Every foreign tourist to Thailand set to be charged 100 baht insurance fee

[webfact]

Every foreign tourist to Thailand set to be charged 100 baht insurance fee

 

Every foreign tourist to Thailand set to be charged 100 baht insurance - money for emergencies and return of the dead.

 

Thai media has reported that the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports is proposing that every foreign tourist visiting Thailand should be charged an insurance and life insurance fee. 

 

BECTERO reported that this was likely to be about 100 baht per trip and come in within the next six months. 

 

The money would be used to insure tourists and stop Thai taxpayers forking out for tourists' emergency medical treatment and the repatriation of people who die while on holiday. 

 

This, they said, is costing the country 300 million baht a year. 

 

The media said that exactly how much tourists are to be charged is being debated. They referred to Japan's "Sayonara Tax" that levies a charge of 1,000 yen or 300 baht on Japanese and foreigners leaving the country.

 

Whether Thailand would adopt a charge for tourists coming in or leaving was still to be decided. 

 

BECTERO conjectured that if the fee was 100 baht this would give the government 3.8 billion baht based on 38 million visitors a year. 

 

This would be used for the Thai authorities to insure all tourists.

 

And solve the 300 million baht problem of Thais paying via their taxes for emergency treatment and repatriation of the dead. 

 

Source: BECTERO

 

 

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[Mango Bob]

So they are looking to make a profit out of this.

[trainman34014]

300 million baht a year ?  Another number from the Thai number factory, where any number that sounds big enough will do !

[RotBenz8888]

Does that mean tourists won't need to bring any health insurance?

[Pilotman]

what a good idea.  No, I'm not being sarcastic. 

[Pilotman]

1 minute ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Does that mean tourists doesn't need to bring a health insurance anymore?

I imagine that you won't get any additional, practical or usable 'cover' by this surcharge, so travel insurance still required. 

[Nong Khai Man]

5 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

So they are looking to make a profit out of this.

Of Course, Gotta Have Some for the Pocket Money......

[Peterbilt]

Only 100 BHT?
Come on Generals, you can do much better!
A lousy 3.8 bn BHT won't cover everything caused by those evil aliens who dare to get sick / injured or even die in the land of premium quality tourism.
Set it to 1,000 BHT with yearly increases of 200 BHT to compensate the always rising costs in the medical sector.

[Bert got kinky]

 

When the news broke about the 'possible' insurance requirement for ex-pats, this idea was suggested by a poster on Thai Visa. 

 

Is someone from the Ministry of Tourism & Sports reading Thai Visa in order to pick up a few tips. ????

 

 

[JohnOFphon]

Didn't there used to be a departure tax? I remember going to a machine and paying 500 bt for a ticket that had to be shown,,,at check in or passport control...don't remember which.

[sweatalot]

sounds good if used the way it should. Might even make compulsory health insurance for expats unneccessary or cheaper.

 

The problem: Will they use it this way - or just another way to enrich some corrupts?

[madmitch]

This idea has beem mooted before. It should work fine, depending upon how it's collected. I would guess the most logical way would be for an additional 100 baht tax on air tickets into Thailand. and the amount should only be used as a last resort and not replace proper travel insurance. This would of course mean that not only tourists are paying but also Thais travelling overseas and expats but this additional would make up the shortfall from those entering overland woudn't pay.

 

But who knows? The combined brain power of the Ministry of Tourism will no doubt come up with a much more convoluted system.

[rkidlad]

12 minutes ago, webfact said:

The money would be used to insure tourists and stop Thai taxpayers forking out for tourists' emergency medical treatment and the repatriation of people who die while on holiday

Yes, the Thai taxpayers' money is for kickbacks from the purchases of submarines and tanks, etc. 

[rumak]

13 minutes ago, webfact said:

BECTERO conjectured that if the fee was 100 baht this would give the government 3.8 billion baht based on 38 million visitors a year. 

 

This would be used for the Thai authorities to insure all tourists.

????????????????????????

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Let's see... 300 million a year in unpaid hospital bills... (maybe!)

 

vs potentially 3.8 billion in revenues from the proposed tourist tax

 

And what exactly kind of coverage are these Thailand travelers going to get for their 100 baht???

