The Thai government has announced plans to introduce two price tiers: one for visitors and one for citizens.
The Ministry of Tourism has approved a proposal to introduce dual pricing for hotels, which is expected to take effect soon.
With this new regulation, Thai authorities are moving further away from mass tourism, which threatened to overrun the country.
The Southeast Asian country is becoming an even more expensive destination than it was before the introduction of new tourist taxes, restricted access to iconic beaches made famous by Hollywood movies, and now additional costs.
Thailand reopened with drastically reduced accommodation rates in an obvious effort to increase foreign visitor numbers.
This generous policy might not last long, however, as some of its most important markets such as Russia and China would likely remain permanently closed, severely damaging the sector.
In order to “contribute to a faster recovery of business,” the Ministry of Tourism will ask hotels to implement a “dual rate structure” policy, which requires that foreigners be charged rates comparable to or occasionally more expensive than those of 2019. Government spokeswoman Traisureee Taisaranakul confirmed the news.
According to Mrs. Taisaranakul, “this is to maintain our standards of rates and services for foreign tourists, which affects the perception of (the country’s) tourism brand”. The government does not want to punish citizens, who are already suffering greatly due to the increases in prices around the world.
The British pound, the euro and the U.S. dollar are extremely strong currencies. Americans and Europeans may find it easier to travel to trendy islands like Phuket than it is for Thais.
Aside from the currency being weaker overall, the minimum wage in Thailand is only about $194.84 per month, which is a pittance compared to what most remote workers traveling solo make in a day.
In this situation, even domestic travel can be quite difficult for Thais unless they come from wealthier backgrounds or have saved enough baht for a vacation.
That said, given the enormous disparity in purchasing power between Thailand and other nations, it seems reasonable that the government is raising the cost of visiting the country.