Thailand Requires Tourist Insurance to Ease Healthcare Strain

I bet the tourists are just "Swarming" again, as the list of mandatory requirements needed for a simple holiday break grow ever more incumbent as each day passes. Health Insurance is the new one, 300 Baht entry tax, when you probably have no Thai Baht in the airport queue. You will need a mobile phone that can receive international SMS in order for you to complete your "Digital Arrival Card" three days in advance. Hotel booking, don't forget that one. Onward travel tickets, make sure you have that too.

Surprised they haven't reinstated the 500 B Departure tax just to scrape the last few dollars out of them before they leave.

But hey, what the heck, you can now go to a shop and by beer all day now. Fantastic, I wouldn't waste my time or money, thousands of better places with less crap from government. Take a trip to Vietnam instead, trust me you will be extremely pleasantly surprised.

Almost forgot, you can get raped for free in the comfort of your own minibus into the bargain/

in

2 hours ago, Terry Otter said:

Sure glad I visited before they added this extra tax. I sure hope other countries reciprocate - requiring Thai tourists to purchase overpriced, useless insurance

This "added tax", as you put it, has not been implemented so fck knows where you get the "overpriced, useless insurance" bit from.

2 hours ago, mancub said:

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 !

No.

2 hours ago, fulhamster said:

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

They are actually referring to travel insurance for tourists.

32 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

The whole 300 baht thing is a back pocket money spinner

Funny that, it must be one of those non-existent back pocket money spinners as there is no "300 baht thing".

1 hour ago, wil iam not said:

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

It isn't third party liability insurance. Liability does not need to be established in order for coverage to apply. It's no-fault accident insurance. The current Por Ror Bor coverage is basically a modified personal accident policy, not a liability policy.

For a few years already now we have seen that Thailand will crack down on criminals with indeterminate visa types and the ability to extend your stay just by crossing the border and back etc., So why not introduce visa rules for all visitors on par with the Schengen countries? If you don't have travel insurance, you won't get a visa. Regular tourists will come anyway but the government here knows, and Immigration knows even better that without rule changes they can scream to the ends of the earth about cracking down on both criminals and abuse of entry rules but as long as they prioritize money over safety and criminality, the population itself must expect that some undesirable will arrive.

Felt

2 hours ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

It isn't third party liability insurance. Liability does not need to be established in order for coverage to apply. It's no-fault accident insurance. The current Por Ror Bor coverage is basically a modified personal accident policy, not a liability policy.

Por Ra Bor , translated as Protection for Motor Vehicle Victims, is the mandatory compulsory motor insurance for every registered vehicle in Thailand. It was designed to protect people, not property, regardless of who is at fault. Compensation is up to Bht 30000 for medical expenses, and 35k for death or permanent disability It can rise to 80k and 500k under certain circumstance.

Cars are not fixed, or covered for Fire or theft.

May be a good idea for you to read it up on Chat, Gemini or other AI site.

21 hours ago, John Drake said:

I've seen four or five instances recently on this site, including the Russian model, and each one of them had insurance that didn't pay out because the person concerned either went around on a motorcycle without a helmet, drunk, on drugs, or without a license. Any new law wouldn't have remedied these situations. Want to fix things? Enforce the law. Crack down on Thai companies renting scooters and motorcycles to people who landed in the country less than 24 hours ago and decided to ride around on the side of the road they're unused to, without a helmet, speeding, while drunk as a lord. Wheeeee. I'm in Thailand. No rules!!!

I've been a motorcycle rider since I was 15 and I couldn't agree with you more. Anyone who gets on a motorcycle in Thailand without as good a helmet as they can afford and many many years of motorcycle experience, is taking their life in their hands.

A lot of people come here and they just assume this is a small tropical island what could possibly go wrong? Well the answer is everything, especially if your head is unprotected.

Before renting that bike ask yourself one thing. Do I already have enough problems in my life without a cracked, fractured or damaged skull? And how many ways can I injure my brain by smashing it on a hard pavement, are into a stationary object, without any sort of protection?

