Thailand: All visitors will need insurance

[webfact]

Thailand: All visitors will need insurance

By TTR WEEKLY

 

  

BANGKOK, 15 September 2020: A consortium of 16 insurance companies in Thailand are now offering foreigners, who are eligible to travel to Thailand, the mandatory insurance cover valued at USD100,000.      

 

Thailand’s Office of Insurance confirmed last week that it has set up a consortium of insurance companies offering Covid-19 insurance online as the country prepares to reopen its borders to travellers.

 

Once the country reopens all foreigners entering Thailand will need to buy Covid-19 insurance. But until the door reopens the scheme will make it easier for foreigners who are currently eligible to travel to Thailand to acquire the mandatory insurance cover online.

 

Full story: https://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2020/09/thailand-all-visitors-will-need-insurance/

 

-- © Copyright TTR Weekly 2020-09-16

 

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[Chelseafan]

So if I have a comprehensive policy already, including Covid insurance, I have to purchase again ?

 

"If the traveller is from a high-risk country, the insurance premium could be as high as THB43,200".

 

Assuming UK is high-risk then that's over £1000 !

 

SERIOUSLY !?

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Chelseafan

[SVC Porter]

They don't get it....no one is coming lol.

[AgentSmith]

14 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

So if I have a comprehensive policy already, including Covid insurance, I have to purchase again ?

 

"If the traveller is from a high-risk country, the insurance premium could be as high as THB43,200".

 

Assuming UK is high-risk then that's over £1000 !

 

SERIOUSLY !?

 

I agree. My worldwide insurance policy covers me up to 2 million euros, 100% in and out patient, and covid-19 coverage is included. I sure do hope they won't force expensive redundant insurance upon us. I can prove I have insurance and that should really be enough.

[Enoon]

 

Any tourist destinations looking to re-open?

 

"It's OK, we're not Thailand" should be your slogan.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Enoon

[Chelseafan]

13 minutes ago, AgentSmith said:

I agree. My worldwide insurance policy covers me up to 2 million euros, 100% in and out patient, and covid-19 coverage is included. I sure do hope they won't force expensive redundant insurance upon us. I can prove I have insurance and that should really be enough.

 

Same, I usually pay around £25 per trip. Just checked and it's around £30 including Covid insurance.

 

[ukrules]

24 minutes ago, AgentSmith said:

I agree. My worldwide insurance policy covers me up to 2 million euros, 100% in and out patient, and covid-19 coverage is included. I sure do hope they won't force expensive redundant insurance upon us. I can prove I have insurance and that should really be enough.

You have to look at what's covered.

 

I believe what they do in Thailand does NOT qualify as emergency treatment under any 'sane' insurance policy.

 

How about we find out the exact and precise sequence of events and 'treatment' that an insurance company will be required to pay if someone is detected as 'COVID positive' despite having no symptoms.

 

The vast majority of cases will be like everywhere else in the world - asymptomatic yet we all know what waits for them on arrival - they're going to be confined to an isolation ward for what might be many weeks and your insurance company is going to be expected to pay for all of this 'emergency treatment'.

 

Hence the high price.

 

The above is speculation based on what I've been reading, am I wrong? I don't think so....

Edited September 15, 2020 by ukrules

[Chelseafan]

6 minutes ago, ukrules said:

You have to look at what's covered.

 

I believe what they do in Thailand does NOT qualify as emergency treatment under any 'sane' insurance policy.

 

 

I would rather think it wise to look at what the Thai insurance DOES NOT cover, for example, only £80,000 (maximum) cover in case of death

 

Most 'sane' travel insurance companies (UK) will cover Covid, including emergency treatment and althought there is a slight premium, its not much.

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Chelseafan

[ukrules]

3 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

 

I would rather think it wise to look at what the Thai insurance DOES NOT cover. It only covers a maximum of £80,000 in case of death for example

 

Most 'sane' travel insurance companies will cover Covid, including emergency treatment with a slight premium, certainly in the UK anyhow.

 

You're not getting what I'm saying.

 

A positive test is an emergency in Thailand. Full expensive hazmat isolation treatment for weeks even if asymptomatic.

 

In the UK they send you home for a week if you're asymptomatic, same almost everywhere else in the world - this is the difference in the treatment and the price of the cover.

 

It also explains why you need a Thai insurance company.....

 

Just watch - this is how it will play out.

[Chelseafan]

2 minutes ago, ukrules said:

You're not getting what I'm saying.

 

A positive test is an emergency in Thailand. Full expensive hazmat isolation treatment for weeks even if asymptomatic.

 

In the UK they send you home for a week if you're asymptomatic, same almost everywhere else in the world - this is the difference in the treatment and the price of the cover.

 

It also explains why you need a Thai insurance company.....

 

Just watch - this is how it will play out.

 

I get what you're saying but don't you think that the UK insurance company has already factored that all in when quoting, hence the slight uptick in premiums to pay.

 

 

[Enoon]

9 minutes ago, ukrules said:

You're not getting what I'm saying.

 

A positive test is an emergency in Thailand. Full expensive hazmat isolation treatment for weeks even if asymptomatic.

 

In the UK they send you home for a week if you're asymptomatic, same almost everywhere else in the world - this is the difference in the treatment and the price of the cover.

 

It also explains why you need a Thai insurance company.....

 

Just watch - this is how it will play out.

 

So it wasn't "too uneconomical" for them to test for COVID.

 

 

It was too uneconomical to find COVID.

