Affordable health insurance.

[Mike45]

This is good news but I already have a card at the hospital in Chiang Rai due to my Residence Permit. I am not sure if I have to pay the 2200 and take an exam as I have been examined there before. When someone completes their application and pays the 2200 Baht and gets a gold card please inform us.

If you are a permanent you will have your own blue tambein baan which entitles you to free (bt30) health care. Gold cards are no longer isssued. Thais just produce thier ID's now

I can't be bothered to find the original reference again but last year it was stated by the Ministry responsible that you need to present a Thai ID card to get treatment. Big full stop. No doubt many people are still getting away with it, especially out in the sticks where you won't see one Farang in a waiting room of hundreds (yes, hundreds, one reason why I am not interested anyway). In our local hospital you can get a private room for ฿600.- a night. Anyway, I hope I am not off limits when I give a link to another site, very interesting stuff.

http://udon-news.com/en/law/health-insurance-for-foreigners 

That's a very useful link. It appears to also have links to the Udon Thani hospital application and information brochure explaining it all.

"Since mid-August, foreigners who live in Udon Thani Muang district have the opportunity to join the Thai national health insurance scheme. The decisive criterion is fixed residence, which must be demonstrated by the production of a yellow house book.

On applying for the insurance you will be subjected to a comprehensive health check at Udon Hospital next to Nongprajak Park. The entire procedure for application works as follows:

Take with you your yellow house book, passport, and if applicable, marriage certificate and identification documents of your spouse. If you can read, write and speak Thai well, then you can make the application process alone. If not, you will need to take a Thai speaker to help.

1. At the main entrance of the hospital ask where to find the room to apply for insurance. To describe the way here would be too difficult!

2. Once there, express your desire to join the insurance scheme.

3. You will be given a registration form, which is predominantly filled in in Thai. Also your photo and fingerprints will be taken. Once you have completed the form, you get a docket where the various stations are listed that you work through.

4. At the first station you now pay 2,800 baht, 2,200 for one year's insurance and 600 for your medical check. For children up to 7 years old the insurance costs 365 baht and no health check is required.

5. At the next station, your blood pressure is measured and you will be asked about any medical conditions and allergies. In addition, your weight and height are recorded.

6. At the next station you give blood and urine samples for further investigation.

7. At the next station, the upper body is X-rayed, the images to be collected 30 minutes later at the same station.

8. Take the X-rays back to the station where your blood pressure was measured.

9. There you wait as all the results of the various tests are collated, and then you will meet a doctor to discuss any issues.

10. Lastly you return to the desk where you originally made your application to receive your insurance card.

If any health problems were identified in the investigation, you may get an appointment for the next day for further clarification or appropriate medication. In our case today antihypertensive medicine was prescribed, and, in another case, an appointment was made with a specialist at the hospital for the next day. In any case, you get the insurance card. Exclusion criteria are the presence of prohibited toxic substances (drugs) in the blood and / or urine, alcoholism, syphilis infection and tuberculosis. If you turn up with any amount of alcohol in your blood, you will probably be rejected. People with diabetes, HIV, heart disease, etc. will still be admitted to the scheme. The whole process takes up to a day (7 hours), so you should take a book or something else to pass the time.

The policy covers the cost of all medical treatments and prescribed medication in Udonthani Hospital, including cancer and HIV therapy! The cost to stay in the hospital in a ward is charged 350 baht per day (excluding food). For 700 baht per day you can stay in a private room, and for 1,500 baht per day you can have a VIP room. The insurance is valid for one year. For the renewal the same health check is required.

The insurance should be valid and available in all Thai provinces, and the fee will be the same. We expressly point out that we can only report on experiences from Udon Thani, where applicants could ensure success. We'd be happy to hear reports from other provinces, in the comments section below.

In this information booklet the insurance conditions are listed (in Thai). The second page is the miniserial decree about the new scheme.

Click here for the application form."

[Firefan]

Very interesting. I would like to get as a back up to my international health insurance. I live in Sathorn, Bangkok - how do I figure out which is my local, public hospital?

I do not like the idea of having to do the same health check every year at (or for?) renewal. Annual full upper body x-rays for no reason is more radiation than I would like to be exposed to. Also makes me wonder whether one will then NOT be renewed if for instance they find tuberculosis have taken hold?

