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

[kamahele]

500 baht or approximately $15 dollars is not going to scare off tourists. This is the price of two draft beers in most western cities. Of course I won't speculate on how the government manages the income......

[Spare]

500 Baht more per person: 50 Euros extra for a family of four...

In our area I see:

Tourists who have such a tiny budget, that they stuff themseves at the all inclusive breakfast buffet to an extend allowing them to survive the day with a few snacks (danish pastries) stuffed into their bags when the staff isn't paying attention and some sodas bought at the 7Eleven.

Tourists who haggle about 10 Baht for a T-shirt - trying to lower the already perfect deal (130 Baht) to 120 like the souvenir seller can live on sunshine and air alone.

Tourists who buy bread, butter, sausage, etc. at the 7Eleven, so they can fix a beggar's dinner back at their bungalows.

Tourists who order one pizza and one Coke for a family of 4 at a restaurant.

Tourists who don't even have the cash to go for an elephant ride with their kids or do anything extra that stretches their daily budget of approx. 10 Euro total (for a family of 4).

Tourists who buy a few fridge magnets as souvenirs because they can't afford even a t-shirt, letting alone a nice wooden lamp, a Sarong or something like that.

Does this answer the qustion?

Your kind of tourist should go to the protest site. All drinks, food, shelter and entertainment are for free. Really. I almost live there now.

Ashame no one offer pocket money yet, or is it because I don't quite look at Thai.

[stateoperations]

My family and I travel to Thailand each year, we always get Insurance for our trip. I do not have a problem with charging those who do not have travel insurance. But I would reconsider going if we had to pay yet another fee. Bali, Fiji etc would welcome you charging extra fee's.

Thailand be careful you will kill the goose that laid the golden egg!

[Baerboxer]

it's not the money. anyone coming to thailand can afford 500 baht. It's the impression it gives : that thailand's so desperate/greedy (you choose), it is basically selling tickets as if thailand was a circus.

funny thing is, as far as i know, nobody's laid out what the 500 baht would actually get you, as far as "emergency medical assistance". Likely nothing. If people actually believed that 500 baht meant that if they fall and break their arm it's covered, i bet most people would gladly pay. But as several of you mentioned already, we all know where the money will REALLY go...

Spot on. It's simply another way to raise a significant amount of cash which will be added to the trough. It will never be revealed how much is raised or where it goes, just like the rice, water management and other government "fund" raising scams.

People are not stupid and more and more about the corruption and scams in Thailand is being reported in the travel media, Add to that Thailand's unfortunate reputation as a sex tourist destination and the "quality" tourists so eagerly wanted are likely to look elsewhere. The "boys" coming over for the cheap booze and tarts won't be worried by an extra 500 baht. Families will make their own decisions, and those seeking an "elite" destination might not actually equate that to Thailand.

Who says its medical insurance ? Its a fee to cover "emergency" treatment costs of tourists. allegedly. You turn up with a medical condition or illness that might requires treatment buy is not A&E - then it will be "how you pay" or bugger off.

[ttthailand]

The way I see it is that because of poor road safety, crime, food poisoning and other screw ups they are looking at a way to pay for their own Mistakes. Also, 300 million baht is so small of a percent of the tourist income that they have to be stupid to risk the possible loss of tourists. This county surprises me more and more every day ..... "Unbelievable Thailand"

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[rickirs]

Such a tourist fee would be a disappointment as it's something you see done typically in fourth world countries like the Dominican Republic. I think it demeans Thailand as a moden country. That said, in the US taxing foreigners even by cities is a common practice for things they may never benefit from like a cruise line passenger tax for a new NFL stadium or performing arts center. Thais at least have their heart in the right place. But you know that once a tax is in place, it's tempting to increase it without good cause.

[pomchop]

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.

and in most cases coverage that can be relied on.

And exactly who and how will they determine who has appropriate coverage?

Try and imagine tourists coming in from dozens of countries with thousands of different insurance policies written in dozens of different languages in typical insurance company fine print....."proof of travel insurance" doesn't come with some magic card written in Thai with standardized coverages....

There are thousands of different kinds of travel insurance with all kinds of different levels of coverage....even BUPA policies written in Thailand often have coverage exclusions such as not paying in full for motorbike accidents.

NO WAY can anyone expect immigration officials to become insurance experts and no way to force insurance companies from all over the world to provide some kind of standardized coverage designed just to suit whatever requriements the Thai govt may deem appropriate "travel insurance".