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Enoon

[ukrules]

26 minutes ago, Chelseafan said:

 

I get what you're saying but don't you think that the UK insurance company has already factored that all in when quoting, hence the slight uptick in premiums to pay.

 

 

The key here is that pretty much every country in the world defines emergency treatment as what we know it - life saving treatment when you're severely ill. Test positive, no symptoms - just go home and isolate for 7 to 14 days depending on which country you're in - no emergency treatment required.

 

Here in Thailand on the other hand you are removed from society (this is where the $100k is used), and they're going to use it. There's no being sent home to self isolate for 7 to 14 days here, you're getting the full on emergency isolation hospital suite with hazmat suit wearing doctors running around testing you every few hours regardless of whether you actually need it or not. But it's not going to be an emergency = no payment.

 

You could be in there for many weeks.

 

This is not speculation - you are NOT allowed to use the UK insurance and this is the reason why.

 

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, Chelseafan said:

 

Same, I usually pay around £25 per trip. Just checked and it's around £30 including Covid insurance.

 

Wow, please share the name of the ins. company, thanks.

[bodga]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

consortium

it stinks  already

[Shey420]

1 hour ago, SVC Porter said:

They don't get it....no one is coming lol.

They do get it. This is why their plan is to only have one to three flights per week. 1200 per month.

 

Quilty tourist is what they been pushing since talks of reopening started.

 

They can definitely get 1200 people per month with this new scheme. 

They can definitely get those numbers every month for the foreseeable future. While added more flights and more asq hotels and visitors.

This is their ultimate plan.

 

The question is can they hit there money goals while in this scheme. While every other business around them go under. I doubt that but it seems they are willing to have that collateral damage. 

[Grumpy John]

OK,  the main topic is the ridiculous insurance requirement but I  was of the understanding that inward and outward passengers paid a hidden tax on their ticket which was supposed to cover insurance whilst in country.  Am I to assume that tax is being funnelled into consolidated revenue?

[ezzra]

And the madness continues....

[alfalfa19]

WAFJ.    

[Puchaiyank]

I'm a bit confused about the need for coronavirus insurance...if the data presented to the world...almost no evidence of coronavirus in country...and those suspect farangs having to undergo quarantine as a tourist...why the need for mandatory virus healthcare protection???

 

Has the government entered the farang shakedown business?

 

Don't answer that!  ????

[Crusader]

This country really needs to sort out all things insurance wise.  How many stories have we seen of tourists in accidents - with no insurance...hundreds over the years.  I even know of people working here who have no insurance (some companies stop offering insurance when people reach 60 years of age).

[ricardofel]

But wait.............presently you have to quarantine for 2weeks if you want to come to Thailand in the near future. Hotels are minimum 33,000 baht. Bye bye Thailand...stupidity reigns!!!!

[lemonjelly]

If there is an outbreak here whilst the insured travelers are in the country, I very much doubt there’ll be enough beds in the private hospitals to accommodate both the Thai and foreign patients anyway 

[Blumpie]

Oh forget it, lmao!

[otherstuff1957]

Unless you are one of the handful of people with PR, we are all 'visitors'.  I wouldn't be surprised if this insurance becomes a requirement for visa extensions in the near future!

[holy cow cm]

Here we go again that it has to come from only Thai insurance companies. It is a complete shakedown on foreigners. Nothing more and nothing less. 

[baansgr]

3 hours ago, Chelseafan said:

So if I have a comprehensive policy already, including Covid insurance, I have to purchase again ?

 

"If the traveller is from a high-risk country, the insurance premium could be as high as THB43,200".

 

Assuming UK is high-risk then that's over £1000 !

 

SERIOUSLY !?

 

No doubt that would be for the maximum period...a shorter stay from a low risk country is only £40

[elgenon]

2 hours ago, AgentSmith said:

I agree. My worldwide insurance policy covers me up to 2 million euros, 100% in and out patient, and covid-19 coverage is included. I sure do hope they won't force expensive redundant insurance upon us. I can prove I have insurance and that should really be enough.

My American insurance covers me any time I go to the hospital in a foreign country as an outpatient or an inpatient. I asked them how I could prove that to the Thai government and they said show them your insurance card. 55555

[Oxx]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

a consortium of insurance companies

 

In other words a cartel with all the (high) price fixing that entails.

 

It's no different from the banks all charging the same ridiculously high fee for cash withdrawals using a foreign card.

 

The foreigner here is always seen as an easy target for price gouging, and cartels make sure they can't avoid being ripped off.

[tonray]

2 hours ago, AgentSmith said:

I sure do hope they won't force expensive redundant insurance upon us

As someone with an O-A Visa and a perfectly good insurance policy...I had to buy a throwaway policy for my extension just this week. I guess If I ever leave and want to return, I'll need to buy a third policy to get back in. I'd sure like a chart showing which officials are connected to the insurance companies

[OnTheRun]

BANGKOK, 15 September 2020: A consortium of 16 insurance companies in Thailand are now offering foreigners, who are eligible to travel to Thailand, the mandatory insurance cover valued at USD100,000.      

 

Thailand’s Office of Insurance confirmed last week that it has set up a CARTEL of insurance companies offering Covid-19 insurance online as the country prepares to reopen its borders to travellers.

 

Once the country reopens all foreigners entering Thailand will need to buy Covid-19 insurance. But until the door reopens the scheme will make it easier for foreigners who are currently eligible to travel to Thailand to acquire the mandatory insurance cover online.

 

Fixed that, no doubt a new scheme / scam for the perennial troughers. 

 

What about people like myself who already have comprehensive cover, in my case through my employers scheme which covers Covid?