New 300 THB entry fee to help cover uninsured foreign tourists who fail to pay medical bills

[webfact]

New 300 THB entry fee to help cover uninsured foreign tourists who fail to pay medical bills

 

FILE PHOTO for reference only

 

Last January, Japan introduced the so called "Sayonara Tax" to improve the country's tourism infrastructure for the subsequently cancelled Olympics. 

 

Now Thailand has followed suit with a similar scheme, which will see some of the revenue generated used to insure uninsured tourists.

 

In Japan it was 1,000 yen, just under 10 $USD at the time it was introduced. 

 

Thailand has decided on a 300 baht entry fee that also is about 10 $USD.

 

Travellers will need to pay it on each and every entry according to reports. Payment will likely be in the form of a stealth tax applied when someone purchases a flight to Thailand. 

 

Media has reported that the fee will be used for the management of tourism destinations but will also be used as an insurance benefit for international travellers who fall sick or are injured on their trips to the kingdom are unable to pay for medical treatment. 

 

The tourist entry fee was most recently mooted in 2019 and was seen as a way for Thailand to help recoup some of the money it loses every year due to foreign tourists failing to pay medical bills after receiving treatment in Thai hospitals.

 

Back in 2016, in an article by Scandasia, Dr. Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office estimated that public hospitals in Phuket lost 10 million baht per year in unpaid medicals from foreign tourists.

 

The Health Service Support Department put the figure in the region of 300 million baht annually in unpaid bills, while an article by Nikkei Asia [paywall]  said it was closer to 450 million baht.

 

Thailand later established claim centres in popular tourist destinations which were tasked with trying to track down foreigners who failed to pay medical bills. 

 

Some media has suggested as little as 34 baht will go towards insurance - the rest would be for tourism sites. 

 

Bangkok Biz News said the tourism minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn had got the green light and that full details would be contained in the Royal Gazette.

 

Discussions are expected between his ministry and the finance ministry and Office of Insurance Commission. 

 

The fee - allowable under the National Tourism Policy Act - was proposed again last year but put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

 

Pipat expects TEN million foreign visitors this year.

 

Last year foreign tourism was devastated with virtually no one arriving after the start of the pandemic. 

 

Moves such as the Special Tourist Visa resulted in only a handful of visitors and even these have now ground to a halt due to the second wave of the pandemic that has seen much of the country in a virtual lockdown until at least the end of this month. 

 

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[pattjock]

Good idea but should also then scrap all requirements for a compulsory insurance. If they lost around 400milj bat and have 40milj visitors (2019) all they need is a 10baht tax.

 

They estimate 10milj visitors in 2021 so 40baht should cover it and losses will be lower with less tourists.

[Antonymous]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

Now Thailand has followed suit with a similar scheme, which will see some of the revenue generated used to insure uninsured tourists.

 

It does not appear to 'insure' uninsured tourists. Not unless on entry to Thailand such tourists are issued an insurance policy 'free' in return for 300 baht. That's not likely.

 

The money is more likely to be used by the Govt to refund lost money to hospitals who have treated tourists that have done a runner. But there's a related issue that should be addressed. What about uninsured tourists who show up for treatment, after an accident for example? Will hospitals now agree to treat them?

 

My guess is that this is just another money earner, taxing tourists.

[mommysboy]

It's a great idea that should have been done a long time ago.

 

There's one unintended consequence: some people will assume they are insured so won't bother getting real insurance.  

 

It won't mean that you don't have to pay for treatment.  

[GeorgeCross]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Health Service Support Department put the figure in the region of 300 million baht annually in unpaid bills, while an article by Nikkei Asia [paywall]  said it was closer to 450 million baht.

 

ok.. lets do some maths..

 

450,000,000 / 40,000,000 tourists = 11.25 baht

 

so where does the other 289 baht go?!

 

on the other hand..

 

300 baht times times 0 tourist arrivals = oh, never mind ????

 

[mtls2005]

3 minutes ago, GeorgeCross said:

so where does the other 289 baht go?!

 

[Misterwhisper]

I don't mind paying an extra 300 THB when it is included in the flight ticket anyway as a "stealth tax". I usually am reimbursed by the company for my air travels.

 

But then again, I am NOT a tourist AND I am fully insured. Will I be treated like every other foreign visitor and have to pay up? How will that scheme distinguish between tourists and expats? It probably won't. Just as always.

[mr mr]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Now Thailand has followed suit with a similar scheme

 

whenever the word scheme and thailand are in the same sentence my spidey senses start tingling. 

[Aforek]

4 minutes ago, Misterwhisper said:

... How will that scheme distinguish between tourists and expats? It probably won't. Just as always.

People will have to show their passport, easy to see who is expat or tourist 

[internationalism]

there is already 600b tax to thai government included in air fare (till 2016 it was payed on departure, at the airport).

For all thai visitors there is now a compulsory health insurance, it was introduced during STV several months ago and is now mandatory for all other visas.

The very same minister, who wants to cancel quarantine to vaccinated travellers, to ease burden on them, now demands from them money to support his ministry.

