Report: All foreign tourists will soon need insurance in order to enter Thailand

[geriatrickid]

1 hour ago, 1SteveC said:

 

Affordable? Mate of mine pays 14k a year for his health insurance,(inpatient only), that is cheaper than your suggestion of 2k a month.

 

It is not the affordability that needs to change, it is people's attitude.

 

(If you only know 1 out of 10 that has health insurance, I am guessing all your friends either work abroad or are retired?)

 

I suggest that many of thiose uninsured are either too cheap or haven't a pot to piss in.

[1SteveC]

5 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

The unpaid medical costs means that Thais are denied medical care

 

Do you have a single verifiable instance of this?

[Mad mick]

On 2017-6-5 at 3:37 PM, theguyfromanotherforum said:

Impossible to enforce. Will never pass.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Its not a dangerous country ask the jaunta government  ? Whats the problem ,  great for Vietnam and cambodia will be laughing all the way to the bank , uttering amazing kwailand . We hope they ban all farangs for ever great for us " amazing kwailand jaunta gov..

Amazing for us . Thank u thailand ! we have multiple tourists visas 3 x 3 months online please come visit us we don't have a price for farang and one for us , every one pays the same price .

[Tofer]

10 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

You find this amusing? The unpaid medical costs means that Thais are denied medical care and it means that foreigners seeking emergency medical care are subject lengthy delays before they can access top care as paperwork is verified.

 

This issue has been discussed multiple times on TVF and dates back to 2011 when the  multi million dollar costs were  exposed. The Scandanavian news profiled the costs back for 2016

http://scandasia.com/uninsured-foreigners-burdens-thai-public-hospitals/

 

Hospitals in Phuket provide an illustration of the  extent of the problem; Vachira Hospital  began to account for the losses in 2008, has a total outstanding balance on 19.827.858 baht concerning a total of 189 foreign patients. In 2015 the loss counted 3.837.583 baht.  Dr. Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, stated that the expenses are approximately 10 million baht a year for the Public Hospitals in Phuket. He also claimed that Patong Hospital had an outstanding balance of around 2-3 million baht each year. At The Banglamoong Hospital in Pattaya they had a loss of 1.918.790 baht in 2015 from unpaid bills by foreigners. 

 

This is nothing new. The Pattaya Daily news in 2011 reported that the deadbeats are mostly European men who didn’t take out health  insurance. They renew their visas every year and have no savings.” Some of them produced fake financial statements to have their visas renewed.

Divide that by 4, to get the true cost of services that a Thai would pay, and we're down to around B5m, divide that by 19 years (since 2008) and it's a whopping B260k (£6,000), hardly earth shattering.... 

 

They'll get that back on the next major operation on a farang!

[YetAnother]

thailand really IS amazing yet not for the positive reasons

[Flying Kiwi]

NO law past stating that  all visitors need insurance, can't say I have heard any confirmed comment from the government until that law is in place the subject is gossip / chinese  whisper in fact i heard from a reliable source that the sky is going to fall and could happen anytime, run run run safe yourself.

 

Of

 

[ghillie44]

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2017 at 1:02 PM, CLW said:

For visa application, yes it can be done. Germany does the same to Thai people applying for a visa.

On the other hand, in case of Thailand with the majority arriving without visa, hopeless. Just imagine the difficulties at immigration

It seems like a good idea.  It can be enforced if airlines refuse to board Thai bound passengers without insurance. 

The airlines do this for travellers without visas or who want to visit countries which require health certificates.  No certificate - no boarding.

Surface travellers are another matter although train companies can do the same.

I seem to remember many years ago being refused boarding when travelling from Lima to San Jose , Costa Rica.  I also received a free insurance cover when I arrived in another Latin American country.  Nice gesture although cover was very limited.

[scorecard]

On 6/11/2017 at 7:44 AM, geriatrickid said:

You find this amusing? The unpaid medical costs means that Thais are denied medical care and it means that foreigners seeking emergency medical care are subject lengthy delays before they can access top care as paperwork is verified.

