Another Departure Tax Just Arrived in Southeast Asia

Ahead of the Visit Malaysia 2020 campaign, starting this September 1st, most passengers departing from Malaysian airports on international flights will be levied a departure tax; how much the passenger must pay, however, depends on both the destination and class of travel.

Heavy fines await travelers who try to evade payment of the new fee, or even for those who threaten Customs officers. Hopefully, in spite of this dire warning, the departure tax will already have been included in the ticket price, as opposed to how Thailand used to implement its departure tax payment with separate booths just prior to immigration control.

Indeed, Malaysia will be joining the ranks of other regional governments such as Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and most recently, Japan as places that have already successfully introduced departure taxes into their tickets. As of July 1st, New Zealand has also implemented an international visitors surcharge of up to NZ$35, though it comes with some of its own exemptions.

Ostensibly, the main reason for this departure fee is to encourage and promote domestic Malaysian travel.

[Image: Malaymail, Main Image: pxhere]