ATTA Criticizes Exit Fee Plan as Loss-Making, Urges Government to Invest in People Development
Thailand's travel agents association chief warns that a proposed 1,000-baht exit fee would harm the tourism industry and reduce Thailand's global negotiating power, urging the government to invest in citizen development instead of extractin
ATTA Criticizes Exit Fee Plan as Loss-Making, Urges Government to Invest in People Development
Adisorn Chairatananan, Secretary-General of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), has revealed that promoting sustainable tourism requires the government to abandon short-term revenue extraction from citizens' pockets and instead view Thais traveling abroad as diplomatic ambassadors and national negotiating assets. The proposed 1,000-baht exit fee should be abandoned, he argues, in favor of a concrete two-way tourism strategy—the only path to establishing Thailand as a genuine global tourism leader.
Chairatananan noted that Thailand, as a tourism-dependent economy, has historically focused on inbound tourism, with the inbound market currently three times larger than outbound tourism. However, the global tourism landscape has shifted, and one-sided marketing strategies are no longer sufficient. Policy implementation must promote reciprocal tourism exchange, a crucial strategy deserving greater government emphasis than restrictive measures like exit fees.
"Advancing two-way tourism strategy through elevating Thailand's role on the global stage and establishing balanced market exchange partnerships—where Thailand serves as both a receiver and sender of tourists—will upgrade our marketing position from mere seller to strategic partner with nations worldwide. This strengthens international negotiating power through a robust outbound tourism market, positioning Thailand more favorably for bilateral agreements such as visa exemptions or trade deals, all benefiting national image and economy overall," Chairatananan stated.
Chairatananan emphasized that travel represents investment in human capital and soft power, developing new generations' perspectives through experiential learning, worldview expansion, and innovation adoption to develop the country. Investing in citizens' international etiquette and quality tourism standards creates powerful soft power. When Thai tourists conduct themselves well abroad, they directly elevate Thailand's image globally.
The exit fee concept contradicts global negotiating power strategies and creates cascading ripple effects across multiple dimensions, potentially causing greater damage than anticipated revenue. Four major concerns include:
1. Airline cost structure crisis: Airlines depend on balanced load factors for outbound and inbound flights. Fewer Thai travelers means airlines absorb empty seat costs on outbound flights, forcing them to raise inbound ticket prices to compensate. Ultimately, this policy increases travel costs to Thailand and undermines Thailand's competitiveness in attracting foreign tourists.
2. Weakened negotiating power and diplomatic risks: The policy contradicts open-country and visa-free policies facilitating Thai passport access. An outbound tax barrier represents protectionist measures contradicting international tourism liberalization principles.
