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

[elektrified]

Travel insurance should be mandatory. Anyone who travels to a foreign country without some form of insurance is a fool!

[surangw]

21 hours ago, attrayant said:

 

This is a good question. Is there a good answer?

 

a lot of mai noi's need new scooters 

[Satcommlee]

Impractical to administer and check on each entry, so how about making it an offence not to have insurance instead with a fine of adequate deterrent?

[cme]

On 8/13/2018 at 3:53 PM, 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 .. 

Some Countries insist of an Insurance certificate being provided before granting a Visa. It's not that expensive for short stay and for long-stay it's still reasonable and so easy to enforce. Even though married to a Thai gov worker and therefore included in the Thai system I still buy insurance for my time here, just in case something really serious happens. I accept though for people with previous poor medical history it could be a challenge.

Edited August 14, 2018 by cme

[Bantex]

On 8/13/2018 at 11:39 AM, jenny2017 said:

 

  Perhaps an insurance that's sold with the ticket? If many people have to buy such an insurance, it can't be too expensive.

I fully agree that everyone should have insurance but I disagree with it automatically being included with the sale of a travel ticket. Some people have ongoing illnesses & disabilities whilst others have a clean bill of health, some go on holiday mainly to relax on the beach whilst others participate in skiing, or other (insurance classed) hazardous sports. To enforce mandatory insurance with the ticket would either average out the cost of the insurance for all, with winners & losers or everyone would pay through the roof at the insurance companies, travel agents, airlines would all be taking a cut of what the customer pays.

Personally I have annual tailored insurance policy covering my exact requirements at a very reasonable cost.

[HHTel]

2 hours ago, elektrified said:

Travel insurance should be mandatory. Anyone who travels to a foreign country without some form of insurance is a fool!

So someone, despite trying, who is over the age limit for insurance is a fool!

[tank81]

Been coming here years and never ever had insurance , only insurance I ever bought was for the car back home. Stay out of my business


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[The manic]

16 hours ago, GAZZPA said:

This is all nonsense. Of course they should not be forced to take out travel insurance. We all know it will become just another money spinner (note the vending machines idea) and pretty much impossible for Thai immigration to check on arrival. Imagine giving an insurance document in English, or Urdu, or German, or Chinese, or Italian, or Russian,, etc,,, to a Thai immigration officer to read and confirm, I mean seriously! It will end up mandatory that it must be a Thai insurance company that insures you AND the documents must be in Thai (which means the people cannot read their own cover) I can see it now.

 

Also, we all know tourism is on its backside here, absolutely no doubt about it. So Thailand should be making it as simple as possible for people to come. Note the authorities come up with ridiculous excuses for this idea as well such as compensation payout of 47million baht,, is that figure real because in ANY government terms that is absolutely peanuts. 

 

The income generated by tourists in Thailand is huge, not to mention the huge amount who actually invest in condos here. All money being brought into the country. So, for the tiny amount of foreign people who have accidents and do not have cash to cover or insurance is a drop in the ocean.

 

Thai authorities should let this go and stop potentially adding more and more obstacles in the way of people coming to Thailand as tourists. Thailand is already losing out and becoming less "trendy" as tourist destination. It has been noted recently as the most "risky" place to visit, it also has a reputation of "the" sex tourism capital of the world" and not to even mention the foreign murders and old women having their heads kicked in on holiday. The press are all over trashing Thailand and this will just make it worse. Let it go and start doing everything to "attract" people back to the country.

 

The only thing Thailand should do is make it clear that travel insurance is "highly recommended" as without it all medical expenses will be charged. Highlight a couple of scary prices for an operation for a broken leg for example and I am sure the insurance cover will increase.

 

 

No need for enforced Travel Insurance but medical insurance is important 

[garyk]

I travel allot to cheap country's. You would have to be crazy to buy health insurance.  Unless you go to the most expensive hospitals.

Thailand, machete accident, serious cut. Stitches antibiotics, two weeks seeing the doctor.  About 70 dollars. Food poison over night stay in hospital. IV solution,  pills. 65 dollars. Many times for minor services.

Colombia, major climbing accident. In surgery for 5 hours. Titanium plate put in. In and out of the hospital for one month. 1500 dollars. 

Drugs in these countries are super cheap, health care is super cheap, doctors are very good. Insurance prices super high... haha

Keep about 5-10K in a fund to get you home if need be. That is what I do. I despise insurance companies.

[The manic]

2 hours ago, HHTel said:

So someone, despite trying, who is over the age limit for insurance is a fool!

People are confusing travel insurance with medical insurance.  I have the latter not the former.

[observer90210]

Enforcing the law with integrity and honesty in making the roads safer would be much more a benefit then all the quibbling on who is to pay, who must be insured and bla bla bla...

[jcsmith]

If they are trying to destroy what is left of their tourism industry, then go right ahead.

[HHTel]

2 hours ago, The manic said:

People are confusing travel insurance with medical insurance.  I have the latter not the former.

No confusion at all.  I'm talking of travel insurance.  My mother (93) visits Thailand every year and is therefore a tourist.  However, once she got to a certain age, insurance proved impossible.

