Medical insurance for foreigners on the cards again

[blackcab]

To be completely fair, the tax would be better added to visa or extension fees. That way there would be no need for Thai citizens to pay the tax. In addition, work permit holders and ex-work permit holders who can show an up to date history of social fund payments could be excluded.

 

From the government's point of view, however, it would make "fee free" visa on arrivals less attractive. If the government wanted to entice citizens of certain countries with "free" visa on arrival then it wouldn't sound quite as good if you say *Free Visa on Arrival (*but pay 300 baht).

 

Of course it's much easier for the government to receive convenient bank transfers from the airlines rather than have to deal with implementing the tax themselves.

 

One further issue would be the large amount of land border travel from neighbouring countries. How frequently would these people have to pay? Would a daily cross-border market trader have to pay each day? Or once a month? Or once a year? This is something that would have to be considered because there are literally millions of these types of entries per year.

[Mavideol]

8 minutes ago, blackcab said:

To be completely fair, the tax would be better added to visa or extension fees.

why better added to extension fees, you don't think the 800K blocked in the bank account are enough of a burden for extensions and can be used to cover potential medical bills

[ukrules]

This is a sensible measure and one I suggested the last time they were talking about this some time last year.

 

A small charge per person could easily provide cover for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

 

It's almost like they listen or something.

[thai006]

300 or 2000b what ever  i m coming lol 

[blackcab]

8 minutes ago, Mavideol said:

you don't think the 800K blocked in the bank account are enough of a burden for extensions and can be used to cover potential medical bills

 

800k would cover all but the most serious hospitals stays, for sure. The problem the government has is that there is not always going to be 800k in a retiree's bank account as some might be used for living expenses for a part of the year.

 

You make a good point though. The government could always offer free insurance for those people who commit to locking their capital up for a one year period.

[digger70]

7 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

As per usual with these government-concocted schemes.

 

So how will they distinguish between visiting tourists and foreign residents? Will I still have to automatically pay that embedded fee although I, a resident of some 30 years, hold a comprehensive first-class health insurance policy?

 

I travel very frequently for business (well, I used to before Covid). Does that mean I'll have to shoulder that compulsory fee each and every time I purchase a ticket, i.e. 12 - 15 times a year?

I would think If you paid 15 times the THB 300  Total THB 4,500 you should be able to cancel you're insurance. I would love to pay even  THB 10,000 per year for insurance instead of the rip off companies . That should be Amples if everyone would pay that if living permanently in Thailand.they would make billions  more than enough to cover every Expat +.

[ravip]

Fair enough and 300 Baht will not break the camels back (hopefully, seeing some comments).

If not, who would love to pay the millions in hospital fees if infected?

Or, should all foreigners insist that the Thai government nurse them free of charge when sick?

????

[Steve Vincent]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai tourist authority this week announced its plan to subject all visitors to a premium charge to pay for travel insurance. The sum per person would not be higher than 300 baht per visit which could bring in revenue as high as 12 billion baht annually if the number of visitors ever reaches the 40 million targeted by the government before the Coronavirus outbreak.

 

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Details are sketchy at the moment but the fee, if approved by the Thai Cabinet, would likely be added to the cost of the air ticket as a supplement. Visitors by sea and land would likely have to pay at the border or port. A government spokesman spoke mainly of the threat posed by the virus and the need to reduce the problem of foreigners seeking medical treatment in Thailand without proper financial cover.

Whenever travel Thailand it costs myself just over £100 in insurance had a bad accident here over 5yrs ago and costed myself 2k in hospital bills,.Paying just 300 baht wouldn’t allow foreigners free medical care as Thailand would lose millions... sketchy to say the least !

[sawadee1947]

7 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

As per usual with these government-concocted schemes.

 

So how will they distinguish between visiting tourists and foreign residents? Will I still have to automatically pay that embedded fee although I, a resident of some 30 years, hold a comprehensive first-class health insurance policy?

 

I travel very frequently for business (well, I used to before Covid). Does that mean I'll have to shoulder that compulsory fee each and every time I purchase a ticket, i.e. 12 - 15 times a year?

Just in case you would be forced to pay 300 Baht every time....that's around 4000 Baht with your travel frequency......I'm very sure you are not broke, am I right????

[Nanaplaza666]

6 hours ago, Youlike said:

I already have a very good travel insurance, why would i pay again by my airline ticket? Getting tired of thailand and their greed.

What you whining about 300 baht ??? 

