Thailand to require foreign tourists to buy health insurance

[Tomtomtom69]

Well, in this case, the Thai government is just doing the same as Europe. If a Thai wants to apply for a Schengen Visa, he/she has to buy an Insurance, valid for Europe, BEFORE they even can apply for a Schengen Visa. Tit for Tat... Plus the fact that we are looking at Billion of Baht in fees....

No such thing as perfect tit for tat. That's not realistic. Can we buy land here now?

What has buying land in Thailand got to do with medical insurance ?.....come on Jing...your better than that..the We cant buy land gambit..

Land can be purchased inside industrial estates under specific circumstances. However, I don't want to get into a discussion about land ownership when the topic of discussion is medical insurance.

I don't think Thailand is trying to emulate China and trying to apply any reciprocal policies - while China may demand the same fee of US citizens for visas that the US applies for Chinese citizens, the Chinese government knows full well it has nothing to lose by making it slightly more difficult to gain entry to China for tourism purposes - in addition to the visa fees and process of applying for a visa, a letter of invitation OR plane ticket/ or train ticket/hotel booking even bank statements and medical insurance are requested. Plenty of foreign visitors still come despite the obstacles compared to traveling say to Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand, which have visa free entry for many nationalities and indeed China receives three times more foreign visitors per year compared to either Malaysia or Thailand and about 4 times more than Singapore. However, given how important international tourism is to the Thai economy, it is highly doubtful Thailand would ever make it much more difficult to enter the country for short stays than it is now. Also, Thailand doesn't care about what it's citizens have to go through to obtain a visa for other countries, especially western countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, NZ and western Europe (and until recently, Japan before they started issuing visa waivers for Thais).

However, this requirement to have insurance could still be implemented in a reasonable way and I don't find it an unreasonable requirement except that I don't know how it will be enforced. Also, how will this requirement be implemented for Lao, Cambodian, Malaysian and Myanmar citizens traveling to Thailand for one day to conduct trade? Apart from Malaysians, the other three neighboring states are much poorer than Thailand, have a large number of their citizens traveling to Thailand across border checkpoints not just by air and they generally don't have health insurance either, unlike foreigners from richer countries. I wonder how the government plans to force them to purchase insurance at the border when they arrive, even for a day? Perhaps a 50 Baht insurance policy that can be purchased before immigration attached to their day passes?

[JAS21]

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.

I would ... my health insurance costs several times that.

[Gsxrnz]

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.

Thai hospitals are not free for foreigners...and they have to pay first to get treatment...That was my experience....an I believe is normal procedure around the country....In many other countries do you have to give a credit card before treatment..Only in America you will get hospital care for foreigners, and pay the bill later if you can...and I think that is wrong.

Try visiting New Zealand - all residents and non-residents/tourists get free public hospital care courtesy of the NZ taxpayer. if you tried to pay for anything they'd get extremely confused. There is no such thing as a cashier at a public hospital.

[SSSlongtime]

what happened about changing which side cars drive was that just talk ,health insurance is good when you travel and in some counties to live in it is a must ,Uk have free health cover ,but is it worth having these days

[Stjohnm]

As I said a while ago just hike the airport Tax by ฿200 a passenger

[berg1666]

I have only the best things to say about Thai medical care. I have always had insurance, and have had fantastic, quality service whether it was for medical, dental or pharmaceutical care.

I also once accompanied a foreign guy who had been involved in a car accident to the hospital (I just happened to be there when it happened); no questions were asked about insurance etc. (he was in a pretty bad way) and when I visited him later it turned out he had no insurance, yet the hospital continued to care for him until his eventual discharge and return home, "promising" to pay his bills.

Yes, foreigners don't get free medical care in Thailand (nor should they!), yet unlike other countries (e.g. Japan) nor are they denied emergency medical care when they need it. I once travelled in the back of an ambulance in Japan watching a close farang friend die; we were refused by 4 hospitals because she did not have her medical insurance card on her; by the time we got to the 5th, she was dead. I found out later she did have full Japanese government medical insurance.

I think you would be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world a more compassionate and empathetic group of doctors and nurses than in Thailand. They are actually a very dedicated bunch, and don't discriminate based on race, sexual preference or insurance status. I'm pretty sure some doctors and nurses back in NZ could do with reviewing their Hippocratic Oath standing next to a Thai doctor.

