Infected foreigners have to pay for everything themselves, doctor assures Thais

 

Image: Siam Rath

 

A doctor at the infectious disease department said that any foreigner found to be infected with Covid-19 while in alternative state quarantine would be taken to a partner hospital in the private sector. 

 

Dr Opas Karnkawinpong said that they would have to pay for everything themselves. They won't be a burden on the Thai health system, he assured Thais.

 

Dr Opas outlined the strict measures that foreigners must adhere to before they can return to Thailand including the paperwork such as fit to fly and entry certificates, Covid free documentation and insurance and upfront payments for 14 day ASQ.

 

If infected they would go to a special isolation unit at the hospital partnered with the quarantine hotel. 

 

Non serious cases would be there for ten days, those with serious conditions like lung infections may have to stay for a month. 

He outlined three main measures. 

 

Those with no symptoms but who tested positive would have to stay in hospital for ten days after their positive test.

 

Others would have to be hospitalized for ten days after developing symptoms then a further 24 hour period after symptoms fully abate.

 

In more severe cases the length of hospitalization would be at the discretion of doctors. People may only be let out after xrays, temperature and breathing rate checks satisfied medical teams. 

 

A list of several measures were also mentioned for people after they go home from hospital. These include recommendations to wear masks, socially distance, wash hands and surfaces, use separate eating utensils to others.

 

If they get sick again they must take private transport to a hospital. Family members are being advised to monitor their own health closely.
 

Source: Siam Rath

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-10-31

 

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And if they can't pay? Send them where?

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

And if they can't pay? Send them where?

 

Morgue?

 

Joke aside, aren't they supposed to have that 100k US$ covid insurance?

Fair enough, I tell the Thai the same ...

Hmmm, I thought that why one has to have one of these ridiculous 100000US$ insurances. Now they do not pay? 

Cannot see a problem for a foreigner, just claim off their insurance?

Thought the compulsory insurance would surfice no?? 

Paying for unnecessary treatment in a isolation chamber at a overpriced private hospital? Yeah the commission payed will be quite nice a guess.

1 minute ago, MadMac said:

Hmmm, I thought that why one has to have one of these ridiculous 100000US$ insurances. Now they do not pay? 

maybe the quoted person in the OP hasn't heard of it or it does not apply to Chinese tourists, maybe they have different rules, would not surprise me at all

And if it is proven that they have  infected a Thai national, do they have to pay for their treatment as well? 

That's why you'd be crazy to get tested or even use the QR tracking if covid cases are increasing, you'll end up in hospital even if no symptoms plus a large bill

5 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

And if it is proven that they have  infected a Thai national, do they have to pay for their treatment as well? 

hmmm... maybe the tourist Insurance is really a third-party type cover?

 - well it must be, if it does not cover the 1st person...

And if they have a nice insurance and test negative, we make it look positive and charge the maximum towards your insurance.

 

Time to buy a few shares from approved hospitals who are listed companies.

And why is this even being brought to the media light? Are they trying to show by doing it the real official Thai way to gouge the foreigners out of money? I find this a bit offensive. All they should say is there is an insurance requirement that all visitors carry health insurance.

Is that in any way fair, if a tested and quarantined western tourist gets the disease from a Thai or a Chinese tourist in Thailand.  Do they want tourists to come and save Thailand or not?

Infected foreigners have to pay for everything themselves - Probably to a much higher price than any Thai have to pay. 

24 minutes ago, Dmaxdan said:

And if it is proven that they have  infected a Thai national, do they have to pay for their treatment as well? 

 

How about if they've been infected by a Thai national while in Thailand, e.g. a foreigner that hasn't been outside Thailand for, say, 2 years?

17 minutes ago, holy cow cm said:

And why is this even being brought to the media light? Are they trying to show by doing it the real official Thai way to gouge the foreigners out of money? I find this a bit offensive. All they should say is there is an insurance requirement that all visitors carry health insurance.

I dont feel its offensive, just making sure that Thais dont see the foreigners as a burden. If i read the UK thread how many from the UK are angry if someone gets helped in their system and does not pay. Why would it be different for Thais better to make it clear that they would not burden the Thai healthcare. Stops the spread of rumors. 