Edited November 19, 2013 by pomchop

[movsrus]

I guess I don't see this as much different from the departure tax one has to pay to fly out of the Philippines. Terminal one is a mess- long lines, old decrepit structure, crowded and generally rundown. People stand in line to pay 750 pesos for nothing and do so without a lot of complaint. I would think that if tourists to Thailand were told they had to pay a 500 baht fee which would provide emergency medical care if they needed it during their stay not many would object.

The backpackers might bitch a bit about it but I would think the majority of tourists would figure it is just the cost of a trip and wouldn't make a decision to go elsewhere to avoid paying for it. I would agree there should be some kind of opt-out provision for those who have their own travel insurance or for long stay residents who can prove they have medical coverage.

Perhaps 500 baht is too much to charge but the concept of having tourists be responsible for their own health care doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

[fabphil]

Gee mate u got it all worked out now try and tell a thai how to work it...555

I think it is a good process and should be applied, because, this is the main requirement for European Visa too, than why not? as long as the fee cover all charges for medical and also provide some insurance, each hospital need to have a customer relation officer, who can speak English and tourist must be given priority to get the medical support in case of any emergency, showing this Health card must be helpful, however there should be a very practical plan to implement, specially when charging money from the tourist for their medical coverage.

The health department need to issue Health Card with validity period. it not look practical and nice to ask each tourist to buy 500 THB health card for their every trip, specially if they are frequent traveller to Thailand, we all knows most tourist travel to Thailand 3 or 4 times per year,

How to charge on Validity base Health Card?

for example;

100 THB Card Valid for 60 Days

250 THB Card Valid for 180 Days

500 THB card Valid for 365 Days (1 Year)

Each card may can be recharge, it will help Health department to keep database intact, otherwise it will become a mess to feed data for each time, when the same tourist travel in Thailand, and apply for new Health Card, it will also help tourism sector to record. that each tourist travelling how many time per year to Thailand.

Simple way to do it, once they buy the card, put Card number on TM Card. they just need to add one more field in TM Card to note Health Card number.

How to sell this card? well all airlines and countries airports, where a flyer is travelling to Thailand can get these card if plan well, or else on arrival there should be ample counters to sell these cards, before making line to immigration check in counters.

[Prbkk]

Maybe there is a balance here: Thai stabs a tourist in Pattaya, fine is 500. Tourist needs emergency care but will be covered by 500 fee

[sillymonkey]

Just do what we do here in the US, pass a law and see how it works out.

[8OA8]

This will have no impact whatsoever on the number of tourists coming to Thailand.

Worst case scenario, the tourist on a very tight budget will perhaps decide to forgo spending that same amount on goods and services in in Thailand.

Edited November 19, 2013 by 8OA8

[edwinchester]

Why are they suggesting a fee of 500bht to cover an average loss to the hospital sector of 13bht per tourist?

[bunuel]

This is an obvious scam. I have traveled extensively writing about travel and tourism, and I have never heard of any country collecting such a fee. Neither have any tourists coming here, so a lot of people will be offended and go elsewhere. Besides, I don't know of anyone who comes to LOS expecting free medical care!

I

I think you should be exempt on production of a valid insurance document on entry.

I can see it having a small impact especially on budget travelers, but mostly on regional travelers from the ASEAN countries. 500 baht may well piss them off enough to make alternative arrangements.

They could possibly end up losing well over 10 billion a year.

The Thai Revenue Dept target for 2013 is around 2 trillion baht, so even if 1% of tourists were to fall away, then that could see a drop of 20 billion.

I don't think the title should say 'scare off tourists' but it would certainly 'piss off tourists'.

Thailand needs to get it's head out of its arse on tourism. I have traveled far and wide all my life, and I have seen enough major tourist destinations going from boom town to ghost town in a relatively short time.

10 years from now, I expect Thailand to be declining. Most have been there and done it, plenty of new places opening up all the time, fashions change. Thailand needs to start thinking about improving the tourist industry here instead of letting it slide into a seedy cesspit of scams and corruption.

You don't know what you have got until it has gone. Thailand would be cast back into the dark ages without its tourist revenue.

Don't take the piss Thailand.