I have a friend who drove around Samui for years without a helmet insisting that it was the only way to go, until he fell down at very slow speed, hit his head and seemed 20 years older than the next day. Worth it? Hardly.

12 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

Por Ra Bor , translated as Protection for Motor Vehicle Victims, is the mandatory compulsory motor insurance for every registered vehicle in Thailand. It was designed to protect people, not property, regardless of who is at fault. Compensation is up to Bht 30000 for medical expenses, and 35k for death or permanent disability It can rise to 80k and 500k under certain circumstance.

Cars are not fixed, or covered for Fire or theft.

May be a good idea for you to read it up on Chat, Gemini or other AI site.

It isn't liability insurance. Your own words state that it is designed to protect people regardless of fault. Liability insurance requires at least allegations of fault for coverage to apply.

AI Overview

No, Thailand's Por Ror Bor (Compulsory Motor Insurance) does not require allegations of liability to trigger coverage. It is a "no-fault" insurance policy designed to provide immediate medical, death, or disability compensation to accident victims (drivers, passengers, or pedestrians) regardless of who caused the incident. 

Key details regarding Por Ror Bor coverage:

• No-Fault Protection: It covers medical expenses and funeral costs even if the insured driver is not at fault.

• Immediate Coverage: Coverage is triggered immediately for medical expenses (up to 30,000 THB) simply by proving an accident occurred, with higher compensation (up to 500,000 THB for death/major disability) if the victim is not at fault.

• Core Purpose: The policy is mandated by the Road Protection Act to ensure swift, basic compensation for physical injuries, rather than focusing on legal liability or property damage. 

21 hours ago, The Oracle said:

"Coverage" is only in force if, when the incident occurs:
a) you have a licence to ride the motorcycle in the first place;
b) you're not off your dial on [insert substance here];
c) you're not breaking any other law;
d) the other person/s involved (if any) aren't Thai Hi-Sos, government officials, police officers, members of a taxi co-operative, or friends of same; or
e) the insurance company just can't be tooled assessing your claim and demand so much paperwork, which hospitals are lax in providing, so that it's cheaper to just pay out of pocket. Which many avoid and p off back home before the invoice is due.

As for ฿1,100? for "Substantial" coverage? For what period? And covering what?
A British(?) woman was denied coverage for the "extreme activity" sorry, the "increased risk activity" of riding a pony on a beach...

Then there's the original reason for requiring 800k in a bank to cover health and other contingencies so long-stay foreigners on O-A visas wouldn't be burden on the Thai system as they had a nest-egg of sorts to garnishee if required. Now, it is just dead money sitting in a bank account until you die and you need the compulsory health insurance on top of that, the premiums of which jumped 40-70% as the minimum coverage requirements changed during C19.

And now the renewed call for a 300 baht tax to cover every tourist that turns up? Really?

It would be absolutely fine if it actually meant tourists would be covered if something did go awry. But it won't. It would mean a transfer of moneys from one department to another.

AXA and World Nomads et cetera will take all the money they can, and deny coverage on the slimmest of reasons, and then the 300 baht coverage tourists pay will also be for naught as it is just a flagrant cash grab to cover the flailing tourism industry. It won't make to the hospitals or clinics, nor to the volunteer organisations we hear of so often that respond to accidents.

Do I sound bitter? Yeah, probably. But I'm actually covered and have car and motorcycle licences, which I actually sat for in person.
I'm not concerned about the morons that do Warp Factor Five on a hired Click in Phuket/Pattya/CM whilst on [insert substance here] without a helmet at 3AM and plow into a power pole.
I'm concerned about the poor sods that think they're covered, but aren't.

Does anyone have any experience with making a claim using AXA travel insurance? I buy it when traveling to Europe or back to the US and I've never had to use it, but I often times wonder how effective it is.

37 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

Por Ra Bor , translated as Protection for Motor Vehicle Victims, is the mandatory compulsory motor insurance for every registered vehicle in Thailand. It was designed to protect people, not property, regardless of who is at fault. Compensation is up to Bht 30000 for medical expenses, and 35k for death or permanent disability It can rise to 80k and 500k under certain circumstance.

