Every foreign tourist to Thailand set to be charged 100 baht insurance fee

[jackdd]

I think the people planning this have just no idea what they are doing.

They saw that there were 300 million THB of unpaid bills, so somebody had the idea to charge every tourist 100 THB insurance fee which would result in about 3 billion THB, and they were thinking that this leaves a nice profit for the government.

But they didn't take into account that currently about 99% of medical costs are paid by the tourists, either directly or through their insurances.

If these tourists can now use this 100 THB tourist insurance they won't pay it by themself anymore but it has to be paid for by the insurance.

So if they really do this as planned i think it will cost Thailand maybe 30 billion in the first year, so the the Thai government has to fork out 27 billion THB to pay for medical bills of foreigners, and then this isurance scheme will be scrapped.

[hkt83100]

But still every departing ticket includes the 500 Baht, which were to be paid after check-in a few years ago. To simplify the procedure these 500 Baht were added to any ticket (to hide the departure tax). What are these 500 Baht now used for?

[inThailand]

21 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

I don't think anybody cares about the amount, it's the principal .

 

It will end up in a slush fund for the corrupt officials. Not one baht will go to the correct avenues.

 

Then in a year another announcement that it isn't enough to cover all the miscreants not paying and they need to increase it.

Rinse and repeat every year.

It's just another stealth tax 

Isn't it a real tax but stealth services? 

[Thechook]

What happened to the billions they have raised from the 100 baht increase on arrival/departure tax they introduced 6 years ago.  This increase was to be used to cover medical expenses of foreigners. This scheme is effectively charging foreigners twice for the one product.  Has the trough got a hole in it or gluttony a problem in Thailand 

[wayned]

They are going to have to move the money exchange booths to the other side of immigration.  Before I came here to stay in 1998 I came many times on both holiday and business and never had any  Thai baht in my pocket until I got through customs and entered Thailand where the exchange booths were

[Don Mega]

10 hours ago, hkt83100 said:

But still every departing ticket includes the 500 Baht, which were to be paid after check-in a few years ago. To simplify the procedure these 500 Baht were added to any ticket (to hide the departure tax). What are these 500 Baht now used for?

It was raised to Bt.700 about 10 years ago.

[Sticky Wicket]

51 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

It was raised to Bt.700 about 10 years ago.

I was just trying to find the details and this thread popped up

Nothing changes on ThaiVisa???? Whinging and arguing galore.....and that was in the halcyon days!!

 

 

[Sticky Wicket]

1 hour ago, wayned said:

They are going to have to move the money exchange booths to the other side of immigration.  Before I came here to stay in 1998 I came many times on both holiday and business and never had any  Thai baht in my pocket until I got through customs and entered Thailand where the exchange booths were

It will just get added to your flight ticket, much like the 700 baht departure tax is

[Sticky Wicket]

People are going to think this 100 baht covers them for anything. There will be even more people coming with no travel insurance!!

[Pattayabeerbacon]

In other words, So many people are dying in thailand they have a

100 THB - 'Send your body home just in case tax....."

 

[Rimmer]

A troll post has been removed

[jimmyyy]

100 baht, so now i can see it, a guy comes on a holiday for 2 weeks knowing he has a serious disease and is in need of emergency surgery.  Shows up, pays his 100 baht and proceeds directly to the hospital for his 100 baht surgery and follow on treatment.  This is going to do more damage than good. 

[imjmn]

On ‎5‎/‎24‎/‎2019 at 12:07 AM, JohnOFphon said:

Didn't there used to be a departure tax? I remember going to a machine and paying 500 bt for a ticket that had to be shown,,,at check in or passport control...don't remember which.

This has been added to the ticket price. This started years ago.

 

MJ

[VBF]

10 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

People are going to think this 100 baht covers them for anything. There will be even more people coming with no travel insurance!!

Only very stupid ones! Anyone with even half a brain knows that 100 Baht cannot be an annual premium! EG, if you're from the UK !00 Baht is about £2.40 at prevailing rates.

My annual travel insurance is more than £80, with an "old customer" discount.

If you cannot work that out, stupid doesn't even get close!

Candidate for the Darwin Awards?

[mommysboy]

It would be a good idea. 

 

One unintended consequence: some tourists might forego insurance altogether reasoning that it is already included.

[essox essox]

On 5/24/2019 at 11:59 AM, trainman34014 said:

300 million baht a year ?  Another number from the Thai number factory, where any number that sounds big enough will do !

there good with numbers in Thailand.....should be on countdown !!!

[VBF]

2 hours ago, mommysboy said:

It would be a good idea. 

 

One unintended consequence: some tourists might forego insurance altogether reasoning that it is already included.

See my #344 above! ????