[Ianatlarge]

Not many people here think that this is a good idea, so maybe I am merely saying more of the same, but here goes. This is totally ridiculous from every direction. Thailand makes a shitload of money every year from tourists, it is a leading tourist destination. The tiny, miniscule amount of money lost due to a handful of foreigners not being able to pay their medical bills is noting compared to the revenue we bring in. The idea of charging 500b is a pointless waste of time, which would most likely cost as much to administer and service as would be garnered.

As for the 500b money, where would it go? Would it go to improve tourist services, fix any of the innumerable small problems, make each dealing with the wonderful Thai bureaucracy more bearable? No. The money would find its way into the same pockets that all the rest of the visa money goes.

This is simply more of the "Bash the outsider" syndrome. Sounds quick and easy, who can complain about it? Certainly not the staff collecting the 500. How about making Thailand more inviting. Make it easier to visit. It seems to me that Thailand's visas are the most complex in ASEAN.

Here is an idea. You want to stay in the Kingdom, great. Each month visit the local 711, and pay 5,000b (more? less?). No A, B, or C visas. Can't think of anything simpler. Think of the all the now retired immig staff, now needing to find a job as tuk tuk drivers. Something in fact useful.

[abrahamzvi]

But yet no talk on how they would exempt those of us from the fee that already have travel insurance or insurance IN Thailand? Why on earth would I pay THB500 to enter the country when I already pay THB20000 a year for my Thai policy??

This regulation will apply to TOURISTS ONLY. I assume that if you have a medical insurance in Thailand you reside here and are NOT a tourist!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Here's a description from some prior news reports of just how they'd envision spreading this money around. Absolutely no intention at all to limit the funding/tax just to funding the medical expenses of indigent farangs in govt. hospitals.

The money will be used for many purposes by the tourism, health and foreign affairs ministries, and the Immigration Bureau.

The health ministry would gather relevant information and help the Ministry of the Interior in legislating the law. The collected fees would go into the national budget coffers before they are transferred to different agencies.

[abrahamzvi]

This is an obvious scam. I have traveled extensively writing about travel and tourism, and I have never heard of any country collecting such a fee. Neither have any tourists coming here, so a lot of people will be offended and go elsewhere. Besides, I don't know of anyone who comes to LOS expecting free medical care!

I

I think you should be exempt on production of a valid insurance document on entry.

I can see it having a small impact especially on budget travelers, but mostly on regional travelers from the ASEAN countries. 500 baht may well piss them off enough to make alternative arrangements.

They could possibly end up losing well over 10 billion a year.

The Thai Revenue Dept target for 2013 is around 2 trillion baht, so even if 1% of tourists were to fall away, then that could see a drop of 20 billion.

I don't think the title should say 'scare off tourists' but it would certainly 'piss off tourists'.

Thailand needs to get it's head out of its arse on tourism. I have traveled far and wide all my life, and I have seen enough major tourist destinations going from boom town to ghost town in a relatively short time.

10 years from now, I expect Thailand to be declining. Most have been there and done it, plenty of new places opening up all the time, fashions change. Thailand needs to start thinking about improving the tourist industry here instead of letting it slide into a seedy cesspit of scams and corruption.

You don't know what you have got until it has gone. Thailand would be cast back into the dark ages without its tourist revenue.

Don't take the piss Thailand.

I am not taking sides. The scheme, as most things, has its advantages and the contrary. However, I totally disagree that Thailand would be the only country to impose a fee. If Thais apply for a Schenegen visa, they are required to supply proof of medical insurance . This, in most cases temporary cover, costs far more than BHT500 per month!

[dominique355]

I don't think that THB 500.00 would be too much, we used to pay that sum when leaving Don Muenag with an airport tax and basically got nothing in return.

However, if Thailand asks all tourists to pay THB 500 upon arrival, I would guess that many tourists want their money's worth back and thousands will swamp Thailands hospital, probably costing Thailand more than it would get.

If our minister of Tourism explains to the arriving tourists that this money should cover the unpaid bills of tourists visiting hospitals, many will actually continue to leave the hospital without paying. The system used in hospitals here makes that very easy, especially for one time out-patients.

Is this 500 baht scheme another expample of "I do it because I can." ?

[12DrinkMore]

13 years living here and this is the first govt. proposal that makes perfect sense.

Thais should not have to pay for an idiot falang who drives around without a helmet, never driven a scooter in their own country and decide to be "local".

You totally miss the law of unintended consequences.

