Public Health Ministry to ask Thai govt to collect entry fees from foreigners

[Soutpeel]

Anything to screw money out of farang.Just as with re entry permits it,s just a money making exercise

Thailand is hardly alone in the re-entry permit stakes, multiple countries do this to tourists. so not a case of farangs being "discriminated" against, but yes in some respects it is money making excercise, but pretty sure Thailand didnt invent this one...

[Soutpeel]

You prove otherwise, I am guessing you are uninsured

I would think saying someone being uneducated is a bit strong, but lacking in common sense certainly...

Personally for me...some one who moves to a foreign country and has no recourse to free or subsidised medical treatment and and doesnt take out medical insurance is behalving in a very irresponsible manner indeed...,

a good current example is the sad case in Phuket with the ex-British soldier who was in a motorcycle accident and had no insurance and now there is a appeal going on to raise 100k, cant remember whether US or sterling to get him home to the UK.

as sad as this case is, one hopes there is a lesson in this for people who live in a foreign country without medical insurance, I really hope they get something sorted out for guy and get him home.

[FarangTalk]

You can just picture them seething at the few million lost through taking care of tourists that have spent thousands to visit their country yet found themselves in the unenviable predicament of being unable to pay for their medical treatment.

They really hate even the thought of foreigners getting anything free out of Thailand at all and this is just another instance that highlights the deep resentment and xenophobia towards all non-Thais that is carefully nurtured and fostered within the Thai education system.

I reiterate the previous poster's statement that it is likely you would face arrest and imprisonment as a Westerner for unpaid bills, and there would be no escape for errant or late payers at all. I wonder then how this could be such a major problem. If it is on Phuket, then tax visitors to the island. Why must I suffer for some miscreant or someone else's incompetence? Why should I pay for this?

They really should get a grip of themselves and suck up the few million baht loss, if indeed the figure is correct. In the 2.2 trillion Baht mega-project budget scheme of things and with the thick stench of corruption that emanates from this country it is likely that this is just another stereotypical, greedy money grab and license to steal, not-so-cleverly disguised through a veil of xenophobia.

[cmsally]

If they feel that 500 Bt is enough to cover insurance of hapless tourists - then simply charge it as an admission/registration fee if they are admitted to hospital and of course only if they are uninsured.

This way the hospital that has to foot the cost of possible unpaid fees is getting the money. I would think it very unlikely you will find a tourist that doesn't have 500Bt to cough up in an emergency.

That would be fair enough.

Whereas the original is a blanket charge which they seem to have the idea of sharing out to whoever puts their hand out.

They want a logical approach then do the above - maybe make it more.

What they are looking to do is penalise everybody however expensive their insurance might be and bets on that the hospital would still be out of pocket at the end of it.

[Soutpeel]

Why must I suffer for some miscreant or someone else's incompetence? Why should I pay for this?

In that respect, your correct, that is why a THB 500 surcharge is such a bad idea, all the goverment should do in this instance is require people visiting and living in Thailand who are not PR or citizens to have adqeuate medical insurance prior to visiting or living here, if not you dont get in the door...the failing in this proposed scheme is that the goverment is faciltiating/providing the "insurance" they should stay out of it of this aspect of it.....but proposing this scheme somebody in goverment has obviously seen dollar signs and the possiblity of an "income stream" from it.

The only action needed from the goverment is to impose the requirement of medical insurance thats all, how someone gets insured is the problem of the indvidual.

[smedly]

You can just picture them seething at the few million lost through taking care of tourists that have spent thousands to visit their country yet found themselves in the unenviable predicament of being unable to pay for their medical treatment.

They really hate even the thought of foreigners getting anything free out of Thailand at all and this is just another instance that highlights the deep resentment and xenophobia towards all non-Thais that is carefully nurtured and fostered within the Thai education system.

I reiterate the previous poster's statement that it is likely you would face arrest and imprisonment as a Westerner for unpaid bills, and there would be no escape for errant or late payers at all. I wonder then how this could be such a major problem. If it is on Phuket, then tax visitors to the island. Why must I suffer for some miscreant or someone else's incompetence? Why should I pay for this?

They really should get a grip of themselves and suck up the few million baht loss, if indeed the figure is correct. In the 2.2 trillion Baht mega-project budget scheme of things and with the thick stench of corruption that emanates from this country it is likely that this is just another stereotypical, greedy money grab and license to steal, not-so-cleverly disguised through a veil of xenophobia.

great post and bang on the money (excuse the pun)

also consider that Thailands largest export business is tourism - they make many billions of baht every year and to complain about the odd million here and there is quite frankly ridiculous even if it were true - plus a considerable number of injured tourists here are at the hands of some incompetent Thai

Maybe what they should offer is an expat buy-in scheme to the public health service for a fee of say 500baht per month then issue them with a medical card that gives them access to the same level of care afforded to every Thai - basic but it is there and they can exclude the drug bill which could be paid as a chargeable excess - problem solved

[Riley'sLife]

I have a WP and Thai private health insurance and accident insurance. I have to pay too next time I come into the country?

