Picture courtesy of INN news

 

Health Minister Somsak stops Cambodians from exploiting Thailand's healthcare scheme and suggests biometric checks to curb misuse.

 

Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin has addressed concerns about Cambodian nationals allegedly misusing Thailand's 30-baht universal healthcare cards.

 

This follows revelations from doctors at border hospitals reporting Cambodians falsely claiming these healthcare benefits. Somsak confirmed he has raised the illegal labour issue with the Cabinet, aiming to empower the Ministry of Public Health to better manage epidemic monitoring and rectify outdated regulations.

 

When asked if investigations confirmed these allegations, Somsak explained that such cases are handled by medical staff and have led to holistic reforms.

 

He clarified that only bona fide Thai citizens are eligible for the healthcare scheme. To tackle fraudulent claims, he advocated for biometric iris scanners at border hospitals – a cost-effective solution at about 15,000 baht per device, totalling around 400,000 baht for 30 hospitals.

 

This measure would help accurately determine nationality, as ID numbers cannot be issued to non-citizens.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from INN News 2025-06-11

 

 

Cambodians and Thais must look the same easy to cheat