BANGKOK — Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority will raise the passenger fee charged on international arrivals and departures to 25 baht per person per trip starting Feb. 1, up from 15 baht, in a move aimed at stabilizing the agency’s finances.
Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon, director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, said the fee, which is collected from airlines based on the number of passengers entering or leaving the country, has remained unchanged since 2015 despite rising operating costs.
He said the authority is a non-profit regulator responsible for overseeing Thailand’s civil aviation sector in line with domestic law and international standards. It does not receive government budget support and relies mainly on this fee for income.
The agency currently holds about 1.4 billion baht in reserve funds, which are used to pay salaries for more than 500 staff members as well as office rent and technology costs.
Manat said the authority has been operating at a loss because the current fee is below cost. While the charge is 15 baht per passenger per trip, the cost per passenger has risen to 19.34 baht, based on total passenger numbers of 72.42 million.
“As passenger numbers increase, the authority has to draw more from its reserves, which cannot be sustained,” he said, adding that the fee increase is intended only to allow the agency to break even and continue operating, not to generate profit or expand operations.
He said the adjustment to 25 baht is expected to cover expenses for only about three to four years, allowing the authority to reach a break-even position around 2028, and that the agency does not plan a larger increase at this time.