 

This issue has been discussed multiple times on TVF and dates back to 2011 when the  multi million dollar costs were  exposed. The Scandanavian news profiled the costs back for 2016

http://scandasia.com/uninsured-foreigners-burdens-thai-public-hospitals/

 

Hospitals in Phuket provide an illustration of the  extent of the problem; Vachira Hospital  began to account for the losses in 2008, has a total outstanding balance on 19.827.858 baht concerning a total of 189 foreign patients. In 2015 the loss counted 3.837.583 baht.  Dr. Bancha Kakong, Director of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, stated that the expenses are approximately 10 million baht a year for the Public Hospitals in Phuket. He also claimed that Patong Hospital had an outstanding balance of around 2-3 million baht each year. At The Banglamoong Hospital in Pattaya they had a loss of 1.918.790 baht in 2015 from unpaid bills by foreigners. 

 

This is nothing new. The Pattaya Daily news in 2011 reported that the deadbeats are mostly European men who didn’t take out health  insurance. They renew their visas every year and have no savings.” Some of them produced fake financial statements to have their visas renewed.

 

How many leave without paying?

 

Ask some hoteliers, I believe many would be very surprised about the high numbers of foreigners who check-in then when it suits their needs they flee and often with an extra suitcase full of bedding, rugs from the floor, and everything from the mini bar, and bathroom, the hot water pot, hair dryers, even the TV.

 

The manager of my hotel in Bkk will tell you how many times he has been cleaned out. Along the way he's become aware of things like guests you do solid reconisance of exit doors etc., when they are locked / not locked, how to sneak the key ring with multiple keys away from the housekeeping staff and just unlock rear exit doors at the right time, maybe 3.00 am, etc etc. 

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎05‎.‎06‎.‎2017 at 1:02 PM, CLW said:

For visa application, yes it can be done. Germany does the same to Thai people applying for a visa.

On the other hand, in case of Thailand with the majority arriving without visa, hopeless. Just imagine the difficulties at immigration

It won't be done at immigration. It will be made a requirement to board a plane to Thailand, just as an onward flight is.

[CLW]

It won't be done at immigration. It will be made a requirement to board a plane to Thailand, just as an onward flight is.

Don't think the airline companies will agree with that. Too much paperwork. Checking a visa and onward flight is easy compared to reading insurance documents

[jethro69]

1 hour ago, CLW said:

Don't think the airline companies will agree with that. Too much paperwork. Checking a visa and onward flight is easy compared to reading insurance documents

And even with a simple task like visa checking they struggle quite often. How many countries you get 15 or 30 days visa exempt. But for example you going for work you'll need a visa, how the heck would check-in staff now. Happend to me more than once that I was asked for a visa when I didn't need one, and was not asked when I clearly (not for them) needed one.

[jpinx]

Insurance is available before travel, so make it part of the ticket purchase process.  Policies have a multi-language page and the airlines and agents will soon get used to finding the start and expiry dates.   Having said that -- I have sympathy for people who "self-insure" -- it's what I do.  A large lump of cash earning good interest in a western term but available quickly - even if that carries some penalty of loss of interest for early withdrawal.   The people I have no sympathy for are the ones who roll up at immigration with no money and an attitude of "entitlement" based on their home country's facilities. 

[Bastos60]

5 minutes ago, jpinx said:

Insurance is available before travel, so make it part of the ticket purchase process.  Policies have a multi-language page and the airlines and agents will soon get used to finding the start and expiry dates.   Having said that -- I have sympathy for people who "self-insure" -- it's what I do.  A large lump of cash earning good interest in a western term but available quickly - even if that carries some penalty of loss of interest for early withdrawal.   

Self-insure? 
You can get a year long travel insurance for as little as 50€ why would you even consider 'self-insuring'.
Or get a credit card that includes travel insurance.

Only during my last trip I failed to apply for travel assurance as I simply forgot to renew but was still covered by my visa with its included travel insurance and only needed to pay for my flight using that card.

[Flying Kiwi]

It's each persons responsibility to get insurance where you get it from is of no matter, whenever I come back to Thailand  I purchase insurance for the first 7 days before I leave then head to my Insurance company in CM after I`m settled and buy it there for the rest of the year. Even if the Thai Government does offer I would suggest it would be a very basic cover and at the moment it`s just conjecture.

