Mandatory travel insurance and GPS trackers for foreign tourists mooted by Thai tourism officials

[webfact]

Mandatory travel insurance and GPS trackers for foreign tourists mooted by Thai tourism officials

 

Image: Mcot

 

Mandatory travel insurance for all foreign tourists in Thailand is one of a number of ideas being considered by tourism officials.

At the Thai Chic Travel Fair seminar held in Bangkok on Wednesday, officials said making it a mandatory requirement for all foreign visitors to Thailand to have travel insurance would help ease the burden on state coffers and boost safety for tourists.

 

The idea was backed by Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat but it wasn’t immediately clear how such a requirement would be implemented.

 

The seminar heard how Thailand has paid out 64 million baht in compensation to the families of the 47 victims and survivors of the Phoenix boat that sank off Phuket earlier this month, Thai News Agency reported.

 

But due to the amount of compensation paid out in recent weeks, Thailand’s tourist protection fund would run out of money if another incident where many people were injured or killed was to occur.

 

The seminar also heard how the tourism industry on the Andaman Coast has suffered severely due to cancellations from Chinese tourists following the Phoenix boat tragedy.

 

In a further bid to ease safety concerns, officials from the  Thai-Chinese Tourism Alliance Association said they will start handing out GPS tracking bracelets to Chinese tourists so they can be easily located should they get lost or are involved in an accident while in Thailand.

 

Meanwhile, the Tourism and Sports Ministry said that 35 million tourists visited Thailand in 2017, an increase of 12 percent on the previous year but it admitted that tourism numbers in Phuket were down in July following cancellations from Chinese tourists.

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-07-26

[Rally123]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

But due to the amount of compensation paid out in recent weeks, Thailand’s tourist protection fund would run out of money if another incident where many people were injured or killed was to occur.

Isn't it up to Thailand to protect tourists by implementing better health and safety laws? Talk about cop out.

Edited July 26, 2018 by Rally123

[MichaelJohn]

Of course the real solution is to have good safety standards and enforce them; then the Protection Fund wouldn't be called upon.

Having insurance is a little bit like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted?

You don't need to look after the  tourists if they can claim on their own insurance for loss of life and limb.

But of course we all know that any standards that are implemented will fall short and never be implemented or policed.

[Bluespunk]

16 minutes ago, webfact said:

The seminar heard how Thailand has paid out 64 million baht in compensation to the families of the 47 victims and survivors of the Phoenix boat that sank off Phuket earlier this month, Thai News Agency reported.

 

But due to the amount of compensation paid out in recent weeks, Thailand’s tourist protection fund would run out of money if another incident where many people were injured or killed was to occur.

How dare those foreigners allow inept safety standards lead to their own deaths. 

 

Do they not know how much money it costs Thailand?

 

And as for the negative publicity...

Edited July 26, 2018 by Bluespunk

[stanleycoin]

The Troll Farm and Think Tank, are at it again. 

 

Edited July 26, 2018 by stanleycoin

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, webfact said:

The seminar heard how Thailand has paid out 64 million baht in compensation to the families of the 47 victims and survivors of the Phoenix boat that sunk off Phuket earlier this month.

 

But due to the amount of compensation paid out in recent weeks, Thailand’s tourist protection fund would run out of money if another incident where many people were injured or killed was to occur.

What do they mean "if"? It needs replacing with that four-letter-word "when".

 

Forget that radial PR idea of implementing safety arrangements that are run constantly and impartially - it would never work, as I'm sure a hastily convened committee has quickly realised.

As it's hopefully slipping out of the public spotlight it can all be forgotten, to be replaced with a much easier option - screw more cash out of the tourists.

 

I can't wait for one of those GPS trackers.

If I go for a pee during the night and fall over, the tourist police will be there in minutes hours days.

 

[sammieuk1]

64 million baht each would not have been enough yet alone divide by 47 no wonder there is no investment in safety its cheaper to pay for the dead. 