At the moment the vast majority of tourists having accidents or illnesses expect to pay and indeed do pay for care. If the Thais charge 500 Baht for insurance, then every tourist with the slightest scrape will insist on being treated for free. Or they get a dose of food poisoning, or a bad sunburn, or just a headache and "OK, I'm insured let's go and get treated"

It will be their "Right". And we foreigners like to insist on our "Rights".

Then there will be the problem of those with holiday insurance from abroad. Which company will pay? I would guess the Thai insurance scheme would pay up first and then try to claim back from the foreign scheme. That'll keep a load of administrators employed.

And then add in all the long stay retirees with their mass of ailments. A quick border hop to collect the 30 Baht insurance token and then straight to hospital.

With almost all tourists who are currently using the Thai medical system and paying for the services, how much income is currently going into the system? And you have to include all the pharmacies, doctors, and clinics.

As with the "Rice Scam" this is another stupid idea further indicating the inability of politicians to see further than the end of their noses.

[12DrinkMore]

But yet no talk on how they would exempt those of us from the fee that already have travel insurance or insurance IN Thailand? Why on earth would I pay THB500 to enter the country when I already pay THB20000 a year for my Thai policy??

This regulation will apply to TOURISTS ONLY. I assume that if you have a medical insurance in Thailand you reside here and are NOT a tourist!

Try and prove that one.

[Yme]

I think it is a good process and should be applied, because, this is the main requirement for European Visa too, than why not? as long as the fee cover all charges for medical and also provide some insurance, each hospital need to have a customer relation officer, who can speak English and tourist must be given priority to get the medical support in case of any emergency, showing this Health card must be helpful, however there should be a very practical plan to implement, specially when charging money from the tourist for their medical coverage.

The health department need to issue Health Card with validity period. it not look practical and nice to ask each tourist to buy 500 THB health card for their every trip, specially if they are frequent traveller to Thailand, we all knows most tourist travel to Thailand 3 or 4 times per year,

How to charge on Validity base Health Card?

for example;

100 THB Card Valid for 60 Days

250 THB Card Valid for 180 Days

500 THB card Valid for 365 Days (1 Year)

Each card may can be recharge, it will help Health department to keep database intact, otherwise it will become a mess to feed data for each time, when the same tourist travel in Thailand, and apply for new Health Card, it will also help tourism sector to record. that each tourist travelling how many time per year to Thailand.

Simple way to do it, once they buy the card, put Card number on TM Card. they just need to add one more field in TM Card to note Health Card number.

How to sell this card? well all airlines and countries airports, where a flyer is travelling to Thailand can get these card if plan well, or else on arrival there should be ample counters to sell these cards, before making line to immigration check in counters.

Close but not quiet correct. A tourist visa is valid for 30-days so Bt500 would provide valid cover for 30 days after arrival. If the visa is extended an additional payment would be required.

Why would you assume cover of 365 days when a tourist visa is only valid 30 days?

[ttthailand]

Maybe they are thinking that the huge number of bus and train accidents will break the bank and need to have a way to pay the hospital bills. This way they can go on with business and not worry about fixing any problems.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

[AloisAmrein]

For the Thai government tourists seem to be just milk cows. Not enough, the they spend the money in this country, the want even more. And all this in a country, where safety on the road, by train is far less then international standard.

[Kilgore Trout]

I can just see the scenario;

Tourist gets in a motorbike accident and goes to hospital. After treatment he/she is presented a bill for 150,000.

tourist: "this should be covered by the government right, I paid my 500 baht upon entry"

hospital staff: "I don't know, you pay"

tourist: "but, but....I was told"

staff: you pay now or i call police

[Yme]

From The Establishment Post

To claim that the inbound tourism arrival fee will be so small as not to deter package tour groups from Thailand, while at the same time saying its introduction will attract a better class of tourist is irrational, unless you believe all it takes raise a country’s status is tacking on a US$16 entrance fee.

With 22.35 million foreign visitors in 2012 and a forecast figure of close to 25 million foreign visitors in 2013, the Bt500 proposed inbound tourism arrival fee will generate up to Bt12.5 billion (US$400.898 million*), or more than 40 times what the claimed annual unpaid medical bills by foreign tourists total.

With tourists from 83 countries, including those responsible for the largest number of tourists and those who spend the most per day that they are in the kingdom entitled to either visa exempt or visas on arrival for periods of 15 to 30 days, the Thailand government makes very little income from tourism visa fees.

