Foreign tourists to Thailand should be made to have insurance: poll

[carabaothai]

10 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

First thing that should happen is that ALL Thai vehicles are insured, and tour companies, tour boats, hotels, taxis etc.  Our travel insurance will not cover you for anything more dangerous than laying in bed ! No cover for bike riding, diving, trekking, elephant riding, going out on the water and more. 

Visa, mastercard insurances cover bike riding.... I know.. I got an accident. 

[jmacken306]

16 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

It would be absolutely impossible to enforce, unless people are prepared to wait, literally, hours whilst the I.O. checks the validity of the documentation given to them, showing insurance.

I agree, and they would see a spiral down turn of visitors coming to Thailand, I haven't been to many different countries, but I never read any country putting demands of Insurance to visit a country or even travel insurance to get on a plane

.

[Carib]

20 minutes ago, attrayant said:

 

Could they really make sense of a Thai insurance policy?

You really think travel insurances are in local language only? 

[Confuscious]

1. Who in their right mind will insure elder people for a holiday abroad?
     Generally, for insurers, 65 year is the limit in which they will insure.
     Forbid the elder people who just got retired the dream of their life to visit some "exotic" country?

2. A lot of tourist who come to Thailand carry a valid insurance.
    But the insurance is void due to their sheer stupidity to go drive a (big) motorbike without a valid driver license or appropriate safety gear as stipulated by the law.

3. What happened to all the money collected by Thailand from tourists in their "suddenly invented" schemes like the 300 Baht tourist insurance?
Spend on Miller watches?

Just my 2 cents input ....

[yellowboat]

No country in Asia requires this.  Again Thailand is proving itself to be the basket case of Asia.  Thailand is becoming known for smalled minded pettiness. 

Edited August 14, 2018 by yellowboat

[Hummin]

16 minutes ago, jaiyen said:

First thing that should happen is that ALL Thai vehicles are insured, and tour companies, tour boats, hotels, taxis etc.  Our travel insurance will not cover you for anything more dangerous than laying in bed ! No cover for bike riding, diving, trekking, elephant riding, going out on the water and more. 

Im confused? 

 

I have insurance for all that you say, and btw, most people die in the bed or on their way to bathroom. Most lethal places in the house in Thailand. 

[lvr181]

17 hours ago, webfact said:

The requirement would help ease the burden on state coffers, the seminar was told, and comes after Thailand was forced to pay out 64 million baht in compensation to the families of the 47 victims and survivors of the Phoenix boat that sank off Phuket earlier in July.

That is a Government problem! They should enforce "world best practice standards" of safety on owners, captains and crews of vessels, safety equipment and seaworthiness of vessels that carry paying passengers. Then and only then will this minimise circumstances like that off Phuket in July.

 

Very little high order critical thinking among "lets blame everyone else" (thus saving face) officialdom!  

[scorecard]

16 hours ago, smedly said:

anyone that travels anywhere on "Holiday" without insurance needs their head looked at, but I stress "on holiday" as it is easy to get and has a limited time duration, it is also worth noting if you do have insurance making sure to check what exactly you are covered for or rather "not covered for" because many in recent news stories have had problems when they discovered they were not covered for certain things

Agree, and some unaware folks end up with 'travel' insurance, in other words compensation if flight is delayed, baggage lost etc., but no coverage for medical stuff.

 

Must always ensure it's 'medical' or health' insurance and as already mentioned check the coverage details.

 

And note, the medical cover is sometimes less for folks over say 70 years old is lower (case by case by different companies). On some policy documents  the older age coverage is mentioned in the small print but not mentioned / highlighted in the main coverage tables. 

 

[thaiguzzi]

How about having a tattooist at the immigration point and tattooing DOB, NI number, country of origin on 1 side of the neck and FT in large German gothic letters for Ferang Tourist on the other side...?

Jeez…..

[Ban Phe Dezza]

Slightly of Topic However perhaps Relevant.

I tried to get Travel insurance for a short trip to Australia next year and was bluntly told  I am to old, Over 70.

When I came to Thailand in 2000 i took out insurance with AIA and at age 65 they cancelled it based solely on my age.

I am on the Pension so if I get seriously hurt or ill I am Romeo Sierra. 

Going home to a Park bench is not a solution either. 

[Ban Phe Dezza]

Slightly of Topic However perhaps Relevant.

I tried to get Travel insurance for a short trip to Australia next year and was bluntly told  I am to old, Over 70.

When I came to Thailand in 2000 i took out insurance with AIA and at age 65 they cancelled it based solely on my age.

I am on the Pension so if I get seriously hurt or ill I am Romeo Sierra. 

Going home to a Park bench is not a solution either. 

[weegee]

Thailand doesn't need it....The tourists are going elsewhere.?

[mikebell]

11 hours ago, baansgr said:

Good luck with that. There is only a handful of countries that require travel insurance. Considering a health insurance for over 50s ranges anywhere about 50k to a lot more for those in their 60s and 70s, I can see many expats having to leave when an annual premium is 130k 

I was insured right up to my 65th birthday - then the new terms/cost put it beyond my reach financially.  I'm 75 now and keeping my fingers crossed.

