Health insurance for Thais

[andy778]

Hi

Girlfriend (Thai) has been talking about getting insurance, and asked me to run around to different companies with her. So...being lazy, I`m asking you guys: What kind of insurance does your wives have, and what ins. company?

Thanks

[barrys]

I insured my gf with Bupa - with the Ruby package.

She's in her mid-20s and the policy only costs around 7 k per annum.

Ok, it won't cover a private room in one of the big, posh hospitals, but most of them would consider that to be solitary confinement punishment, anyway, and prefer to be in award with more people.

She is already covered by Thai social insurance as an employee, so the Bupa is there in case of anything major for which she has to be hospitalised.

Contact Matt or André at AA Insurance (details on the sponsors' page), they have all the info and are very helpful.

[margaretcarnes]

I think the guys will need a bit more info Andy. Does she mean insurance for travelling in Thailand? (I'm pretty sure their 30 baht health scheme only covers Thais in their home Province.) Or is it for travel abroad?
If it's for visiting your own country with you I would say get the insurance on your arrival - or if you already have health cover yourself could you just add her to the policy?

[andy778]

I think the guys will need a bit more info Andy. Does she mean insurance for travelling in Thailand? (I'm pretty sure their 30 baht health scheme only covers Thais in their home Province.) Or is it for travel abroad?
If it's for visiting your own country with you I would say get the insurance on your arrival - or if you already have health cover yourself could you just add her to the policy?

OK. Sorry. She means insurance that covers Thailand. I dont know what the 30 baht scheme covers, but as she put it: "Insurance if i have accident or get sick and have to go to hospital.."

Thanks Barry. Will have a look. Sent you PM

[BaaBaa.]

(I'm pretty sure their 30 baht health scheme only covers Thais in their home Province.)

Is correct and it's a F*****g piss take, as my GFs brother found out.

A large majority of Thais head to BKK for work, yet when they snap their leg in two moving heavy slabs they can pay 6 months wages or grin and bear it. Tossers.

[Super Joe]

(I'm pretty sure their 30 baht health scheme only covers Thais in their home Province.)

Is correct and it's a F*****g piss take, as my GFs brother found out.
A large majority of Thais head to BKK for work, yet when they snap their leg in two moving heavy slabs they can pay 6 months wages or grin and bear it. Tossers.

I thought Thais are entitled to it if in another province, but they have to re-apply and be on a house registration book in the new province. The Blue Book part can prove virtually impossible though if the landlord doesn't want you on their Book for say tax reasons And if they're temporarily working in another province and spending part of the time in their home province then that screws it all up.

Wasn't the whole thing a Thaksin & co gimmick that in practice failed (but in political terms won rural folk over) as it was never funded adequately, hospitals were only allocated 2,000 odd Baht per patient and doctors were cutting corners and not giving the right care.


Foreigners are entitled to the scheme too you know? ...

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if they are over 60 and have PR

SJ

[caller]

Its not a con and its not a piss take. Its all some can afford. Its not perfect, far from it, but what was there before? Go do rural and see. My wifes family have benefited from this, but if immediate family and only if needed, they go private - paid by me.

[margaretcarnes]

Its not a con and its not a piss take. Its all some can afford. Its not perfect, far from it, but what was there before? Go do rural and see. My wifes family have benefited from this, but if immediate family and only if needed, they go private - paid by me.

Agreed Caller - it seems to be a controversial issue, but I do remember there was a lot of enthusiasm for it when it was introduced.
In practice I don't see why it shouldn't cover Thais away from home - whether registered where they are staying or not. But it's a start. Whether it was a vote catcher or not doesn't matter does it? I just wonder if the Abhisit government has any plans to improve the scheme... or even to spend the seized assets on better hospitals.

[Super Joe]

Its not a con and its not a piss take. Its all some can afford. Its not perfect, far from it, but what was there before? Go do rural and see. My wifes family have benefited from this, but if immediate family and only if needed, they go private - paid by me.

Yeah I take your point about it being better than nothing and all some of the poorer people can afford. But I think it was a con/gimmick from a political point of view, they did not fund it sufficiently and people were knowingly given the wrong care by doctors. This was known full well by the politicians but they decided to put themselves first and not fix the problem, all the while having the gall to take credit for it. Typical politicians the world over I guess.

Obviously people with less serious conditions benefitted from it as they may not have gone in the first place due to cost, but then the people going in with serious conditions were treated wrongly to save money. If they were given the correct information and told you need 'x' operation for let's say 50k Baht, otherwise the consequences will be 'y', at least families would have had the option to beg, steal or borrow to have it done. Some might never be able to raise the money, whereas others with a bit of farm land or whatever could borrow what's required.

Allocating 2,200 Baht per person for healthcare doesn't seem to be a proper and genuine commitment to me. But it's also a fair point to say it's better than nothing as was before. Pity it wasn't re-assessed after a period and more funds allocated to it.

SJ

[Khundon1975]

On the wife's last visit home, I took out full Insurance cover with a UK company before she travelled, even though she would have been covered under the 30 Baht scheme.

The problem was she was travelling to several provinces and the registration system would have caused problems.

We did not want her to be in the position of needing the best possible care, whilst being fobbed off with a pack of antibiotics and a smile.

£50 well spent.