Credit where it's due guys.

And yes, compulsory medical insurance. Easy enough; purchase an approved policy when you buy the ticket. In all reality, there are actually only 3 or 4 full travel insurers in the world, everything else is just a rebranding/repackaging of someone else's product. Very easy to sort out, and we are all a lot better of for it (not to mention the long suffering Thai doctors and nurses!).

I can only hope insurers also offer a "Being a <deleted> while pissed" insurance policy as well, although given what I have seen lately, they may well end up losing money on that.

[OzMick]

Have none of the pro-insurance posters heard of the concept of self-insurance - those with sufficient funds willing to accept the risk?

ok but what are "sufficent funds" relative to the possible risk ?

I have sufficient liquid assets to pay for medical treatment, or to return to Oz, if necessary. I also get some coverage from using my card to purchase tickets.

[johnlandy]

"...cost of health insurance coverage might be included in visa fees,..."

Great way to skim extra on the insurance 'fees',

on farangs of course.

" ... Those visiting Thailand without visas would be required to buy insurance at immigration checkpoints ... "

So unless you have '(what) Proof of Insurance', they will charge you arbitrary fees through the government for private insurance?

Or will crony companies set up a booth next to every entree point in the land?

Who will decide which external insurance coverage will be considered valid?

" ... or the fees could be added to the cost of airline tickets. ... "

How are the airlines expected to vet insurance applications

with everyone from different countries with different insurance requirements?

" ... After the meeting, Pradit said all of those involved agreed to set up a subcommittee to work on the proposal. ... "

As usual speak first then figure out the difficulties after other people tell you them,

then throw it all out so you don't lose face for having to take outside advice.

The ubiquitous : Lost in committee

Just another half baked idea, but you can guarantee if it ever comes to pass greed and corruption with be involved.

[lowbo]

...... just as well make us wear a sign "I am a farang, extort me" !!!! ........

[AnotherOneAmerican]

I believe Thailand should allow free basic and emergency health care to all people in government hospitals. (foreigner or Thai)

Most foreigners prefer to use private hospitals with English speaking staff.

I can't see many foreigners using a Thai government hospital, waiting and queuing with the general Thai population.

The extra expense to the country would be negligible, the positive publicity for the country would be invaluable.

Health care in Thailand is very cheap.

(If you avoid the foreigner scamming private hospitals that abound)

@Pacificperson

Private health care for Thai nationals (and foreigners employed with WP in Thailand) is a maximum 500bht/month, as a foreigner can you tell me why you think you should be charged more?

Edited June 29, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[rammis35]

Sounds like nothing more than another money grab to me.

Here's a better idea.

"the country's state hospitals, which are required to provide foreigners with free medical service"

How about simply legislating that state hospitals NOT provide foreigners with free medical service. Why do they anyway?

Wouldn't that be a lot easier than setting up a whole new bureaucratic arm?

Well how would they make money that way? I'm sure if you have your own private insurance it will no longer qualify for the Thai program requiring you to by the Thai insurance instead.

[sandhurstmolonski]

Would never work , because there are so many variables with Insurance . Done properly however with No Scams , its not a Bad idea ..So long as the Funds raised go to the correct places , The Hospital and Health System . It would be really difficult to see this happening ..

Had to laugh out load about the " Free " Health care line ...

If you could keep the Scammers Out , make sure the Funds go to the Correct places , Make sure the Cover didn't have sneaky small print written in Thai ..Then the Idea has merit , and makes sense .

If open Slather for Scamming Health Insurance Companies , then Its Pointless ...A lot of detail to Work though unfortunately .

[Tomtomtom69]

How many foreigners do you see in a government hospital? Hardly the " burden " suggested by the article. The tone of negativity directed against tourists (irresponsible/reckless/can pay-wont pay) is questionable however.

Exactly - although I presume complaints probably stemmed from accidents involving foreigners in tourist hotspots like Samui or Phi Phi which in some locations only have crap government hospitals rather than decent private ones. One or two foreigners was treated at these places rather than being sent off to a decent place like a private Phuket hospital, perhaps due to a reckless boat operator's fault, the foreigners involved were young and perhaps from a country like China where insurance is not that common yet and suddenly the hospitals involved are up in arms.