[murraynz]

12 hours ago, Sir Dude said:

Holiday insurance should be mandatory...and anyone that doesn't take-it-out is foolish. Also, read the small print as most insurance companies with not entertain riding a motorbike.

im not sure that insurance should be mandatory, but what bugs me --is the fools who dont have insurance, then have an accident or sickness--then they expect people to feel sorry for them, because they cant get adequate medical care..

i  seldom insure, because as above-- the insurance companies always find too many reasons not to pay out on claims.

i have very ample funds to cover me, if ever i need hospital care.

insurance, particualy for over 65's is very expensive and  unreliable.

[geriatrickid]

Duplicate

Edited August 14, 2018 by geriatrickid

[geriatrickid]

12 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Even if something like this were enforceable which to all intents and purposes it isnt where does it leave those who are unable to take out insurance due to pre existing conditions or to who the cost is so prohibitively high because of those conditions that it effectively becomes unobtainable .. 

Not correct. 

Pre-existing Condition: A stable condition can be insured. Typically a 6 month period. The pre-existing condition might be excluded until stable, but everything else will be covered.

The cost is  high because it reflects the risk associated with the person. If the person does not wish to insure than the person should be able to assume self financing of the risk. The reality is that these very sick people who collapse in Thailand expect others to care for them.  people have to accept responsibility for themselves.

 

 

[Scotssing]

I will try to sneak into the insurance exempt lane for Chinese

[Lupatria]

In a country with est. 8 mio people driving with no driving license, hundreds of unlicensed hotels, clinics and bars, how are the chances they could handle this subject halfway properly?

[garzhe]

Great Idea ! Can anyone tell me whose going to insure me for 2-3 months in Thailand. Im 74 with no health issues. Even so little chance of getting cover. Accident insurance is about all you can get at this age which I have. When they realize how many tourists they will lose this idea will be quickly forgotten.

[lanista]

Thailand paid out 64 million for the ferry disaster. Why didnt the Thai operated ferry have its own insurance.?????

Its a two way street. Thailand and foreigners should both have insurance.

Very few Thais have insurance.  They expect us to pay for them. THAISTYLE.

Is the ferry  industry down south  being told to take out insurance against death or damage?  Unlikely.

The ferry operators are too busy having lunch with their mates Jimmy Wong and Kenny So over in Honkers.

Let the pesky tourists pay for insurance  and leave the Thais out of it.

[Netease]

It would be good if any business dealing with tourists had there insurance policy on display with a QR code so you could scan it and it would take you to insurance company web site to check if it is current or real

Something for the government to think about

[scorecard]

43 minutes ago, mikebell said:

I was insured right up to my 65th birthday - then the new terms/cost put it beyond my reach financially.  I'm 75 now and keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Im 73, I can still get 2 day / 3 day etc., full travel insurance (issued in Thailand - mainstream insurance companies but the coverage has been reduced, was 1,000,000 for death, now 500,00, other items reduced also. 

 

 

[seancbk]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

The requirement would help ease the burden on state coffers, the seminar was told, and comes after Thailand was forced to pay out 64 million baht in compensation to the families of the 47 victims and survivors of the Phoenix boat that sank off Phuket earlier in July.

 

The large compensation pay out has meant that Thailand’s tourist compensation fund is running low and would run out of money completely if another major incident where many people were injured or killed would occur.

 

So instead of the Government fund running out of money, Thai insurance companies will run out instead.   

The only solution is to have a massive overhaul of safety regulations, including training and proper fines and accountability for anyone sidestepping safety rules.   

[pmh2009]

are they dumb enough to think that tourist would come to Thailand if they were made to have travel insurance?? Everyone would go to alternate countries!!!!

[farcanell]

To much thinking about a simplistic issue, because, as usual, Thailand will seek the easiest way forward..... that being mandatory insurance vs removing or reducing the need for insurance through a national implementation and enforcement of rules, laws, regulations or whatever.

 

that said, imo, neither will happen, which is even easier for thailand.

[Fireyfish]

Personal insurance should be compulsory as it is for all New Zealand citizens 

[Jim Brantley]

Each new ban, law, requirement, or hoop to jump through makes Thailand a little less desirable as a tourist destination.  People travel to escape and are doing Thailand a favor by coming to dump cash into the economy.  

[ICECOOL]

18 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

It would be absolutely impossible to enforce, unless people are prepared to wait, literally, hours whilst the I.O. checks the validity of the documentation given to them, showing insurance.

it would need change but impossible!!

 

how about make it part of the tourist customs declaration? 

 

you cannot stop people doing stupid things on holiday and voiding their travel insurance. Now that's impossible ?

[rwill]

The companies, like the ferry service, should be forced to have their own insurance to cover stuff. 

[wvavin]

Yes, I agree that everyone visiting this country must buy travel insurance because this country gives no shit to peoples' lives!