Warning against traveling to Thailand

[richard_smith237]

19 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

I want to go back to visit my family in the UK but am dreading returning to Thailand.

 

It's been over three years now and my young grandchildren hardly recognise who I am .

 

But coming back to this!!!

 

I'll just have to wait a bit longer, I had planned for later next month but articles like this scare the living daylights out of me..

 

Very informative article though

I've been in and out 4 times (one of them with family for a UK visit). 

 

There is a risk with all travel, and travel takes a little more planning and organisation these days, but don’t let paranoia ruin your life.

 

 

[MarkyM3]

23 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I've been in and out 4 times (one of them with family for a UK visit). 

 

There is a risk with all travel, and travel takes a little more planning and organisation these days, but don’t let paranoia ruin your life.

 

 

Easy to say it's paranoia though. You have been lucky so far.

 

I touched down yesterday and am in ASQ in Bangkok. 2 years away and urgent personal business to deal with that couldn't wait anymore. Its a risky strategy if you test positive. I have 10 million gbp of insurance cover but will it cover asymptomatic hospital/hospital? Trying to get a definitive answer was unsatisfactory.

 

Passed day 1 PCR so the crunch comes on day 7 with 2nd test. From what i can see, my hotel has a clear tie in with a private hospital and you have to consent to paying up if you "need" to be treated. Whether you have any say in the matter, who knows

 

 

[Bohemianfish]

20 hours ago, Dukeleto said:

What’s the likelihood that the ASQ or SHA hotel has a kick back incorporated into the Hospital bill who their guests HAVE to go to? Further to that question, how likely are you now to get a positive result on your test and how do you verify the result without carrying your own test kits. And if you are carrying your own test kits which show you are negative and theirs are positive who is going to win and again how could you even verify your result if it has to go to a lab first. If you have been in Thailand for any amount of time you can easily compute that this scenario is all to easy occur. I concur with the stories Warning. It’s is far too risky stepping into Thailand as a tourist until all this nonsense is dismantled. Stop coming and it will happen much quicker. Keep coming and they will keep it running.

I thought the people who owned the big hotels there owned the big hospitals. Money going to the same pockets.

 

[Soikhaonoiken]

Now that the Philippines, Vietnam, and Bali are due to welcome back tourist,, Thailand will be in for a shock, and realise they are not the centre of the universe, and there are other Countries in the world to visit.... 

[Black Angus]

You'll all be able to go back ,but not before the Government of Thailand can lick their own Elbow???? ???? ????

[Ulic]

20 hours ago, LiamB80 said:

I arrived 7 months ago in Thailand and tested positive for covid on the first pcr test while in asq. They moved me to a hospitel where I stayed for the next 14 days. I was never asked to pay anything upfront. Only provide my insurance information. I recovered and was released and no hidden fees costs or insurance reimbursements were required. I walked out of there not paying a dime except what I paid for insurance before arriving.

Which insurance company, and how much did it cost?

[Kinok Powell]

Came back through the Phuket Sandbox in September.It was a nightmare then and has not improved.Still the tourists are coming despite all the horror stories.Desperate people in desperate times after two years of <deleted> just wanting to chill for a while. Between them,Thailand and the airlines have made this a shambles.Sad really.

[spidermike007]

12 hours ago, ThaiAl said:

As long as there is a risk end in hospital without any symptoms for a lot of money, tourists will not visit Thailand anymore. All my frienfs wantd to travel to Thailand, but with the actuel Test&Go-schema the go to Mexico, Costa Rica, ..... Some of them looking for alternatives also in Asia (i.e Philipines, Viernam), and here is the risk, if they like it, why should they come back to Thailand next year!

Exactly the point I have been making. Thailand is not only discouraging tourists from coming now, they are encouraging people to forget about Thailand altogether, and strike it from their list of potential future destinations. Thailand is becoming the land of the forgotten. ALL self imposed. 

 

[sezze]

I highly doubt there will be many people scammed in being fake positive just to get the money . If there are only a few reports out of foreigners being locked inside hospital with big bills , then nobody will come anymore . A while ago , i heard the story of the brother of somebody at work . His brother is living/working in Singapore and he comes a few times a y to Thailand , before covid . This year he visited but he needed a PCR test again to go back to Singapore . He went in to a testing facility ( i think it was a private hospital but i am not sure ) , anyway they just asked what he wanted , he said Negative PCR for flying back to Singapore . They made a negative paper and he was out . Is this story true , idk , but i do know where the story comes from and i do know many things in Thailand can be done , so i believe the chance of it being true is very high . The 1st day test is higher risk of being scammed then the 5th day test imho .

