Travel insurance to be arranged for all tourist arrivals over holiday season : Srettha

[radiochaser]

1 hour ago, Mike Lister said:

If you go to a government hospital you wont get gouged, you'll just get treated. But you wont get the 42 inch flat screen, the private room, the en-suite, the Western food, lots of English speaking staff, the marble fountain in the foyer, the choice of doctor, pizza and fried chicken delivered to your room from the shops downstairs.....it's your call.

There are some that do get private rooms in government hospitals.   My father in law is a retired police officer.  When he was hospitalized  3 or 4 years ago he had a private room.   We also had food delivered from somewhere to supplement the hospital food. 

But, I did get off the elevator on the wrong floor when visiting one day.  There was a bay of perhaps 50 hospital beds that was open and with both patients and family visitors, there were 75 - 100 people in there!!   

[Mike Lister]

Just now, radiochaser said:

There are some that do get private rooms in government hospitals.   My father in law is a retired police officer.  When he was hospitalized  3 or 4 years ago he had a private room.   We also had food delivered from somewhere to supplement the hospital food. 

But, I did get off the elevator on the wrong floor when visiting one day.  There was a bay of perhaps 50 hospital beds that was open and with both patients and family visitors, there were 75 - 100 people in there!!   

And my wife also had a private room in a government hospital when she had her gall bladder removed, that was because she used her Social Security health insurance but she paid an extra 1,000 for the room. The room standard was not even close to that of a Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital room, a small old style TV that had poor reception and few channels, a room badly in need of a paint job and a bed that was nothing more than a thin foam mattress on a raised platform.

[soalbundy]

10 minutes ago, Reigntax said:

 The B30 covers a lot more than just illness. Including maternity, preventative vaccinations and so on

Yes but not accidents. When my 16 year old son goes on school trips an extra insurance has to be paid to the school for instance. When he did a 12 day training course with the army, same thing, an insurance was part of the package.

[bbi1]

1 hour ago, Iron Tongue said:

I wonder if this foreign traveler insurance will cover STDs?

There's still that nasty case of antibiotic-resistant Super Gonorrhea that hasn't been addressed.

I think you should go and get that addressed asap. A trip to the local clinic or hospital is advised. I'm sure other members would advise the same.

[ikke1959]

15 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Rather difficult to enforce mandatory insurance when so many tourists enter Visa Exempt.  For visa yes, could be done. But for VE? Would be a nightmare at the airport.

You have to do kit in your home country not on the arrival.. You travel always without one?? 

[ikke1959]

1 hour ago, Captain Monday said:

What does a schengen visa have to do with Thailand do want them to mandate travel insurance like during Covid? 
 

Nothing more than a redundant waste of time and money for those of us who are already fully insured from sickness or injury regardless of global location or reason thru mandatory insurance provided by our “corporate overlords”

just as an example.... Tourists should know they need always a travel insurance...travelling without is the stupidest thing ever...

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, ikke1959 said:

You have to do kit in your home country not on the arrival.. You travel always without one?? 

Still, if it had to be checked when you arrive by an IO, quite a task!

[superal]

I do not think that this will be a carte blanche type personal travel insurance . It is being set up to appease all hospitals that might have to give emergency treatment to a tourist .  I thought that this was the norm anyway . The New Year period only ? So then to return to uncertainty after . 

Potential tourists to Thailand should be warned about the dangers of extreme Thai hospital bills, where the tourist will have to pay up to 20 times that which a Thai will pay . Visiting the far east is nothing like a Mediterranean holiday where European standards far exceed those of Asian countries that do excel in corruption at all levels of society . Visiting Thailand should come with a health warning .

[Wrwest]

13 hours ago, ikke1959 said:

It is the responsibility of the traveller/tourist to have a health insurance. Communicate that instead of offering free services...For a Schengen visa it is an obligation to have a travelinsurance 

I have thought the Schengen Visa requirement should solve Thailand’s liability for short term visitors. They could also solve the problem for annual extension of stay holders by affecting a health insurance coverage at a reasonable cost (or accepting the international policies covering global healthcare that are now sometimes denied as valid to meet immigration requirements).

[radiochaser]

6 minutes ago, Mike Lister said:

And my wife also had a private room in a government hospital when she had her gall bladder removed, that was because she used her Social Security health insurance but she paid an extra 1,000 for the room. The room standard was not even close to that of a Bumrungrad or Bangkok Hospital room, a small old style TV that had poor reception and few channels, a room badly in need of a paint job and a bed that was nothing more than a thin foam mattress on a raised platform.

I cannot recall if there was a TV in the room the FIL was in.  It was not fancy but it was decent.  Clean, no mold in the bathroom.   A real hospital bed that was comparable to one in the U.S. of A. and a couch that his attendant slept on (wife pays the attendant) .    I have had to stay in a worse hotel room in the U.S. of A.  when no other facilities were available in a back woods town.   

It could be that the wife was also kicking in some additional money for the private room, cause now that you mention that, I have a vague memory about her not letting him stay in one of those bay's like I described.  

[Mike Lister]

Just now, jacko45k said:

Still, if it had to be checked when you arrive by an IO, quite a task!

Twenty different policies in thirty different languages, you bet it is.

[NemoH]

So many schemes to conjure money from every corner n facet of society 🤣🤣🤣.. just see who benefits then you know why the scheme .. oops .. I mean policy is implemented .. 🤣🤣

Edited December 21, 2023 by NemoH

[bamnutsak]

I don't think that this is "insurance", but rather a slush fund to pay hospitals so that they don't reject dying foreign tourists, and individual foreigners who are injured/persih during some sort of unique incident (boat sinking, mall shooting).

