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

[DrTuner]

So the insurance is the new Thai government scam, they'll try to squeeze it in anywhere they can and feed their buddies at the companies.

[Happy Grumpy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The media said that exactly how much tourists are to be charged is being debated. They referred to Japan's "Sayonara Tax" that levies a charge of 1,000 yen or 300 baht on Japanese and foreigners leaving the country.

 

Isn't there already a big airport international departure tax of 500thb or 1000thb? 

 

It had to be paid in cash in the mid 2000's as you departed, but the sneaky <deleted> now have it included in the ticket price so people don't realize. 

[mtls2005]

I believe the international PSC remains 700 THB while the domestic PSC remains 100 THB, at airports like BKK, DMK, etc. There has been talk of increasing these but I've lost track of that discussion.

 

Provincial airports have a different scheme, not sure but it might be 50 THB?

 

I assume they'd add the 100 baht medical expense surcharge into the PSC - so going from 700 to 800 THB - and then skim off the 100 THB into the appropriate brown bag.

 

Not sure there's a code/line in every GDS for miscellaneous fees that can be added?

 

 

 

 

 

[Happy Grumpy]

In 10 years time you'll have to sign over your bank accounts and house deeds before the Thais allow you to be here. 

[Briggsy]

2 hours ago, JohnOFphon said:

Didn't there used to be a departure tax?

There still is except it hasn't been paid in cash for a long, long time. Perhaps 17 years or so.

[recom273]

2 hours ago, 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.

OMG .. I forgot about that! It was a nightmare trying to juggle your last nights finances to make sure you had enough for a taxi and departure tax. People used to wander around Don Muang trying to scrape enough for the machine (I think it was a machine, it was like more than 15 years ago) .. what a blast from the past. 

[Paul Henry]

This will impact on visitors who have travel insurance  as all policies I have had ask do you have any other cover.Generally you can only claim on one policy as this is mandatory I would imagine the private companies will insist on you claim on the government system first and they then cover any shortfall.Does the government insurance give you private hospital and doctor or do you go into the public grinder and hope you come out cured and not with new infections or deases

[DrTuner]

1 minute ago, Paul Henry said:

This will impact on visitors who have travel insurance  as all policies I have had ask do you have any other cover.Generally you can only claim on one policy as this is mandatory I would imagine the private companies will insist on you claim on the government system first and they then cover any shortfall.Does the government insurance give you private hospital and doctor or do you go into the public grinder and hope you come out cured and not with new infections or deases

Oh that's easy. Don't give any insurance back for the 100b, just take it and say "hey it's for the ones that don't pay up at the hospital". Which is exactly what's likely to happen, you pay 100b, get nothing, times millions. Scams don't get better than that.

[Emdog]

Trusting soul that I'm not.... hospitals could submit bills for farang treatment not paid... but wait... oh, they made it up! "Sorry, farang already go back home. Here is bill." Could hook up with Khao San Road crowd to make vast numbers phony passport ID pages to back up claims.

On the other side, how long might it take for word to go viral on net travel sites? "Don't buy travel insurance when traveling to Thailand. You'll pay 100 baht when you enter, let them use that to pay bill. Stiff them."

1 hour?

Seems to be potential of "bad insurance driving out good". While I understand idea may be good in principle, the devil is in the details

 

[mtls2005]

1 minute ago, Paul Henry said:

This will impact on visitors who have travel insurance

Not if it's buried in the PSC. It won't be for "insurance". It'll be classified as a passenger handling fee, or just rolled into Passenger Service Charge. Then AOT and MoPH can cage match for the cash.

 

 

[Percy P]

3 minutes ago, balo said:

A great idea , just hope theres no corruption involved. 

But there is no need for it . 300ml Baht Ii's a trivial  some when they collect 700Baht from every one who leaves the country at the Airport .300ml Baht is also a trivial amount in relation to the money they make from money exchange. How many Billions of Baht is made from retires who deposited 800000Baht in the Thai Bank for one year

[bkkgriz]

If I recall correctly, didn't Thailand have an exit fee about 10 years ago? I remember having to buy a ticket from a vending machine near the security entrance gate. It was 500 baht. 

[CLS]

I believe the international PSC remains 700 THB while the domestic PSC remains 100 THB, at airports like BKK, DMK, etc. There has been talk of increasing these but I've lost track of that discussion.
 
Provincial airports have a different scheme, not sure but it might be 50 THB?
 
I assume they'd add the 100 baht medical expense surcharge into the PSC - so going from 700 to 800 THB - and then skim off the 100 THB into the appropriate brown bag.
 
Not sure there's a code/line in every GDS for miscellaneous fees that can be added?
 
 
 
 
 

The 700฿ you pay to the airline. The airlines only forwards the monies to AoT if you use your outbound ticket.