INSANE IDEA!

Of course you wouldn't have to pay. Did you actually read the OP?

It refers to Tourists.

[me313]

They might just be collecting that money to pay for background checks in the ever-expanding world of surveillance which Thailand is privy to.

[Soutpeel]

Maybe what they should offer is an expat buy-in scheme to the public health service for a fee of say 500baht per month then issue them with a medical card that gives them access to the same level of care afforded to every Thai - basic but it is there and they can exclude the drug bill which could be paid as a chargeable excess - problem solved

But even this will open the system to abuse, as people may come to Thailand with known conditions, pay a couple of thousand baht and then book themselves into the hosptial and expect "expensive" treatment eg treatment for heart conditions etc

[mogy]

they've got to cover the cost of the rice scheme somehow

[monkeycountry]

Hahaha, sounds like the same reasoning used by phuket taxis when overcharging. "Yes, but we have to charge more to cover costs as gas etc. is more expensive in Phuket" gas on phuket must cost like 200 baht per liter then :-)

Health ministry version: We need 300 million to cover healthcare for foreigners, so we charge them 10 billion and split the remaining 9.7 billion with our good friends in PTP.

[empireboy]

Indonesia charges USD$25 to get in there! It's a rip off.
If the LOS must make up for their financial mis-management by biting the hand that feeds them, at least they could disguise it a little by adding it to the levy/tax when you buy your airline ticket.

[apetley]

Thailand earns about 2 trillion bht a year from tourism.

We are told it costs up 300 million per year to the Thai health service.

That is about 0.015% of tourism revenue.

[Fookhaht]

I thought the double-tiered pricing for all national parks and most tourist attractions already covered stuff like this!?

Sent from my tin can via string.

[Fookhaht]

If this comes about, I'm sure most foreign tourists will be quite impressed with the level of care at a typical government clinic or hospital! ;-)

Sent from my tin can via string.

[Rhys]

What Chalerm has not recovered.

[cewing]

Not to say that I support this concept, but to answer the question about what other countries require tourists to have health insurance, the Czech Republic is one of them. Check out http://www.czech.cz/en/Life-Work/How-things-work-here/Health-service/Foreigners%E2%80%99-Health-Insurance .

[wwest5829]

This is not world first.

Many country have such law.

Some even force you to exchange x dollars per day to their currency.

What countries are these "many"? No place I've visited. I'm not doubting you but which countries have such a tourist unfriendly law?

No doubt this is yet another hare brained idea that will die the death it deserves.

Don't know about many but for us to enter the Schengen Passport region, we were required to show proff of Medical Insurance before the Visa would be granted. And, for the Czech Republic, the Embassy supplies a list of approved companies.

[Soutpeel]

Indonesia charges USD$25 to get in there! It's a rip off.

But you do have choice, if you believe somewhere is a rip off to enter, you dont HAVE to go

[Thai at Heart]

having just signed up for cover[2,200bht] at certain goverment hospitals and with this being proposed almost the same time makes me very sceptic of the whole shebang.

as has been pointed out in the threads discussing the cover your talking about, the cover you have paid for was not intended for resident western farangs, but for regional migrants...ie people from Cambodia, Laos, Burma etc, so although at the moment hospitals are signing up farangs, in review at some point the goverment may do a U turn on this, as you cover is not honoured.

In the posts discussing this 3 line items/schemes were listed.

1. A regional migrant scheme (the one you signed up for)

2 Tourist's/short term visitors scheme

3. Resident foreigners scheme

It seems the 1st scheme is being put in place

the tourist scheme could in fact be exactly what is being discussed here ie the THB 500 "fee"

One suspects the THB 500 fee being discussed here based on the number of tourist could easily subsidise the other two schemes

Well yes, and they in their own stupidity wrote the rule in their ignorance and of course, it's hard to write a law that differentiates between Asian foreigners and farangs.

Diddums to them. If a Burmese labourer can get treatment by entering for a nominal fee every year, why can't a retired foreigner contributing hundreds times more economically to Thailand?

Ah but of course, farangs are just there to be exploited and not catered for.

[oldthaihand99]

So the next mega subsidy goes to complaining hotel owners.

IME Thai hotels do not require payment upfront & they say that they experience some foreigners who leave without paying.

