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

[Lacessit]

I wonder if Chinese tourists will start staying away because of the extra impost. Given their renowned stinginess, it could happen.

Many restaurants closing the doors in Chiang Mai for lunch. Low season. numbers are down.

[laspalmas]

8 minutes ago, geisha said:

No, il think that what they mean is an extra tax to pay the debt left by foreigners who are not insured. Not a travel insurance !!! This seems  logical and  Correct. To be  used to pay unpaid bills . A good idea, put the  100 Baht as an extra tax on every flight ticket and name it something different , debt tax for example ( only an example) not to confuse travellers. Honestly, what is a 100 B when buying a flight ticket costing 1000b ? Personally, I think it’s a good idea. It’s NOT a travel insurance, and if I had any say in it, I would make compulsory travel insurance for all tourists. No sensible person  Travels without one.

are you  always so excited when you give away money without receiving

anything in return ?

[SunsetT]

"- money for emergencies and return of the dead."

 

I know Thais are very superstitious but I didnt know they believed in zombies!

[potless]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

I wonder if Chinese tourists will start staying away because of the extra impost. Given their renowned stinginess, it could happen.

i think that even cheap chow lee will stump up the necessary.

[rascalman]

It seems Thailand is doing all they can to discourage coming there. Immigration too. Not good. 

[Bastos60]

3 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

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

You will still need your own insurance if you want premium healthcare if anything would happen to you. 
the 100 baht is to pay for shipping you home if something happens. Dead or Alive.

 

But I find this outrageous, while we are on holiday, we pay taxes too, be it VAT, on products and services in great excess of 100 baht. 

But oh no, it is the Thai people who are paying for it, this is cheer populism, blame the government shortcomings on the foreign tourists. Tourism is driving 
a major part of thai services economy. 

 

But for 100 Baht I wouldn't go complaining too much, I just drink a few beers less and tip downwards.

[Boedog]

Wow, they just keep coming up with new ways to line there pockets, trying to legalize there corruption, they never cease to amaze 

[Sumarianson]

Excellent. Now considering thst the average tourist stays 2 weeks or more in Thailand. That would amount to 2400 for a year's. How come the bear minimum requirement for emergency health insurance for over 50's is over 30000 Baht? A cover for injuries up to 30000 baht on a motorcycle ( much more dangerous and likely) is only less than 500B for the year. Insurance makes no sense to me.

[Gtto]

IIRC Costa Rica charges a $26 exit fee. Doesn't seem to cause any problems.

[LukKrueng]

3 hours 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, now it is 700 THB for international flight and 100 THB for domestic flights. It is collected with the air ticket price. There is a departure tax in most (if not all) countries and the amount varies. Has nothing to do with insurance.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

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.

From 2007 The Airports of Thailand authority increased international departure tax to 700 Thai Baht for international departures on February 1st, an increase of 200 Baht on the old tax of 500 Thai Baht.

 

The departure tax for domestic flights within Thailand has also increased from February 1st 2007, doubling from 50 Baht to 100 Baht.

 

So I wonder where this money ends up?

[CGW]

3 minutes ago, Gtto said:

IIRC Costa Rica charges a $26 exit fee. Doesn't seem to cause any problems.

Thailand charges $22, doesn't cause any problems either! most are unaware it is included in ticket price. 

[Guest Jerry787]

insurance companies...

insurance always a great business!

[VBF]

41 minutes ago, smedly said:

If you can't afford 100baht then go home

 

Honestly some people really are unbelievable 

In principle yes...BUT if you've already got your own Travel Insurance, as a tourist it is a rip-off paying for something you already have. 100 Baht, or 1000 Baht a rip-off is a rip-off!

[laspalmas]

12 minutes ago, Bastos60 said:

But for 100 Baht I wouldn't go complaining too much, I just drink a few beers less and tip downwards.

today you accept 100...tomorrow you'll get 200 
and the day after tomorrow you will have to stop drinking to pay for it

[Bastos60]

16 minutes ago, geisha said:

No, il think that what they mean is an extra tax to pay the debt left by foreigners who are not insured. Not a travel insurance !!! This seems  logical and  Correct. To be  used to pay unpaid bills . A good idea, put the  100 Baht as an extra tax on every flight ticket and name it something different , debt tax for example ( only an example) not to confuse travellers. Honestly, what is a 100 B when buying a flight ticket costing 1000b ? Personally, I think it’s a good idea. It’s NOT a travel insurance, and if I had any say in it, I would make compulsory travel insurance for all tourists. No sensible person  Travels without one.