[metisdead]

A post containing comments in violation of the following has been removed:

 

11) You will not post slurs, degrading or overly negative comments directed towards Thailand, specific locations, Thai institutions such as the judicial or law enforcement system, Thai culture, Thai people or any other group on the basis of race, nationality, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
 

[Lancelot01]

On 8/13/2018 at 2:11 PM, 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.

But most insurance companies only offer cover for trips up to 30 days,  what happens to tourists with visas who wish to stay 60 or 90days or longer? I believe that  such visitors would need two or three separate policies to cover their stay and in each case the policies would need to originate in their home country. 

[fullcave]

Next poll: should foreigners be forced to wear dog collar GPS devices?  

 

Overwhemingly YES! The demands it!

 

 

Edited August 15, 2018 by fullcave

[lvr181]

7 hours ago, HHTel said:

So someone, despite trying, who is over the age limit for insurance is a fool!

No - only the 'fool' who, without any thought, made this claim.

 

And I so often think (and say) that many Thai are incapable of high order critical thinking, yet in our midst we also have one.

Edited August 15, 2018 by lvr181
correction

[sandyf]

20 hours ago, slappy said:

As a resident here, I and my wife went to get insurance for our holiday back to the UK for 2 weeks. We approached BKB Insurance. We was told my wife could have cover, but i couldn't because i was going back to my homeland. I wanted insurance for if anything happened while travelling to Uk and back to Thailand. They told me, they couldn't insure me!

I have lived here for nearly 10 years and go back to the UK every year. My wife and I always take out travel insurance for the trip with AXA(Thailand), not a problem and I think they insure up to 80. This year we got 13K baht from them for baggage delay and damage.

 

People should bear in mind that travel insurance is exactly that, if you are not actually travelling it is another issue, and tourist by definition is a traveller. Before I came to live here I always had an annual policy.

It wouldn't be out of the question for people entering Thailand that are required to be in possession of onward travel to be also in possession of travel insurance.

[HHTel]

1 hour ago, sandyf said:

I have lived here for nearly 10 years and go back to the UK every year. My wife and I always take out travel insurance for the trip with AXA(Thailand), not a problem and I think they insure up to 80. This year we got 13K baht from them for baggage delay and damage.

 

People should bear in mind that travel insurance is exactly that, if you are not actually travelling it is another issue, and tourist by definition is a traveller. Before I came to live here I always had an annual policy.

It wouldn't be out of the question for people entering Thailand that are required to be in possession of onward travel to be also in possession of travel insurance.

Travel insurance in most cases includes medical insurance.

Quote

Most travel insurance plans are package plans that include various coverage like trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, lost or delayed baggage, medical coverage,medical evacuation etc.

 

[Hoppyone]

On 8/14/2018 at 1:42 PM, Fairynuff said:

Insurance companies are in the the business of taking your money and finding any way possible not to give any back. Legal scammers. I never take insurance and have paid the few hospital bills out of my pocket. If something serious happens I’ll cross that bridge.

Totally agree,yes they have a license to scam,they can change the goal posts to suit the claim,no doubt more people would buy travel insurance if you could find an insurance company that would cover the claim no matter what the circumstances are,hopefully a few of these posts are being read by their executives 

[David Walden]

19 hours ago, rocketdave said:

I'm here on a retirement visa, I'm 69 rapidly approaching 70 with diabetes 2 and hypertension, the health insurance quotes I am being fed (if they quote at all) means they would like me to buy them a condo every year!

They don't cover accidents either.

If they make it mandatory for all visitors many (me included) will be heading elsewhere.

Yes and usually if you have the complaints you mention it is unlikely you will be covered for any medical treatment as they are pre-existing or perhaps anything that developed as a result of your pre-existing conditions.  This may only apparent if and when you make a claim.  Most travel insurers will not cover you over 70 as is the same with me, they may? but strict conditions or substantial loadings will/may apply...the question is "how does the tourist industry deal with international travellers and people with extended holidays ? i.e like Thailand's Farang Retirees.   It can only really practical that if residents of those countries where free universal healthcare is provided will need to provide extended cover for their overseas travellers or be greatly subsidised, perhaps with an excess e,g. Aus $500 excess for each and any claim.  This you may be able to pay?......Australia's free universal health cover stops the moment you leave the country.

   I fear all will finish in the too hard basket but it could be a big success for Thailand if they charge farangs a standard universal health service fee on arrival from an ATM look a like dispenser at the airport or an extension of payments at 7/11s or similar.   However it may turn out thousands of farangs from all over the world on retirement and holiday visas coming to Thailand to have their pre-existing ailments fixed up free, sort of?  Hmmmm?...lots of questions?  This could be bigger then Ben Hur.  I am sure the international travel health care providers would not like to see Thailand providing travellers health insurance in their country.