Is it a risk , yes sure , travel in these days is not for faint heart , but after being in Europe for +2y now , i am ready to take some gambles .

[carvets]

23 hours ago, d15pl4y said:

Off-topic question: If I'm just transiting through Suvarnabhumi airport and don't intend to go through Thai immigration process do I still need 50.000 $ insurance? Thanks.

 A friend of mine just did that while travelling from Australia to Japan and transiting through BKK. All she had to do was pay for 1 day of Covid insurance . She used AXA and it cost just a few dollars. 

[jacko45k]

15 hours ago, kimamey said:

If they could change the quarantine to 'at home' or even in a hotel rather than an expensive hospital then I think that would be an improvement.

I am not sure every hotel would want to go along with that and want infected people out, to protect the rest of their guests. You would be expected to move to specialized facilities and the hospitels are that. Sadly there will be an effort to make money on this and commissions will be involved. 

[mikebell]

17 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Oh come now.... I know many Expats who got back here.....travelling back from here to UK is also no biggie....since Denmark etc are cancelling all restrictions now, I expect the world to follow... maybe not China....good I say on that. 

What's the situation about Insurance? At 79 I can't afford it.  I'm on a retirement 'visa' would I need cover to return to Thailand?

[RJRS1301]

5 minutes ago, mikebell said:

What's the situation about Insurance? At 79 I can't afford it.  I'm on a retirement 'visa' would I need cover to return to Thailand?

Health/hospital insure over 70 become prohibative for many

However the question you need to think about is, can I afford to be without it?

Are you able to pay for hospitalisation irrespective of Covid?

 

[jacko45k]

9 minutes ago, mikebell said:

What's the situation about Insurance? At 79 I can't afford it.  I'm on a retirement 'visa' would I need cover to return to Thailand?

You would need Covid insurance of course, at the moment. If you mean a retirement Extension and returned on a Re-Entry Permit you likely would have to comply with. the 'need to provide a health insurance with a minimum treatment coverage of 50,000 USD or equivalent in any other currencies;' I did not see any other medical insurance requirement (there is, if one wishes to obtain an O-A or O-X Visa). You probably know within Thailand there is  no insurance required on a retirement Ext based on a Non-Imm-O Permission. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by jacko45k

[mikebell]

2 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Health/hospital insure over 70 become prohibative for many

However the question you need to think about is, can I afford to be without it?

Are you able to pay for hospitalisation irrespective of Covid?

 

Got my 800K.  It's the hoops returning to Lieland I'm curious about.

[mikebell]

3 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You would need Covid insurance of course, at the moment. If you mean a retirement Extension and returned on a Re-Entry Permit you likely would have to comply with. the 'need to provide a health insurance with a minimum treatment coverage of 50,000 USD or equivalent in any other currencies;' I did not see any other medical insurance requirement (there is, if one wishes to obtain an O-A or O-X Visa). You probably know within Thailand there is  no insurance required on a retirement Ext based on a Non-Imm-O Permission. 

Thanks for this.  So for my return flight, I would need to take out a policy in UK to cover $50K? 

[jacko45k]

Just now, mikebell said:

Thanks for this.  So for my return flight, I would need to take out a policy in UK to cover $50K? 

Use the Embassy website to be sure, I am no expert. 

https://london.thaiembassy.org/en/publicservice/requirements-for-foreigners-travelling-to-thailand-during-covid-19-tra?page=5d6636cd15e39c3bd00072dd&menu=5f4b6eb3f6ae4b236972c562

 

There was an issue some months back were those returning on Non-Imm-O based extensions with re-entry permits were being told they needed medical insurance. I think that was an error and do not see it on the website. You should check with Ubonjoe in the 'Visa and Immigration' Forums.

[RJRS1301]

24 minutes ago, mikebell said:

Got my 800K.  It's the hoops returning to Lieland I'm curious about.

and enough income above and beyond that to service insurance or hospitalisation?

 

[fredscats]

9 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

Easy to say it's paranoia though. You have been lucky so far.

 

I touched down yesterday and am in ASQ in Bangkok. 2 years away and urgent personal business to deal with that couldn't wait anymore. Its a risky strategy if you test positive. I have 10 million gbp of insurance cover but will it cover asymptomatic hospital/hospital? Trying to get a definitive answer was unsatisfactory.

