Thailand Requires Tourist Insurance to Ease Healthcare Strain

11 hours ago, bdenner said:

Thought the 300 Baht entry tax was meant to cover the medical shortfall?

Exactly, and considering many return home not having had some accident, there should be enough to help the unfortunate ones who do. How much value is there in dubious policies who refuse to pay up when a claim is made?

13 hours ago, bdenner said:

Thought the 300 Baht entry tax was meant to cover the medical shortfall?

That is some wonderful sarcasm...good one!!!😅

I cannot understand how people get away without paying their hospital bills/care. Twice I have had the occasion of going to a well-known branded hospital and both times after treatment I was escorted by two security officers to the cashier to pay for my treatment

I thought that last increase was to cover Tourist if they got ill or had an accident need to be hospitalized you know it seems to me like somebody’s putting a lot of money in their pockets I don’t think these government really wants to help the people they rather waste their money on buying submarines and new ships and stuff that they really don’t need but I already thought they have a tax for that they keep increasing the amount to come to Thailand in an eight to add more BS stuff to it the whole country is corrupt start the bottom head the toll whatever you wanna say corruption at its worst TIT

Sure glad I visited before they added this extra tax. I sure hope other countries reciprocate - requiring Thai tourists to purchase overpriced, useless insurance. While I loved Thailand, it’s a country that clearly doesn’t want tourist money…and I’ll spend mine where tourists are welcome. Vietnam and Laos are far less expensive.

Wasn't there a government fund set up for this.....and something like 50 percent of the allocated monies were never used for purpose ?

Thai Gov version of " Go Fund Me" in my opinion !

58 minutes ago, Jack Hammer said:

I cannot understand how people get away without paying their hospital bills/care. Twice I have had the occasion of going to a well-known branded hospital and both times after treatment I was escorted by two security officers to the cashier to pay for my treatment

When I had a cataract done at a Korat hospital a couple years ago, I was taken to the payment counter first, then had the op. A few times I've been to see docs at hospitals and they prescribed meds, I was taken to the cashier immediately after seeing doc, paid for meds and the doc fee, then collected the meds and left. I suppose I could have done a runner after seeing the doc and not bothered about the meds, but apart from that scenario they seem to have it pretty well water tight, so it beats me what they're beefing about.

13 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

If they make it mandatory for tourists, what about those with retirement visas. That would be a hardship for many.

They're talking about accident insurance -- AIA costs about 4000 baht a year at age 68

wow,100,000,000 bahts 35,000,000 tourists = 3 bahts per tourist cost,a big burden for thai hospital,

12 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Someone must sit thinking of ways to extract cash from tourists, make them to pay Visa agents done, duel pricing Done , tourist tax done , mmm insurence tax maybe, what next ?

Someone (you) must sit around thinking of ways to Thai bash...No one, tourists or otherwise, is made to use visa agents, neither is there any new tourist tax.

17 hours ago, bdenner said:

Thought the 300 Baht entry tax was meant to cover the medical shortfall?

There is no 300 baht entry tax.

Just me and my dumb opinions and thoughts again, but we know that mandating insurance doesn't mean the insurance will pay out, especially when injuries are caused by recklessness. The government should create its own insurance entity and require tourists to pay in if they don't already have insurance, and guarantee payment to the hospitals regardless of the cause of the injury. They've done this in the US with "uninsured motorist" laws. I know it's not in the nature of this government to come up with sensible solutions, but it seems to me this would work. In the mean time maybe this mandate will do something, maybe not, nothing to lose.

17 hours ago, John Drake said:

That's what the government promised five or six years ago. But they clearly intend to pocket that for themselves.

Pocket what...pocket the tax that hasn't been imposed?

12 hours ago, BarraMarra said:

Someone must sit thinking of ways to extract cash from tourists, make them to pay Visa agents done, duel pricing Done , tourist tax done , mmm insurence tax maybe, what next ?

Another whining victim of terrible Thailand. Whaaaaaa! So leave, go back where you came from if all this is more than you can afford.

