Thailand to introduce compulsory travel insurance/tourist tax

[PeteC]

They could just slap on a tourist arrival tax of say 1000 Baht for every 30 days of stay based upon their visa. Probably not hard for the government to set up with some willing Thai insurance company. A money maker for many no doubt.

I spent 30 seconds thinking this up so probably flaws...have at it. Pete


EDIT: With some negotiations they could probably talk the airlines into including it in ticket prices. That's exactly what happened to the old 500 Baht airport departure tax.

[Big Boy]

Yes, the problem comes when people need to claim some of that money back

[oakdale160]

My guess is that a majority of the problems are with the 30 day tourists--they could insist on them buying a 30 day policy at the airport. I think that Cuba does this.

[StevePIraq]

In reality this is a good thing for any country and should be applied world wide. Why should any country have to accept the risk when someone visits their country.

A bar owner associate of mine recently died, had no insurance and it seems no funds. Now he is resting in the HH Hospital waiting for a legal decision on how and where to put him to rest. He left no funds for his missus, no way to deal with his medical issue and she is in the Sh*ts trying to deal with his suppliers and the owner of the property that was leased by him in her name.

He also owes money right left and center and his wife is left to deal with the issue.

Very sad for all except him as this seems to have been the plan all along.

[caller]

Still, one good thing to happen if this goes through is that all the motorbike hire places will go out of business!

[StevePIraq]

Still, one good thing to happen if this goes through is that all the motorbike hire places will go out of business!

I certainly hope so, I regularly hire from bike shops and they take no liability for their vehicles I take out my own, but then again who really has any insurance in TOS. I will no longer go on speed boats to island none have insurance. My son was almost killed last year on an elephant ride which went wrong, again no insurance.

The day the Thai govt takes action and implements stringent rules will be a good day, sadly that will never happen in LONS

[Korkenzieher]

How can Thailand introduce this ruling when at any given time over the last few years many Embassies (including the British Embassy) have given out warnings NOT to travel here..thus making any policy null & void..??

Have they? All I remember seeing from the British embassies over the last few years are to take extra care when travelling and avoid crowd gatherings.

Several countries had a usual policy to repatriate citizens at a time of civil unrest. During the Suwannapoom occupation several basically said (after a collective 330,000 tourists had to be airlifted out because Thailands internal security apparatus couldn't see fit to recognise that international airspace starts at passport control) that if you go to Thailand and get into this situation again, we won't do it. In effect, it strained the concept of 'civil unrest' as far as these diplomatic repatriation programs are concerned. Additionally, costs for many of the insurance policies for Thai vacations (which most 'regular' tourists are obliged to have, by the way) increased sharply, as the perceived risk increased. France was the most vocal about it, though several countries said 'next time, you are on your own'. We all know from our own experiences that given the economic fears that many already had at that time, choosing to go someplace else was an easy decision to make.

[StevePIraq]

Many of us are Brits, Euros, US we would not be happ foir visitors to arrive on our shores and claim medical. Why do visitors expect Thailand to be different.

Anyone visiting another country should have adequate insurance.

Thailand should start buy ensuring all existing foreign residents have adequate insurance

[Korkenzieher]

I don't think they do - but how many countries you enter expect you to show an insurance certificate to enter them? You seem to be making the argument that there is a pre-disposition to claim on arrival, and nothing could be further from the truth. This is nothing to do with claiming healthcare and welfare, but people having medical incidents and not having the where-with-all to cover the costs.

[joecoolfrog]

Many of us are Brits, Euros, US we would not be happ foir visitors to arrive on our shores and claim medical. Why do visitors expect Thailand to be different.

Anyone visiting another country should have adequate insurance.

Thailand should start buy ensuring all existing foreign residents have adequate insurance

Steve I think you are rather missing the point , the Thai authorities are not complaining about ' health tourism' ( which is in fact a major concern in Britain ) , the issue is the lack of accident insurance. The obvious solution would be to regulate those who hire motor bikes / arrange adventure tours etc and make such insurance an integral part of any contract, wont happen though and we all know why.
In all probability some form of 'tourist tax ' will eventually be levied , it wont impact at all on the horrendous accident figures or help balance the local health provision budgets.
What it will do though is further line the pockets of an elite few and that of course is the important thing

[StevePIraq]

I was not referring to people who visit Thailand as medical tourists as I would imaging they always have adequate finances or they would not be visiting. I was referring to people who visit and have no travel or accident insurance then rent cars, motorbike, jet skis, go hang gliding, bungee jumping or get just plain old food poisoning or the likes and have no cover so they when something happens they end up in a hospital and I am sure many times do not have funds to pay for treatment.

I am in the process of getting a business visa to China and one of the requirements if fully comprehensive medical and repatriation insurance.

I can't see what the problem is in applying this to all tourists and even foreign residents in Thailand.

[HHTel]

My mother visits me and her grandchildren in Thailand every year. She stays for 3 months. Until she was 80, she always had medical/travel insurance albeit very expensive. The cost was around 600 pounds every visit and she only claimed once which was around 100 pounds. Now she's older, there is no insurance company that will give her travel/medical insurance no matter what the cost!

Is she to abandon her visits to see family etc. bearing in mind that I have paid tens of thousands of UK money into the Thai economy??!!

Things are not always black and white which makes enforcement almost impossible.

[charlesh]

When I entered hospital (fortunately not an emergency) I was asked for my credit card and payment was needed up front!

[Dr Mike]

Thee are 2 approaches to Insurance. The everyday and the catastrophic.. In the former the policy pays for almost every eventuality, catastrophic only for huge bills. This is done by putting on a big deducatable, perhaps 10,000b. So it is no help for sore throats or minor injuries as you have to pay the first 10,000b,BUT it does kick in for HUGE bills. Because there is a big deductable the cost is lower.

[StevePIraq]

My mother visits me and her grandchildren in Thailand every year. She stays for 3 months. Until she was 80, she always had medical/travel insurance albeit very expensive. The cost was around 600 pounds every visit and she only claimed once which was around 100 pounds. Now she's older, there is no insurance company that will give her travel/medical insurance no matter what the cost!

Is she to abandon her visits to see family etc. bearing in mind that I have paid tens of thousands of UK money into the Thai economy??!!

Things are not always black and white which makes enforcement almost impossible.

I feel for you with this, my mother had the same, as she got older she had many ailments and some were serious, she was still able to travel but no insurance company would touch her. In situations like this you just have to accept that the time has come to stay at home unless you can afford a major bill of millions of Baht.

I accept that no country should have to take on that risk.