KUALA LUMPUR - The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) will increase the fee levied on passengers entering or leaving the country to 25 baht per person per trip from February 1.

The adjustment follows a resolution by the Civil Aviation Board at its meeting No. 3/2025 on December 3, 2025, approving fee collection from air operators based on inbound and outbound passenger numbers, Nation Thailand reported. 

CAAT said it has issued a formal notification setting out the rate, collection period and remittance procedures to ensure transparency and compliance with the board’s decision.

Revenue from the fee will be used to support regulatory responsibilities and the development of Thailand’s civil aviation safety standards under existing laws.

The authority said the increase complies with relevant legislation and is aimed at strengthening oversight of the aviation sector in an efficient and sustainable manner.

CAAT director-general Air Chief Marshal Manat Chavanaprayoon told Thansettakij that the authority plans to collect the revised fee from airlines according to passenger volumes.

The fee has remained unchanged at 15 baht per person per trip since 2015 and will be raised to address CAAT’s deteriorating financial position.

Manat said CAAT operates as a non-profit regulator with no government budget support and relies solely on the passenger entry-and-exit fee for revenue.

The authority currently holds reserves of about 1.4 billion baht to fund operating expenses, including salaries for more than 500 staff, office rent and technology systems.

CAAT has incurred losses for more than a decade as the existing fee has failed to keep pace with costs, with the current cost estimated at 19.34 baht per passenger per trip based on traffic of 72.42 million passengers.

Rising passenger numbers would further erode reserves and could eventually undermine CAAT’s operational capacity if no adjustment is made.

The proposed increase is intended to allow CAAT to break even and sustain aviation safety standards, rather than to expand activities or generate profit.

Initial estimates suggest that a 25-baht fee would cover costs for only three to four years and allow the authority to reach break-even by 2028.

Manat said CAAT had opted against a sharper increase and that any further revisions would be considered at a later stage.

Under the law, CAAT is authorised to impose up to four categories of fees but has collected only the passenger entry-and-exit fee over the past decade.

The other authorised charges include flight operation fees, air cargo transport fees and aircraft fuel fees.

CAAT said it has refrained from imposing those charges out of concern that they would be passed on to passengers through higher airfares.

The authority stressed that the current adjustment is limited to what is strictly necessary and that any future fee revisions should reflect actual costs.