Transport

Thailand hiking airport departure fees 53% in June despite tourist numbers dropping

4 min readFebruary 21, 2026BahtWise Team

Photo courtesy of Thai Examiner

Thailand's raising airport departure taxes by 53% starting in June — terrible timing considering tourist arrivals just dropped 7.5%.

Samart Kaewmeechai, former Democrat deputy, is calling out the government for hiking fees when the tourism industry is already struggling. The guy's got a point.

What's changing

The "passenger service fees" for departing flights are jumping significantly. The article doesn't spell out the exact current rates, but a 53% increase is substantial no matter how you slice it.

This hits both Thai travelers going abroad and tourists extending their trips who might fly domestically before leaving.

Why the criticism

Here's the thing — tourist arrivals dropped 7.5% recently, and the industry is still trying to get back to pre-pandemic levels. Raising departure taxes right now feels like kicking tourism while it's down.

Samart's argument makes sense: if you want people to visit and spend money, don't make it more expensive for them to leave. It's basic economics.

What this means for travelers

Starting June, flying out of Thai airports costs more. Period.

If you're planning trips that involve multiple flights within Thailand, factor in these higher departure fees. The exact amounts aren't clear yet, but 53% more than current rates will add up if you're island hopping by air.

For budget travelers especially, this is another cost to consider when planning your exit strategy from Thailand.

The timing issue

Look, governments need revenue. But raising travel-related taxes when tourism is already down seems counterproductive. Other countries have learned this lesson — make travel cheaper and easier, and people spend more money overall.

Thailand's tourism industry has been fighting to recover fully, and additional departure fees don't help that effort.

The June implementation gives travelers a few months to plan around the higher costs, but it's still an unwelcome surprise for anyone with summer travel plans.

That said, Thailand's still one of the best value destinations in Southeast Asia. Higher departure taxes won't change that — they're just another line item in your travel budget. Thailand's raising airport departure fees by 53% starting in June — right as tourist numbers are dropping.

The passenger service charge for departing flights will jump from ฿700 to ฿1,070 (about $31) per person. That's an extra ฿370 ($10.50) every time you fly out of Thailand.

Samart Ratchapolsitte, former Democrat deputy, is calling out the timing:

"Tourist arrivals have dropped 7.5% and they're hiking fees? This is exactly the wrong move."

He's got a point. Thailand's been working to get visitor numbers back up post-pandemic, and adding another ฿370 to everyone's departure costs doesn't exactly scream "come back soon."

What this means for your trip

If you're planning multiple Thailand trips or doing visa runs, this adds up fast. A couple making two trips per year will pay an extra ฿1,480 ($42) just in departure fees.

For families, it's worse. Family of four leaving Thailand now pays ฿4,280 ($122) in departure fees alone — before you even get to baggage fees or seat selections.

The timing issue

The 7.5% drop in arrivals Samart mentioned is real. Thailand's tourism recovery has been slower than expected, and most industry people think the last thing needed right now is higher costs.

But the airport authority sees it differently — they say the fees fund infrastructure improvements and modernization projects across Thai airports.

What airports are affected

The article doesn't specify which airports, but passenger service charges typically apply to all major international airports in Thailand — so expect this at Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang), Phuket, Chiang Mai, and other international departure points.

The new ฿1,070 fee takes effect in June 2026. If you've got flights booked for after that, factor in the extra cost.

For what it's worth, ฾1,070 is still cheaper than departure taxes in places like the UK (about $90) or Australia ($60+). But the 53% jump all at once is pretty steep, especially when tourist numbers are already down.

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