Despite the fact that Thai hospitals are touted as being quite good, this statement applies mostly to private hospitals NOT the government hospitals which many governments in their travel warnings about Thailand correctly point out can still be quite <deleted>. Private hospitals in Bangkok and major provincial cities are good but everyone pays - I've noticed many foreigners (except Americans) seem to have insurance and either get their insurance company to pay directly for larger claims or pay first then claim later for smaller ones. I generally find that locals still pay by themselves because their limited government insurance won't cover them at these places and they don't have a private policy offered by a company - many richer locals feel that they have the ability to pay anyway so they don't bother with purchasing additional insurance.

[Gsxrnz]

I have only the best things to say about Thai medical care. I have always had insurance, and have had fantastic, quality service whether it was for medical, dental or pharmaceutical care.

I also once accompanied a foreign guy who had been involved in a car accident to the hospital (I just happened to be there when it happened); no questions were asked about insurance etc. (he was in a pretty bad way) and when I visited him later it turned out he had no insurance, yet the hospital continued to care for him until his eventual discharge and return home, "promising" to pay his bills.

Yes, foreigners don't get free medical care in Thailand (nor should they!), yet unlike other countries (e.g. Japan) nor are they denied emergency medical care when they need it. I once travelled in the back of an ambulance in Japan watching a close farang friend die; we were refused by 4 hospitals because she did not have her medical insurance card on her; by the time we got to the 5th, she was dead. I found out later she did have full Japanese government medical insurance.

I think you would be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world a more compassionate and empathetic group of doctors and nurses than in Thailand. They are actually a very dedicated bunch, and don't discriminate based on race, sexual preference or insurance status. I'm pretty sure some doctors and nurses back in NZ could do with reviewing their Hippocratic Oath standing next to a Thai doctor.

Credit where it's due guys.

And yes, compulsory medical insurance. Easy enough; purchase an approved policy when you buy the ticket. In all reality, there are actually only 3 or 4 full travel insurers in the world, everything else is just a rebranding/repackaging of someone else's product. Very easy to sort out, and we are all a lot better of for it (not to mention the long suffering Thai doctors and nurses!).

I can only hope insurers also offer a "Being a <deleted> while pissed" insurance policy as well, although given what I have seen lately, they may well end up losing money on that.

Berg - Whilst I agree with your comments regarding the general standard and ethics of the Thai medical fraternity, do you really believe that the integrity of some NZ medical practitioners can be questioned? I'd like some clarity because I would rate the NZ medical system as one of the best in the world.

[JO1973]

I would like to see the amount spent per year on tourists without insurance. From the article it sounds as though hospitals are incurring huge loses due to this which I am willing to bet they're not. It sounds like a way to add an extra fee in the guise of a legitimate issue.

[HerbalEd]

It'll never happen. It would create chaos and do great damage to the tourist industry. They should simply charge a fee for medical services to foreign tourists. Seems fair to me.

[unanimosity]

For the life of me, I'm pretty sure that there are a bunch of people sitting in the

back rooms of the government house wrecking their brains how to gauge more

money out of the helpless tourists, and who would be the lucky minister/tycoon

mobster who will reap the mega millions out such scheme...

So, are they learning from the jet ski and tuk tuk operators, or vice versa?

[mancub]

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.

.

Indeed ,as with the UK , however possessing or the requirement to purchase medical insurance on arrival is not compulsory - which is actually what's being proposed here .

[Tomtomtom69]

what happened about changing which side cars drive was that just talk ,health insurance is good when you travel and in some counties to live in it is a must ,Uk have free health cover ,but is it worth having these days

The discussion about changing from left to right hand driving was an April Fool's Joke. There was never any serious discussion about it and in a country with very few foreign registered vehicles it will never happen as there's no need for it. The average Bangkokian will find they might spot a Lao or Malaysian registered car about 3-5 times a year - hardly much reason to consider changing the side of driving. Also, when was the last time a Lao or Malaysian truck entered Bangkok? Answer: never.

[chiang mai]

There's a conflict here between the needs of the large private hospitals in Thailand to charge exorbitant prices for treatment of farangs and Thai insurance companies needing to sell reasonably priced health insurance, one needs high prices and the other needs low prices (and I'm looking at this solely from the point of view of a long term resident expat, tourists can buy their holiday policies back home).