OTOH what i've seen of hotels in Singapore & Hong Kong is they require payment up front.

Some of the proposed new entry fees to Thailand for tourists could go to recompense hotels for monies lost due to foreigners who've ripped them off over the years & decades.

If it costs the Thai medical system 300 million baht a year for paying foreigner medical bills, that is how much over the last 5 decades, adjusted for inflation? Something like 100 billion baht?

[Soutpeel]

having just signed up for cover[2,200bht] at certain goverment hospitals and with this being proposed almost the same time makes me very sceptic of the whole shebang.

as has been pointed out in the threads discussing the cover your talking about, the cover you have paid for was not intended for resident western farangs, but for regional migrants...ie people from Cambodia, Laos, Burma etc, so although at the moment hospitals are signing up farangs, in review at some point the goverment may do a U turn on this, as you cover is not honoured.

In the posts discussing this 3 line items/schemes were listed.

1. A regional migrant scheme (the one you signed up for)

2 Tourist's/short term visitors scheme

3. Resident foreigners scheme

It seems the 1st scheme is being put in place

the tourist scheme could in fact be exactly what is being discussed here ie the THB 500 "fee"

One suspects the THB 500 fee being discussed here based on the number of tourist could easily subsidise the other two schemes

Well yes, and they in their own stupidity wrote the rule in their ignorance and of course, it's hard to write a law that differentiates between Asian foreigners and farangs.

Diddums to them. If a Burmese labourer can get treatment by entering for a nominal fee every year, why can't a retired foreigner contributing hundreds times more economically to Thailand?

Ah but of course, farangs are just there to be exploited and not catered for.

If there is a clarification issued on the the new system, all they would need to do is say this scheme is applicable to Asean nationals or even list the regional countries it applies to, its would be no different to some of the laws issued in the EU, ie you can do this "this" if your an EU passport holder....so written this way its not discriminating against Asian foreigners and farangs

I guess the rational applied to the Burmese labourer vs farang thing, is that typically a burmese labourer hasnt got sh*t, and is cheap labour while typically the farang who has moved to Thailand has money

Of course in this instance a farang can ensure they are not exploited by the Thai goverment, by simply getting their own medical insurance

But curious to understand why you think farangs should be catered for in a subsidised scheme ?....The average farang has made a decision to move to Thailand, bought plane tickets, maybe bought a condo, even a vehicle etc but yet they neglect to arrange suitable medical insurance in a country in which they have no recourse to free/subsidised medical care by virture of the fact they not PR or citizens of that country.

To me it makes complete sense that in some point in your life one may need very expensive medical treatment, either due to illness or accident, so why wouldnt one be prepared for this if you cant be treated for "free" ie the NHS or similar.

As I have stated previously my position on this is very simple, instead of getting involved in the "nuts & bolts" of this Thai goverment should just issue the instruction that all foreigners in Thailand require medical insurance, how one gets its and the coverage is up to the individual

[oldthaihand99]

I will ad that perhaps some of that money will line the pockets of corrupt politicians, as in every country, however, it still is a great option for any tourist. I would prefer to pay 500 baht upon arrival for full health cover rather than 100-500k should I have an accident on a motor cycle or have a heart attack. This is a positive solution to an ongoing problem and I think most educated people would agree on this

Most educated people agree this is nothing but a rip-off scam to reap more money.

Most educated people would have health insurance

"Half of British holidaymakers have no travel insurance

"13 million holidaymakers have no travel insurance, and 8.8m have no intention of buying it, says new research from the Money Advice Service."

http://www.privatehealth.co.uk/news/august-2012/holidaymakers-with-no-travel-insurance-37470/

Edited October 20, 2013 by oldthaihand99

[Soutpeel]

So the next mega subsidy goes to complaining hotel owners.

IME Thai hotels do not require payment upfront & they say that they experience some foreigners who leave without paying.

OTOH what i've seen of hotels in Singapore & Hong Kong is they require payment up front.

Really, I stay in many hotels in both Thailand and Singapore many times a year and can assure you they all "charge you" up front, by virture of blocking XXXX amount on your CC

[meatboy]

having just signed up for cover[2,200bht] at certain goverment hospitals and with this being proposed almost the same time makes me very sceptic of the whole shebang.

as has been pointed out in the threads discussing the cover your talking about, the cover you have paid for was not intended for resident western farangs, but for regional migrants...ie people from Cambodia, Laos, Burma etc, so although at the moment hospitals are signing up farangs, in review at some point the goverment may do a U turn on this, as you cover is not honoured.

In the posts discussing this 3 line items/schemes were listed.