If anybody would bother to translate the above linked brochure http://udon-news.com/sites/default/files/files/05-recht/Health%20Card%20For%20Foreigner.pdf losely that would be a great service here! Also some help with translating the non English parts of the application form would be appreciated: http://udon-news.com/sites/default/files/files/05-recht/antrag-krankenversicherung.pdf

I a guessing that both the brochure and the application form is a generic form for all provinces. Cheers!

[gamini]

The cover

Over the years, here and there a few foreigners have mistakenly been issued UC cards by local hospitals. It gets caught out if and when they need to be referred to a higher level of care.

You are wrong. As a permanent resident (Iam one) you get your own Blue Tambien Baan, (you do not get put in one), You takie your tambien baan to the hospital in the area you live and register there for free (30bt) healthcare. But as you wrote in a post here it is not that useful. I have to take 9 different .medications for Diabetes, Heart failure, COPD but only one of these medications are approved by the scheme. And the pills cost less than Bt1 each, I have to pay all the others myself, I save a few baht on tests and doctors fees. I sometimes wait 4 hours to see a doctor and the hospital is an hours drive away. If you are lucky to live near a first class government hopital you may have to wait two months to get an appointment.So to all thoese who have shown interest in this new possible Bt2200 scheme I would not get too excited about. There are a lot of good small clinics in Thailand that charge very little, whixh may be a good alternative

That was my girlfriend's experience when she went to Banglamung Hospital last month.

I'm thinking about going down the self-insure route next year due to some pre-existing conditions which aren't covered. I may take out accident insurance though. The policy may mentioned by the OP may be worth considering.

Alan

Sorry but this is just not correct. Being in a tabien ban has nothing to do with eligibility. Hospitals that have till now registered foreigners (permanent residents or otherwise -- PR status does not confer this benefit) for UC based on tabien baan have been in error in doing so. There have been several threads on this in the past. Since you do not believe me, I suggest you call the NHSO. http://www.nhso.go.th/eng/

Now the scheme described by the OP is something new and different, and if it is indeed in place then there is now a pathway to getting this cover, but not for free (though at a very reasonable cost). Free coverage is limited to Thai nationals.

You are not correct but probably don't understand about the blue tambien baan. A PR does not get "put" in someone elses tambien baan they have thier own. Every time I move I get a new one. You are right in one respect in that you can't get healthcare if you are put in a tambien baan you have to own one. Yes I have checked NHSO but most of gthe people who work there don't really understand about PR rights and simpy give the wrong inforrmation

[gamini]

The cover

Over the years, here and there a few foreigners have mistakenly been issued UC cards by local hospitals. It gets caught out if and when they need to be referred to a higher level of care.

You are wrong. As a permanent resident (Iam one) you get your own Blue Tambien Baan, (you do not get put in one), You takie your tambien baan to the hospital in the area you live and register there for free (30bt) healthcare. But as you wrote in a post here it is not that useful. I have to take 9 different .medications for Diabetes, Heart failure, COPD but only one of these medications are approved by the scheme. And the pills cost less than Bt1 each, I have to pay all the others myself, I save a few baht on tests and doctors fees. I sometimes wait 4 hours to see a doctor and the hospital is an hours drive away. If you are lucky to live near a first class government hopital you may have to wait two months to get an appointment.So to all thoese who have shown interest in this new possible Bt2200 scheme I would not get too excited about. There are a lot of good small clinics in Thailand that charge very little, whixh may be a good alternative

That was my girlfriend's experience when she went to Banglamung Hospital last month.

I'm thinking about going down the self-insure route next year due to some pre-existing conditions which aren't covered. I may take out accident insurance though. The policy may mentioned by the OP may be worth considering.

Alan

Sorry but this is just not correct. Being in a tabien ban has nothing to do with eligibility. Hospitals that have till now registered foreigners (permanent residents or otherwise -- PR status does not confer this benefit) for UC based on tabien baan have been in error in doing so. There have been several threads on this in the past. Since you do not believe me, I suggest you call the NHSO. http://www.nhso.go.th/eng/

Now the scheme described by the OP is something new and different, and if it is indeed in place then there is now a pathway to getting this cover, but not for free (though at a very reasonable cost). Free coverage is limited to Thai nationals.

