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

[dunque]

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?

Easier way to collect it, and probably hitting the right targets, would be to collect it at land borders only. Certainly wouldn't affect tourism more than a fraction there.

[spermwhale]

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?

We all know where the other 485 baht's going... Somchai's pocket.

[CIHUAHUA]

So when a tourist falls into an unmarked hole in the sidewalk or gets hit by someone driving the wrong direction on the road they should be able to hold Thailand responsible. Oops, I used the word responsible, sorry.

[Jack Mountain]

No more give tip and the 500 will be back soon ... besides that i start to regret i gave a contribution to the Tsunami disaster fund ..

On the other hand, it all depends on what will be covered .... have to wait a little ...

[blackman]

hardly, its the price of one 'off' in a go-go..

[nong38]

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?

I suspect there will be an arbitary amount in USD, GBP, EURO etc which will be more than the equivalent 500bts, as no change will be given ( its not a bank!). They will know what to charge and there is no point in arguing as they wont speak your language at the time.

Entry to Cambodia 20$ or 1000bts I seem to recall was a common conversion without the help of the local corruption squad.

[pacovl46]

Whoever really wants to go to Thailand will not let himself be put off by 500 Baht!!!

[AyG]

This scheme isn't about protecting tourists, it's about lining the pockets of certain individuals.

Back in the old days one had to pay in cash at the airport a departure tax - 500 Baht, if I remember rightly. Billions of that money "disappeared". The same thing will happen again. It's just resurrecting an old form of corruption in a different guise.

And does anyone really think that all the money collected at remote border crossings will actually make it into the government's coffers?

[Jack007]

If it is really 500 baht for a situation you don't have to pay for illness, disease or accidents including medicin at the hospital in Thailand. It is a very good Plan, but i have a travel insurance and healthcare-insurance.

But i cannot believe that hospitals in the popular touristscities are happy will this regulation, because they make big money for counting the Western tarif for their working. The service is very good!

But if the government go pay the hospitals for their made costs it is OKe.

In that case they are business in Rice-Pledging and Healthcare farang.

Not bad if you can also cover the healthcare for Thai people.

But make it complete before introduction, because i don't believe you can settle for 12,5 billion baht a year !

In Europe is a country with 16 million people and has 1,600 billion baht medical costs every year.

So make a good calculation or it will be the next failure from the government.

[mok199]

the question is ''' does the govt really care''....they dont do much to make our lives easier here or safer.why change now...they see only $$$$$

[slipperylobster]

However, it the tourist gets injured due to taxi, van, train, airplane, bus mishap, then the 500 should be refunded? I think it makes more sense for the Thai government to give each tourist free insurance, as this is bound to be the main cause of injury.

[kentfx]

500 baht is just $15.83 in US dollars. Twenty years ago Morocco was charging more than that to enter the country. Laos charges 10,000 kip -- a little more than 40 baht. It seems to me -- from the point-of-view of the foreign country -- most tourists won't even know about entry fees until they get to immigration, and at that point they're not likely to turn around and storm back home. 500 is just a third of a night's hotel room in Asian cities for heaven's sakes (mid-priced tourist rates), and it's a lot cheaper than that anywhere in Europe.

The only "hardship", such as it is, will fall on expats updating visas across the border -- and what choice do they have? Going to a foreign country and saying something is not fair is a fool's errand.

[redutedog1]

I guess that would be ok, but I too have insurance anyway

they could put some towards the working girl retirement funds

as the girls are 80% of the tourism anyway

[nicolas18]

The ridiculous thing is of course, now why would anyone bother to bring their own insurance.

They reckon they can cover 23mn people with 500 baht a head. No chance. They will be flooded by the neighbouring wanting their 300k of cover for having paid their 500 baht.

All the self payers will now be covered for 500 baht. There is in reality no way that 500 baht is enough. They need to do some serious actuarial work or this could well turn out to be a financial disaster with a list of exclusions so big there won't be any use. Every Chinese tourist well now visit a Thai hospital for their chest infection....