Bottom line  is buy your own insurance it`s YOUR responsibility nobody else`s it`s common sense.

There is nothing anyone can do about it if the law is passed stating you must have insurance so just do it.

 

[jpinx]

1 minute ago, Bastos60 said:

Self-insure? 
You can get a year long travel insurance for as little as 50€ why would you even consider 'self-insuring'.
Or get a credit card that includes travel insurance.

Only during my last trip I failed to apply for travel assurance as I simply forgot to renew but was still covered by my visa with its included travel insurance and only needed to pay for my flight using that card.

Maybe *you* can get 50 euro annual insurance, but at 70+ years old and with multiple pre-existing conditions it is a different landscape.  Insurance has been aired in TVF for years now and it's not a simple matter -- one has to do the research

[geriatrickid]

2 hours ago, Bastos60 said:

Self-insure? 
You can get a year long travel insurance for as little as 50€ why would you even consider 'self-insuring'.
Or get a credit card that includes travel insurance.

Only during my last trip I failed to apply for travel assurance as I simply forgot to renew but was still covered by my visa with its included travel insurance and only needed to pay for my flight using that card.

 Read the coverage terms and conditions. You get what you pay for and for 50 Euro it aint much.

[Bastos60]

15 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

 Read the coverage terms and conditions. You get what you pay for and for 50 Euro it aint much.

It still is more then when you 'self-insure', or just don't take out any insurance at all. I covers my average 2 trips a year (coming to 25€/trip).

it doesn't cover outpatient treatment, but you end up in a private hospital and everything is handled through the insurance. And there is also the principle of the more
people that take out the insurance, the lower the cost.

 

 

[jpinx]

18 minutes ago, Bastos60 said:

It still is more then when you 'self-insure', or just don't take out any insurance at all. I covers my average 2 trips a year (coming to 25€/trip).

it doesn't cover outpatient treatment, but you end up in a private hospital and everything is handled through the insurance. And there is also the principle of the more
people that take out the insurance, the lower the cost.

 

 

I think you are making some serious basic mistakes in interpreting the coverage as you quote it here.   Please supply a link to the terms and conditions of the policy you're referring to.   Also -- what age-group, what pre-existing conditions coverage, etc, etc.?  As I said before - this topic has been debated to death over many years in TVF now.  Generally, we know what's out there but if you have found a new source it would be great to know the details and be able to get a quote first hand.

Edited June 13, 2017 by jpinx

[Bastos60]

1 hour ago, jpinx said:

I think you are making some serious basic mistakes in interpreting the coverage as you quote it here.   Please supply a link to the terms and conditions of the policy you're referring to.   Also -- what age-group, what pre-existing conditions coverage, etc, etc.?  As I said before - this topic has been debated to death over many years in TVF now.  Generally, we know what's out there but if you have found a new source it would be great to know the details and be able to get a quote first hand.

Actually  I was just editing what I wrote but it didn't allow me to save...

 

---- EDIT ---

It still is more then when you 'self-insure', or just don't take out any insurance at all. I covers my average 2 trips a year (coming to 25€/trip).

 

Also it depends what you expect to be covered. For 50€ you already get a pretty good deal, with medical costs up to 100.000€, dental works up to 150€, repatriation, loss of baggage, refund of up to 2500€ for follow-up treatment at home, search and rescue, etc.....

 

Ofcourse the more you want covered or with higher coverage you pay more. 

 

Depending on what I plan to do on a trip I also have the option of taking out a more elaborate insurance which only costs me 100€/year.

-- END EDIT--

 

But let me give some extra information : 

Location purchased : Belgium (only applicable for people living in Belgium for at least 180 days/year)

Source : ING Lion assistance 

No age restrictions 

https://www.ing.be/en/retail/insurances/assistance/compare-travel-insurance?WT.ac=insurance_checkup_compare_assistance

 

 

[Bastos60]

It is a travel insurance, not health insurance.

[jpinx]

7 minutes ago, Bastos60 said:

It is a travel insurance, not health insurance.

