‘Tourism fee’, now for all travellers to Thailand, ready to launch

[Liverpool Lou]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:01 PM, DezLez said:

If that is so what if you are not taken to a Government hospital? What will happen to the insurance and or bills?

Who knows, it is not even law yet.

[Liverpool Lou]

On 7/15/2022 at 1:02 PM, LivingNThailand said:

I just "fake" booked a trip from Bangkok to San Francisco on an  Asian airlines and the website did not ask me my nationality or passport information. 

 

Then I "fake" booked a trip from Bangkok to New York on an US Airlines and the website did not ask me my nationality or passport information.

Perhaps you should wait until the legislation is law before you make fake bookings to a country were the fee isn't yet law?  When it is law, perhaps the questions will be added.

[Liverpool Lou]

10 minutes ago, jvs said:

11 minutes ago, Liverpool Lou said:

It's not "travel" insurance, it's accident insurance in the proposal.

Did you see the word"real"?

Yes, I did, it's not travel insurance of any description, "real" or otherwise, it's (real) accident insurance, two very different policies.

[AgentSmith]

Wouldn't be surprised if it's mostly Americans here who are opposed to mandatory insurance. Communist nonsense they must think. The rest of (aka the sane part of) the developed world nods in approval. Those unforeseen medical expenses have to be paid from somewhere. It better not be some horrendous crowd funding project to beg for money. Oh please give me a hundred thousands bucks so I can fly home. Please please before I die.. Certain people really have to get some common sense. Fine if you come here without proper coverage but don't start crying when things go off the rails and instead just gracefully accept the consequences.

[ThailandRyan]

14 minutes ago, AgentSmith said:

Wouldn't be surprised if it's mostly Americans here who are opposed to mandatory insurance. Communist nonsense they must think. The rest of (aka the sane part of) the developed world nods in approval. Those unforeseen medical expenses have to be paid from somewhere. It better not be some horrendous crowd funding project to beg for money. Oh please give me a hundred thousands bucks so I can fly home. Please please before I die.. Certain people really have to get some common sense. Fine if you come here without proper coverage but don't start crying when things go off the rails and instead just gracefully accept the consequences.

I think you might be a little mistaken there sir.  Many of us expats who live in Thailand and have insurance already have no need for a 30 day injury only mandatory forced plan, even if it is only 300 baht.  Tell me more if you can?  

Edited July 17, 2022 by ThailandRyan

[Mike Teavee]

9 hours ago, darrendsd said:

It's not my cover, I live here and already have insurance

 

 

As do I... But doesn't it annoy you (even a little bit) that you (& I) spend money on insurance & when we go for a holiday outside of Thailand we have to pay 300 THB towards cover for people who can't be 4rsed to buy insurance when we come home? 

 

Again, the 300 number is irrelevant, make it 30,000 & it still wouldn't stop me from visiting my family in the UK  but to me it's the rewarding of Bad Behavior & Punishing of Good Behavior. that's the problem.

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2022 by Mike Teavee

[darrendsd]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

As do I... But doesn't it annoy you (even a little bit) that you (& I) spend money on insurance & when we go for a holiday outside of Thailand we have to pay 300 THB towards cover for people who can't be 4rsed to buy insurance when we come home? 

 

Again, the 300 number is irrelevant, make it 30,000 & it still wouldn't stop me from visiting my family in the UK  but to me it's the rewarding of Bad Behavior & Punishing of Good Behavior. that's the problem.

 

 

 

No it doesn't annoy me one bit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AgentSmith]

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

I think you might be a little mistaken there sir.  Many of us expats who live in Thailand and have insurance already have no need for a 30 day injury only mandatory forced plan, even if it is only 300 baht.  Tell me more if you can?  

I'm one of those expats but Thailand is dealing with the unfortunate reality where too many foreigners enter the country without proper insurance. Getting it for them is a way to get around the problem. Also if people are getting out of wack over 300 frick'n baht as if it means the world to them then those might very well be the same people who are too cheap to even get proper insurance.

[starky]

On 7/15/2022 at 12:39 PM, John Drake said:

It may make a difference when the 300 is divided up into various destinations, especially on a mass scale. But for two Americans coming here, they will see "tourism fee" and that it costs both together about $16 and disregard it. What do I hope to come from this? The dismissing of those high profile stories about a tourist in the hospital with multiple hip, leg, and arm fractures and complaints about Thai hospitals paying for it. Now, it's "covered" according to their own rules. If the patient doesn't "pay," it's the system's fault, not the foreigner's. Heck I wouldn't mind if they made the idea applicable to year long extensions. Tack on another 3600 baht in "insurance" to the 1900 baht for extensions and leave us to fund the balance of our medical care as we see fit.

Yes and what about the people like myself who already pay thousands of dollars a year for full international health care for myself and family? I also wnter and exit Thailand monthly so 1800 baht a year for me for a useless "insurance" i wouldnt use anyway. Im not dirty on the 300 baht but i am dirty on it tjos blanket approach where people who may already have insurance are getting rorted for zero reason. Absoulutely no reason why it should apply to every traveller. If the logistics of finding out if people are insured or not is too difficult there should be no levy at all

[MarcB]

Wonderful and Amazing...

 

First they waive the visa fee, which is free for Visas on arrival anyway,

to then replace it with a tourist feeeeeee

 

Insurance I do not need coz I have a better one from my home country

 

Man, are they really trying to save the sinking ship!

 

Also amazing is that they always try to fleece the tourists. Tourists fees, double pricing here and there, and so on

 

What happened to, hey, let's try to find a better way instead of the easy way out whilst shooting in my foot?

Biting the hand that feeds you comes to mind

[William C F Pierce]

Does it mean they have discontinued the compulsory Covid cover? Then I don't mind the 300 Baht accident cover. I once spent 24 hours in a Thai hospital at a cost of 1750 Baht for a minor accident. I did not have the money on me they did not force me to pay. Later on in the day I was signed off I went back and payed it. 300 Baht is better than the high price Western Insurance cover. Most of which never ends up in Thailand anyway. Most of the Insurance companies took advantage of Covid to charge high fees for all types of medical cover.

[Jackin1960]

On 7/15/2022 at 9:03 AM, zzaa09 said:

Wow.

A whole B300?????

This should break many pocketbooks. ????

 

B300 [or even more] will certainly cause much angst, hand wringing and mindless discussion among the trivial mindsets.

 

The end is near.????????

Not the amount of money Thailand is skimming off the Tourists so much as the impression it leaves to tourists along with the two tier pricing. So tacky, TOT might think about a new slogan "Tacky Thailand the land of false smiles"

[jacko45k]

18 hours ago, Jackin1960 said:

Not the amount of money Thailand is skimming off the Tourists so much as the impression it leaves to tourists along with the two tier pricing. So tacky, TOT might think about a new slogan "Tacky Thailand the land of false smiles"

It is many years since the polite 'wai' with hands held together under the chin in a prayer like position, was replaced by the single outstretched flat palm of the scrounging position.

[Kwaibill]

On 7/16/2022 at 1:41 AM, CrossBones said:

It might discourage tourists from getting "proper" travel insurance. Then they get here, have an accident and discover they are only insured in public hospitals and not for all illnesses.

 

I was hoping that one day Thai Social security may offer an inexpensive insurance plan that could be used at thai public hospitals.

 

 

I was wondering if permanent residents are covered by some of the health schemes? I paid 330 baht for tooth clean and exam this morning while my wife was charged 30 baht for same plus xray. 330 baht is peanuts, but some other services...