[madmitch]

It should be quite easy to make travel or international health insurance a requirement when applying for a visa. Schengen does it. It is harder to implement for 30 day stamp on arrival tourists unless they have a checkpoint prior to immigration to check insurance policies and if a tourist is found not to have cover they send them to a desk to buy a policy. 

 

Secondly they seem to state that the Government has covered losses of 64m baht following the boat disaster. Does that mean the Chinese were uninsured? What about the legal liability of the boat-owners and tour companies? Will the Government subrogate against them or will the Chinese receive additional payouts? 

 

And thirdly, the if the compensation fund is worth, say, 150m baht it's a very small amount for an industry that produces, according to figures, around 3 trillion baht per annum. I suppose protecting tourists isn't as important as buying part of a submarine.

 

Finally, how will compulsory insurance improve safety in Thailand?

[happy chappie]

Don't matter if I have 10 insurance policies it doesn't make thailand any safer for me.are the Chinese the only ones to get gps trackers and if so why? It'll kill European tourism because most would see it as just some sort of way of spying/breach of privacy or human rights.top morons in top jobs.the Thai mind is mind boggling how it works and what it spews out.

[Darcula]

26 minutes ago, webfact said:

they will start handing out GPS tracking bracelets to Chinese tourists

Here is a screenshot from TATs computer at the department tasked with tracking all those tourists. Highest density is at the 7-11 outside a hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jeremy50]

All these cretins can talk about is the damaging payout to the victim's distraught relatives, and how Chinese visitors are no longer visiting [well, that's hardly surprising ].  Here's a GPS tracker incase we have to find your corpse, not very re-assuring is it? 

[PatOngo]

44 minutes ago, webfact said:

GPS trackers for foreign tourists

Why waste anymore much sort after money on GPS trackers, these are cheaper and don't break down or require batteries.

 

 

[happy chappie]

For a country the number one hub of tourist deaths 64 million baht aint a drop in the ocean.one tourist death could lead to 10 times this in a lot of countries around the world.it just is so blatantly obvious the contempt they hold for foreigners.

[stanleycoin]

5 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Why waste anymore much sort after money on GPS trackers, these are cheaper and don't break down or require batteries.

 

 

Nah , way to expensive for Thailand.

They were made of wood here before.

Somchai would just melt that lot down for scrap to buy some

Lao Khao

Edited July 26, 2018 by stanleycoin

[Sir Dude]

The Ministry of Grand Plans and Lofty Ideas at it again.....haha.

[observer90210]

Definately, a tourist riding a bike with no licence, no helmet must have insurance.

 

A tourist getting sick, catching a STD with a ladyboy must have medical insurance, no arguing on that and it is not for Thailand to pay for such reckless foreigners.

 

                                            ______________________________________________________________________________

 

But on other issues like taking a guided tour or getting an accident in a public transport or say getting wounded in case of a terrorist attack in public or similar,  tourists having or not insurance, is absolutely not the point.

 

It is the responsability of a country to offer proper infrastructure, enforce proper maintenance and training on public logistics, offer general public safety or to fight against corruption.

A country generating substantial amounts of foreign exchange has the duty take care of its guests.  Imposing insurance in such contexts is plainly shifting responsability.

 

[lordblackader]

46 minutes ago, Rally123 said:

Isn't it up to Thailand to protect tourists by implementing better health and safety laws? Talk about cop out.

Shhh.. logic doesn't apply in the LoS. 

[Mickmouse1]

How much Thailand earned last year alone from TOURISM? Who is responsible for the safety of all modes of transport within the country whether it is a taxi or a ferry?

[darksidedog]

I like the lets give the Chinese a GPS so they don't get lost, when what they really mean is, we can use it to find them as soon as they have more than a 20 minute overstay. Can you imagine the uproar if they started trying to make it mandatory to put a GPS tracking bracelet on tourists from America and Europe?