You are not correct but probably don't understand about the blue tambien baan. A PR does not get "put" in someone elses tambien baan they have thier own. Every time I move I get a new one. You are right in one respect in that you can't get healthcare if you are put in a tambien baan you have to own one. Yes I have checked NHSO but most of gthe people who work there don't really understand about PR rights and simpy give the wrong inforrmation

[Sheryl]

I do understand about a tabian baan. Actually, a person with PR can either have their "own" one (i.e. be the head of HH) or be in someone else's.

And I am certain that, by law and policy, PR does not entitle one to free UC.

There are so few people with PR that hospitals don't know what to do when confronted with it, but they are in error. Some hospitals have erroneously given a UC registration to foreigners without PR as well, ditto.

[Jingthing]

So this is for permanent residents only officially? I'm finding this thread very confusing. Nobody seems to have posted any official rules on what status is actually needed to be eligible for this program.

[harrry]

It seems a yellow book is required though that is not confirmed. Of course you could always ask your local hospital. The Permanant resident bit is a sidetrack from a poster who considers (probably wrongly) that he is covered by the old thai scheme.

[i claudius]

I am registered with the navy hospital at Satahip ,it was not a problem ,today i went to the new govt hospital at Soi Burkhow in Pattaya ,very nice very modern ,i asked the young lady there about a flu jab and that i had heard foregners could get insurance there ,as of yet nothing is in place ,except for minor things ,my wife and her had a long conversation and at the end of it , she had basically been told the same thing ,however i did fill in a registration form(there are no id cards) and was told if i need to come there for anything just show my drivers licence as i am now in the system but it does seem as it will be some time before it is up and running properly . hope this is of any ise.

[ricklev]

I hope my work permit will substitute for the Tabien Ban!

I will check it out at Chula hospital in Bangkok on Thursday and report back.

[citizen33]

Unfortunately we get a lot of misinformation about public healthcare coverage on Thai Visa..

Sheryl is perfectly correct when she says that neither a house registration document nor PR status make one eligible for the universal coverage scheme. The National Health Security Act 2002 limits eligibility for the UCS to Thai citizens.

The only real changes that have occurred recently are (a) provision of free health care for stateless persons within Thailand (intended mainly to cover certain ethnic minority groups) and (b ) a new scheme for migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which is linked to a recent initiative on cross border health care.

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/IOM-Migrant_Info_Note_No_21-ocr-en.pdf

http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Thailand-allows-migrant-workers-accessing-health-services/20139/39293.vnplus

I work in this field and get my information from people at a senior level. Lower level hospital administrators sometimes give out incorrect information. If a mistake occurs and you manage to get registered under the migrant worker healthcare scheme, do not be surprised if you are denied care when the error is discovered.

[harrry]

Unfortunately we get a lot of misinformation about public healthcare coverage on Thai Visa..

Sheryl is perfectly correct when she says that neither a house registration document nor PR status make one eligible for the universal coverage scheme. The National Health Security Act 2002 limits eligibility for the UCS to Thai citizens.

The only real changes that have occurred recently are (a) provision of free health care for stateless persons within Thailand (intended mainly to cover certain ethnic minority groups) and (b ) a new scheme for migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which is linked to a recent initiative on cross border health care.

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/IOM-Migrant_Info_Note_No_21-ocr-en.pdf

http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Thailand-allows-migrant-workers-accessing-health-services/20139/39293.vnplus

I work in this field and get my information from people at a senior level. Lower level hospital administrators sometimes give out incorrect information. If a mistake occurs and you manage to get registered under the migrant worker healthcare scheme, do not be surprised if you are denied care when the error is discovered.

http://udon-news.com/sites/default/files/files/05-recht/Health%20Card%20For%20Foreigner.pdf

The second part of this is from the Health ministry.

Have you read it?

[marioc]

Unfortunately we get a lot of misinformation about public healthcare coverage on Thai Visa..

Sheryl is perfectly correct when she says that neither a house registration document nor PR status make one eligible for the universal coverage scheme. The National Health Security Act 2002 limits eligibility for the UCS to Thai citizens.

The only real changes that have occurred recently are (a) provision of free health care for stateless persons within Thailand (intended mainly to cover certain ethnic minority groups) and (b ) a new scheme for migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which is linked to a recent initiative on cross border health care.