I need a knee operation, maybe I will just have a slip and tear my knee ligament. Operation please..... For 500 baht coverage.

Now this is one way to make a medical hub for sure. Accident coverage? Surely cars and buildings have insurance to cover accidents? Lol

You ( and other people here ) seem to misunderstand the proposal.

This 500baht fee is NOT some sort of mandatory health insurance. It is just a way for the government to recoup the costs of the unpaid bills from tourists who cannot afford to pay for emergency treatment.

In other words, even after paying the 500 baht, you would still have to pay for any hospital bill in Thailand, just as you do now.

Ps: not saying I agree with that proposal

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[4u2mad]

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??

What about those married to government workers who already are enrolled in that scheme?

[dotpoom]

My understanding is that if you are staying more than 30 days...then it doesn't apply. I remember when I first came to Thailand having to pay 500 Baht to exit the country...don't remember any fuss about it...but I was new to the country then and not on TV. (on one occasion I had to give a stranger the 500 Baht or she couldn't leave).

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 30 days?

[animatic]

It is a waste because it will just become one more way to skim money and send it up the food chain. As pointed out they waste far far more than this keeping in office and pretending to proved services than this minor loss.

It may cause a few to reconsider, even though they likely get thousands of low budget tourists for every 'quality tourist' and the poor ones actually proved more to the economy of average Thais than the few rich ones.

Just an excuse to scam money and make someone look good to their masters.

[Sing_Sling]

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.

Oh, I see . . . it is now a violation . . . clearly a violation I don't understand and you omit to explain. Pray tell, Paully, what is this a violation of? Your human rights? Th Geneva Convention on the treatment of PoWs?

Your 'follow-on' is about as sensible as your declaration that this is a 'violation'. You are comparing a street vendor where you'd spend .50c fr a cob of corn to a vacation. Please do re-think that idea.

Dumb? I wish you the best of luck stopping 'corruption' like this . . . and telling 'rich' people how they are to lead their lives because we all know that 'rich' people would sweat over 500baht when deciding on their vacation spot . . . this is while they are driving to the mall in their ever-depreciating luxury car instead of taking the bus and munching down on their dried grass-cuttings instead of spending good money on some Lindt chocolates.

As for the throngs of Chinese cancelling their vacations - I'd love to see the rational for this - preferably with a link to the amount their spend on their trips. . . you'd be surprised.

Oh, and the other throng of people coming to Thailand to have everything from an ingrown toenail seen to, to the quadruple bypass surgery . . . which will all be covered by the 500baht . . . perhaps we should read the fine print on this project before the masses around the world descend on Thailand to have their ills seen to . . . hang on . . . they won't be coming because of the 500baht surcharge

Oh, the quandary

[draftvader]

B500 scare off tourists? If they don't mind lethal trains, planes, automobiles, tuk tuks, buses, jetskis, etc and they are OK with 30,000 red shirts descending on a location with a large gathering of "yellow shirts" then I doubt B500 will scare them off.....

[Sing_Sling]

I guess that would be ok, but I too have insurance anyway

they could put some towards the working girl retirement funds

as the girls are 80% of the tourism anyway

They may be 80% of your tourism . . . please don't judge others by yourself and your circle of acquaintances

[Sing_Sling]

However, it the tourist gets injured due to taxi, van, train, airplane, bus mishap, then the 500 should be refunded? I think it makes more sense for the Thai government to give each tourist free insurance, as this is bound to be the main cause of injury.

Love it, simpy love it

[David Barker]

A number of people appear not to read the post it clearly states to a maximum of 200,000 of cover so if anything serious happens you will still need your normal travel insurance.

In Spain for 500 you can get 2,000,000 of medical cover so on that basis you should get 2,000,000 thb of cover, however you look at it the visitor is going to get stiffed but that is what governments around the world do.

[David Barker]

I don't know why but in my comments about Spain it missed out the euro icons

[lostmebike]

Just another BS excuse to extract money from 'Jonny Foreigner'. IMO, the government are aware that the Chinese and Russian tourists like to spend their money wiser (e.g. spending within their own compatriots restaurants, hotels and tour companies) and are trying other ways to counter such things with higher charges to us all.

