Thailand Travel Shield: TAT offers travel insurance for foreign tourists

[Letseng]

1 hour ago, Fex Bluse said:

After THAIS forced 95+‰ of these foreigners into accidents and injuries due to Thais gross incompetence and arrogance and lack of any safety culture. 

Who causes accidents in your home country?

Since Thais are a majority in Thailand you are most  likely to collide with a Thai. 

The one who is arrogant here is you with your above comment about arrogance. 

[Fex Bluse]

Just now, Letseng said:

Who causes accidents in your home country?

Since Thais are a majority in Thailand you are most  likely to collide with a Thai. 

The one who is arrogant here is you with your above comment about arrogance. 

False equivalence. 

 

Answer this: why are Thai roads among the most dangerous in the world? 

 

That will give you a hint. 

[PingRoundTheWorld]

Sounds actually pretty good for the annual option, but the website is lacking any detail on actual health coverage and limitations. Would wait until they at least release the fine print before even considering it...

 

Not sure how it compares with travel insurance back home, either.

[300sd]

23 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

I regularly read posts similar to yours regarding the fees charged by private hospitals yet never see suggestions as to what the fees should be.

What needs to be understood is that private hospitals are as the name suggests private businesses, they are not government owned or operated and receive no funding from the government

As such everything they provide has to be paid for and is funded by the owners/ shareholders, have a look at the state of the art equipment they provide it doesn’t just materialize out of thin air, the staffing levels, the rooms etc etc.

You cannot expect to compare private hospitals with government run hospitals here, in the UK, Australia or anywhere else in the world.

If you want free or subsidized treatment you need to go to a country that provides it, we are not Thai so it’s not going to happen here.

 

Please refer to post #52. 

[300sd]

20 minutes ago, Letseng said:

I don't know where you come from but in my home country you also pay premium in a private hospital.

No discount for a retiree without insurance.

Who said anything about wanting a discount?

[onera1961]

Each trip covers 60-day. How about doing a border run every 60-day and purchase the annual trip? 

[scubascuba3]

Each trip covers 60-day. How about doing a border run every 60-day and purchase the annual trip? 

Possible, but you need to check the t&c's

[scubascuba3]

There are some private hospitals in Thailand that don't overcharge foreigners, but in my opinion there are many that do.

Tell us which ones don't do bill padding?

[Anythingleft?]

I have a sneaky feeling that this will grow once established and be tacked into the visa requirements within a couple of years

Only time will tell of course and the costs will be interesting should it become a part of the overall package......



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[wisperone]

10 hours ago, wotsdermatter said:

  11 hours ago, steve73 said:

Claims for death must be made in person.

 

You have to report every 90 days to show that you are still dead.

[wisperone]

10 hours ago, mickymouse1 said:

Chief of the TAT Yuthasak Suphasorn intimated that the new scheme

Truer words never spoken...

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

12 hours ago, jackdd said:

They say "Foreigner with permanent residency" are not eligable. How many percent of foreigners who stay long term in Thailand are permanent residents? Probably less than 1%

Having to leave the country every 60 days to renew the insurance is of course kind of inconvenient, maybe people who stay in Thailand using a multiple-o visa and have to leave every 90 days anyway might choose to do this every 60 days if they like this insurance.

 

I wondered the same thing as to their website's use of the terms "permanent resident" and "permanent residency" -- both being excluded.

 

Do they mean "permanent residency" in the official government sense of things, which comparatively few farangs in Thailand have?

 

Or, do they just mean people who live in Thailand more or less year-round, and distinguishing that group from the come and go tourist types?

 

Obviously, the difference is, everyone here who's on a retirement extension or marriage extension of stay are NOT permanent residents in the official government definition of things. Which would potentially open up coverage to a much larger group than just traditional tourists....

 

However, I can't find anything on the website that tells me which definition of PR they're meaning....

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

8 hours ago, thermic said:

There is no 60 days of insurance for 1000 baht here. The competitive plan for 2M coverage and 60 days costs 3150 baht (1750 for 1M coverage).

There is however an annual option at 12,000 baht (with border runs required every 60 days) which is 1000 per month still available up to 70 years old. That looks too good to be true and I suspect there is a horrible range of exceptions and restrictions.

