Thai insurance companies offering Covid-19 coverage as foreign tourists prepare to return

[Bender Rodriguez]

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

Because if you test positive on arrival or while in quarantine, you will be hospitalized, even if asymptomatic; that is Thai policy. They want to be sure you have insurance to cover the cost of that. And it is more likley to happen if you cam from a high risk country.

but there is no treatment other than REST, FLUIDS & TYLENOL

 

3.000.000 baht of saline bags, tylenol & crappy food ?

[JusticeGB]

Welcome to Thailand -buy a cheap air ticket and pay even more for compulsory health insurance and two weeks of prison before your holiday can start or go to another sunny country where none of this is required. 

[cardinalblue]

What a scam - I hope thailand gets zero tourists and suffer immensely b/c of greediness...

 

the ave CV 19 case in a gov hospital does not cost $100,000....premium costs should be based on average of population membership not the worst case outcome for every subscriber

[BestB]

3 hours ago, Sigma6 said:

From your bank? Please check your policy limits - most of these cheap policies DO NOT cover up to 100000 US DOLLARS, which is the required amount. 

Actually those do not cover any treatment at all. What they pay is compensation for being sick up to 1 million baht . Not a single baht is for medical expense.

 

IF you get sick, you pay for all treatments , then you lodge a claim and get paid some amounts for the days you were sick 

[Megasin1]

makes no sense at all...Thailand has zero Covid so the risk is extremely low...combine that with the fact that the little general won't let you in the country anyway you have zero risk of catching Covid in Thailand.....as insurance is risk based this should therefore be free ????

[fruitman]

Covid-19 is nothing more than a flue, so the insurance companies can start covering again since it's NOT a pandemic....

 

thank you.

[Crusader]

There are a few companies offering policies, but the premiums skyrocket with age and any other health issues.

[potless]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

Are the premium numbers mentioned for annual policies?

 

And are short term policies available (17 days, 3 weeks, 1 month etc., to cover folks coming back on repat. flights but after getting their affairs in order need to quickly return abroad)?

"Minimum is one month maximum is one year"

[British Bulldog]

Geesh ... expensive, however, coming from such a Low risk Country such as Laos (22 cases in total and no deaths) the Thai Government should be paying for us to come down and visit them ! My daughter, currently stuck in Aus. paid $36 AUD for $500,000 AUD worth of coverage which covered her for 6 months and Covid 19 was printed in the Insurance docs also ! That was 6 months ago though ... may have changed now ???

[benn dere]

This is all meaningless conjecture until such time tourists are allowed to enter Thailand when the so called covid "pandemic" has subsided, and or a successful vaccine is developed thus rendering the insurance requirement just another Thai generated fallacy or perhaps a corrupt scheme. It seems the insurance issue is just one of many over the top requirements that are based on whim and not science.

[condo62]

There's money to be made here.....!!

[wmlc]

5 hours ago, dcsw53 said:

Thai Visa - Can we have some consistency please. On the same page as this article is one from Gen Prayut. Tourists NOT welcome.

 

So let me set you straight lol. Everything is just talk until this guy approves it. So this is how it works. Government staff in the tourism sector are just doing their jobs. But this guy won’t approve it yet. And by the way, I don’t know that many tourists that will want to come on vacation now. Whatever tourist plan they have will mostly be utilized by forefingers who can’t enter and then they will change their visa to another type in country.  

[cxxis]

How about no-risk countries such as the neigbour Laos?

[madmitch]

If this is purely COVID-19 cover then it is probably priced much to highly. If it covers other medical expenses than it's not so bad, though an interesting approach by the underwriters in rating based on country of origin.

 

Several travel insurance policies do include COVID-19 coverage, but you need to search them out. Possibly cheaper to buy in your own country, provided Thailand remains on the "safe" list.

 

 

[natway09]

I hope they understand that we do not want Quarantine Hotels close to entertainment areas.

One, the temptation to break curfew & second all the hotel staff mixing in close proximity to 

the surrounding areas.

I know of 8 bars that all the staff are "outa here" if a hotel in question is approved for Quarantine status leaving 2 sois like a morgue

 

[bodga]

21 minutes ago, fruitman said:

Covid-19 is nothing more than a flue, so the insurance companies can start covering again since it's NOT a pandemic....

 

thank you.

thats  all  hot air in your flue

[mybeat]

Do you have to have insurance from Thai company? Locally insurance costs much less and covers Covid.

Edited September 3, 2020 by mybeat

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Anyone interested in buying a liter of Fountain Of Youth water.  It's only 1000 baht. 

[jlwilliamsjr18]

Anyone interested in buying a liter of Fountain Of Youth water.  It's only 1000 baht. 

Better yet...keep the doors closed until there's a vaccine.

Then it's simple... No Vaccine No Honey

[mr mr]

never let a good crisis go to waste eh insurance parasites ? 

