Many countries impose a charge when you enter to pay for tourism infrastructure. You may not have noticed it but it is usually a separate charge on your airplane ticket.
I never knew such a thing existed until one ticket provider started breaking down the charges and then it is a point of interest every time I travel because different countries charge very different amounts.
For example, I believe Singapore charges $3 to pay for their new airport and Thailand's $14 is pretty pricey especially for travelers within Southeast Asia.
Covid has shown us the risk of relying on a tourism economy. You're always at the mercy of someone else and it is a very discretionary spend.
The quality of hotels you can get in Thailand at a fraction of what you pay in Europe, US or even other parts of Asia is amazing. And that's down to the sheer number of hotels with intense competition between them.
Anyway, I hope to head back to Thailand some time soon when covid restrictions are back to normal. Quarantine and testing are a serious mood kill when it comes to a holiday.