[kirk0233]

Perhaps they should require all the employers of "temporary workers" from Burma, etc pay for their health insurance. This would likely solve the current healthcare crisis. I don't know of any "outsiders" getting free healthcare. What should we make of the hospitals holding tourists and their passport hostage until their bill has been paid?

[Evolare]

Pure greed is what it is! Why should someone have to pay that. Arent they considering the billions or trillions they already profit on the tourist's and foreigners every year. 500baht wont scare the tourists for the amount but principally.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I believe, the Thai government types have still yet to work out many of the details about this proposal.. so there's still a lot of speculating going on...

In past reports, they seemed to be talking about targeting tourist visa folks first.... Less clear about visa exempt entries. And I don't remember reading anything talking about the scenario where a tourist visa applicant has their own, prior medical/accident insurance?

AFAICT, they don't seem to be aiming this at all at the resident expat population... those on retirement or business visas. There's an entirely different proposal/new policy out there right now about the Thai government offering real government medical coverage to those groups for about 2800 baht per year...if you can find a government hospital that will sign you up.

But one thing is VERY clear about all this: The Ministry of Public Health and its various entities are headed toward getting only a small portion of the overall revenue that would come from this proposal -- with many other parts of the Thai government and other ministries all wanting to grab a piece of the action for their own purposes.

Edited November 19, 2013 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[tingtongfarang]

500 baht is just $15.83 in US dollars. Twenty years ago Morocco was charging more than that to enter the country. Laos charges 10,000 kip -- a little more than 40 baht. It seems to me -- from the point-of-view of the foreign country -- most tourists won't even know about entry fees until they get to immigration, and at that point they're not likely to turn around and storm back home. 500 is just a third of a night's hotel room in Asian cities for heaven's sakes (mid-priced tourist rates), and it's a lot cheaper than that anywhere in Europe.

The only "hardship", such as it is, will fall on expats updating visas across the border -- and what choice do they have? Going to a foreign country and saying something is not fair is a fool's errand.

I read that the 40bht to enter laos is infact a scam, Some weeks ago when entering savarnnakhet i was asked for the 40bht surcharge ...i asked for a receipt and she said no, i answered...no receipt no 40bht then she waved me past.

[tomacht8]

insurance Mathematics is a very complicated subject.

For a master's degree you must study it at least 4 years.

I think the author of this idea has never in his life read the fine print on a travel insurance policy.

So now comes again an amateur with a populist, ill-considered idea.

Without at least be able to estimate the consequences.

First, the author should examine the possible behavior changes.

How much travellers have been paid their hospital bills by themselves?

How many bills have been paid by insurance companies in the past?

What was the sum insured previously paid to all hospitals, doctors, etc. in general from tourists?

Exists at all reliable statistical figures?

I estimate there is a ratio of 99% paid bills to 1% non paid bills from tourists.

And now Thailand will take the 99% hospital bill risk for 500 Baht each?

Thank you Thailand. This is truly a gift for all tourists.

The losers will be the taxpayers, as always with such idiotic ideas.

Or will it be a scam and the 500 Baht insurance will not include any benefits?

I can already see how all private hospitals (specialized in motorcycle accidents)

start to shit in there pants.

Plus the image consequential damages for thailand when the hospitals refuse to treat the tourists,
because the funds will be very fast empty.

Edited November 19, 2013 by tomacht8

[malakmd]

Yme :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?

well I tried to conclude the solution according to the fee, instead of paying 500 THB every visit, it make more sense to pay less and still keep the same health card which you can use as I suggest for next trip? as per the desire of traveller, don't forget there are so many tourist those are travelling several times per year, so they should be feeling good, if they can buy 1 year (365 days) valid Health card, you get the benefits of

1. Not waiting in line to get new Health card

2. saving money (simple maths 4 travel x 500 = 2000 THB) if you travelling in one year period.

3. If you are not frequent traveller than just go for minimum validity card, and you still paying less.

It seems most are just fuzzing, i not see any one came with a good solution, yet..