Anutin defends taxes on vaccines imported by private hospitals

[impulse]

9 hours ago, blackcab said:

I don't know how they are going to do it. I suspect every addition will be cumulative.

 

My understanding is that private hospitals will have to charge VAT on the vaccine component of an invoice. Medical services themselves, such as charges for the doctor's or nurse's time are not liable for VAT.

 

One of the things I liked about Thailand is that the VAT is included in the marked price.  It's not like the USA where sales tax is added as a separate line item on the bottom of your receipt. 

 

So if the quoted price is 3,000 baht, it's 3,000 baht.  Not 3,000 baht plus 7%... 

 

I'm not in favor of VAT and other fees on an emergency vaccine, but the practical reality is that getting an exemption within the Thai bureaucracy may take months, if it ever happens.  Better to just accept the surcharge and get on with the rat killing.  Otherwise the vaccines may end up like so many BKK fire trucks and e-buses, impounded until the issue gets resolved within the bureaucratic labyrinth.  Which is still going on, decades later for the vehicles- some of which could have been real handy at some of the fires.

 

[Caldera]

The later these vaccines arrive, the less tax the government deserves. Just saying. 

[soi3eddie]

Just now, impulse said:

 

One of the things I liked about Thailand is that the VAT is included in the marked price.  It's not like the USA where sales tax is added as a separate line item on the bottom of your receipt. 

 

So if the quoted price is 3,000 baht, it's 3,000 baht.  Not 3,000 baht plus 7%... 

 

I'm not in favor of VAT and other fees on an emergency vaccine, but the practical reality is that getting an exemption within the Thai bureaucracy may take months, if it ever happens.  Better to just accept the surcharge and get on with the rat killing.  Otherwise the vaccines may end up like so many BKK fire trucks and e-buses, impounded until the issue gets resolved within the bureaucratic labyrinth.  Which is still going on, decades later for the vehicles- some of which could have been real handy at some of the fires.

 

 

I guess you haven't been recently to many bigger/better restaurants or hotel bars. The prolifertion of ++ (plus plus). 7% VAT plus 10% service charge is now widespread in many places. It's infuriating to many as menus often show the lower price with small print regarding addition of tax and service. Very annoying and it inflates prices dramatically. Wish it would be banned.

 

[ukrules]

23 hours ago, soi3eddie said:

Can anyone beleive this nonsense? During a public health emergency and almost complete shutdown of the country, the Thai government wants to tax the import of medicine (vaccine) that will benefit the public health and ensure the well being of their citizens and help the economic prospects of the nation. The private hospitals will be taxed on their profits anyway. Also, What is this nonsense about "approval" of vaccines that are already approved by far more stringent regulators in the west? Pure BS in the form of profiteering in tax. <deleted> get the vaccines in and administered ASAP. After all, Sinovac is already approved and is apparently less effective. Anutin and chumps, get on with supporting your country's health immediately with no further delays please...

 

 

Oh yes, this is very normal behavior for corrupt ass backwards third world countries.

 

One example was a devastating earthquake in Nepal, plane loads of foreign aid arrived bringing desperately needed supplies to the country.

 

They went straight into customs where they remained while the government waited for their tax demands to be met.

 

It's all about the money.

 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, soi3eddie said:

 

I guess you haven't been recently to many bigger/better restaurants or hotel bars. The prolifertion of ++ (plus plus). 7% VAT plus 10% service charge is now widespread in many places. It's infuriating to many as menus often show the lower price with small print regarding addition of tax and service. Very annoying and it inflates prices dramatically. Wish it would be banned.

 

Yeah, that is irritating.  But I don't recall ever paying just the menu price at a sit down restaurant anywhere in the world, with the Yankee habit of tipping.  So I wasn't too put off with the ++ at that end of the market.  I just took the service fee out of the tip.  But I agree with you...  It should be banned.

 

And it could be worse.  Stay in a US hotel and I often paid a state sales tax on top of a hotel tax on top of a city stadium tax (my pet peeve...  I paid $$$ for a billionaire's stadium and never darkened its door) on top of a nebulous "facilities fee" to cover the hotel swimming pool and exercise room I never used.  Not unusual to have an advertised $100 room cost $150-200 all in.