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/IOM-Migrant_Info_Note_No_21-ocr-en.pdf

http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Thailand-allows-migrant-workers-accessing-health-services/20139/39293.vnplus

I work in this field and get my information from people at a senior level. Lower level hospital administrators sometimes give out incorrect information. If a mistake occurs and you manage to get registered under the migrant worker healthcare scheme, do not be surprised if you are denied care when the error is discovered.

Thank you Citizen.... I clearly understand what you mean.

[Firefan]

Ricklev; let us know how it goes!

Citizen; yes those numbers (Baht 600 for health check, Baht 2200 for insurance) mentioned in your articles, match the above information exactly. It clearly mentions the NEIGHBORING countries by names - so hard to see how foreigners from EU, USA Etc. would fall under that category!

Will be interesting to see how it develops! Cheers!

[citizen33]

Harry,

The notice from the MoPH that you attached refers to the Cabinet Resolution of January 15 and the MoPH statement of 22 March 2013, and summarises the payments due depending on whether persons are eligible for the Social Security Scheme (bpragan sangkhom) or not. It uses the term 'con dtaang daao' (คนต่างด้าว) to refer to migrants, although this phrase is perhaps translatable as foreigner.

In any case you will see that these are the same statements mentioned in the pdf file on the link that I posted, where their content is described in more detail. Trust me if I tell you that this is part of Dr Pradit's grand plan to overhaul cross boundary healthcare in advance of the coming of the AEC and is not intended to help westerners.

Unfortunately we get a lot of misinformation about public healthcare coverage on Thai Visa..

Sheryl is perfectly correct when she says that neither a house registration document nor PR status make one eligible for the universal coverage scheme. The National Health Security Act 2002 limits eligibility for the UCS to Thai citizens.

The only real changes that have occurred recently are (a) provision of free health care for stateless persons within Thailand (intended mainly to cover certain ethnic minority groups) and (b ) a new scheme for migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which is linked to a recent initiative on cross border health care.

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/IOM-Migrant_Info_Note_No_21-ocr-en.pdf

http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Thailand-allows-migrant-workers-accessing-health-services/20139/39293.vnplus

I work in this field and get my information from people at a senior level. Lower level hospital administrators sometimes give out incorrect information. If a mistake occurs and you manage to get registered under the migrant worker healthcare scheme, do not be surprised if you are denied care when the error is discovered.

http://udon-news.com/sites/default/files/files/05-recht/Health%20Card%20For%20Foreigner.pdf

The second part of this is from the Health ministry.

Have you read it?

[oldsailor35]

Last year i went to Naton Koh Samui public hospital with bad chest infection. Saw 2 doctors had xrays and was given medicine & antibotics all cost me less than Bht 1000. No fancy card or form filling was required !

[sinbin]

Three years ago I had to go to the local Satuek Hospital with a serious injury caused by a power tool.

My sister-in-law was a senior nurse at the hospital and had me registered there. I subsequently received a health card.

Each time I have needed to visit the hospital I show the card and get service at the rate of a Thai national.

As everywhere, it is not what you know it is who you know! My number is 019-66-47.

I find the number you publish to be incorrect. Thais have 13 digit numbers on their cards. Even though I am a farang I have a Thai gold card and it also has 13 digits on it, the same number is in your Yellow Book. For a Thai, as per their Blue book. Your number is 7 digits? And therefore won't register on their computers.

[Sheryl]

I think what he refers to is a hospital registration card.

As he also mentions paying a "rate", I suspect he is just paying out of pocket at a governement hospital in which case foreigners and self-pay Thais do usually pay the same, although some govt hospitals in locations with high number of farang have begun to have two tier pricing.

[Firefan]

Yes - we can all get free hospital registration cards for both fancy private and public hospitals - but that is just to keep track of your details and history, and got nothing to do with any insurance cover.

As we can see in this thread - since public hospitals generally are cheap - a lot of foreigners believe that they have some kind of insurance from handing over the hospital registration card or their tabien bahn, "I only paid 1000 Baht" Etc. but in reality they simply paid the going rate at that hospital.

This new paid program would have some free treatments (for approved meds/treatments - and not including the room) but as Citizen has pointed out; it is surely intended for immigrants from neighboring countries, so even for those foreigners that DO get this insurance - there is the risk that one day, when they need it the most, they will be told "Mai Dai"/can not at the hospital when they show the card.

