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

[sunnyboy2018]

there used to be an exit tax

[Aussieroaming]

17 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

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.

 

Add to your previous sums the revenue gained from tourist spending and the losses as a percentage of tourism revenue become so insignificant as to not merit any mention. I hope the 100 baht tariff backfires and tourists look elsewhere for their holidays.

 

Fat chance of long term expats benefitting from a 100 baht tariff, more likely that 100 baht will be an additional cost to the insurances etc.

[ThomasThBKK]

31 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

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

Thank you, always happy the gov listens to me, but somehow they got the number wrong ????

 

[ilms]

The article says tourists, but I wonder if they mean to extend it to all foreigners entering the country. I imagine that many on this forum already have to pay 1,000B (re-entry permit, single entry) whenever we leave the country and come back. I've never been able to figure out what the re-entry permit was for other than a blatant money grab. So hey, what's another hundred, right?

[CGW]

18 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

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

Time flies! 12 years ago it was included into the ticket price!

Helped more than one person out who had not "budgeted for this last minute payment - back in the day.................

[GeorgeCross]

wasn't the 300 million figure the same one used to justify mandatory health insurance for O-A visas?

 

which one is it or?

 

 

[CGW]

My ale of choice recently has been Snowy, its not brilliant but better than any other offering - IMO

 

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, boonrawdcnx said:

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.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

Remember that health insurers know what the rate is.

 

The Americans that I know insist that Thailand is still not expensive.

 

I moved back to the UK last year, so can make some comparisons. Ear-syringing/cleaning in the UK, private healthcare, same price (as near as dammit) as Bumrungrad/BNH. My prescriptions cost pretty much the same with an NHS prescription as they do over the chemists counter in Bangkok (same tablets at B'grad cost double).

[Chivas]

31 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.

There still is but purely absorbed into price of the airline ticket

[Andrew65]

10 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

there used to be an exit tax

That was the airport tax, it's now included in your ticket price, was 500 Baht, increased to 700 Baht around the same time that they opened Swampy.

[bluesofa]

12 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

there used to be an exit tax

I thought that was called death duty?

[laspalmas]

10 minutes ago, Aussieroaming said:

Add to your previous sums the revenue gained from tourist spending and the losses as a percentage of tourism revenue become so insignificant as to not merit any mention. I hope the 100 baht tariff backfires and tourists look elsewhere for their holidays.

 

Fat chance of long term expats benefitting from a 100 baht tariff, more likely that 100 baht will be an additional cost to the insurances etc.

The first time I arrived in SEA I chose Thailand only because I did not have

to pay $ 25-30 for a visa... in Thailand I could get 30 days for free.
  These small amounts count when people planning a trip .
I stayed 15 days then and spent 50,000 baht without an air ticket.
Thailand was smart and enterprising ... now is completely stupid.

[ezzra]

There's this fat plump cash cow that is in the crosshair of every money grabbing beaurocrat, this cow represent the tourists that flock to Thailand every year and leave 202 trilions baht behind them, you know the one, with an open season on them all year round, so someone came up with the idea how can milk that cow even more and we call it some sort of "Insurance cover"...

[Tropicalevo]

37 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.

Yes there was a departure tax. I think that they stopped it about 15 years ago (or more).

[overherebc]

34 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 thought that was now added as a some figure to the cost of flying so probably still there, maybe less than 500 per pax now.

Now everyone has forgotten about it it's easier just to start another collection system.

I could be wrong though.

[bluesofa]

If this tax happens I'm going to order salmonella & chips every day, as I know I can afford to be ill.

Free accommodation, free food, and all for 100 Baht.

I can hardly wait.

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

I thought that was now added as a some figure to the cost of flying so probably still there, maybe less than 500 per pax now.

Now everyone has forgotten about it it's easier just to start another collection system.

I could be wrong though.

Now 700 Baht (was 500 Baht cash), it's been included in the ticket price since about 2006.

[monkeycu]

47 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.

There was, then it was added to your airline ticket

[holy cow cm]

It's a start, but how many times can they use the 300million? VOA? or O-A old timers for blaming the foreigners??? I would surely be ok with a 5-10,000 baht fee for long timers insurance when renewing. Everything so easily solved then and for a nominal cost. 

[Basil B]

26 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

there used to be an exit tax

(Airport Tax) now paid by the airlines.

[55Jay]

The former 2006 thread.

 

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/80795-airport-departure-tax-to-be-increased-to-700-baht/#comments

[Sealbash]

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. 

How many people would actually notice an additional 100baht ($3) added to an airline ticket?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[overherebc]

4 minutes ago, Sealbash said:

How many people would actually notice an additional 100baht ($3) added to an airline ticket?


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Google

Cheap flights by fascinating Aida.????????

[CLS]

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. 

A yearly worlwide travel insurance with 2 million baht coverage costs less than 6.000฿/y, 20฿ daily. Assuming the Thai tourist insurance covers a lot less, 100฿ is sufficient.


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Assurancetourix]

1 hour ago, Pilotman said:

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

100 baht only ?

 

Not enough for our deep pockets ;

why not 1,000 baht from each tourist when arriving and another 1,000 baht when leaving the kingdom ?

[Andrew65]

Below is a breakdown of a fare for a flight from London to Bangkok last   September. The fare was £240, total ticket cost £489, mostly UK/Thai taxes       PAYMENT DETAILS

FARE DETAILS

Fare Calculation: LON BR BKK155.20BR LON155.20NUC310.40END ROE0.773147

Fare:

GBP 240.00

Form of payment:

CASH

Tour Code

EN0214

Endorsements: /C1 NONEND/RFND FEE GBP100. P/U NOT RFND.CHGE GBP25 FOR EVERY CHNG. COLL ANY ADDTL T/F/C. I/B SURCHRG MAY APPLY.

Fare equivalent:

THB 10310

Taxes:

THB 1080XP

GBP PD 0.80E7

GBP PD 0.80E7

GBP PD 78.00GB

GBP PD 0.40G8

GBP PD 0.40G8

GBP PD 16.50TS

GBP PD 44.91UB

Carrier Imposed Fees:

GBP PD 100.00YQ

Total Amount:

THB 1080A

_

Grand Total:

THB 11390

[tingtong]

so, one hand a 300 million issue....on other hand a 3.8 billion proposal to solve this?

 

wouldnt 10 thb per person do then?

or need to collect up for the next submarine or whatever?

[Lenny Jones]

Will this include the Chinese? - Or any of those
"other countries" that get their visa fees waived?

 

I really think that these mathematically-challenged people put shit like this out then read Thai Visa screaming and shouting to see how much they'll end up with!

[Misterwhisper]

100 baht "insurance premium" will entitle you to exactly 8 paracetamol tablets at designated hospitals only. But because Thailand truly loves all her foreign quality tourists, the country will perhaps throw in a few broad spectrum antibiotics for free out of sheer goodwill.

[potless]

 

1 hour ago, Bert got kinky said:

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

Probably. All social media is monitored. Given the amount of [all illegal} defamatory comments posted on these forums about Immigration, government policies or Thais in general, I conclude that it suits the powers that be to allow it to continue for information purposes.