300 million debt from uninsured? They not get any taxes from tourists? How about the 50+ Trillion baht they receive minimal from taxes on tourist consumption.  And how about the taxes paid by people who earn their wages on services towards tourists. 

The solution is pretty simple if they want to avoid this cost, enforce every airline flying in tourists to attach a travel insurance to their ticket, being one supplied by the airline (like KLM does at the moment) or a separate one where you provide the contract number in your booking.

 

Airlines have to provide passenger details beforehand anyway, this way immigration already is provided with the insurance details of every traveller and can recover any costs from emergency or repatriation of dead. 

 

For expats living in Thailand, no health insurance, no visa. 

 

 

[rott]

25 minutes ago, potless said:

The problem of unpaid hospital bills.

There is a thing called context.

Tourism brings in how many trillion a year? And it has never been stated the exact amount of defaulted hospital bills, plus that nice round figure of 300 million, has repatriated dead included in it. 

I agree people should pay their bills and those that don't should be called to account, this just seems a strange way of going about things.

How do other mass tourism countries manage the problem, Thailand cannot be alone in this?

[Billthekiwi]

100 baht is a great deal. I don't care if they make a profit because it is money well spent.

[VBF]

3 hours ago, Basil B said:

(Airport Tax) now paid by the airlines.

Allow me to correct that......

(Airport Tax) now paid by the passengers and the airlines pass it on.

Just sayin'......

[Bastos60]

1 minute ago, laspalmas said:

today you accept 100...tomorrow you'll get 200 
and the day after tomorrow you will have to stop drinking to pay for it

It is all propaganda, tell the poor uneducated people they are paying for a foreigners hospital bill and it is a win-win for them. 

The more educated tourists would say that tourists do pay taxes as well while they are on holiday through their consumption. 

[Bastos60]

1 minute ago, Billthekiwi said:

100 baht is a great deal. I don't care if they make a profit because it is money well spent.

But you have no coverage for 100 baht.  It is a social tax where you pick up the bill of someone else.

[Rawairat]

I reckon this will be a slush fund for hospitals to access for unpaid bills from foreigners

[bluesofa]

9 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

From 2007 The Airports of Thailand authority increased international departure tax to 700 Thai Baht for international departures on February 1st, an increase of 200 Baht on the old tax of 500 Thai Baht.

 

The departure tax for domestic flights within Thailand has also increased from February 1st 2007, doubling from 50 Baht to 100 Baht.

 

So I wonder where this money ends up?

Or: I wonder in whose pocket this money ends up?

[steve73]

But if you die here, does your body still have to pay the 100bt when it's shipped back..?

 

Seriously though, with 38 million visitors, they just need some jars at departures that you could throw all your loose change into.  Would only need 8 bt of shrapnel on average to cover the 300 MM bt shortfall.

[Bastos60]

4 minutes ago, rott said:

There is a thing called context.

Tourism brings in how many trillion a year? And it has never been stated the exact amount of defaulted hospital bills, plus that nice round figure of repatriated dead is included in it. 

I agree people should pay their bills and those that don't should be called to account, this just ses a strange way of going about things.

How do other mass tourism countries manage the problem, Thailand cannot be alone in this?

I never heard any other country complain about providing medical emergency care to their tourists. 

[Mac98]

4 hours 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.

Now it's included in the price of your ticket, among the taxes and fees.

[StevieAus]

4 hours 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.

 

The article refers to tourists presumably those living here long term utilizing marriage visas, retirement extensions work permits etc are not tourists

There is no mention of how it would be collected so why jump to conclusions that are not there.

Even if the above groups were charged the 100 baht it would hardly break the bank.

[potless]

12 minutes ago, Bastos60 said:

The solution is pretty simple if they want to avoid this cost, enforce every airline flying in tourists to attach a travel insurance to their ticket, being one supplied by the airline (like KLM does at the moment) or a separate one where you provide the contract number in your booking.

Or charge everyone 100 baht.

[Percy P]

4 hours 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.

Still there but included in your flight ticket. They have hidden it in a different payment. 

[Too young to be old]

4 hours 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.

 

That's true. I do rember arriving at the airport many years ago with just enough money for a meal. Forgot about 500 baht tax and I went hungry.