The fee, 500 baht, will be collected by the Tourism and Sports Ministry to "transform" the hard-hit tourism industry. An earlier proposal had set the fee at 300 baht with the money to be used to maintain tourist sites, provide insurance benefits, and even free treatment to those who fall sick or are injured. They are forced to pay much higher price for entering tourist sites such as museums, temples and historic sites, not to mention national parks. As the world begins to enter a post-Covid era, the international tourism market is poised for a sharp realignment. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as having your cake and eating it too and this fee could be the final nail in the coffin for an already struggling industry.
