Since Thailand positions itself as a major tourism and shopping hub, it has been creating an atmosphere and image favorable for becoming a tourist destination, while encouraging quality tourists to visit Thailand and spend more in the country.

In order to achieve this aim, the Cabinet, during its meeting on 3 January 2024, approved measures to promote Thailand as a tourism and shopping hub. In these measures, excise tax structures on alcoholic beverages will be adjusted. 

In this regard, excise taxes on wine will be cut from 10 percent to 5 percent and on local liquor from 10 percent to zero. In addition, the excise tax on entertainment venues will be reduced from 10 percent to 5 percent.

Under these measures, criteria for checking products purchased by foreign tourists will be improved to make it easier for them to claim value-added tax refunds on goods bought in Thailand. This will help reduce the number of tourists queuing for claiming tax refunds.

Tourists who buy products worth more than 20,000 baht will be required to show them to customs officials during the refund process. The value is raised from more than 5,000 baht set previously. This will reduce the number of tourists required to show the products by 75 percent, from about 120,000 to 30,000 a year. 

The value of nine items of luxury goods that must be presented to customs officials will also be raised from 10,000 to 40,000 apiece. The nine items include jewelry, gold ornaments, watches, eyeglasses, pens, smart phones, laptop or tablet computers, bags, (excluding travel bags), and belts.

Moreover, the value of goods that tourists may carry with them on board an aircraft will be raised from 50,000 to 100,000 baht per piece.

At the same meeting, the Cabinet also approved a proposal by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the Thai-Chinese visa-free scheme. Under this scheme, travelers from both Thailand and China will no longer need to seek visa applications for visits to each other's country. 

The permanent visa exemption scheme between the two countries is set to come into effect on 1 March 2024. The Cabinet assigned the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, or his representative, to sign the agreement on the visa exemption scheme with the Chinese side.