[James Nelson]

We are already charged 500 BT which is included in the so-called departure tax. 
The overwhelming majority of tourists already have travel insurance covering medical care this is just another nail in the Coffin for the Thai tourist business which was already in trouble before Corvid. 
 

 

 

[sameasb4]

and entry fee it maybe there used to be a 500b fee I think it was added to the airline ticket so its still there this is an increase of 300 no problem with it or more, just dont call it medical insurance which i have always had at 10,000 a month its great peace of mind and think it should be a requirement to get an ext.

I know many expats who live in fear if they ever get sick but it is a risk they choose

[EvetsKram]

Last year they were mouthing off about a fee no higher than 40 baht,  then it magically jumped to 100, this was for medical cover. Every ticket out of Thailand already has 500 fee attached to it.  There was also talk of a fee coming into the country for maintenance of tourist attractions,  add dual pricing & costs  will end up equal to the trip

[Expat Tom]

I wonder what that money will ACTUALLY be used for? How much will "slide" off the books into someone's pocket?

[KhaoYai]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

The Thai tourist authority this week announced its plan to subject all visitors to a premium charge to pay for travel insurance.

First they have to have tourists to pay that premium.  It may seem like early days but with very low (apparently) infection figures, now reported as zero, Thailand, much the same as many countries, needs to decide when its going to open up again. Will they also accept that once tourism is allowed, new infections are inevitable?

 

This virus is going to be around for a long time - at least until either everybody has been infected or a vaccine is found. If Thailand wants zero new infections, it must also accept zero tourism. At the moment, the most any country can hope for is that infections are kept to a level that they can deal with. Yes, it is possible to do better than that but not with a fully working economy.

[impulse]

Take a look at the small print on your plane ticket where they detail all the taxes you paid.  Even if Thailand increased their share of the taxes by 300 baht, they wouldn't come close to matching the taxes from the UK, USA, or most Euro countries.  You'd still be paying the vast majority of your taxes to the country you flew in from- and not to Thailand.

 

If they were smart, they'd just announce a $10 increase in the air ticket taxes and leave out any mention of insurance.  Thailand's airport taxes would still be lower than any country that speaks English, French or German as a primary language.

 

If they really want an economic disaster, they should wait and see how many people fly into Thailand for expensive medical procedures, because they are covered by 300 baht insurance, after all.

 

Edited May 13, 2020 by impulse

[KhaoYai]

30 minutes ago, sameasb4 said:

just dont call it medical insurance which i have always had at 10,000 a month its great peace of mind and think it should be a requirement to get an ext.

I can understand why you might say that but please understand that not everyone is able to obtain medical insurance.

 

I have cancer and whilst its not imminently terminal, it will get me in the end. At the moment I am in remission but not cured and cannot be. When the disease does return, which could be 10 years + away, it will not suddenly make me need hospital care, it will be a gradual decline. My plan is that when that time comes, I will return to the UK for palliative care and my wife will come with me on a short term basis.  I will therefore be no burden on Thailand.

 

Whilst it may be possible for you to get health insurance, when I mention my pre-existing condition most insurers refuse me outright - those that will quote offer premiums around 10 x the usual amount.  There is no justification for them doing so as they naturally apply an exclusion to pre existing conditions.  My illness does not affect me in any way at the moment and it will not lead to any other unconnected illness in the future yet I am quoted massive premiums.

 

So, it may seem a sensible thing for ex pats to have insurance but not everyone can obtain it. My wife has a child and does not want him to live in another country. What am I supposed to do if compulsory insurance is introduced - get divorced?

[Expat Tom]

Let's get real; 300 baht is not  fortune and if you can't afford it maybe you should stay in the UK (where most of the complaints come from). The real point is this, it has nothing to do with health insurance. It is just another revenue stream to be pilfered from. How much of that money would actually go to hospitals and the health care system? After those making 1,000,000 baht per year in their official government jobs and driving Mercedes Benz's get done taking their cut, how much will be left?

 

[Traubert]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

You are right. But that is an overly simplistic answer. The real question is, can Thailand attract Chinese tourists with deep pockets? I say very, very few. For a dozen good reasons. Lack of expertise when it comes to dining and wine service. Logistical issues. Wives who are used to being coddled and want to spend money on expensive hand bags and luxury brand items while on vacation, but won't due to the items being grossly over priced, due to draconian luxury taxes. Same goes for the rich husband who wants a new watch. The list goes on and on and on. 

