Would a 500 Baht emergency-coverage fee scare off foreign tourists?

[takkatan in the land]

to all those who tried to turn out one more tax into a total coverage insurance and still thinking than paying this 500 baht fee will allow them to go to get a treatment for some than don't be an emergency...... I hate giving bad news but is better sooner than later IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, NOT IN THAILAND sorry

[Friendly Stranger]

First time poster.

Seems to me they're rehashing the same story, wasn't this reported a month back?

IMO, no it wouldn't, as $20+ or so will not deter someone from changing their holiday plans.

FS

[MJP]

First time poster.

Seems to me they're rehashing the same story, wasn't this reported a month back?

IMO, no it wouldn't, as $20+ or so will not deter someone from changing their holiday plans.

FS

Precisely, it's a tenner*.

(*Tenner meaning Ten Pounds Sterling).

I was going to Vietnam on a photoshootie excursion until I found out you need to get a visa before you go and you must enter the country on the date stated on the visa. That sort of petty bureaucracy has put me off completely. I know the hassle of travel in this part of the World and dates can easily be missed as well as buses. I also felt this was a Communist doctrine style imposition.

A tenner wouldn't bother me.

[Thai at Heart]

Please someone go and do the maths for these dips**TS.

They lose 300mn? My God, they are losing bazillions on rice, on bomb detectors and they want to go through all this hassle to recover 300mn from 20mn tourists?

15 baht per head?

Mmm. Your use of bazillions as a monetary indicator does not inspire confidence in your intricate knowledge of pecuniary matters and budgets- However it is probably and indicator. Not to mention tourism issues and rice are somewhat different venues. There are more profound issues than insurance coverage fees for visitors so the item should be ignored? Please share with us your deep insights into what you consider to be a non "dips**TS" allocation of time and money being expended on various issues compared to how these metrics presently stand.

For a country that doesn't use billions,or trillions in their calculations, I think bazillions is as useful a number since it relates a certain absurdity to the value of what they lose in that they may say buy a 12 USD golf ball detector for say 20,000 USD. So yes, 300 mn baht in the absolute grand scheme of the tourism industry in Thailand as a so called loss does not in any way justify raising billions in return by levying a tax on 20mn people when only a small amount of people do not have coverage.

As for my ability to run budgets, lets not worry about that, but as a trained economist with a masters degree in the said subject, I would suggest you go off and do the mathematics behind this illiogical levy. It really is the sledgehammer to smash a nut. How many 100s of BN, or loy pan lans is that they are losing on the rice. It may as well be bazillions because it really is an absurd amount of money to squander with nothing tangible to show for it in return.

[easybullet3]

basically, the government has become an insurance company. it can make a good profit i expect.

500 baht from each tourist WILL NOT stop anyone coming to Thailand! if someone changes their holiday plans to fly to Thailand because of 500 baht, then they probably would not have enjoyed their trip so much anyway!

BUT.. it WILL affect people doing casual "land-crossings". They may visit Thailand for one LONGER period of time,, (rather than a few short visits).

morally speaking, it is wrong. The government is trying to 'skim' money from tourists who have no option to refuse it.

- in that sense, its a low tactic.

[FarangTalk]

Incredible that people have deluded themselves into believing they are actually getting insured with this 500thb fee, or it will somehow cover them when in Thailand in case of an accident.

You will get nothing.

You will still have to pay full price for medical treatment if you do not have insurance regardless of having paid the 500thb fee.

This fee is only to cover those that did not pay, and is not an entitlement to medical care nor will it be an insurance policy.

Personally I do not see why I should be made to pay for the actions or misfortune of others.

[impulse]

Please someone go and do the maths for these dips**TS.

They lose 300mn? My God, they are losing bazillions on rice, on bomb detectors and they want to go through all this hassle to recover 300mn from 20mn tourists?

15 baht per head?

Mmm. Your use of bazillions as a monetary indicator does not inspire confidence in your intricate knowledge of pecuniary matters and budgets- However it is probably and indicator. Not to mention tourism issues and rice are somewhat different venues. There are more profound issues than insurance coverage fees for visitors so the item should be ignored? Please share with us your deep insights into what you consider to be a non "dips**TS" allocation of time and money being expended on various issues compared to how these metrics presently stand.

For a country that doesn't use billions,or trillions in their calculations, I think bazillions is as useful a number since it relates a certain absurdity to the value of what they lose in that they may say buy a 12 USD golf ball detector for say 20,000 USD. So yes, 300 mn baht in the absolute grand scheme of the tourism industry in Thailand as a so called loss does not in any way justify raising billions in return by levying a tax on 20mn people when only a small amount of people do not have coverage.

As for my ability to run budgets, lets not worry about that, but as a trained economist with a masters degree in the said subject, I would suggest you go off and do the mathematics behind this illiogical levy. It really is the sledgehammer to smash a nut. How many 100s of BN, or loy pan lans is that they are losing on the rice. It may as well be bazillions because it really is an absurd amount of money to squander with nothing tangible to show for it in return.

