The cabinet will decide to start or postpone the 300-baht tourism fee collection from foreign visitors because the Tourism and Sports Ministry insists the project cannot be cancelled.
Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakan said the ministry will take until the end of September to finish its fee collection study.
He said the project, "Thailand Traveller Fee", is subject to the cabinet's approval.
The ministry already prepared fee collection mechanisms, with Krungthai Bank handling transactions via a website, mobile application, kiosks and air tickets.
"Fee collection is necessary for the country as the Budget Bureau no longer provides a welfare budget for tourists in case of emergencies," said Mr Phiphat.
Between 2017-2019, the government had to use almost 350 million baht per year after foreign tourists received medical services in public hospitals, then returned to their countries without paying their bills.
According to the National Tourism Policy Act of 2019, the 300-baht fee was legally approved by the former government and must be fully enforced. It cannot be abandoned, Mr Phiphat said.
Mr Phiphat said some tourists voiced concerns over this idea as they already have their own insurance coverage.
The ministry frequently found that tourists have difficulty in claiming medical expenses in Thailand, are rejected or are unable to receive the full coverage they anticipated.