Presuming that children are required to pay the inbound tourism arrival fee and based on the average length of stay it will add Bt65.34 (US$2.10*) per day for visitors from East Asia, Bt84.89 (US$2.72*) per day for those from Asean countries and a tiny Bt30 (96 cents*) per day for those from Europe.

With unpaid foreign tourist medical bills totalling only about 0.03 per cent of the total Bt983.928 billion ($31.556 billion*) tourism contribution injected into the economy last year – about 8.63 per cent of Thailand’s 2012 GDP of $365.6 billion – it is not as if the problem is a chronic one.

Further explaining the purpose of the inbound tourism arrival fee Mr Pradit said that of the estimated two million foreigners who live in Thailand, reports show there are about 100,000 who have expired entry permits or visas and refuse to leave.

How the Bt500 inbound tourism arrival fee will have any affect on the 100,000 foreigners who refuse to leave Thailand and ensure that visitors will be unable to outstay their visa remains totally lost in translation, as it is unlikely any of those overstayers are likely to come forward and offer to pay the new fee.

How Thailand’s neighbours are going to react to the inbound tourism arrival fee is also unknown. The inbound tourism arrival fee puts into place a fee that bilateral agreements for Asean passport holders eliminated in the past.

If not waived it will increase the cost of doing business with Thailand considerably for companies who regularly fly staff into the country for short periods of time using the visa exempt provisions instead of applying for a business visa.

Also not lost in translation is that for the tens of thousands of mostly westerners who are “long-term tourists”, many illegally working and staying for lengthy periods of time on a variety of 14-day land crossing entry permits and tourist visas obtained from neighbouring countries, the free ride is over. Perhaps the social media poster who proclaimed “another nail in Thailand’s coffin” really meant to say another nail in the coffin of those who flaunt Thailand’s visa and entry rules?

Although not yet officially announced it appears collection of the new Thailand inbound tourism arrival fee will start in mid-January 2014, after Thailand’s traditional high tourist period. As to why Thailand’s MoPH is spearheading the drive for an inbound tourism arrival fee over unpaid medical bills that amount to just 0.03 per cent of the total revenue generated by tourism in 2012 remains lost in translation.

Source: Lost in Translation: Thailand’s Inbound Tourism Arrival Fee

[phuket43]

The amount mentioned, makes a lot of sense for TAT and AOT. They are both Government Agencies without any accountability towards the Government Budget and, therefore the idea is a huge money machine for the management in the agencies. Moreover, the hospitals providing the "emergency services" will never be able to retrieve the expenditures from these two agencies and they will still bugger the tourists for the payment of the services provided.

Considering the Zillions the tourism brings every year to Thailand it's "amazing" but not surprising they are devising yet another way to milk the cow, even more.

[Malthus101]

TLDR.

But no, not a single tourist would be scared off by paying 500 baht - that's £10 or $15.

They spend near £1000 on a plane ticket then can't afford £10? I don't think so.

But the Thai government could make so much more by following my guidelines on revamping their Visa types that this BS 500 baht entry tax.

[robhufton]

This 500 Bht is NOT a travel insurance and will not cover cost for medical treatment which will still need to be paid for. Just a money making exercise which will more likely piss tourists off rather than scare them off.

More of a concern is the logistics of it. Where will it be collected, at immigration? Most tourists do not already have Thai baht when entering the country. Surely this will cause huge delays getting through immigration?

[nong38]

Wow, there sure is a lot of Angst pervading this thread abut 500 baht . . .

The question is if a 500 baht levy wold scare off tourists and make then go elsewhere . . . the resounding answer would be 'no'.

AUD/USD app. $15 in the guise of medical coverage.

How utterly ridiculous to think that a family which spends thousands on a vacation will baulk at $15

I think what is ridiculous is that you don't understand the principle of this and how such a violation affects people.

Following your logic, if, say, vendors charged you an additional, dubious and unexplainable fee for every product or service you buy, you would only rebel when the amount bleed from you was too much to further bear.

That's dumb. You stop corruption as soon as you see it. Rich people don't get and stay rich by throwing away good money, no matter how insignificant.

Its the principle of the thing and if you find that 500bts gives no problem then it be pushed up until it does seem to be a problem but then there would be another excuse for the problem.

Farang are seen as easy pickings who have an endless supply of cash so wont miss a bit to make life better for people of Thailand.

I wonder how much of the 500bt x number of tourists will get into the healthcare domain, sure a lot of it will sprinkled away along the road from the airport to the hospital, if you know what I mean.