.svg){kind=small}
Samui Tourist Levy Proposed to Pay for Safety and Roads
· Luxy Samui
Thailand's tourism minister proposed in June 2026 that foreign visitors help fund Samui's roads and safety. No amount is set.
Thailand's Tourism and Sports Minister has proposed collecting money from foreign tourists to pay for better roads and safety on Koh Samui. Surasak Phancharoenworakul raised the idea during an inspection visit to the island on 18 and 19 June 2026, according to the Thai Examiner. It is a proposal only. No amount, start date or collection method has been announced.
What was proposed
The minister spoke about using the national tourism fund to collect revenue from foreign visitors, either as an entry fee or as a charge for land use. The Thai Examiner reported that the money would go to road upgrades and other infrastructure, to security, and to support for volunteers who work in tourist areas.
The visit followed two events that raised concern about safety on the island: the killing of a taxi driver, and the death of an Australian athlete in a motorcycle accident in wet weather.
The wider "Samui model"
The levy is one part of a larger plan. According to the Thai Examiner, it also includes:
- a quality certificate for tourism businesses that meet service, safety and environmental standards;
- a one-stop service centre for visitors, working with police, hospitals and rescue services, which officials have been told to set up quickly;
- closer checks on businesses that rent motorcycles to tourists who have no licence, with prosecution for those that break the rules;
- stronger traffic enforcement, with special attention to helmets.
The French-language site Zone Samui reported the same day that the island's tourism promotion association had presented its own requests to the minister. These included making Samui a pilot zone for quality and safe tourism, a local quality and safety label, a tourist safety centre, and a programme to regulate vehicle rentals.
How this fits with the national fee
Thailand has also discussed, for several years, a national entry fee of 300 baht for foreign tourists arriving by air. According to The Nation on 27 March 2026, that fee was still a plan waiting for a Cabinet decision. The Samui idea is a separate proposal and the reports we read do not explain how the two would work together.
What it means for your stay
For now, nothing changes at the airport or the pier: there is no Samui levy to pay. The more practical point is the road safety part of the plan. If you intend to ride a scooter, expect more checks on helmets and licences, and make sure you hold a licence that is valid for motorcycles and accepted in Thailand. A taxi or a car with a driver is a simple alternative when you stay in a villa in Koh Samui.
Rules and fees can change, so check official Thai government sources before you travel. For other practical points, see our questions about booking a villa.