But fine dining was a tiny portion of what I spent in LOS.  Other than that, it was nice to go to a BigC, TESCO, or a local market, and pay just the marked price.  Made calculations so much easier.

Edited May 13, 2021 by impulse

[riclag]

Many many anxious expats are just waiting for a chance at getting anything but sinovac!  At this point ,who cares about a tax. Those that want to get busy livin their life again with a sense of normalcy ,could care less about the tax imop !

Get  the vacc, into the country, will ya  !

[impulse]

5 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Oh yes, this is very normal behavior for corrupt ass backwards third world countries.

 

One example was a devastating earthquake in Nepal, plane loads of foreign aid arrived bringing desperately needed supplies to the country.

 

They went straight into customs where they remained while the government waited for their tax demands to be met.

 

It's all about the money.

 

Ridiculous?  Sure.  But it's not just the money.  It's the bureaucratic maze they'd have to navigate to get any waiver or exemption. 

 

Pay the fees, or hope you can get through the bureaucracy before the vaccines go bad (or the pandemic passes, with Thai formalities).   Those are the choices.

 

I think we all agree that it's better to add 7-21% than to wait several more months and save a few baht.

 

[tomyami]

I and a few others I know, sure there are many more who left the country wanted to pay for vacs but private hosp wouldnt give them price inc taxes no problem so we left couple mill in revenue while govt was squabbling about how and when they can open for tourist the few you have are not wanted plane are fuller leaving than arriving DOH...

[Sydebolle]

What a d1kchaed ....... 

[NanLaew]

Hands up anyone here who's pissing and moaning but not paying taxes anyway?

[law ling]

Surely taxes are imposed by legislation, so new legislation could just be brought in exempting these vaccines?

Likewise, from memory, Thailand declined to join the COVAX scheme also citing difficulties with existing legislative powers: again, they could have exempted the offending legislation?

In both the big picture, and in the small details, they can't seem to get anything right.

I daresay the Czar and his crew are currently the subject scarifying criticism throughout the nation ... hence the daily reports of so-called "action" taking ... but always details and dates are lacking, or missed dates are chalked down to a "misunderstanding".

So much for "bringing happiness to the people".
 

[Rhys]

On 5/14/2021 at 2:35 AM, impulse said:

 

Yeah, that is irritating.  But I don't recall ever paying just the menu price at a sit down restaurant anywhere in the world, with the Yankee habit of tipping.  So I wasn't too put off with the ++ at that end of the market.  I just took the service fee out of the tip.  But I agree with you...  It should be banned.

 

And it could be worse.  Stay in a US hotel and I often paid a state sales tax on top of a hotel tax on top of a city stadium tax (my pet peeve...  I paid $$$ for a billionaire's stadium and never darkened its door) on top of a nebulous "facilities fee" to cover the hotel swimming pool and exercise room I never used.  Not unusual to have an advertised $100 room cost $150-200 all in.

But fine dining was a tiny portion of what I spent in LOS.  Other than that, it was nice to go to a BigC, TESCO, or a local market, and pay just the marked price.  Made calculations so much easier.

  Must be and guessing of course, J YORK the idiot, and the team in the South Bay NOW..

 

[Percy P]

On 5/13/2021 at 4:54 AM, ezzra said:

Stupid bureaucrats never die they just keep popping up in every inept government defending their stupid logic...

There is no logic.

[todlad]

On 5/13/2021 at 3:30 AM, lujanit said:

Unbelievable.  All he can think of is money when there is a public health crisis.  I wonder if any other country imposes import tax on covid vaccines.  

 

It is well beyond time Prayuth and his cronies are given their marching orders.

Since you asked, I did a quick check and the answer is yes, other countries do impose import restrictions/duties on vaccines and other medical supplies. However, from my very small sample, I found that India is waiving them and the EU has been waiving them for over a year ... that's almost 30 countries that normally tax these things.