Unfortunately the site creators didn't bother to show us insurance details and exceptions. e.g. how about having a motorcycle accident?

http://thailandtravelshield.tourismthailand.org/

 

Any insurance advertisement/web site without displaying/providing links to policy exceptions and limitations should be considered as **.

 

From what I could find on the website:

--no mention of exclusions

--no mention of deductibles

--no mention about pre-existing condition coverage

--no definition of what they mean by "permanent residents" or "permanent residency" as being ineligible.

--no mention of what hospitals will accept this insurance -- government, private, all, some?

--I don't think there's even any mention of whether it includes inpatient, outpatient or both.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

6 hours ago, StevieAus said:

I regularly read posts similar to yours regarding the fees charged by private hospitals yet never see suggestions as to what the fees should be.

What needs to be understood is that private hospitals are as the name suggests private businesses, they are not government owned or operated and receive no funding from the government

As such everything they provide has to be paid for and is funded by the owners/ shareholders, have a look at the state of the art equipment they provide it doesn’t just materialize out of thin air, the staffing levels, the rooms etc etc.

You cannot expect to compare private hospitals with government run hospitals here, in the UK, Australia or anywhere else in the world.

If you want free or subsidized treatment you need to go to a country that provides it, we are not Thai so it’s not going to happen here.

 

 

Apparently you didn't catch the news yesterday re the Thai government itself concluding that more than half of private hospitals here are substantially overcharging patients for medical services and medicines.

 

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/report-finds-more-than-half-of-thailands-private-hospitals-way-overcharging-patients.html
 

Quote

 

Mr Whichai said the group studied the production costs of 10,146 items covering medicines, medical supplies and medical services, comparing them with appropriate cost structures available from a variety of sources, including importers, wholesalers, big drugstores, manufacturers, the Office of Insurance Commission, the Thai Life Assurance Association, the Thai General Insurance Association and the Comptroller-General’s Department.
 

Of the private hospitals that overcharge, the overcharge rate ranges from 30% to 300% above actual production costs.

 

 

[emptypockets]

17 hours ago, fforest1 said:

I think we can all agree 6,000 baht a year would be a fair and proper rate for all expats in Thailand to pay for a full year of medical coverage.....This could be a test for a 6,000 baht a year roll-out to all expats.....

You can agree all you want but it will never ever happen at that level of premium. 

Insurance is all about likelihood, risk and return to shareholder.

 If you think any insurance company will take the risk at that premium on what is overwhelmingly an ageing expat population you are, quite frankly, nuts. The demand for services would be sky high and send the company broke.  I recall reading somewhere that something like 80% of the total Australian health care funding is spent on people in the last three months of life.

People who think the Thai government is going to step in are delusional. 

You will always find an insurance company somewhere that will insure anything,  but whether you can afford it is question only you can answer. 

[boonrawdcnx]

Not sure why they say this is new ?

I have used the Thai travel Shield insurance since years when I was still working offshore coming and going.
Paid around 3700 Baht for 60 days with the highest coverage.

Still wondering if it is any good because I luckily never had to use it.


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[boonrawdcnx]

You can agree all you want but it will never ever happen at that level of premium. 
Insurance is all about likelihood, risk and return to shareholder.
 If you think any insurance company will take the risk at that premium on what is overwhelmingly an ageing expat population you are, quite frankly, nuts. The demand for services would be sky high and send the company broke.  I recall reading somewhere that something like 80% of the total Australian health care funding is spent on people in the last three months of life.
People who think the Thai government is going to step in are delusional. 
You will always find an insurance company somewhere that will insure anything,  but whether you can afford it is question only you can answer. 

Yeah sure the big insurance companies have built there high rise glass palaces all over the world because they are so poor - amazing what constant brainwashing can achieve !

Risk to shareholders ? The billions these fools have lost by gambling on derivatives was a risk to shareholders - not somebody over 70 seeking insurance! They and the banks had no problem being bailed out by tax payers to the tune of hundreds of billions - and they are again allowed by corrupt politicians to play their dirty games with us - pure greed is what drives them but for sure not sound business decisions!


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[boonrawdcnx]

Not sure why they say this is new ?