[varun]

30 minutes ago, madmitch said:

It should be quite easy to make travel or international health insurance a requirement when applying for a visa. Schengen does it. It is harder to implement for 30 day stamp on arrival tourists unless they have a checkpoint prior to immigration to check insurance policies and if a tourist is found not to have cover they send them to a desk to buy a policy. 

 

Secondly they seem to state that the Government has covered losses of 64m baht following the boat disaster. Does that mean the Chinese were uninsured? What about the legal liability of the boat-owners and tour companies? Will the Government subrogate against them or will the Chinese receive additional payouts? 

 

And thirdly, the if the compensation fund is worth, say, 150m baht it's a very small amount for an industry that produces, according to figures, around 3 trillion baht per annum. I suppose protecting tourists isn't as important as buying part of a submarine.

 

Finally, how will compulsory insurance improve safety in Thailand?

In principle it's fine, but Thailand is a third-world backwater compared to most of Schengen.

 

Adding yet another mandatory requirement, on top of a list of already increasing requirements, 

will just motivate tourists to go elsewhere in Asia.

 

 

[stanleycoin]

1 minute ago, Mickmouse1 said:

How much Thailand earned last year alone from TOURISM? Who is responsible for the safety of all modes of transport within the country whether it is a taxi or a ferry?

The Amulet will protect all.

Just go buy one or two for double protection.

 

 

[happy chappie]

It now seems there 3 levels of importance in Thailand now.1 Thai,2 Chinese,3 westerners.maybe it has something to do with more Chinese coming and the decline of westerners coming to Thailand.

[StayinThailand2much]

46 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

How dare those foreigners allow inept safety standards lead to their own deaths. 

 

Do they not know how much money it costs Thailand?

 

And as for the negative publicity...

"Dear pesky tourists, we actually just want your money! No need to come in person, just wire the money via Western Union..."

[StayinThailand2much]

1 minute ago, stanleycoin said:

The Amulet will protect all.

Just go buy one or two for double protection.

 

 

Why not force all tourists to buy three of them... ?

[stanleycoin]

Just now, StayinThailand2much said:

Why not force all tourists to buy three of them... ?

Or buy two,  get one free deal. win, win, win. 

[StayinThailand2much]

4 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I like the lets give the Chinese a GPS so they don't get lost, when what they really mean is, we can use it to find them as soon as they have more than a 20 minute overstay. Can you imagine the uproar if they started trying to make it mandatory to put a GPS tracking bracelet on tourists from America and Europe?

Nothing compared to the uproar in Thai media, if, in turn, Thai tourists were required to wear such GPS trackers when visiting other countries... ?

[bluesofa]

20 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

Why waste anymore much sort after money on GPS trackers, these are cheaper and don't break down or require batteries.

 

 

GPS trackers - PR, photo opportunity with some pretty showing one strapped to her ankle.

The tourists will be responsible for the batteries - otherwise their insurance will become invalid.

Need to think the same way as a TAT official!

 

[StayinThailand2much]

5 minutes ago, happy chappie said:

It now seems there 3 levels of importance in Thailand now.1 Thai,2 Chinese,3 westerners.maybe it has something to do with more Chinese coming and the decline of westerners coming to Thailand.

If they mess with the Chinese market as they did with Western markets, then, in the future, say 2030, all they will be left with will be wooing tourists from India, Bangladesh and North Korea...

[Torrens54]

So...who’ll foot the bill for 35 Million Tracking Devices and what chance is there that the Tourists will wear them 24/7 and return then on leaving the country ?

 

Whoever “Thunk This One Up,” would be well advised to, “take his hand off it, before he goes blind.”

[bluesofa]

14 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

I like the lets give the Chinese a GPS so they don't get lost, when what they really mean is, we can use it to find them as soon as they have more than a 20 minute overstay. Can you imagine the uproar if they started trying to make it mandatory to put a GPS tracking bracelet on tourists from America and Europe?

How many fathoms does a standard GPS tracker work to?