Obviously, he will be in charge in allocating this money to projects controlled by his ministry

[tingtong]

As usual, the article talks foreigners, then wash it together with the word tourists.

Will that solve the unpaid hospital bills of the "tourists" of Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia?

They "visit" here is large numbers, "fishing trips" popular the south, "factory visits" and "field trips" upcountry, and a good number come as " health and spa medical tourists".

 

Groups are organized by various agencies.

As many illegal as legal.

The visitor numbers high overall, and most really unable to pay their medical bills if they have to be hospitalized.

On top, few of these "tourists" foreigners arrive by plane, if at all legally.

 

On top, what a great idea to kickstart tourism with raised prices. 

Like the bonus of 30thb= 1$ wouldnt be boost enough...

yes. sarcasm.

 

[Curt1591]

For anything that might run over a few thousand baht, most hospitals will charge us "rich foreigners" up-front.

I'd also be curious to know whether the "losses" are based on the "Thai price" or the Rich Foreigner price".

Edited January 15, 2021 by Curt1591

[ourdon]

23 minutes ago, mr mr said:

 

whenever the word scheme and thailand are in the same sentence my spidey senses start tingling. 

Yeah, ain't that the truth.  I'm in the Canadian Foothills right now and I swear the sound of the Thai generals salivating woke me up.

 

 

[Kwasaki]

How do they not pay is what I don't understand. 

What do these scum foreigners do just walk out when no ones looking. 

Can't pay at hospital, OK phone calls for help, while waiting put in a police cell. 

[Misterwhisper]

47 minutes ago, Aforek said:

People will have to show their passport, easy to see who is expat or tourist 

How will that help when the fee - as mentioned in the article - is included in the air ticket price?

[kevin612]

I have a feeling 80% goes to the senior officials and 20 % goes to medical expenses

[John Drake]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Payment will likely be in the form of a stealth tax applied when someone purchases a flight to Thailand. 

 

When purchasing a flight to Thailand???  Then, if I buy a round trip ticket from my Thai travel agent while I am in Thailand, I will not pay the fee?  Otherwise, that means Thai citizens also will be paying the "stealth tax" uninsured fee, too. Or will they get a refund?

[Scot123]

First I do not believe these figures and any foreigner who has used a thai hospital knows your bill is paid before you leave and if you do a runner police are informed you are stopped when leaving the country. So I call B.S. on this. However, knowing Thai mentality I can see there being a lot of Thais not paying when they are responsible for accidents involving tourists but then again would a tourist be released from hospital without paying is very, very unlikely. 

[Dave67]

Yeah I can see that 300bt being saved for any tourists health issues. Another ministry of bright ideas masterpiece 

[tomazbodner]

No kidding. So you need 100k USD (3 million baht give or take) insurance to enter the country, but somehow extra 300 baht will make all the difference?

[Justgrazing]

It won't stop at 300 barts .. once it is slipped in and accepted it'll go up .. like the charge f'rrangs have to pay using ATM's .. started out as a relatively low amount before getting ramped up ..  

 

the bit about 10 mil' visitors expected this year is suggestive of Pipat partaking in a pipeful of Anutin's weed before he opened his mouth ..  

[wtfracing]

1 hour ago, internationalism said:

there is already 600b tax to thai government included in air fare (till 2016 it was payed on departure, at the airport).

For all thai visitors there is now a compulsory health insurance, it was introduced during STV several months ago and is now mandatory for all other visas.

The very same minister, who wants to cancel quarantine to vaccinated travellers, to ease burden on them, now demands from them money to support his ministry.

Obviously, he will be in charge in allocating this money to projects controlled by his ministry

Why don't they just make it a cool 1000 baht and be done with it then they have 600 baht already + the new 300 baht and  an extra 100 baht towards the new benz then all problems solved.

[djayz]

So I'm being invited, no forced, to pay a share of somebody else's bill?!? What next?!

Edited January 15, 2021 by djayz

[findlay13]

What tourists?

 

[MasterBaker]

i though they made travel insurance mandatory for all arrivals to Thailand...

[djayz]

2 minutes ago, MasterBaker said:

i though they made travel insurance mandatory for all arrivals to Thailand...

That money goes directly to the insurance companies, whereas this money goes directly to....??? 

[mommysboy]

23 minutes ago, djayz said:

So I'm being invited, no forced, to pay a share of somebody else's bill?!? What next?!

 

That happens with many taxes you pay.  

[Banana7]

The fee should be no higher 10 baht since 40,000,000+ tourists are expected in the coming years. That equates to 400,000,000 baht which is about 4 times the amount of skipped hospital bills by tourists. If the charge anymore than 10 baht, they are just lining their own pockets, giving themselves exorbitant increases in benefits.

[Antonymous]

31 minutes ago, djayz said:

So I'm being invited, no forced, to pay a share of somebody else's bill?!? What next?!

 

It is a tax and works just like other taxes the world over. You take from the rich, give a small percentage to help the poor and the lion's share for the government.

[Guderian]

Good old predictable Thailand, always looking to scam every last baht off the foreign devils.

If you don't laugh, you'll only cry.