Thailand to require foreign tourists to buy health insurance

[chooka]

Im not a tourist, so I guess nothing to worry about.

Ah but maybe if you want your visa extention you will now have to show a valid medical insurance cover along with your 400/800K bank balance.

[chrisinth]

Travel insurance is a good idea, no doubt, as we have little control over what could happen when on holiday (anytime for that matter!).

However, as has already been mentioned, how do you control/price the policies, especially for the elderly?

If this is ever enforced, I can see a great reduction in the retired section of tourists coming to these shores.

[Soutpeel]

I really dont understand all the negativity on this topic requiring people who are non-Thai citizens to have mandatory medical insurance while in Thailand is actually one of the smarter suggestions that the power that be have come up with.

A lot of countries also require similar things for non-citizens, so this suggestion is hardly a unique requirement in Thailand.

Of course one must wonder why all the negativity and hostility towards a very sensible requirement, is it becasue some members believe introducing this requirement will it it harder for them to get a visa or their ability to live here ?

[Jingthing]

If you're talking about for expats, fine, but offer a GOVERNMENT buy in option because many of us are not insurable. So a benign sounding policy could turn out to be a deportation notice for many.

Edited June 29, 2013 by Jingthing

[BeforeTigers]

Am I naive in thinking they could simply tack on a small standard fee for all tourists entering the country to compensate for the cost of emergency medical services to the minority of tourists that actually use the hospital?

Not insurance, per se. Just a surcharge for the unavoidable fact that some uninsured people will end up in the hospital on occasion.

Seems pretty straightforward and feasible on the face of it.

Edited June 29, 2013 by BeforeTigers

[chiang mai]

In a separate article in the newspaper it talked about non-tourist visa holders being required to have insurance also and/or to pay a fee at the Immigration checkpoint!?! To be honest, between the writing skills of the newspaper reporter and the almost intelligible way it was discussed by the folks in the meeting the outcome could have been totally different and we'll never know it.

[Soutpeel]

Read again---tourists!!

Err...unless you are PR or a Thai citizen consider yourself a "tourist"

[chiang mai]

I really dont understand all the negativity on this topic requiring people who are non-Thai citizens to have mandatory medical insurance while in Thailand is actually one of the smarter suggestions that the power that be have come up with.

A lot of countries also require similar things for non-citizens, so this suggestion is hardly a unique requirement in Thailand.

Of course one must wonder why all the negativity and hostility towards a very sensible requirement, is it becasue some members believe introducing this requirement will it it harder for them to get a visa or their ability to live here ?

Of course, anyone over age 60 with pre-existing conditions is in trouble, over aged 65 and you're stuffed.

[bangkokheat]

Way to possibly loose few million tourists

Personally i purchase all my tickets and hotels with my black master card which automatically gives me 6 months of health insurance while travelling,

So would i need to show them the booklets and translate it for them

mai phen rai, still many more tourists will come

[chiang mai]

I've got a better idea, why don't they insist that anyone who wants a visa for say twelve months, has to deposit a sum of money into a Thai bank, I don't know, something like THB 800,000 or so, I'll bet they never thought of that one.

[tonneke breda]

Way to go Government, scare more people of to come to Thailand. but yeah who needs tourism, if you got a great rice-scam.

[chiang mai]

Absolutely nonsense

finally the old farts (over 60 years old) are kept away from the honey pots.

We will all watch with amusement and interest to see how you manage such things at age 60.

[minikev]

I was left in a hospital corridor with copious amounts of blood seeping out of my severed leg whilst the staff checked I had insurance. Only when I understood that farang pay 50% more than Thai was I treated.

Free hospital treatment for foreigners my ar.....

[Soutpeel]

Am I naive in thinking they could simply tack on a small standard fee for all tourists entering the country to compensate for the cost of emergency medical services to the minority of tourists that actually use the hospital?

Not insurance, per se. Just a surcharge for the unavoidable fact that some uninsured people will end up in the hospital on occasion.

Seems pretty straightforward and feasible on the face of it.

but why discriminate against just against "tourists" there are large numbers of "residents" living here who dont have medical insurance who could find themselves in the same position ?

I am pretty sure if this requirement comes into fruition it will affect those living here as well in terms of their extension of stay renewals, ie one will need to prove adequate medical insurance to be granted the extension

[chiang mai]

Am I naive in thinking they could simply tack on a small standard fee for all tourists entering the country to compensate for the cost of emergency medical services to the minority of tourists that actually use the hospital?

Not insurance, per se. Just a surcharge for the unavoidable fact that some uninsured people will end up in the hospital on occasion.

Seems pretty straightforward and feasible on the face of it.

but why discriminate against just against "tourists" there are large numbers of "residents" living here who dont have medical insurance who could find themselves in the same position ?

I am pretty sure if this requirement comes into fruition it will affect those living here as well in terms of their extension of stay renewals, ie one will need to prove adequate medical insurance to be granted the extension

...or 800K in the bank.

[Basil B]

It would be be a difficult rule to enforce seeing there are so many companies worldwide who provide health/accident insurance in a travel insurance package.

If it is enforced I can see so many people presenting worthless pieces of paper as evidence of insurance.

[rollrunna]

Yep same as above. Too many people in the World with no concept of consequence. Sex without contraception, borrow money without thevability to pay it back, travel without insurance or medical cover, spend all they earn, no pension, no savings, break the law then sorry when punished... Then it's hand out and expect someone else to fix their predicment.. Same ones who blame the Government or their boss or their location for their own failures..

what a miserable comment....so where are all these miscreants.?... having travelled and interacted with many people I do not find many of those you describe, must be a very small minority...sounds like you have swallowed the dummy and do exactly what any authority tells you and fell irritated by those who are more carefree and less anal....

