Airports of Thailand (AoT) plans to raise the international passenger service charge from B730 to B1,120 from June 20 at its six airports nationwide, reports the Bangkok Post.
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry is studying a proposal to reimpose a departure tax on Thai travellers taking overseas trips, while the long-delayed B300 tourism fee for international arrivals is still pending cabinet consideration.
Thienprasit Chaiyapatranun, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said tourism operators do not oppose such charges if the relevant authorities can clearly explain to the public, particularly those required to pay the fees, how the additional revenue would benefit tourism development.
He said neither the proposed departure tax for Thai travellers nor the arrival fee for foreign tourists has a clear spending plan, such as details of the projects that would be funded by the revenue collected from travellers.
"The AoT, which operates as a monopoly, has yet to clarify what developments would justify the increase in its service fees, only providing vague details about its plan", Mr Thienprasit said.
Media reports indicate part of the additional revenue would be allocated to infrastructure development. However, in principle such projects should be funded through other financial sources, particularly as the authority continues to post strong profits, including B18 billion in fiscal 2025 and B4.6bn in the first quarter of fiscal 2026 (October to December 2025).
Adith Chairattananon, honorary secretary-general of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta), said after discussions with AoT he thinks it is unlikely the fee increase scheduled for next month will be postponed.
He said Atta would like AoT to view itself as part of the broader effort to enhance the competitiveness of Thai tourism.
Mr Adith said stakeholders should be allowed to participate in determining how the additional revenue is used to support tourism development, particularly given the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
According to the Skytrax World Airport Rankings, Suvarnabhumi ranks 36th, while Singapore’s Changi topped the list.
Mr Adith said AoT should set a more ambitious target to improve the airport’s ranking and competitiveness against regional hubs, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Incheon.
"Suvarnabhumi airport should aim for the top 10 within three to five years," he said.