That explains it -- and restricted to Belgians  :)

[Bastos60]

6 minutes ago, jpinx said:

That explains it -- and restricted to Belgians  :)

The article is about travel insurance, not health insurance.

You have similar packages all over the world for a similar price.

 

https://www.insureandgo.com/ has even cancellation included which the one from ING does not.

[jpinx]

This topic is not specific, but the complaint is about unpaid hospital bills, so the insurance needed would be probably be medical. 

Thanks for that link - very interesting, but immediately it shows small print....

"Do you have medical conditions to declare?

Don't worry - you'll get the chance to add them to your policy during stage 4.".............

 

I  get this --

https://quote.insureandgo.com/nomatchingquotes.aspx

Edited June 13, 2017 by jpinx

[Bastos60]

25 minutes ago, jpinx said:

This topic is not specific, but the complaint is about unpaid hospital bills, so the insurance needed would be probably be medical. 

Thanks for that link - very interesting, but immediately it shows small print....

"Do you have medical conditions to declare?

Don't worry - you'll get the chance to add them to your policy during stage 4.".............

 

Yeah, it all depends on country where you take it out.

 

The topic was about a proposal for tourists to carry valid insurance. They do mention it was proposed earlier for people that want an extension to require medical insurance
and a next proposal would be for all tourists to carry an insurance that covers medical expenses, ie. travel insurance.

My insurance would cover me for 90 consecutive days which would cover an extension.

 

A medical insurance can be any insurance that covers medical expenses while on holiday.
I am not sure if they require any other type of insurance for people that are on retirement visa.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Bastos60

[Bastos60]

23 minutes ago, jpinx said:

I  get this --

https://quote.insureandgo.com/nomatchingquotes.aspx

Maybe an age thing? Did you select the multi trip annual cover?

Edited June 13, 2017 by Bastos60

[jpinx]

Just now, Bastos60 said:

Maybe an age thing? 

This topic seemed to mix the reference to tourists, non-immigrants, 90-day extensions, annual extensions, etc.  Everything depends on what they eventually decide they want, but if it's just the hospital bills they would do well to set up their own "national insurance for travellers" -- some kind of add-on to their existing healthcare system and one that the visitor can add to if they want more coverage, etc

[Bastos60]

3 hours ago, jpinx said:

This topic seemed to mix the reference to tourists, non-immigrants, 90-day extensions, annual extensions, etc.  Everything depends on what they eventually decide they want, but if it's just the hospital bills they would do well to set up their own "national insurance for travellers" -- some kind of add-on to their existing healthcare system and one that the visitor can add to if they want more coverage, etc

Or they could just charge the tourists through the airline they use to enter Thailand. Make it compulsory when buying your airline ticket. Have all the tourist pay an extra 10-15$ and everything is covered through their public hospitals. Add an option for better coverage at an additional price for coverage of private hospitals. 

Everybody wins.

[jpinx]

1 hour ago, Bastos60 said:

Or they could just charge the tourists through the airline they use to enter Thailand. Make it compulsory when buying your airline ticket. Have all the tourist pay an extra 10-15$ and everything is covered through their public hospitals. Add an option for better coverage at an additional price for coverage of private hospitals. 

Everybody wins.

The charge would have to reflect how long the visit is for and possibly the age of the visitor - so already extra layers of checking become involved.  Glad I don't have to sort this out............        

[gigman]

I have my Platinum Visa card where travel insurance is as a part of other insurance. So....it will cause me a trouble to get it on paper from my bank or insurer...for every time i will travel to Thailand? Otherwise how I can prove i have travel and health insurance.....??....Just pain in a bum.

I hope that they come to senses...If Thai hospitals struggle now how they will cope with probably more people...?

[jethro69]

3 hours ago, gigman said:

I have my Platinum Visa card where travel insurance is as a part of other insurance. So....it will cause me a trouble to get it on paper from my bank or insurer...for every time i will travel to Thailand? Otherwise how I can prove i have travel and health insurance.....??....Just pain in a bum.

I hope that they come to senses...If Thai hospitals struggle now how they will cope with probably more people...?

I used to have such card as well, the policy, I could download from my bank website. However, it was only valid for travels abroad 3 months at a time.