How can you pay by leaving via land borders? I think we will soon see the old vending machines again.


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[dougiemac52]

On 4/23/2019 at 4:57 PM, tifino said:

so there was all that talk about Death Penalties, yet they haven;t even created the Arrest Warrants

 

so, there was all that talk accusing them of being inside thailand's territories, yet they are now awaiting word from the AttGen office, because they're crime was committed outside of Thailand's territories

 

it's getting a bit like changing the rules during an America's Cup yacht race!

So if they don't get the tourists that they expect like is happening now, will this figure be pro-rata to the debt. And what if , like me, you travel with insurance  ?

[Benmart]

2 hours ago, Pilotman said:

what a good idea.  No, I'm not being sarcastic. 

I agree. 

[hioctane]

It is only 100 baht. Does it really matter? They could just as easily tacked it onto existing taxes.

However, I do agree that they should be able to recoup the costs of sending tourists that die back home and unpaid hospital bills that tourists skip out on.


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[bkkgriz]

2 hours ago, 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.

I just made the same comment. You beat me by a couple of hours. When was that? 10 or 15 years ago? 

[wombat]

''costing the country 300 million baht a year''
 

so thats just under a million baht a day ?

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, bkkgriz said:

I just made the same comment. You beat me by a couple of hours. When was that? 10 or 15 years ago? 

about that.  A reply to my post said that it has been incorporated into the ticket price.   Not sure what happens if a 'ticket' is not involved, driving your own car to another country for example. 

[hioctane]

If I recall correctly, didn't Thailand have an exit fee about 10 years ago? I remember having to buy a ticket from a vending machine near the security entrance gate. It was 500 baht. 

Most countries just charge the airline now which passes on the charge to you. It is a lot easier and faster to collect.


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[Fex Bluse]

With several of these schemes thought up recently, one wonders if the government is just looking randomly for money 

 

The fee wouldn't be so offensive if

 

A. We thought most of the money would reach its intended place 

 

B. If the Thais weren't so negligible in safety and murdering tourists with Thai stupidity and Thai apathy 

[Dazinoz]

2 hours ago, 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. ????

 

 

Well according to a member who commented on a post of mine in another thread it is posts like mine that causes immigration to change the rules so I guess your statement is correct (according to him).

[potless]

1 minute ago, hioctane said:

If I recall correctly, didn't Thailand have an exit fee about 10 years ago? I remember having to buy a ticket from a vending machine near the security entrance gate. It was 500 baht. 

Its been answered umpteen times already. Any fee would be levied for arrival . How would an exit fee for unpaid bills be levied on departure if you are dead?

[hioctane]

Its been answered umpteen times already. Any fee would be levied for arrival . How would an exit fee for unpaid bills be levied on departure if you are dead?

You are quoting the wrong guy. I didn’t type that.


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[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

They had an exit tax of 500 baht before that you had to hand over to them on departure from the Kingdom. Complaints led it to be added into the price of the ticket. Now they want you to forget history and do the same again. Then we will complain but it will only be added to the price of the ticket as an airport tax until they come up with another excuse to milk us for money. 

[Destiny1990]

Sounds like a good plan..

Many Tourists getting injured here or worse. some sort of a mandatory insurance coverage will be useful.

[bluesofa]

58 minutes ago, cnx355 said:

2 hours ago, 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.

Yes but is is for airport usage admin fees only

To cover the cost of the departure tax machine.

[ThomasThBKK]

19 minutes ago, dougiemac52 said:

So if they don't get the tourists that they expect like is happening now, will this figure be pro-rata to the debt. And what if , like me, you travel with insurance  ?

They could just use these magical contactless credit card things with NFC that everyone has nowadays to charge 100 thb at every border on entry or alternatively cash in whatever currency people have. I dont think they will make any exceptions, thats far too complicated and the 100 baht is really... who cares.

 

Please take this idea too thai gov guy whos reading here.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

17 minutes ago, CLS said:

 

The 700฿ you pay to the airline. The airlines only forwards the monies to AoT if you use your outbound ticket.

How can you pay by leaving via land borders? I think we will soon see the old vending machines again.


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As I can remember the tax was outbound only. They didn't charge at land crossings. The only other place that had an exit tax was Koh Samui before the tsunami. 

[British Bulldog]

This could be a bit tricky ... will they charge by the week, month 3 months or give you the option of 1 year, what about guys and families like mine and cross the border at Nong Khai all the time shopping and medical treatment ... this fee must be able to cover you for 'X' period of time .... old Swampy takes a while as it is to get through Immigration, let alone yet another counter or payment at the Immigration counter ... and how many people carry Baht with them at immigration ... will be fun collecting different currencies .... overall a good idea though I think !