30 minutes ago, MartinL said:

 

How about if they've been infected by a Thai national while in Thailand, e.g. a foreigner that hasn't been outside Thailand for, say, 2 years?

This.

 

I'm surprised we got to the 2nd page before this was mentioned. It's not only about the few incoming tourists who will all have the $100,000 Covid insurance. What about all of us who have been here for longer than than Covid emerged? After the Thais have become so desperate for tourist income that they loosen restrictions sufficiently to have 1,000's of foreign tourists wandering about.. That's when it gets dicey.

 

I bought the internal Thai insurance coverage of Baht 100,000 000 (medical costs), 1,000,000 (Death) at a cost of less than 1,000/year but that will go very quickly in isolation at a private hospital.

1 hour ago, Dmaxdan said:

And if it is proven that they have  infected a Thai national, do they have to pay for their treatment as well? 

impossible to prove

46 minutes ago, robblok said:

I dont feel its offensive, just making sure that Thais dont see the foreigners as a burden. If i read the UK thread how many from the UK are angry if someone gets helped in their system and does not pay. Why would it be different for Thais better to make it clear that they would not burden the Thai healthcare. Stops the spread of rumors. 

UK living rent free in your head , obsessed...

2 minutes ago, lanng khao said:

UK living rent free in your head , obsessed...

Not really sure what you mean, but there have been a number of posts on Thaivisa of people from the UK complaining that foreigners don't have to pay for healthcare in their country (I am not sure this is true or not true) however it shows that people hold resentment that others who are not native to a country deplete its resources. 

 

This anger lives in the UK so why is it so strange it is in Thailand too. This minister is just trying to make it clear that this does not happen and thus making sure there is no extra distrust of foreigners.

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Those with no symptoms but who tested positive would have to stay in hospital for ten days after their positive test.

 

This is the controversial bit and it's why only Thai insurance companies are allowed - it's not emergency treatment so no insurance company in the world would approve a payment for it.

 

1 hour ago, rooster59 said:

Infected foreigners have to pay for everything themselves, doctor assures Thais

 

And when a foreigner gets infected by a Thai?

 

Of course then also the foreigner will have to pay himself for everything. Same when a foreigner collects a bullet from a Thai, or when a foreigner is flattened by a car driven by a Thai, or when a foreigner drowns on a sinking Thai tourist boat. Already after the boat with the tourists sunk in Phuket, they discussed about a mandatory insurance tourists must buy before entering Thailand.

 

Scam and blame foreigners whenever and wherever possible. TIT.

 

racist much?.....

He sounds like a business man instead of a doctor.

1 hour ago, robblok said:

I dont feel its offensive, just making sure that Thais dont see the foreigners as a burden. If i read the UK thread how many from the UK are angry if someone gets helped in their system and does not pay. Why would it be different for Thais better to make it clear that they would not burden the Thai healthcare. Stops the spread of rumors. 

 

Because that is not the way public health policy works. The goal is to stop the infection, not figure out a way to gouge certain nationalities. That is how it is treated in the U.S. with regards to TB and other diseases. I don't know about COVID because I haven't been there in a decade, but I do know there is a law in the US that requires hospitals to accept patients for emergency treatment even if they cannot pay.

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

 

This is the controversial bit and it's why only Thai insurance companies are allowed - it's not emergency treatment so no insurance company in the world would approve a payment for it.

 

 

 

And, every person will eventually test positive, if they are tested.  How many bahts is that going to generate for the failing economy?

 

Absolutely ludicrous.

2 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Infected foreigners have to pay for everything themselves - Probably to a much higher price than any Thai have to pay. 

Cannot go to a country's hospital? Even if paying the full price for every treatments, no only private hospital?

With all the new 'regulations' and costs this is the part that convinces me to remain outside Thailand for near future. To accommodate all the costs, then find, despite a negative covid test at the outset, one could end up in a hospital for a month.......not encouraging me to attempt a return at all