I have used the Thai travel Shield insurance since years when I was still working offshore coming and going.
Paid around 3700 Baht for 60 days with the highest coverage.

Still wondering if it is any good because I luckily never had to use it.


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Oops sorry that was 3000 Baht for 60 days!


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[StevieAus]

7 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Apparently you didn't catch the news yesterday re the Thai government itself concluding that more than half of private hospitals here are substantially overcharging patients for medical services and medicines.

 

https://www.chiangraitimes.com/report-finds-more-than-half-of-thailands-private-hospitals-way-overcharging-patients.html
 

 

Having read the article to be fair it is very general and seems to be like some government reports I have read in Australia very lacking in detail and specifics.

Are they comparing costs with government hospitals, which are paid for by the government ?

How do they compare staffing levels and the fact private hospitals have more staff?

Are the drugs brand name or the generic ones supplied to government hospitals by the government pharmaceutical factory ?

I have no idea how you compare the cost of an operation carried out by a recently qualified doctor in a government hospital with that carried out say by a highly qualified or experienced private surgeon.

Whilst it is slightly off topic not everything is free in government hospitals,

My sister in laws mother had to pay for a CT scan recently and her brother had to pay for a stent to be fitted in a government hospital in Chiang Mai, my wife’s grandmother before she died had to pay for dyalisis.

Not an easy topic really.

[samsensam]

3 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

Having read the article to be fair it is very general and seems to be like some government reports I have read in Australia very lacking in detail and specifics.

Are they comparing costs with government hospitals, which are paid for by the government ?

How do they compare staffing levels and the fact private hospitals have more staff?

Are the drugs brand name or the generic ones supplied to government hospitals by the government pharmaceutical factory ?

I have no idea how you compare the cost of an operation carried out by a recently qualified doctor in a government hospital with that carried out say by a highly qualified or experienced private surgeon.

Whilst it is slightly off topic not everything is free in government hospitals,

My sister in laws mother had to pay for a CT scan recently and her brother had to pay for a stent to be fitted in a government hospital in Chiang Mai, my wife’s grandmother before she died had to pay for dyalisis.

Not an easy topic really.

 

indeed, i'd never take out insurance over here, take out a policy back home, backed by a professional body such as ABTA and with an independent ombudsman to resolve issues. in case of an emergency you'd be dealing with people who speak your language, with detailed information on what is, and is not covered by the policy.

 

i've been involved in two claims with insurance companies; my parents had to make a large claim on a travel insurance policy and i had a considerable household claim, both were dealt with efficiently and effectively by the insurer and loss adjuster. would that happen here, maybe - but do you need to take the chance it wont when you're in dire need?

[boonrawdcnx]

I do have the entire policy from Thai Travel Shield but we can not attach PDF files here.

Here are some pics of exclusions :








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[TallGuyJohninBKK]

2 hours ago, boonrawdcnx said:

I do have the entire policy from Thai Travel Shield but we can not attach PDF files here.

 

You can upload and post a PDF file here just fine. Done it many times. Just just choose and attach it the same way you'd attach an image file. Then click the round gray circle with a white plus sign in it that appears to insert the PDF into your post.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

3 hours ago, boonrawdcnx said:

I do have the entire policy from Thai Travel Shield but we can not attach PDF files here. 

Here are some pics of exclusions :







 

 

The exclusions list above seems pretty standard for typical Thai medical insurance coverage, but with some notable additions such as the exclusions for things like cancer, tumors, hemorhoids, etc.  Though that's hardly surprising since this is a travel policy, not a general yearround insurance policy, and mainly is aimed at injury and traveling illness.

 

And of course, like any policy here, it's going to totally exclude the aftermath of drunken idiots driving and crashing their motorcycles or other vehicles.  So how many tourist injuries and hospitalizations is that likely to exclude?

 

On the other hand, at least, it does NOT merely exclude being injured while being the driver or passenger on a motorcycle either your own or while on a motorcycle taxi.... which is a good thing for the tourist set.

 

Does the policy you have provide any details about its outpatient vs inpatient coverage? Usually for inpatient coverage, they typically state some kind of maximum limit per night of inpatient hospital coverage, like 6 or 8 or 10K max per night.

 

[Anythingleft?]