[Hoppyone]

26 minutes ago, David Walden said:

Yes and usually if you have the complaints you mention it is unlikely you will be covered for any medical treatment as they are pre-existing or perhaps anything that developed as a result of your pre-existing conditions.  This may only apparent if and when you make a claim.  Most travel insurers will not cover you over 70 as is the same with me, they may? but strict conditions or substantial loadings will/may apply...the question is "how does the tourist industry deal with international travellers and people with extended holidays ? i.e like Thailand's Farang Retirees.   It can only really practical that if residents of those countries where free universal healthcare is provided will need to provide extended cover for their overseas travellers or be greatly subsidised, perhaps with an excess e,g. Aus $500 excess for each and any claim.  This you may be able to pay?......Australia's free universal health cover stops the moment you leave the country.

   I fear all will finish in the too hard basket but it could be a big success for Thailand if they charge farangs a standard universal health service fee on arrival from an ATM look a like dispenser at the airport or an extension of payments at 7/11s or similar.   However it may turn out thousands of farangs from all over the world on retirement and holiday visas coming to Thailand to have their pre-existing ailments fixed up free, sort of?  Hmmmm?...lots of questions?  This could be bigger then Ben Hur.  I am sure the international travel health care providers would not like to see Thailand providing travellers health insurance in their country.

Good post I’m in same boat 67 yo with normal health problems at that age no claim would be possible if I forked out money for premium 

[David Walden]

36 minutes ago, Hoppyone said:

Totally agree,yes they have a license to scam,they can change the goal posts to suit the claim,no doubt more people would buy travel insurance if you could find an insurance company that would cover the claim no matter what the circumstances are,hopefully a few of these posts are being read by their executives 

What you are suggesting and hoping for is very unlikely.  Governments who provide universal health care need to  get their citizens involved when overseas.  For us Australians if we could get our government to repatriate us back to Aus to received our universal free  health care that would be OK.  I cannot see travel health providers ever giving unconditional Carte Blanche payments for health or injury matters in the near future.  All the heart transplant patients and others needing extensive treatment would be heading overseas to get it all fixed...free?

[The manic]

6 hours ago, HHTel said:

Travel insurance in most cases includes medical insurance.

 

I have private medical insurance. I do not have travel insurance. They are two quite diffent issues.  Ignorant people are conflating the two

 

[MrMuddle]

What idiot at TV came up with the idea of this poll ? Are you trying to give the PM ideas ? It's pretty obvious he hates farangs as it is !

How many of us on retirement visas can afford medical insurance here ? We were doing fine, when Yingluck's Government allowed us to register at local Hospitals and get treated there, but the current lot stopped that.
I can afford Private Hospital treatment if I need it, but the costs of medical insurance at my age are prohibitive.

I despair of this forum, it seems you will do anything to increase traffic on the site, with little thought to those of us who have made our lives here.

[HHTel]

21 minutes ago, The manic said:

I have private medical insurance. I do not have travel insurance. They are two quite diffent issues.  Ignorant people are conflating the two

 

This thread is about travel insurance.  I was questioning that should the law come into being, what about tourists who can't get insurance because of their age.  My mother has been coming every year for years and she's now 93.  No company would give her insurance.  The last time she was able to get cover, she was 79 and the premium was almost as much as the air fare.

[Kasset Tak]

On 8/13/2018 at 4:27 PM, 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

I had a "nice" international insurance from back home, payed equal to €2,000 a year for several years, when I finally want to use it they refused to pay as I was living in Thailand... they had been sending the bill to Thailand for 4 years without any problems!?

So yeah, insurance might be good to have, but it has been more once in my life I have had problems trying to get any money from an insurance company! I had one case many years ago back home when I was hit by a car back. It took 6 years, lawyers and court before the insurance company finally payed up, and as I said I was hit by a car... from behind while I was on a bicycle!

[Hoppyone]

11 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

I had a "nice" international insurance from back home, payed equal to €2,000 a year for several years, when I finally want to use it they refused to pay as I was living in Thailand... they had been sending the bill to Thailand for 4 years without any problems!?

So yeah, insurance might be good to have, but it has been more once in my life I have had problems trying to get any money from an insurance company! I had one case many years ago back home when I was hit by a car back. It took 6 years, lawyers and court before the insurance company finally payed up, and as I said I was hit by a car... from behind while I was on a bicycle!

Yes another insurance claim going through the ringer and not wanting to cover a legitimate claim, the lists are endless

[scorecard]

7 hours ago, HHTel said:

Travel insurance in most cases includes medical insurance.

 

I don't agree, my insurance guy here in Chiang Mai alerted me to the fact many people take travel insurance not realizing:

 

- They have cover for delayed flights, cancelled flights, lost luggage etc. But no medical cover.

 

    or:

 

 - Cover for cancelled flights, lost baggage etc, death pay out, but no hospital / medical cover.

 

   etc.

 

It pays to check this very carefully.

 

 

[HHTel]

I didn't say all.  However it is the norm to include medical insurance and most policies reflect that.  All my visitors coming from the UK are covered for medical insurance in their travel policy.  A couple have even used theirs whilst here.

 

Quote

Travel insurance covers cancellations, medical expenses, evacuations, loss or delays, and 24/7 assistance.

These are the 5 basic types of coverage provided with vacation insurance. This page outlines the general coverage provided, and our full guide to coverage can be found here.

It is on your own head to check the policy.