Cars are not fixed, or covered for Fire or theft.

May be a good idea for you to read it up on Chat, Gemini or other AI site.

Oh, you mean one of those $6 AI programs?

7 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

Chang Vest, Cargo shorts and flip-flops ???

Kidding of course - just repeating the usual comments made by people when we (foreigners) are not treated favourable.

I've had issues where the Insurance payments are taking hours (i.e. 4 hours) and I'm in a room waiting.

I've since learned to state - Dr. has cleared me, I'll wait a maximum of 30mins for the finance to arrive with the bill - after that I'm leaving and you can e-mail me the bill or post it home.

One time that worked, another time it didn't and I left - paid the full bill on the follow up a week later.

---

At a separate time I'd hurt my knee playing football an needed an MRI - which they did at about 11pm (excellent response) - no time for insurance to clear, so I said I'll pay myself - but they still tried to hassle me to pay for the MRI there and then and I got annoyed - in pain and probably not the best time to approach me and show they cared only about the money !!! - I still had a follow up appointment the next morning for the results - I said I'll pay it all in one go then - that made them uncomfortable but I didn't care.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Oh, you mean one of those $6 AI programs?

$6? I use them for free.

Just as an interest, which do you use please?

1 hour ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

It isn't liability insurance. Your own words state that it is designed to protect people regardless of fault. Liability insurance requires at least allegations of fault for coverage to apply.

AI Overview

No, Thailand's Por Ror Bor (Compulsory Motor Insurance) does not require allegations of liability to trigger coverage. It is a "no-fault" insurance policy designed to provide immediate medical, death, or disability compensation to accident victims (drivers, passengers, or pedestrians) regardless of who caused the incident. 

Key details regarding Por Ror Bor coverage:

• No-Fault Protection: It covers medical expenses and funeral costs even if the insured driver is not at fault.

• Immediate Coverage: Coverage is triggered immediately for medical expenses (up to 30,000 THB) simply by proving an accident occurred, with higher compensation (up to 500,000 THB for death/major disability) if the victim is not at fault.

• Core Purpose: The policy is mandated by the Road Protection Act to ensure swift, basic compensation for physical injuries, rather than focusing on legal liability or property damage. 

OK, we are going round in our own circles, but get to the same in the end.

I wonder exactly how many Thai drivers have got it. I know you cannot get yearly road tax without Por ra Bor, but when did that matter.

8 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

Not that ruthless at the BKK Hospital in Udon but on the two occasions in there was given a quote and had to pay up front including a VIP ward. The 1st was given a refund for excess payment and 2nd (as it was unexdended stay due to an infection) the accountant came around every 3rd day or so I could top up via a QR code. Easy! Had a refund from the Military Hospital as well.

3 minutes ago, wil iam not said:

OK, we are going round in our own circles, but get to the same in the end.

I wonder exactly how many Thai drivers have got it. I know you cannot get yearly road tax without Por ra Bor, but when did that matter.

Yes. Perhaps we are.

There is actually a mechanism for motor accident victims to claim Por Ror Bor benefits from a special company even if no vehicle can be identified (hit and run) or if the vehicle's owner hasn't paid the Por Ror Bor premium. In the latter case, the special company pays the benefit and subrogates against the party liable for the accident. But given the likelihood that the liable party has no assets and limited income, I suspect this doesn't happen often.

I was working in the insurance industry here when the Por Ror Bor was first introduced in 1993 and there was extensive discussion about it. I'm not basing my opinion on AI, but rather my understanding of insurance and how I believe the Por Ror Bor scheme functions.

14 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

With so many expats of age too old for Thai Insurance, it would be hard to implement.

The existing system grandfathers in retirees who established themselves on previous immigration criteria, I doubt implementing mandatory insurance would be any different. One would assume any new mandated insurance would be waved for anyone over the 70 years old cutoff for writing new insurance policies[PC1] .

I think the existing retirees who’re 70 and over should be unaffected by any changes, as they’re basically uninsurable.