Still worth exploring further - so look forward to others experiences. Cheers!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

As he also mentions paying a "rate", I suspect he is just paying out of pocket at a governement hospital in which case foreigners and self-pay Thais do usually pay the same, although some govt hospitals in locations with high number of farang have begun to have two tier pricing.

I was visiting Ramathibodi Hospital (a major government hospital in BKK) a few months back when my Thai wife went there to see a doctor.

From what I gathered at the time, they had two entirely different inpatient room rates for paying customer Thais vs farangs.

Likewise, they also seemed to have different outpatient rates, with the morning and midday hours devoted to UC and government insurance patients, and then afternoon-evening clinics devoted to paying/appointment patients at higher rates.

For the inpatient rates, the standard, single patient room was quoted as 6000 baht per night for farangs, not including nursing or meals. The comparable room for Thais was quoted as 5000 baht per night, including meals but not including nursing. The similar rates for a single person Deluxe room were quoted as 8000 baht per night for farangs vs. 6000 baht for Thais.

[Sheryl]

I was visiting Ramathibodi Hospital (a major government hospital in BKK) a few months back when my Thai wife went there to see a doctor.

From what I gathered at the time, they had two entirely different inpatient room rates for paying customer Thais vs farangs.

Likewise, they also seemed to have different outpatient rates, with the morning and midday hours devoted to UC patients, and then afternoon-evening clinics devoted to paying/appointment patients.

For the inpatient rates, the standard, single patient room was quoted as 6000 baht per night for farangs, not including nursing or meals. The comparable room for Thais was quoted as 5000 baht per night, including meals but not including nursing. The similar rates for a single person Deluxe room were quoted as 8000 baht per night for farangs vs. 6000 baht for Thais.

The different outpatient rates I think pertains to a semi-private arrangement, similiar to what they have in Chula. Those who can afford to pay and don't want to wait with the masses can see docs on a quasi-private basis in after hours clinic.

[ricklev]

Unfortunately we get a lot of misinformation about public healthcare coverage on Thai Visa..

Sheryl is perfectly correct when she says that neither a house registration document nor PR status make one eligible for the universal coverage scheme. The National Health Security Act 2002 limits eligibility for the UCS to Thai citizens.

The only real changes that have occurred recently are (a) provision of free health care for stateless persons within Thailand (intended mainly to cover certain ethnic minority groups) and (b ) a new scheme for migrant workers from Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, which is linked to a recent initiative on cross border health care.

http://www.burmalibrary.org/docs16/IOM-Migrant_Info_Note_No_21-ocr-en.pdf

http://en.vietnamplus.vn/Home/Thailand-allows-migrant-workers-accessing-health-services/20139/39293.vnplus

I work in this field and get my information from people at a senior level. Lower level hospital administrators sometimes give out incorrect information. If a mistake occurs and you manage to get registered under the migrant worker healthcare scheme, do not be surprised if you are denied care when the error is discovered.

That sounds pretty definitive! Seems unlikely that you are wrong, but I haven't given up hope.

My private insurance won't cover lengthy cancer treatments and long term care. It would be back to the USA for medicare and/or Obamacare if the worst should happen.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Yes, re the outpatient visits, that is what they're doing at Ramathibodi with after hours outpatient clinics.

I couldn't get a sense at that time regarding the after hours clinic setting, whether they had differential outpatiwent rates for Thais vs. farangs.

However, re inpatients stays, for paying patients, it was very clear they had a set of higher rates for farang patients vs. Thais.

[casicook]

....

This new paid program would have some free treatments (for approved meds/treatments - and not including the room) but as Citizen has pointed out; it is surely intended for immigrants from neighboring countries, so even for those foreigners that DO get this insurance - there is the risk that one day, when they need it the most, they will be told "Mai Dai"/can not at the hospital when they show the card.

Still worth exploring further - so look forward to others experiences. Cheers!

Has anybody read the text on the advertising banner about the health scheme? Link On the first picture in the article it says: "General Foreigners - A Health Card for uninsured foreigners is available ..... In accordance with the policy of the Ministry of Public Health effective from 13th Augsut 2013"

To me that doesn't sound like that they designed this only for citizens of the ASEAN community!