 

 

[steven100]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The first thing I learnt in Thailand is.. "nothing is free"

exactly ...   not even a glass of water 

[BenStark]

45 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

I was there monday and stuck in traffic. Maybe because holiday season. Same thing a month ago,

 

I guess all western tourists arrive by car now?

[khunpeer]

14 hours ago, Cabradelmar said:

More Srettha give-a-ways... if he wants to give tourist free insurance, up to him. 

I don't think Srettha or Thai government will pay one baht, the tourists will have to pay travelinsurance by themselves!

[it is what it is]

2 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The first thing I learnt in Thailand is.. "nothing is free"

 

oh boy, if that's your experience then you know nothing about thailand, you have missed out on soooo much

[chuang]

Should be for all tourist arrivals at all times 

[Danderman123]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

We need the details but I was a little bemused by the cover for death..... would this be money for the hospital that failed, or to repatriate mortal remains, or a family cash benefit. The requirement is surely more for the living, those involved in accidents or health issue while in Thailand. 

I suspect that the details of this scheme remain TBD, and this is unlikely to be implemented. If it comes to pass, this would likely be direct compensation to hospitals for unpaid bills. So....

 

tourist has an accident, is hospitalized. No insurance, no money. Hospital sends the bill to the government, after the patient's pockets are empty.

[Bazerino]

Has the Irish guy passed away?

[hotchilli]

16 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

oh boy, if that's your experience then you know nothing about thailand, you have missed out on soooo much

I said that was the first thing I learnt... not subscequently

[ChipButty]

3 hours ago, Tequila makes me happy said:

Maybe also look into hospitals price gouging farangs in disress.

My thought were if these polices were issued by Thai insurance companies that would actually stop as they know all the prices, A good friend of ours is a broker here in Phuket and she has a list of the cost, 

[ChipButty]

10 minutes ago, Bazerino said:

Has the Irish guy passed away?

It all went quiet, like usual here 

[Pouatchee]

32 minutes ago, BenStark said:

 

I guess all western tourists arrive by car now?

Actually no... yhey mostly are on motorcycles. But the songteas are much busier and if you know pattaya you know how they really screw things up weaving in and out and cutying in front of everyone... but still there are a crap load of cars and also delivery tru ks double parking

[Lopburikid]

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

We need the details but I was a little bemused by the cover for death..... would this be money for the hospital that failed, or to repatriate mortal remains, or a family cash benefit. The requirement is surely more for the living, those involved in accidents or health issue while in Thailand. 

It says he wants it implemented to cover the upcoming holiday period. Christmas and New Year. will ALL tourist be given an insurance card as they enter? Will their hospital bill be covered immediately, or they pay and claim it back? Like everything else here, a lot of gray areas.

[BenStark]

6 minutes ago, Pouatchee said:

Actually no... yhey mostly are on motorcycles. But the songteas are much busier and if you know pattaya you know how they really screw things up weaving in and out and cutying in front of everyone... but still there are a crap load of cars and also delivery tru ks double parking

 

My comment was tongue in cheek mate, but just to add.

 

I live east of Pattaya, and I enter daily over the tollway.

 

For the past several days there are queues at the toll booths, similar to weekends that have a holiday or a Pattaya event.

 

No songtheaws or parked delivery trucks on the tollway, but 90% of the cars with Bangkok licence plate.

 

My stomach turns when I see Bangkok licence plates, because those drivers have zero respect for traffic flow

[ChipButty]

13 minutes ago, Lopburikid said:

It says he wants it implemented to cover the upcoming holiday period. Christmas and New Year. will ALL tourist be given an insurance card as they enter? Will their hospital bill be covered immediately, or they pay and claim it back? Like everything else here, a lot of gray areas.

You need a degree to understand them all, Back in May my daughter came for a few weeks, with her husband, her daughter 2 years 6 months and she was pregnant, she had bought a package from TUI, I asked her about the insurance she paid extra for that, my first question did you tell them you are pregnant? nope she said, go back in there and make sure it's included and do they pay the hospital here or do you have to pay and claim it back, she didn't know, well you need to clear that, better send me the link to the insurance let me read it, I know what happens here, 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

Well, let us say that when you say rent a motorcycle here it comes with insurance, but it won't cover you! Never sure about any policy until one has the misfortune to need to claim. 

Absolutely, and I don't really trust any of them,  I bought mine in the UK from a "reputable" company   read the small print as much as I could be bothered, not much else I can do really, except be careful and hope I never have to rely on it.  Pay the money and hope for the best.

Around 15 years ago the same company coughed up when I had kidney stones

My faith in  Thai insurance was given a bit of a boost a few years ago when I when I arrived after lockdown on the test and go scheme and promptly tested positive, (although I was symptomless )  The compulsory covid insurance paid for everything, Ambulance transfer to the quarantine hotel, the ensuing incarceration, x-rays, and even the packet of paracetamol they gave me ,  around 20,000 baht in all   Needless to say I was surprised

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

Well, let us say that when you say rent a motorcycle here it comes with insurance, but it won't cover you! Never sure about any policy until one has the misfortune to need to claim. 

Government minimum insurance covers everyone for 30kbht, which is enough to cover most accidents treated in a government hospital.

[superal]

45 minutes ago, khunpeer said:

I don't think Srettha or Thai government will pay one baht, the tourists will have to pay travelinsurance by themselves!

It is a hospital guarantee payment insurance and not intended to cover or protect tourists . Thailands reputation for shafting tourists is already known and if not giving hospital  treatment to a person in an emergency will only highlight the inhumanity and third world Thai culture . 

Digressing slightly but many tourists to Thailand foolishly hire motor bikes . There is an assumption that they are covered by their holiday insurance but in reality , within the small print , there is often an exclusion . Indeed , many have never ridden or have a licence to ride a motor cycle and the hirer never asks for one . Motor cycle accidents can be very costly in Thailand .