1. A regional migrant scheme (the one you signed up for)

2 Tourist's/short term visitors scheme

3. Resident foreigners scheme

It seems the 1st scheme is being put in place

the tourist scheme could in fact be exactly what is being discussed here ie the THB 500 "fee"

One suspects the THB 500 fee being discussed here based on the number of tourist could easily subsidise the other two schemes

Well yes, and they in their own stupidity wrote the rule in their ignorance and of course, it's hard to write a law that differentiates between Asian foreigners and farangs.

Diddums to them. If a Burmese labourer can get treatment by entering for a nominal fee every year, why can't a retired foreigner contributing hundreds times more economically to Thailand?

Ah but of course, farangs are just there to be exploited and not catered for.

If there is a clarification issued on the the new system, all they would need to do is say this scheme is applicable to Asean nationals or even list the regional countries it applies to, its would be no different to some of the laws issued in the EU, ie you can do this "this" if your an EU passport holder....so written this way its not discriminating against Asian foreigners and farangs

I guess the rational applied to the Burmese labourer vs farang thing, is that typically a burmese labourer hasnt got sh*t, and is cheap labour while typically the farang who has moved to Thailand has money

Of course in this instance a farang can ensure they are not exploited by the Thai goverment, by simply getting their own medical insurance

But curious to understand why you think farangs should be catered for in a subsidised scheme ?....The average farang has made a decision to move to Thailand, bought plane tickets, maybe bought a condo, even a vehicle etc but yet they neglect to arrange suitable medical insurance in a country in which they have no recourse to free/subsidised medical care by virture of the fact they not PR or citizens of that country.

To me it makes complete sense that in some point in your life one may need very expensive medical treatment, either due to illness or accident, so why wouldnt one be prepared for this if you cant be treated for "free" ie the NHS or similar.

As I have stated previously my position on this is very simple, instead of getting involved in the "nuts & bolts" of this Thai goverment should just issue the instruction that all foreigners in Thailand require medical insurance, how one gets its and the coverage is up to the individual

medical insurance anywhere depends on age,previous history,and if they think you are a risk ins.yes at a price.

as for accident i have first class vehicle ins.not just por-raw-bor.which most thais have.this is costing thailand big time.

as for the "nuts and bolts" the nuts need to be screwed on properly.

for me i would rather it be pay as you go.

[oldthaihand99]

The money they are talking about charging pails into insignificance when you consider plans in the UK to charge a £3000 bond to visa applicants from 'high risk country's'

here is a link to an article.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/india-pakistan-nigeria-the-high-risk-countries-whose-visitors-to-uk-face-paying-3000-security-bond-to-make-sure-they-return-home-8670217.html

Singapore is already doing this. Security deposit of 1000 to 3000 SG$ required.

That's in addition to visa fees that must be paid.

[oldthaihand99]

So the next mega subsidy goes to complaining hotel owners.

IME Thai hotels do not require payment upfront & they say that they experience some foreigners who leave without paying.

OTOH what i've seen of hotels in Singapore & Hong Kong is they require payment up front.

Really, I stay in many hotels in both Thailand and Singapore many times a year and can assure you they all "charge you" up front, by virture of blocking XXXX amount on your CC

You could switch to those in Bangkok that don't charge upfront & never see your CC until you check out, if they see it at all. Then sneak out the back door without paying, like many foreign tourists to LOS do.

[oldthaihand99]

Daniel5 said:

Not one country charges a fee to arriving tourists for health care.

Thailand will become the only one in the world if Yingluck's Health Minister gets his way.

------------

Then what do Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc, etc, etc, charge arrival fees for, if you know so much?

[Soutpeel]

Daniel5 said:

Not one country charges a fee to arriving tourists for health care.

Thailand will become the only one in the world if Yingluck's Health Minister gets his way.

------------

Then what do Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc, etc, etc, charge arrival fees for, if you know so much?

pretty sure the arrival fees do not entitle you to free or subsidised medical care

[oldthaihand99]

Daniel5 said:

Not one country charges a fee to arriving tourists for health care.

Thailand will become the only one in the world if Yingluck's Health Minister gets his way.

------------

Then what do Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, etc, etc, etc, charge arrival fees for, if you know so much?

pretty sure the arrival fees do not entitle you to free or subsidised medical care

The proposed new fees to enter Siam do not buy one "medical care". Rather they are allegedly for the purpose of covering the 300 million B a year costs for foreigners who cannot or otherwise do not pay. And other expenses.

Don't like it? Don't cum. You think those other 3 countries offer better medical care?

I expect LOS will continue to recieve upwards of 20 million visitors a year, regardless. Other issues, whether political, natural, or scams & violence, did not hinder the ever increasing & record reported numbers of visitors to the Kingdom in the last decade.

Edited October 20, 2013 by oldthaihand99