 
I wondered the same thing as to their website's use of the terms "permanent resident" and "permanent residency" -- both being excluded.
 
Do they mean "permanent residency" in the official government sense of things, which comparatively few farangs in Thailand have?
 
Or, do they just mean people who live in Thailand more or less year-round, and distinguishing that group from the come and go tourist types?
 
Obviously, the difference is, everyone here who's on a retirement extension or marriage extension of stay are NOT permanent residents in the official government definition of things. Which would potentially open up coverage to a much larger group than just traditional tourists....
 
However, I can't find anything on the website that tells me which definition of PR they're meaning....
 

Have a feeling you may be the closest to the mark with your post, time will tell as like you say very, very few are PR in the true writing

The majority of long stays are here on visa's of one sort or another.....

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[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

The exclusions list above seems pretty standard for typical Thai medical insurance coverage, but with some notable additions such as the exclusions for things like cancer, tumors, hemorhoids, etc.  Though that's hardly surprising since this is a travel policy, not a general yearround insurance policy, and mainly is aimed at injury and traveling illness.

 

And of course, like any policy here, it's going to totally exclude the aftermath of drunken idiots driving and crashing their motorcycles or other vehicles.  So how many tourist injuries and hospitalizations is that likely to exclude?

 

On the other hand, at least, it does NOT merely exclude being injured while being the driver or passenger on a motorcycle either your own or while on a motorcycle taxi.... which is a good thing for the tourist set.

 

Does the policy you have provide any details about its outpatient vs inpatient coverage? Usually for inpatient coverage, they typically state some kind of maximum limit per night of inpatient hospital coverage, like 6 or 8 or 10K max per night.

 

There seem to be two different sets of exclusions here?

I noticed your section 3 exclusion refers to being under the influence of alcohol.

 

boonrawdcnx section 3 refers to a vehicle or aircarft not licensed to carry passengers.

How would a tourist be aware if a taxi/motorbike was operating illegally and wasn't licensed?

 

 

[emptypockets]

9 hours ago, boonrawdcnx said:

Yeah sure the big insurance companies have built there high rise glass palaces all over the world because they are so poor - amazing what constant brainwashing can achieve !

Risk to shareholders ? The billions these fools have lost by gambling on derivatives was a risk to shareholders - not somebody over 70 seeking insurance! They and the banks had no problem being bailed out by tax payers to the tune of hundreds of billions - and they are again allowed by corrupt politicians to play their dirty games with us - pure greed is what drives them but for sure not sound business decisions!


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Don't disagree with you.  It is what it is. 

[StevieAus]

22 hours ago, 300sd said:

Please refer to post #52. 

Which doesn’t state anything in support of your contentions,

I would suggest that if you are not happy with private hospitals either don’t use them or ask about their charges before having the treatment I do.

[KneeDeep]

Poor value and poor coverage as compared to the UK market. 

Perhaps certain other countries are lacking, such as China and India. Haven't checked.

[StevieAus]

9 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

indeed, i'd never take out insurance over here, take out a policy back home, backed by a professional body such as ABTA and with an independent ombudsman to resolve issues. in case of an emergency you'd be dealing with people who speak your language, with detailed information on what is, and is not covered by the policy.

 

i've been involved in two claims with insurance companies; my parents had to make a large claim on a travel insurance policy and i had a considerable household claim, both were dealt with efficiently and effectively by the insurer and loss adjuster. would that happen here, maybe - but do you need to take the chance it wont when you're in dire need?

We have private insurance here for myself my wife and daughter even though the latter are entitled to the government scheme

The company is the Thai division of a well know European company We have had a few claims for inpatient hospital treatment for our daughter with no problems, they paid the hospital direct.

I suspect there is a lot of hype about insurance companies generally trying to avoid claims for no good reason which I do not accept and hasn’t been my experience

With a lot of these anecdotal stories the reality is often something different.

[Snow Leopard]

On 4/7/2019 at 6:22 AM, gunderhill said:

Ok so lets  scale this up for expats..... 60  days  let's  say 1000 baht top price 1  year 360 odd  days divide by 60 = 6 x 1000 =  annual  cover for 6000 baht for expats, ok so you can do it for 60  days so why not a year for 6k?

And your luggage is insured as well.