15 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

It's basically a modified personal accident policy with low limits and few exclusions.

Por Ra Bor is Third Party Insurance, paying up to Bht 30000 to anyone injured by someone else, or vehicle damaged. Nothing to do with Personal Accident Insurance

17 hours ago, phil2407 said:

All insurance companies will find a way out of not paying - if no bike license or pissed, falling over a balcony that only a midget wouldn't fall over etc

They want the 300 baht per visitor to cover if the worse should happen - to cover the cost at hospitals if treatment needed - as long as used for that don't see a problem unless it's a 2 tier price (scarasm)

"All insurance companies will find a way out of not paying"

What?

"falling over a balcony that only a midget wouldn't fall over...

No insurers deny claims simply for falling over a balcony.

"They want the 300 baht per visitor to cover if the worse should happen".

What are you going on about? There is no 300 baht tax.

16 hours ago, redwood1 said:

Thai insurance, and they have a accedent for any of the above reasons...The Thai insurance will also not pay out

There has been no suggestion that coverage will need to be provided by a Thai insurance policy but any other non-Thai insurer would also refuse to pay out in the same circumstances.

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Proposed measures include a 300 baht entry fee and mandatory insurance,

  Adapted by ASEAN Now · Bangkok Post · 06 Apr 2026

View full article

This ^ is the bit that really strikes me. Is this mandatory insurance with a Thai company? Or will international coverage be accepted? Is it just for tourists or will it apply to Type B or Type O visas as well?

14 hours ago, kickstart said:

As far as I know, the Por Ror Bor will pay up to 40,000 baht; after that it is up to you, a Thai will get the 30-baht scheme.

14 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

If they make it mandatory for tourists, what about those with retirement visas. That would be a hardship for many.

Foreigner's in Thailand on retirement extensions could not be included because travel insurance policies are not available to provide coverage for someone who is resident in the country that the coverage would be provided for, i.e. I'm on a retirement extension so I cannot get travel insurance to cover me in Thailand while I'm retired here.

15 hours ago, BangkokHank said:

There's a big difference between what the hospitals bill patients and what it actually costs them to provide the care

Of course there is, the hospitals are businesses, not charities.

The only spanner in the works of this plan is that insurance companies aren't going to pay for accidents where the accident victim has been drinking, are unlicensed, and are not wearing protective gear like helmets.

Thailand Requires Tourist Insurance to Ease Healthcare Strain'

Easy fixed , have the government to introduce a mandatory insurance for All tourists entering thailand include this to all their Tickets Than there won't be any problem as the Thai government pays from all he Billions in Fees they collect.

10 hours ago, Jim Waldron said:

And if the argument is that foreign visitors are straining the healthcare system, then it’s only fair to ask the obvious question: how many Thais themselves are unable to pay for treatment after accidents or emergencies?

That’s a huge issue too

It is? You've got some evidence to back up that claim?

17 hours ago, bdenner said:

Thought the 300 Baht entry tax was meant to cover the medical shortfall?

Good one. Even if that were a thing, do you honestly think it would pay out to someone coming off a bike? There’d be all sorts of small print exclusions. The whole 300 baht thing is a back pocket money spinner.

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

How much value is there in dubious policies who refuse to pay up when a claim is made

No insurers refuse to pay claims that are made legitimately in accordance with the policy conditions.

2 hours ago, Terry Otter said:

Sure glad I visited before they added this extra tax

Are you referring to the Bht 300 entry tax?

3 hours ago, Jack Hammer said:

I cannot understand how people get away without paying their hospital bills/care. Twice I have had the occasion of going to a well-known branded hospital and both times after treatment I was escorted by two security officers to the cashier to pay for my treatment

They must have had some serious concerns about you as there is no reason (and it never normally happens) that security officers escort patients to pay their bills.

3 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

I thought that last increase was to cover Tourist if they got ill or had an accident need to be hospitalized

There has been no such "increase" implemented.

3 hours ago, TheFishman1 said:

I already thought they have a tax for that they keep increasing the amount to come to Thailand

You thought wrong.