Thailand raises international departure fee 53% to 1,120 baht

Thailand's international departure fee jumped to 1,120 baht per person on June 20, a 53% hike that's now baked into the price of every outbound international ticket from six major airports.

The 390-baht jump, by the numbers

Airports of Thailand raised the Passenger Service Charge from 730 baht to 1,120 baht ($31), an increase of roughly $11 per departure at current rates. The Civil Aviation Board approved the change on Dec. 3, 2025, with implementation set for this month.

The fee applies to outbound international flights from six AOT-run hubs:

• Suvarnabhumi (BKK)
• Don Mueang (DMK)
• Chiang Mai (CNX)
• Mae Fah Luang,Chiang Rai (CEI)
• Phuket (HKT)
• Hat Yai (HDY)

Domestic departures still carry the unchanged 130-baht PSC. The international charge sits inside the ticket price, not a separate counter payment, so most travelers will notice it only as a slightly higher fare.

What it costs a nomad who lives there

For visitors taking one international flight, the increase is a rounding error. For the visa-run crowd and regional commuters who shape much of the long-stay routine in Thailand, it adds up fast.

A nomad doing a border bounce every 60 days, six trips a year, now pays about 2,340 baht ($65) more annually in embedded PSC than under the old rate. Monthly hoppers running 12 international departures pay roughly 4,680 baht ($130) more per year. Anyone connecting through a smaller Thai airport on a domestic leg before flying out internationally pays both the 130-baht domestic PSC and the 1,120-baht international PSC on the same trip.

AOT says the extra revenue will fund terminal expansions at Suvarnabhumi and other infrastructure upgrades. No service-level guarantee is attached.

The separate exit tax still pending

A proposed 1,000-baht exit tax floated by Thailand's Ministry of Finance is a different policy and remains under study. It would apply only to Thai citizens traveling abroad for tourism, drawing on a 1983 Royal Decree. Foreign tourists, expats and digital nomads wouldn't be subject to it if enacted. The PSC hike is the only fee change taking money out of nomad pockets right now.