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Weerasak proposes tourist entry fee and 3-tier insurance

Weerasak proposes tourist entry fee and 3-tier insurance

Matichon•Economy•13m ago

Reader Briefing

Weerasak Kowsurat proposes a 450 baht entry fee for foreign tourists and a three-tier insurance system.

  • •Weerasak Kowsurat suggests a foreign tourist entry fee of 450 baht per person.
  • •The entry fee is estimated to generate nearly ten billion baht per year in non-budgetary revenue.
  • •A three-tier insurance proposal includes basic coverage, high-risk activity coverage, and self-drive vehicle coverage.
  • •The fee collection process is being reviewed with stakeholders for at least 30 days.

Overview

  • •Weerasak Kowsurat is currently conducting a 30-day public hearing with relevant sectors regarding the 450 baht entry fee.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat believes the 450 baht fee will not significantly impact foreign tourists as similar fees exist in other countries.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat estimates the entry fee could generate nearly ten billion baht annually in non-budgetary revenue.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat proposes managing the funds through an Open Government model with a secondary committee of stakeholders and live-streamed meetings for transparency.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat suggests flexible collection methods including airline add-ons, an online TM.6 system, or airport kiosks and QR codes.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat proposes a basic insurance tier funded by the entry fee to prevent Thai taxpayers from bearing the cost of foreign tourists' emergency medical care in state hospitals.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat proposes additional insurance for high-risk activities and self-drive vehicle rentals to cover damages to third parties.
  • •Weerasak Kowsurat states the insurance model could turn activity operators into legal insurance brokers and provide accurate data on the tourism labor chain.

Full article content is available on the original source.

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Source: Matichon (Original)

Key Quotes

Weerasak Kowsurat
"If we can develop the supply to be good, we do not need to worry about tourist demand; there will definitely be demand because everyone likes high-quality goods."
หากสามารถพัฒนาให้ซัพพลายดีได้ ก็ไม่ต้องห่วงเรื่องความต้องการ (ดีมาดน์) ของนักท่องเที่ยว มีความต้องการเข้ามาแน่นอน เพราะทุกคนชื่นชอบของดีมีคุณภาพทั้งนั้น

Key Entities

Person

Weerasak Kowsurat(วีระศักดิ์ โควสุรัตน์)ℹ️
Former Minister of Tourism and Sports and current Chairman of the Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Suphajee Suthumpun(ศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์)ℹ️
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce.

Organization

Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee (JPCC)(คณะกรรมการร่วมภาครัฐและเอกชนเพื่อแก้ไขปัญหาทางเศรษฐกิจ (กรอ.))
A collaborative body between the government and private sector to solve economic problems.