 

 

Yes. Effortlessly.

 

Chinese don't travel for wine and handbags. Jade and gold perhaps.

[Jaxxper]

8 hours ago, Youlike said:

I already have a very good travel insurance, why would i pay again by my airline ticket? Getting tired of thailand and their greed.

Well ask your insurance provider for a discount as you are covered by the Thailand health insurance premium to a degree. Sure they will accommodate you.

[EricTh]

What is travel insurance? Does it cover COVID-19?

[armadillo215]

8 hours ago, Pilotman said:

If you think this is bad, wait until all World governments start to recoup the economic costs incurred by Covid 19 and start to lower the massive debts being incurred right now, £500 billion in the UK's case, to date and still rising.  Prepare for massive tax rises across the board in all jurisdictions, weak western currencies, expensive air travel and hotel prices and a massive hike in all classes of insurance, Worldwide. And expect this to go on for many many years.  Welcome to the new World.  This small price to enter Thailand is a lot less that a drop in the ocean, it's nothing in comparison with what's coming.  

Nothing is temporary...Ever...

[Derek B]

9 hours ago, MikeyIdea said:

I doubt they will. It'll probably be included in the airplane ticket price. And Thai's would probably also have to pay. My guess anyway

Very good point - should be paid at point of entry & a certificate or better still a stamp in passport stating free hospital care as per gov.th policy # - the exception being a pre-existing policy certificate in the gov.th format.

 

 

[impulse]

1 minute ago, Derek B said:

Very good point - should be paid at point of entry & a certificate or better still a stamp in passport stating free hospital care as per gov.th policy # - the exception being a pre-existing policy certificate in the gov.th format.

 

For $10?

 

[IAMHERE]

Well heck, just add another hundred or so baht for beach cleanup.

[fruitman]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

If they were smart, they'd just announce a $10 increase in the air ticket taxes and leave out any mention of insurance.  Thailand's airport taxes would still be lower than any country that speaks English, French or German as a primary language.

 

But those countries have real police who speak languages, are not corrupt, have real ambulances and so on...

[Woolsgibb60]

Just more scams and milking the farangs if need money just bring out more rules because they are losing money from tourists they just milk u for it maybe people on this site cannot remember the days u had to pay 500 baht to leave thailand but u are still paying at because now it in the price of the ticket there people here saying ok to pay it it's only 300 baht why should the farang pay for the tourist short fall so u come to thailand they are scamming u everyway possible and come with this bright idea to scam u for more I think tourist should take a good hard look at this country and,asking with all the scam and all the hassle thai  give tourist they got to start to wake up to this country is this worth coming here  they never do or say nice thing to make people interested to come here and make people welcome to come here they only give u negative thoughts to people because the more rules they bring out the negative thought  u are giving people  

[impulse]

8 minutes ago, fruitman said:

But those countries have real police who speak languages, are not corrupt, have real ambulances and so on...

 

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

 

Or, more to the current point...  The investment or the return?

Edited May 13, 2020 by impulse

[Woolsgibb60]

1 hour ago, Expat Tom said:

Let's get real; 300 baht is not  fortune and if you can't afford it maybe you should stay in the UK (where most of the complaints come from). The real point is this, it has nothing to do with health insurance. It is just another revenue stream to be pilfered from. How much of that money would actually go to hospitals and the health care system? After those making 1,000,000 baht per year in their official government jobs and driving Mercedes Benz's get done taking their cut, how much will 

 What is 300 baht is nothing and u are saying people  in the u.k should stay in the u k they got every right to complain when they know they are getting scam and being milk so why should farang pay the Thais government for the short fall of tourist it got nothing to do about insurance at a smoke screen farang are not complaining about paying the 300 baht it the fact they are being scam and being milk have the u.k or any e.u country making people pay for there short fall in there tourist 

[impulse]

10 minutes ago, Woolsgibb60 said:

 What is 300 baht is nothing and u are saying people  in the u.k should stay in the u k they got every right to complain when they know they are getting scam and being milk so why should farang pay the Thais government for the short fall of tourist it got nothing to do about insurance at a smoke screen farang are not complaining about paying the 300 baht it the fact they are being scam and being milk have the u.k or any e.u country making people pay for there short fall in there tourist 

 

The easy solution if you don't like an airport tax rate increase amounting to about 1% of your total ticket price is to choose a different destination.  If a change of $10 is going to affect your choice of destinations, I'm pretty sure you're not their target demographic anyway.