Thailand Plans 1,000 Baht Departure Tax: Samui Guide

A draft law would charge every traveller 1,000 baht when leaving Thailand by air. Consultation runs to 29 October 2026; nothing is collected yet.

On 30 September 2026, Thailand's Revenue Department opened a public hearing on a draft Departure Tax Act, a new tax on leaving the country by air. Comments are open until 29 October on the government website law.go.th. The Nation reported on 8 October that the starting rate would be 1,000 baht per departure. The tax is only a proposal. It has not been approved, and nobody pays it today.

What the draft says

According to The Nation, the tax would cover travellers of every nationality: Thai citizens, foreign residents and visitors. In the first phase only air departures would be charged. People who leave by land or sea would not pay. The draft sets a legal ceiling of 5,000 baht per departure, but the real rate would be fixed by a ministerial regulation, and the first rate proposed is 1,000 baht.

Airlines and ticket agents would collect the tax with the fare when the ticket is bought.
Tickets bought before the law starts would not be charged, even for travel after that date.
Children aged two or under and international transit passengers who stay in the transit area would be exempt; official guests and some other groups are also exempt.
The law would start 180 days after publication in the Royal Gazette. No date has been set.

An old tax with a new scope

Thailand already has a departure tax law from 1983. It set 1,000 baht for air departures and 500 baht for land or sea, but it applied only to Thais and foreign residents, and air departures have been exempt since July 1991. The Finance Ministry says it wants to use state resources better and respond to future emergencies. Thai Examiner reported that Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas defended the plan on 7 October and said the government also wants more Thais to holiday at home. The same report says the Association of Thai Travel Agents was preparing a formal objection.

How it adds up with other charges

Thai Examiner notes that the international passenger service charge at the six main airports run by Airports of Thailand, such as Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, rose from 730 to 1,120 baht on 20 June 2026. That charge is already in ticket prices. A separate 450 baht entry fee for foreign tourists is planned but not approved. If all three applied, a foreign visitor would pay about 2,570 baht in these charges, according to the report. Today only the airport charge is collected.

What it means for your stay

For a trip to Koh Samui in the coming months, nothing changes. The tax does not exist yet, and under the draft, tickets bought before the start date would be exempt. If the law is passed, the tax would apply to anyone who leaves Thailand by air and would be included in the ticket price. Be careful with any website that asks you to pay a Thai departure tax today. Check the official rule before you travel, as drafts can change. Book flights early for the high season, then check villa availability for your dates.