess international tourist demand during the coming high season in the fourth quarter this year,” said Chakrapol Tangsutthitham, the assistant tourism minister.
Some observers speculated that hype around The White Lotus, a TV drama about affluent guests cavorting at a fictional hotel chain, would drive interest in visiting Thailand, the setting for the latest third series and host to around 35 million tourists last year.
And while analysts at the Bank of Thailand believe that international arrivals will increase to more than 3 per cent in 2026, any such revival would likely still lag behind the 5 per cent projected expansion across other countries in the region.