A little off topic, but can we hear more about that $12 golf ball detector?

[Tomtomtom69]

First time poster.

Seems to me they're rehashing the same story, wasn't this reported a month back?

IMO, no it wouldn't, as $20+ or so will not deter someone from changing their holiday plans.

FS

Precisely, it's a tenner*.

(*Tenner meaning Ten Pounds Sterling).

I was going to Vietnam on a photoshootie excursion until I found out you need to get a visa before you go and you must enter the country on the date stated on the visa. That sort of petty bureaucracy has put me off completely. I know the hassle of travel in this part of the World and dates can easily be missed as well as buses. I also felt this was a Communist doctrine style imposition.

A tenner wouldn't bother me.

You can also enter any time afterwards. While the Vietnamese visa requirement is annoying, it's certainly not hard to get a Vietnamese visa. You can even get a 3-month multiple entry tourist visa and sometimes, even 6-month ones are still offered. Forget about that in Thailand.

[Tomtomtom69]

Bt500 will be imposed only on those arriving via air. For land border crossing the fee will be Bt30 regardless of the time you are going to stay in Thailand. So yes, for each Cambodia visarun you'll pay Bt30 extra.

the Public Health Ministry proposed a plan to collect Bt500 as a fee for entering the country from foreign tourists staying in Thailand from three to 30 days;.............so if one is on a 1 year tourist visa does one have to pay 500 baht every

I am not sure if they will apply the fee only to those who arriving by air, but what it is said is ..... 500 baht fee for foreign tourist staying in Thailand from 3 to 30 days.

So if you need to do visa runs I guess you might have some problems to make some border officers understand that you must not to pay a this tax.

Also when they say foreign tourist they really wanted to say farangs nor Lao or Burmese because they need them, to do the jobs than thais don't want to do.

The way I understand it is that all non-Thais are foreigners and should thus be treated the same. WHen it comes to this plan, that's exactly how it would be implemented (although I hope it won't be implemented because I think it's a stupid idea. It would be better to ask for proof of health insurance when applying for a visa).

The Thais don't really like the Lao or Burmese. It explains why in Laos you see so little Thai investment or Thai residents, compared to the Vietnamese and Chinese who are laughing because the Thais, with their cultural and linguistic advantages don't want to go to Laos except for tourism. At the end of the day, it's the Thais who will be the losers here.

[Bpuumike]

All persons on proof of travel insurance should be exempt of this money grabbing tax. How on earth can they demand extra money to cover something that one is already covered.

I quite agree but I think it's for tourists rather than us who live here.

[hellodolly]

no

[monkeycountry]

Can those who live here get this insurance too, and will it cover private hospitals?

I am thinking lots of ppl have health insurance, but are not covered for OPD as OPD is expensive and they can generally cover that themselves.

If the 500 baht insurance would cover OPD, then thst would be a good deal imo.

[monkeycountry]

As many have already said, the easiest way to collect this fee is through the plane ticket. However, that would mean Thais travelling abroad would have to pay too. Thai based airlines can of course have different prices for Thais and non Thais, but most western based airlines are unlikely to accept different prices for different nationalities due to various discrimination laws.

[hawker9000]

Can those who live here get this insurance too, and will it cover private hospitals?

I am thinking lots of ppl have health insurance, but are not covered for OPD as OPD is expensive and they can generally cover that themselves.

If the 500 baht insurance would cover OPD, then thst would be a good deal imo.

<sigh...>

[impulse]

As many have already said, the easiest way to collect this fee is through the plane ticket. However, that would mean Thais travelling abroad would have to pay too. Thai based airlines can of course have different prices for Thais and non Thais, but most western based airlines are unlikely to accept different prices for different nationalities due to various discrimination laws.

God only knows what kind of diseases Thais traveling abroad will pick up and bring back home when they leave Paradise. Probably ought to get some money from them, just for spending their travel dollars elsewhere.

Let's see, 500 baht. That seems to be a standard penalty for lots of things. Sounds about right.

[MJP]

Incredible that people have deluded themselves into believing they are actually getting insured with this 500thb fee, or it will somehow cover them when in Thailand in case of an accident.

You will get nothing.

You will still have to pay full price for medical treatment if you do not have insurance regardless of having paid the 500thb fee.

This fee is only to cover those that did not pay, and is not an entitlement to medical care nor will it be an insurance policy.

Personally I do not see why I should be made to pay for the actions or misfortune of others.

Of course you'll get nothing. It's what we come to expect. But in this case it's a tenner. It's not going to stop me or likely anyone else from coming here.

We all pay for the poor decisions and reckless actions of others. Where we really are being robbed blind is in our own countries where taxes are brutal for these reasons et.al.