I have yet to hear of any farang who has received State hospital aid for free..so where are some figures of these losses...sounds like another skim scam to me.

[Soutpeel]

I've got a better idea, why don't they insist that anyone who wants a visa for say twelve months, has to deposit a sum of money into a Thai bank, I don't know, something like THB 800,000 or so, I'll bet they never thought of that one.

or of course prove you do have existing insurance....so what your suggesting is that for someone who is a retiree using the 800k route...they have to show 1.6 million in the bank to get the extension ?

[Soutpeel]

Am I naive in thinking they could simply tack on a small standard fee for all tourists entering the country to compensate for the cost of emergency medical services to the minority of tourists that actually use the hospital?

Not insurance, per se. Just a surcharge for the unavoidable fact that some uninsured people will end up in the hospital on occasion.

Seems pretty straightforward and feasible on the face of it.

but why discriminate against just against "tourists" there are large numbers of "residents" living here who dont have medical insurance who could find themselves in the same position ?

I am pretty sure if this requirement comes into fruition it will affect those living here as well in terms of their extension of stay renewals, ie one will need to prove adequate medical insurance to be granted the extension

...or 800K in the bank.

on top of the 800k they already have to prove ?

[lee b]

what aload of rubbish.

[chiang mai]

Am I naive in thinking they could simply tack on a small standard fee for all tourists entering the country to compensate for the cost of emergency medical services to the minority of tourists that actually use the hospital?

Not insurance, per se. Just a surcharge for the unavoidable fact that some uninsured people will end up in the hospital on occasion.

Seems pretty straightforward and feasible on the face of it.

but why discriminate against just against "tourists" there are large numbers of "residents" living here who dont have medical insurance who could find themselves in the same position ?

I am pretty sure if this requirement comes into fruition it will affect those living here as well in terms of their extension of stay renewals, ie one will need to prove adequate medical insurance to be granted the extension

...or 800K in the bank.

on top of the 800k they already have to prove ?

No, just use the existing 800K as a surety.

[wade72]

Wow, so much negativity about a good idea. Any sensible traveller already has travel medical insurance. Many countries insist that you need travel medical insurance to enter their country. I don't see why anyone would thing this is a bad idea. As for the ones who have said if your over 60 with a pre-existing condition, I feel for you, but if something does happen while you are here why should the Thai health care system be responsible for you?

There are policies that you can get I assure you, they are just very expensive.

If you were to arrive at the airport and at the immigration check point you had to present your passport, arrival card and proof of medical insurance to the immigration officer and if you don't have it they direct you to the booth selling it, so what. Not like Thailand would be unique on that policy.

[chiang mai]

Yep same as above. Too many people in the World with no concept of consequence. Sex without contraception, borrow money without thevability to pay it back, travel without insurance or medical cover, spend all they earn, no pension, no savings, break the law then sorry when punished... Then it's hand out and expect someone else to fix their predicment.. Same ones who blame the Government or their boss or their location for their own failures..

what a miserable comment....so where are all these miscreants.?... having travelled and interacted with many people I do not find many of those you describe, must be a very small minority...sounds like you have swallowed the dummy and do exactly what any authority tells you and fell irritated by those who are more carefree and less anal....

I have yet to hear of any farang who has received State hospital aid for free..so where are some figures of these losses...sounds like another skim scam to me.

I've heard of and seen many over the years, this is not an imagined problem either here or in other countries, including the UK..

[janbkk2011]

Thai government hospitals are free for Thais not for foreigners. Maybe they should implement a reciprocal policy in the UK so that Thais turning up at a British hospital are required to either pay or show their insurance documents? I wonder how many xenophobic Asian countries are left in the 21st century?

[chiang mai]

Thai government hospitals are free for Thais not for foreigners. Maybe they should implement a reciprocal policy in the UK so that Thais turning up at a British hospital are required to either pay or show their insurance documents? I wonder how many xenophobic Asian countries are left in the 21st century?

That system already exists, all non-residents either pay or provide insurance.

[Pacificperson]

How many of you without insurance would be willing to pay 3-5K baht/month to participate in the Thai national health insurance program without pre-existing conditions? ie. full coverage.

[Chris Lawrence]

The cost of medical treatment in Thailand is cheap. What % of tourists walk away from a bill? Could be a bad day for press release'?

[Tywais]

Read again---tourists!!

Err...unless you are PR or a Thai citizen consider yourself a "tourist"

I consider myself an expat. Working here for 20 years, paying taxes, support the community and support a Thai family. At one time I was a tourist by the true definition of the word which you seem to have made into your own definition.

The OP brings up more questions then answers as is norm for the various ministries.

[David48]

Way to possibly loose few million tourists

Personally i purchase all my tickets and hotels with my black master card which automatically gives me 6 months of health insurance while travelling,

So would i need to show them the booklets and translate it for them

Ditto ...

WOW ... popular topic ... over 1,000 viewers ... ThaiVisa Gold ...

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[David48]

Thai government hospitals are free for Thais not for foreigners. Maybe they should implement a reciprocal policy in the UK so that Thais turning up at a British hospital are required to either pay or show their insurance documents? I wonder how many xenophobic Asian countries are left in the 21st century?

GFP (Great First Post) ...

Australia is considered an Asian country as it's included in many of the Economic Partnerships.

Almost exclusively a person from Thailand, with a Tourist Visa would be paying for their Medical Care in Australia.

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