Tourists, locals, and ex-pats in Thailand are being warned to brace for a wallet-busting new visa fee, after Donald Trump slapped a stinging US$250 charge on would-be visitors, just in time to cash in on the flood of sports fans heading to America.
The controversial visa integrity fee has sparked outrage, with critics accusing the US president of using global events to rinse travellers and line the Treasury.
From October 1, 2024, foreigners hoping to visit the Land of the Free will be forced to cough up a non-refundable US$250 visa integrity fee, roughly 9,000 baht, under a sweeping new measure signed off by the 79 year old president.
The move, tucked into a wider immigration and border security package for fiscal year 2025, is already causing a stir among travel insiders and holidaymakers, who’ve branded it a cash grab that could strangle tourism just as the US rolls out the red carpet for major events.
While citizens from around 40 countries under the Visa Waiver Program are spared the blow, millions of others, including those from Thailand, will feel the sting.
Geoff Freeman, President of the US Travel Association, didn’t mince his words.
“We need smarter policies. This fee risks undermining America’s appeal as a top travel destination at the worst possible time.”
The Trump-backed fee is meant to plug immigration funding gaps, but critics say it could backfire spectacularly, driving visitors away just when America needs them most.
The surcharge is also pegged to inflation, meaning it could creep even higher in the years ahead.
With the regulation set to take effect in just a few months, the travel industry is urging policymakers to rethink, or at least fine-tune, the measure to avoid sabotaging the country’s global hospitality rep.
In the meantime, would-be tourists are being told to brace for impact, double-check visa requirements, and budget for bureaucracy before heading stateside.
The World Cup is set to kick off next year in June while the Olympics is to be hosted by the US in 2028.
Last week Trump lobbed another economic grenade into global markets, slapping punishing new tariffs on key US trading partners, including Thailand, in a fresh trade tirade that’s left allies fuming and markets tumbling.
The US president kicked off his latest trade war salvo by revealing a raft of “reciprocal” tariff letters, and warned this was only the beginning.
Starting August 1, Japan and South Korea will be hit with a hefty 25% import levy, while others face even steeper duties. Laos and Myanmar got walloped with a massive 40%, while Thailand and Cambodia each copped 36%.
The story Stars, stripes and tourist gripes as Trump hikes visa fee kick off as seen on Thaiger News.
