No. You pay nothing at the airport when you leave Thailand: the only departure charge, the passenger service charge (PSC), is built into your air ticket when you buy it. At the six airports run by Airports of Thailand it is 1,120 baht per international departure on tickets issued from 20 June 2026 (it was 730 baht), and 130 baht for a domestic flight.
Many travelers still look for a "departure tax" counter because older guidebooks describe one, or because they have read about Thailand's planned tourist fee. Neither applies to you at the airport today. Check in, go through immigration and security, and fly; the money was collected by your airline with the fare.
Leaving Thailand by air (checked November 2026)
- Separate departure tax at the airport
- None
- International PSC, AOT airports
- 1,120 baht per passenger, tickets issued from 20 June 2026
- Previous international PSC
- 730 baht
- Domestic PSC, AOT airports
- 130 baht (unchanged)
- How it is paid
- Included in the airfare at the time of purchase
- Who pays
- Thai and foreign passengers alike
What the passenger service charge is
The PSC is a charge per departing passenger that goes to the airport operator. AOT says the money supports airport operations, infrastructure, technology upgrades and passenger services. Your airline collects it with the fare, so it is part of the total price you see when you book. The Tourism Authority of Thailand's announcement of the new rate puts it plainly: the charge "is included in the airfare at the time of ticket purchase", and travelers do not make any separate payment at the airport.
That is why you do not need to keep baht back for the airport. If you have notes left over at the end of a trip, our page on changing leftover baht covers what to do with them.
The rise to 1,120 baht on 20 June 2026
Airports of Thailand (AOT) raised the international PSC from 730 to 1,120 baht per person on tickets issued from Saturday 20 June 2026. The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced the change on 18 May 2026. The higher charge applies equally to Thai and foreign passengers, and the domestic charge stayed at 130 baht.
What counts is the date the ticket was issued, not the date you fly. A ticket bought before 20 June 2026 for a flight after that date keeps the old charge, and you do not pay the difference at the airport. If you think your ticket shows the wrong amount, TAT's notice says to ask your airline or booking agent, not the airport.
Nothing to pay at the counter, even after the rise. The new rate was added to fares when they were sold. Anyone at an airport asking you for a "departure tax" in cash is not collecting the PSC; ask at your airline's desk or an official information counter.
Which airports the 1,120 baht applies to
The new rate covers the six airports run by AOT: Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mae Fah Luang Chiang Rai, Phuket and Hat Yai.
Other airports set their own charges. Krabi, Surat Thani, Udon Thani, Buriram and many other regional airports are run by the government's Department of Airports, and Koh Samui's airport is owned by Bangkok Airways. We could not find the PSC amounts at those airports, but the principle is the same: the charge is part of your ticket, not something you pay on the day. Our guide to Thailand's airports explains which airport serves which destination.
Domestic flights: 130 baht in the fare
A domestic departure from an AOT airport carries a PSC of 130 baht, unchanged by the June 2026 increase. As with international flights, it is in the price you see when you book. Our page on domestic flights in Thailand covers the airlines, the two Bangkok airports and baggage.
Not the same as the planned tourist fee
The PSC rise is sometimes reported as Thailand's new tourist tax. It is not. The tourist entry fee is a separate proposal, a draft of 450 baht per foreign visitor that was still not being collected in November 2026, with a start in 2027 at the earliest. It would be a charge on foreign visitors entering the country, and it has nothing to do with the airport's service charge. Our page on the Thai tourist entry fee follows its status.
Money you can get back on the way out
There is one airport desk where money flows the other way. Visitors who bought goods in shops displaying the VAT Refund for Tourists sign can claim part of the VAT back at the airport before they leave; the steps and the 2,000-baht minimum are explained in our guide to the VAT refund for tourists. Do the Customs check before you check in your bag.
Duty-free shops are a separate thing again: there you buy without the tax in the first place, and you can collect goods bought in town at the airport. Our page on duty-free shopping at Thai airports explains the pick-up counters and the allowances. Remember that liquids bought before security must fit the screening rules; airport security in Thailand covers the 100 ml rule and sealed duty-free bags, and the separate page on power banks on Thai flights explains the battery limits.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the departure tax in Thailand?
There is no separate departure tax. The passenger service charge is included in your ticket: 1,120 baht for an international flight from an AOT airport on tickets issued from 20 June 2026, and 130 baht for a domestic flight. You pay nothing more at the airport.
Do I need cash to leave Thailand?
Not for any airport charge, because the PSC is part of your airfare. You only need money for things you choose to buy, such as food or a taxi to the airport. Keep your ticket receipt in case of questions about what was charged.
I bought my ticket before 20 June 2026. Do I owe the difference?
No. TAT says tickets issued before 20 June 2026 are not affected by the increase, and travelers make no separate payment at the airport. If your ticket shows an unexpected charge, ask the airline or the agent who sold it.
Is the 1,120-baht charge the new tourist tax?
No. The tourist entry fee is a different proposal, a draft of 450 baht for foreign visitors that was not yet collected in November 2026. The PSC is an existing airport charge that Thai and foreign passengers both pay in their tickets.
Sources
- Tourism Authority of Thailand – Airports of Thailand to raise international passenger service charge from 20 June 2026 (18 May 2026) (checked November 2026)
- Nation Thailand – AOT reaffirms June 20 hike in international passenger fee (7 May 2026) (checked November 2026)
- Nation Thailand – Thailand proposes 450-baht fee to fund tourism upgrade (30 August 2026) (checked November 2026)
- Revenue Department – VAT Refund for Tourists: eligibility (checked November 2026)