[harrry]

Actually there is a much longer publication from the IOM which was aparently part of the input for this plan. About 75% through there is a comment that everyone living in the community contributes by buying things and contributing to the economy so it is reasonable that they be covered. It seems quite possible that although the plan was to solve an immediate problem wit h families of migrant workerswas to cover a wider base than the original problem set. This is indicated in part by the use of the word for foregner in the letters when more restrictictive wording is used for other parts of the Departmental letter and by statements made by the PM that it was a plan to cover everyone in the country. (This is not confirmed but quoted to me from thais seeing her on tv.)

It is not cheating to enroll in it. If at some further stage they decide it is to be discontinued so be it.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

It certainly appears that this particular hospital in Udon is following that all foreigners route in terms of potential coverage.

The question is, as often occurs here, are they doing it on their own based on their own local/peculiar interpretation of Thai government policy, or has there in fact been some kind of broader Thai government policy put into effect without any public announcement of it as yet.

The same kind of thing often happens with Immigration policy. There is national policy and it's generally followed by BKK Immigration. But once you get up country, different offices sometimes have their own unique and different rules and policies/procedures. And those variations seem to continue over time instead of getting brought into line with national policy.

The inclusion of government health coverage for migrant workers from neighboring countries has been publicly announced. The talk of potentially requiring foreign tourists to obtain health insurance has been batted around lately. But AFAIK, there's been zero public discussion by the Thai government of extending Thai national health insurance to all resident farangs who might be willing to pay for it.

[casicook]

...

It is not cheating to enroll in it. If at some further stage they decide it is to be discontinued so be it.

This in fact applies to all laws which regulate the stay and life of foreigners in Thailand! We can only be happy of what we have because we don't know what might come up next!

I've just come across this: Link which I was told is the decree for this scheme. Maybe someone might be able to read and understand it.

[harrry]

It is worth noting this scheme is cost neutral to the Government. They fund the hospitals for the gold card scheme just over 2000baht a year for everyone in the district. This scheme pays the hospital the same. THere seems to be a charge of 350 a day for hospital in a ward which is not paid by thais. It is possible the costs for foreigners may be slightly higer than the average due to the fact that many are older than the average but this may be offset by people who use the scheme only as a fallback.

I currently do most of my hospital visits or emergency calls to a private hospital and will probably continue to do so though I have allways used the hospital for my regular medicine as they are the only ones with stock and the price I pay is comparable with outside pharmacies. I will probably be able to get about 10% of these medicines free under the new scheme if I want to.

[Sheryl]

I believe Citizen33 knows what he is talking about when it comes to the UC in Thailand. It sounds like perhaps Udon Hospital has either interpreted the decree concerning migrant workers as applicable to all foreigners or perhaps intentionally decided to interpret it that way.

Anyhow, it does sound like Udon prov. hospital is offering this now. To date no reports that anywhere else is and no indication it is national policy.

If anyone can provide a translation of the decree (see link in post #86) , would be much obliged.

[citizen33]

Policies do sometimes evolve in unexpected ways and may be implemented in different ways in different local areas. I talked to some senior people about cross border health issues in August and based my comments on what I was told then, but I will check with a contact in NHSO as to whether anything has changed.

I'm afraid my Thai is too poor to be able to do a full translation of the announcement (post #86) without taking more time than I have available. The same MoPH notice of August 13th signed by Dr Pradit (Minister of Public Health) is attached to the front as was contained in the Ubon pdf. The text that follows tells prospective members of the scheme what documents etc. they need to sign up, lists the prices that will apply for those who are or are not also eligible to join the Social Security Scheme (it offers a 3 month coverage option for those who will eventually get SSS coverage),.mentions the details of the physical examination and the conditions that preclude entry, and then lists the conditions/treatments that are covered. The document does not mention any target nationalities and uses the general phrase 'con dtaang daao' to describe the foreigners/migrants who can join - so it is ambiguous. There is a bit at the end about procedures when an employee changes employer.

[casicook]

I've have found this about government efforts from March:

... On health care measures for foreigners in preparation for the AEC, the ministry will target three groups of foreign nationals: people from countries sharing borders with Thailand who seek medical treatment here; foreign (migrant) workers and expatriates and their families who are not under the social security system; and foreigners who require a visa to enter Thailand. ...

Link