The Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) board has approved a plan to charge air passengers at six international airports a fee of 35 baht from Dec 1.
Nitinai: Fee to be levied at six airports
The fee, which it will add to the cost of international airline tickets, is intended to cover the cost of an advanced passenger background check system.
Speaking after the board meeting, AoT president, Nitinai Sirismatthakarn, said the charge will be imposed on incoming passengers, transit passengers and outgoing passengers at Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Mae Fa Luang in Chiang Rai airports.
The charge is being introduced so AoT can install the Advance Passenger Processing System (APPS) at the airports.
The APPS would boost airport security by conducting a more thorough screening of each passenger.
The APPS will allow customs officials, airport and airline staff and immigration police to obtain the profiles of passengers from their countries of origin. They will be able to check if passengers are blacklisted or banned from leaving a country.
Authorities will share passenger information and passengers whose profiles are clean will be able to pass immigration checks faster.
Mr Nitinai said airlines which have already sold international flight tickets without collecting the APPS charge have agreed to pay the charge in instalments from December this year until October next year.
Meanwhile, the AoT board has approved the appointments and transfers of C10-C11 level executives in 18 positions, he said.
Among the reshuffles are Phet Chancharoen from deputy director of Suvarnabhumi airport to director of Don Mueang airport, and Rittirong Gornmanee, from president of the AoT Academy to director of Hat Yai airport.
He said AoT has also agreed the private sector should be allowed to invest in the planned third-phase development of Don Mueang airport.