Secondly, I've always self insured and that means I choose my hospital and I pay cash, historcially I've used Bumrungrad and BPH etc, it's worked well for me for the past ten years and I'm not about to pay five or ten thousand a month to a Thai insurance company just so I can get treatment in a governement hospital, that seriously doesn't work and why would I!

Thirdly, I'm required to keep 800K in the bank just so I can get my visa every year, insurance as well, I don't think so!

[OzMick]

They may have to consider the practice of many private hospitals here of invalidating tourist's insurance to ensure more prompt payment.

[Anon999]

Sounds like nothing more than another money grab to me.

Here's a better idea.

"the country's state hospitals, which are required to provide foreigners with free medical service"

How about simply legislating that state hospitals NOT provide foreigners with free medical service. Why do they anyway?

Wouldn't that be a lot easier than setting up a whole new bureaucratic arm?

Many years ago had to have an ankle lanced as the result of a mozzy bite. The service wasn't free but very cheap. Is it only provided free by state hospitals?

[chiang mai]

Re Chiang Mai. Exists but not enforced, certainly not where I'm from.However, I must remember to translate my dodgy Chinese policy into Thai and pack it with me every couple of months just in case I'm fleeced by a grumpy official at the airport. Saves having to undergo a full medical for preexisting conditions while waiting in line at passport control.

Enforced, but you'd need to be a non-resident who's tried to get non-emergency hospital treatment in the UK to understand that, it used to be only casually enforced, now it's pretty rigidly enforced, trust me.

[Soutpeel]

Have none of the pro-insurance posters heard of the concept of self-insurance - those with sufficient funds willing to accept the risk?

ok but what are "sufficent funds" relative to the possible risk ?

I have sufficient liquid assets to pay for medical treatment, or to return to Oz, if necessary. I also get some coverage from using my card to purchase tickets.

ok and dont think I am trying to be smartar*e here..but which medical treatment ?....

I have know people who have also had "sufficient liquid assets" and went the "self-insurance" route and nearly bankrupted themselves when they founf themselves in a medical "situation" as regards returning to Ozzy of course this is an option, but what happens if you find yourself in a situation in Thailand which prevents you travelling normally and would require a medivac type situation ?...will the Aussie goverment pay for a medical evacuation and all that entails for you ?

[Anon999]

I would like to see the amount spent per year on tourists without insurance. From the article it sounds as though hospitals are incurring huge loses due to this which I am willing to bet they're not. It sounds like a way to add an extra fee in the guise of a legitimate issue.

High costs will be incurred if it is the result of a serious accident of illness, Dengue for example and IC is expensive. If the tourist doesn't possess insurance or the amount to pay the hospital what are the options?

[Confuscious]

I remember many years ago when I was doing Visa runs that on a Visa run to Cambodia I was required to buy a "Health Insurance" in order to get a stamp.

Just crossing the border in and back out in a few hours but nonetheless required to buy a Health Insurance which was about 500 Baht.

I guess the same thing could be introduced in Thailand to get an extra income for the government (to fund the billions of baht spending).

[BlackJack]

I had cover for my dear old dad - 72 years old

He fell in my condo

I took him to hospital in Convent Rd

as a precaution they swiped my AMEX card before doing anything

then they brought out the machine that goes ping and then did every test known to man

after 3 days in hospital it was determined by the doctors that my dad fell over in my condo

the bill was paid on my AMEX

I then made a claim with the said insurance co

THEY determined that the claim was rejected as it was a pre existing ailment!

I appealed and said how could a fall be a pre existing ailment?

No answer - no refund

Good luck with insurance companies!!!

[BudRight]

The headline is very misleading. It should have been 'Government boob makes absurd comment.'

[Robbie Dye]

As said by many abve this is totally unworkable. From what I remember all "Package Tours" from UK have a compulsory travel and health requirement, also many companies give annual policies, and quite honestly only a fool would travel anywhere without insurance.If uoir an over 75 tourist though that's a real problem!! There will be more ways round this than there are to get round a police road block.

[chiang mai]

I think calling people sponges is going a bit far but...

But what happens if you find yourself in a medical situation where you run out of money to pay for everything ?

I have sufficient funds to cater for any medical situation.