 

[crazykopite]

I’m 69 I have Covid insurance which I took out when the virus broke out it cost me 850 baht it’s only for Covid nothing else .my wife who was in the U.K. when Covid broke and is still stuck there had Thai travel insurance what a useless piece of paper it was .i had a quote for her on this $100,000 insurance requirement as she is 66 the quote for the year was 87,000 baht they must pluck these figures  out of the Sky the quote for me was the same should I wish to visit her in the U.K. and return but as I would hit 70 next February the quote then would be 130,000 baht  as far as I’m concerned this is insurance companies ripping people off  ????????????

Edited September 3, 2020 by crazykopite

[paulikens]

5 hours ago, dcsw53 said:

Thai Visa - Can we have some consistency please. On the same page as this article is one from Gen Prayut. Tourists NOT welcome.

 

@dcsw53 took the words right outta my mouth.

[mjakob007]

5 hours ago, HaoleBoy said:

Premiums will depend on where the tourist comes from. High risk country coverage up to a year could set the visitor back 43,200 baht or around $1,300 to $1,400.

 

Why "high risk countries"?  This only makes a difference for the first 2 weeks.  If you have to stay in quarantine, then after that all tourists are the same except people with pre-existing conditions.

priceless. well said

[webfact]

Covid insurance approved for foreign tourists from high-risk countries

By The Nation

 

 

The Thai insurance regulator has approved Covid-19 coverage for foreigners entering Thailand, including those from high-risk countries.

 

To buy a policy, foreigners must have a certificate of entry, a Fit to Fly Health or Fit to Travel health certificate, and a medical certificate confirming they tested free of Covid-19 via the RT-PCR method 72 hours prior to departure.

 

Suthipol Taweechaikarn, secretary-general of the Insurance Commission, revealed today that he had approved the insurance for foreigners at a premium rate on August 28.

 

The policies will be sold online and become valid as soon as the traveller passes through Immigration in Thailand.

 

Coverage will be divided into two parts:

 

1. In cases of death caused by Covid-19, the company will pay benefits/compensation for the cost of the funeral and repatriation of remains equal to Bt3.2 million.

 

2. For medical treatment related to Covid-19, the company will pay benefits or compensation of up to Bt3.2 million.

 

Premiums will cover periods of 30 days up to one year and be priced according to the Covid-19 risk in the country of origin.

 

Travellers from low-risk countries will pay between Bt1,600 and Bt14,400.

 

Those from moderate-risk countries will pay between Bt2,560 and Bt23,040.

 

Those from high-risk countries will pay between Bt4,800 and Bt43,200.

 

These rates include stamp duty and tax.

 

The policies will be offered jointly by the following 12 insurance firms:

 

Dhipaya Insurance, Bangkok Insurance, Chubb Samaggi Insurance, Navakij Insurance, Thaivivat Insurance, Pacific Cross Health Insurance, The Falcon Insurance, Mittare Insurance, Muang Thai Insurance, Viriyah Insurance, Syn Mun Kong Insurance, Southeast Insurance, Asia Insurance 1950, Bangkok Life Assurance, Muang Thai Life Assurance, and Ocean Life Insurance.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30393967

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-09-03

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[scorecard]

39 minutes ago, British Bulldog said:

Geesh ... expensive, however, coming from such a Low risk Country such as Laos (22 cases in total and no deaths) the Thai Government should be paying for us to come down and visit them ! My daughter, currently stuck in Aus. paid $36 AUD for $500,000 AUD worth of coverage which covered her for 6 months and Covid 19 was printed in the Insurance docs also ! That was 6 months ago though ... may have changed now ???

Interesting.

 

Can you please share the name of the insurance company, 36 AUD - 6 months. I've been searching for months here in Australia for return to Thailand, everything I've found at least 10 times 36. Thanks.

[paulikens]

why would you get insurance from thailand? just get it from ya home country 

[ukrules]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

Because if you test positive on arrival or while in quarantine, you will be hospitalized, even if asymptomatic; that is Thai policy. They want to be sure you have insurance to cover the cost of that. And it is more likley to happen if you cam from a high risk country.

A good point and very valid. You're hospitalised regardless of whether you need it or not.

 

The mistake they're making here is the longer term part, that price should be standardised based on age.

 

In reality there should be two different parts to the policy and then the risk can be 'pooled', maybe that's how they're doing it internally.

 

Part one would cover the highly changeable risk of the entry procedure including the flight and quarantine period.

 

Part two would be a regular accident/illness insurance including COVID, I have a feeling all insurance will include COVID from now on if they wish to sell any policies and remain in business.

 

If Thailand insists on Thai only policies and excludes all the high coverage fully comprehensive world wide policies that cover everything from their 'approved list' then people simply won't come. They want the 'wealthy' to come - the wealthy all have policies like this and they're not stupid.

 

[vandeventer]

There is no money making in this,the insurance co. are doing this out of the kindness

in their little hearts.

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by vandeventer
forgot co.

[FinChin67]

Cost of flight ticket + hotel + insurace + visa + quarantine + all the hassle and tests. No thank you. Money much better spent elsewhere.

Edited September 3, 2020 by FinChin67

[sanuk711]

I think there is some braking news at the moment----The Goal post have just been moved again

 

Government want 3 million insurance cover