 

BTW, it doesn't seem to specify any particular kind of arrival/visa class... So presumably, either on entry or exit, they're planning to charge any and all foreigners, including long-term expats here who may already have insurance.... 

 

I didn't see any mention of any exemption for O-A visa holders who likely will be subject to the new and much more expensive insurance requirement of their own.  Or any plan to drop the O-A specific proposal in favor on this broader, more reasonably priced alternative.

 

[grantbkk]

Didn't there used to be a departure tax? I remember going to a machine and paying 500 bt for a ticket that had to be shown,,,at check in or passport control...don't remember which.

The departure tax was raised to 700/800 Baht and added to the ticket price as a fee many years ago.

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[david555]

100 baht is peanuts ., but it shows a direction this 2019 Thailand is going …. it wont stop folks …. more to come ….The Pandora box of ideas is opened 

[Bert got kinky]

5 minutes ago, JohnOFphon said:

Didn't there used to be a departure tax? I remember going to a machine and paying 500 bt for a ticket that had to be shown,,,at check in or passport control...don't remember which.

 

I believe that the departure tax still exists but it is now built into the price of the flight ticket.

 

Edited to add, already answered by grantbkk

 

[55Jay]

3 minutes ago, Peterbilt said:

Only 100 BHT?
Come on Generals, you can do much better!
A lousy 3.8 bn BHT won't cover everything caused by those evil aliens who dare to get sick / injured or even die in the land of premium quality tourism.
Set it to 1,000 BHT with yearly increases of 200 BHT to compensate the always rising costs in the medical sector.

Ask and you shall receive.  Then we'll bitch and moan when they do it.

[BobbyL]

Not a bad idea, but unsure as to how they will implement something like this. I also hope this system won't make people with long term visas have to pay if they already have their own insurance here through work etc. 

[keith101]

Maybe for those who don't take out enough travel insurance the Thai Govt can cover the rest from this 100 baht charge LOL .

[lopburi3]

7 minutes ago, JohnOFphon said:

Didn't there used to be a departure tax? I remember going to a machine and paying 500 bt for a ticket that had to be shown,,,at check in or passport control...don't remember which.

Indeed there was for a very short period of time (seems like 30 years ago but memory may well be wrong on that).  

[stanleycoin]

Also was told last night at the bar,  Immigration offices will soon be charging an  entrance fee at the door. 10 baht per falang.

but free for Thai's. 

 

 

[laspalmas]

They should add it to tickets for international flights otherwise it will be a circus

like in the Philippines...and they will lose more tourists .

[stanleycoin]

2 minutes ago, laspalmas said:

They should add it to tickets for international flights otherwise it will be a circus

 

They are waiting in the wings. 

It's show time. 

 

[shady86]

I hope all tourists would boycott this country. How about visa holders re-entering the country?

[Andrew65]

28 minutes ago, trainman34014 said:

300 million baht a year ?  Another number from the Thai number factory, where any number that sounds big enough will do !

In the UK, a country with a similar population (and 40 million tourist visitors), the number's £1.8 billion, 72 billion Baht. At that rate the Thai 300 million Baht estimate seems low?

[evadgib]

25 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

what a good idea.  No, I'm not being sarcastic. 

....until the first failed claim ????

[boonrawdcnx]

Will those who visit and have health and accident insurance also be charged?
I think they should first stop the rip off prices of private hospitals here and the apparently 300 million they are “loosing” will suddenly only be 50 million!
These rip off hospitals are also driving up insurance premiums for everybody with their overcharging. We just found out in a Facebook group that 2 different people were charged different amounts by the same hospital for the same simple procedure - the one paid cash without insurance and the other had insurance - he was charged 3 times the amount! Got my prescription medication from the same hospital 8000 baht - when my supply was used up I took the hospital prescription and went to Pharma choice where I paid 2400 Baht for the same medication they charged me 8000 for at the hospital.


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[Basil B]

I doubt that will cover the current unpaid bills of a small minority of visitors who do not or can not pay their hospital bills, introduce this then the fee will have to be a lot more than 100B, to be fair even 1,000B would be cheap compared to what those of us who bother with travel insurance pay.