[Bill Miller]

On 5/24/2019 at 12:07 PM, Bert got kinky said:

 

When the news broke about the 'possible' insurance requirement for ex-pats, this idea was suggested by a poster on Thai Visa. 

 

Is someone from the Ministry of Tourism & Sports reading Thai Visa in order to pick up a few tips. ????

 

 

I am one of the folks who suggested something of the sort.
Since we long term, retirement types, etc., are still considered "tourists" for most practical purposes, can we get by on this as well?
Most of the available commercial policies I have seen thus far are on the steep side.
Make the program available to us as well, but more than 100 baht per head would be needed for the idea to work.
I would have no problem kicking in say five thousand baht each 90 day reporting period.  The US charges me about thirteen thousand baht each three months, total, for a policy I cannot use, even though it would be far cheaper to payout for Thai medical care, and Medicare is becoming increasingly useless, largely due to the opaque and byzantine billing requirements.
I have been getting by with cash, as the usual cost at Thai government hospitals is about equal to my Medicare co-pays.
I know, because I have been averaging two admits per year during my five years here.

[Bill Miller]

On 5/24/2019 at 12:07 PM, Bert got kinky said:

 

When the news broke about the 'possible' insurance requirement for ex-pats, this idea was suggested by a poster on Thai Visa. 

 

Is someone from the Ministry of Tourism & Sports reading Thai Visa in order to pick up a few tips. ????

 

 

I am one of the folks who suggested something of the sort.
Since we long term, retirement types, etc., are still considered "tourists" for most practical purposes, can we get by on this as well?
Most of the available commercial policies I have seen thus far are on the steep side.
Make the program available to us as well, but more than 100 baht per head would be needed for the idea to work.
I would have no problem kicking in say five thousand baht each 90 day reporting period.  The US charges me about thirteen thousand baht each three months, total, for a policy I cannot use, even though it would be far cheaper to payout for Thai medical care, and Medicare is becoming increasingly useless, largely due to the opaque and byzantine billing requirements.
I have been getting by with cash, as the usual cost at Thai government hospitals is about equal to my Medicare co-pays.
I know, because I have been averaging two admits per year during my five years here.
Really meant to edit an additional comment/question... it would seem to make double sense, as the max period Tourist visa is ninety days anywho.

[ChrisY1]

Fall of a motor bike, trip on the footpath, get bashed by taxi drivers, and etc., and see which if any, hospitals accept you on this dubious scheme!

[mommysboy]

3 hours ago, VBF said:

Only very stupid ones! Anyone with even half a brain knows that 100 Baht cannot be an annual premium! EG, if you're from the UK !00 Baht is about £2.40 at prevailing rates.

My annual travel insurance is more than £80, with an "old customer" discount.

If you cannot work that out, stupid doesn't even get close!

Candidate for the Darwin Awards?

It will happen.  Hopefully, not much, but it will happen.

[mommysboy]

1 hour ago, VBF said:

See my #344 above! ????

I saw your post. I don't agree with it and am not obliged to discuss it, you know, but have done above.

[stanleycoin]

42 minutes ago, ChrisY1 said:

Fall of a motor bike, trip on the footpath, get bashed by taxi drivers, and etc., and see which if any, hospitals accept you on this dubious scheme!

I had no idea they had footpaths in Thailand.

I thought they were motor cycle only,  express ways and parking areas. . 

 

 

[wisperone]

Why are people assuming this is in place of having insurance. It isn't. This is only to cover the supposed people who skip out on paying hospital care. It's just another Thai scheme to line pockets of the junta. You will still need medical/trip insurance.

[sanemax]

28 minutes ago, wisperone said:

Why are people assuming this is in place of having insurance. It isn't. This is only to cover the supposed people who skip out on paying hospital care. It's just another Thai scheme to line pockets of the junta. You will still need medical/trip insurance.

How come the expected revenue is ten times the amount of the lost money , money lost by people skipping hospital bills ?

[bwpage3]

This would go in someone's pocket. Who are they kidding?

[sanemax]

35 minutes ago, wisperone said:

Why are people assuming this is in place of having insurance. It isn't. This is only to cover the supposed people who skip out on paying hospital care. It's just another Thai scheme to line pockets of the junta. You will still need medical/trip insurance.

If thats the case, then its no different to the Gofundme campaigns , apart from you have no choice about whether you donate or not 

[stanleycoin]

12 minutes ago, sanemax said:

How come the expected revenue is ten times the amount of the lost money , money lost by people skipping hospital bills ?

Because they aspire to this on most levels.

 

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, essox essox said:

there good with numbers in Thailand.....should be on countdown !!!

Carol Vorderman will be turning in her grave. And she's not even dead! 

[lamyai3]

3 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

 

Gotta admire Gordon Tukkae...