 

Passed day 1 PCR so the crunch comes on day 7 with 2nd test. From what i can see, my hotel has a clear tie in with a private hospital and you have to consent to paying up if you "need" to be treated. Whether you have any say in the matter, who knows

 

 

What I have previously noticed the hotel gets a 6000 baht commission if they get you into private hospital

[StayinThailand2much]

15 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

I agree, the amount of damage they have done by their crazy policies and flip flopping is yet to be seen.

That's the main reason why they love the Chinese and Indians. - In other parts of the world, scams and inhospitality in Thailand are too well known by now. And locking up and fleecing a good number of the tourists who come here now won't help, of course. But there are still millions of Indians and Chinese who haven't heard of this scam-culture yet.

[MarkyM3]

2 hours ago, fredscats said:

What I have previously noticed the hotel gets a 6000 baht commission if they get you into private hospital

I can believe it! The hospital aligned to my ASQ place is Bangpakok 9 Intl Hospital.

 

Since I've passed the day 1 test, next opportunity to fail is on day 7 or if my temperature submissions go awry before then (I'm having to take temperature twice a day and submit photos via Whatsapp or Line to the "nurse" here...). I'd hope I'd just be kept here longer, should I test positive, than told to go to hospital/hospitel but the truth is - no-one knows for sure. 

 

Arrival at BKK - near deserted. Flight from Doha was near empty as well. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by MarkyM3

[NanLaew]

21 hours ago, tomacht8 said:

21 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

 But you have no evidence of such collusion?

You don't need proof it, when it's official practice that there are extra price lists for foreigners in the hospitals, with sometimes 200%-300% higher prices for one and the same activity or operation. Morally, the medical oath here is subject to greed for money.

I see you still have a problem with the meaning of 'evidence'.

[NanLaew]

11 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

I have 10 million gbp of insurance cover but will it cover asymptomatic hospital/hospital?

So you bought insurance without reading the small print?

 

I see.

[MarkyM3]

1 minute ago, NanLaew said:

I see you still have a problem with the meaning of 'evidence'.

Plenty of anecdotal evidence on this forum of hospital fees being rapidly renegotiated downwards when the customer complains. 

[NanLaew]

13 minutes ago, MarkyM3 said:

Plenty of anecdotal evidence on this forum of hospital fees being rapidly renegotiated downwards when the customer complains. 

My mate has an anecdotal tale of his dad playing for his country in the World Cup.

 

As I get older, I find myself putting more faith in tangibles than hearsay.

Edited February 5, 2022 by NanLaew

[MarkyM3]

4 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

My mate has an anecdotal tale of his dad playing for his country in the World Cup.

 

As I get older, I find myself putting more faith in tangibles than hearsay.

So all the tales of hospital bills on here being renegotiated are hearsay. Mmmkay.

[spidermike007]

2 hours ago, MarkyM3 said:

I can believe it! The hospital aligned to my ASQ place is Bangpakok 9 Intl Hospital.

 

Since I've passed the day 1 test, next opportunity to fail is on day 7 or if my temperature submissions go awry before then (I'm having to take temperature twice a day and submit photos via Whatsapp or Line to the "nurse" here...). I'd hope I'd just be kept here longer, should I test positive, than told to go to hospital/hospitel but the truth is - no-one knows for sure. 

 

Arrival at BKK - near deserted. Flight from Doha was near empty as well. 

They made such a big deal of 25,000 first day applications. Then, total silence since then. 1,200 to 1,500 a day would be my guess. 

[StayinThailand2much]

43 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

They made such a big deal of 25,000 first day applications. Then, total silence since then. 1,200 to 1,500 a day would be my guess. 

I guess, 25,000 was just the backlog, meaning way less afterwards.

[Straight8]

On 2/4/2022 at 10:05 AM, arick said:

Price range from 30, 000 baht and up! You can pick your hospital out of the list. You can even pick a hotel up country you don't have to stay in Bkk 

Do they present this to you on a menu style layout, like in restaurant. That would be fantastic.

[Straight8]

On 2/4/2022 at 11:46 AM, Lacessit said:

I have been advising friends in Australia of the situation and potential costs if they holiday here.

Until Thailand gets rid of these requirements, people working in the tourist industry will continue to suffer.

Hopefully they'll listen and stay well away. With some many other options, with all these requirements, mind boggles as to why people want to be holidaying in Thailand. SMH