 [PC1]

23 hours ago, kickstart said:

What I cannot understand are these unpaid hospital bills; how does that happen? At our local hospital, you pay the bill before you get your drugs, etc., no payment, no drugs.

A few years ago, I had a hip replacement done, they would be no way I could have not paid and done a runner. I was almost watched the whole time, no saying I will pay you at the end of the month.

How a tourist cannot pay, cannot speak Thai, probably does not know how things work, I do not know, don't they keep the patient's passport, if it is available, or some sort of ID.

I have to applaud your optimism that you could even give thought to 'doing a runner' after such a procedure.

9 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

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.

Guys with the OA visa need proof of health Insurance. The remark I made earlier was just a passing thought.

7 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I've been a motorcycle rider since I was 15 and I couldn't agree with you more. Anyone who gets on a motorcycle in Thailand without as good a helmet as they can afford and many many years of motorcycle experience, is taking their life in their hands.

A lot of people come here and they just assume this is a small tropical island what could possibly go wrong? Well the answer is everything, especially if your head is unprotected.

Before renting that bike ask yourself one thing. Do I already have enough problems in my life without a cracked, fractured or damaged skull? And how many ways can I injure my brain by smashing it on a hard pavement, are into a stationary object, without any sort of protection?

I have a friend who drove around Samui for years without a helmet insisting that it was the only way to go, until he fell down at very slow speed, hit his head and seemed 20 years older than the next day. Worth it? Hardly.

When 90% of the Thais on motorcycles will make a left-hand turn from a side road on to an arterial road without bothering to look to the right - what good is a helmet. There's nothing upstairs to protect.

On 4/6/2026 at 5:48 PM, snoop1130 said:

Despite tourism insurance options costing as little as 1,100 baht

Rubbish. was 1000s of dollars a year last time I checked.

Many Insurance companies are very very good at "insuring" there are tons of loopholes buried in the fine print that allow them to deny coverage. Even if there are no loopholes they are also very good at dragging their feet and paying the absolute minimum. Of course when you buy the insurance most will talk about how very wonderful they are and how they will always be there for you blah blah blah. Not just in Thailand but many many countries.

The Thai insurance execs must be licking their lips at the idea of millions of tourists being forced to buy their insurance. Their legal teams are probably hard at work writing reams of fine print ( in a few dozen languages?) that nobody ever reads except lawyers.

A more accurate headline would be “Thailand Wants to Require Insurance “

I think the chance that they make this change is less than zero.

7 hours ago, pomchop said:

Many Insurance companies are very very good at "insuring" there are tons of loopholes buried in the fine print that allow them to deny coverage. Even if there are no loopholes they are also very good at dragging their feet and paying the absolute minimum. Of course when you buy the insurance most will talk about how very wonderful they are and how they will always be there for you blah blah blah. Not just in Thailand but many many countries.

The Thai insurance execs must be licking their lips at the idea of millions of tourists being forced to buy their insurance. Their legal teams are probably hard at work writing reams of fine print ( in a few dozen languages?) that nobody ever reads except lawyers.

I'm several occasions my wife has brought home and insurance policy that our bank has offered for me to take a look at. Just a few minutes of Lancing at the fine print and it turns out that that would have truly been a premium flushed down the toilet.

I consider most forms of insurance to rank right up there with Big Pharma, banking and politics as four of the great mafia industries in the world right now.

22 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No.

Err. yes. actually.

12 hours ago, sikishrory said:

Rubbish. was 1000s of dollars a year last time I checked.

Rubbish, which insurers charge "thousands of dollars" for travel insurance which is the subject that is being proposed?

1 hour ago, mancub said:

23 hours ago, Liverpool Lou said:

No.

Err. yes. actually

Er, no, actually, the 300 baht fee has been proposed several times but has never been instigated.

7 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Er, no, actually, the 300 baht fee has been proposed several times but has never been instigated.

Sorry. still ....yes, and I didn't and wasn't referring to the bt 300 fee.

1 hour ago, Liverpool Lou said:

Rubbish, which insurers charge "thousands of dollars" for travel insurance which is the subject that is being proposed?

Which don't? Please enlighten me