News Forum - Thailand isn’t the only place in the world that applies tourist taxes

[Guest1]

  On 7/17/2022 at 1:49 PM, Highlandman said:

That's not true at all. I only ever go to private hospitals and in the case of emergency or an urgent matter, I get treated immediately THEN presented with the bill at the end. They hold you until you pay though.

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That is true if you walk in and be a outpatient. 

The HIGH bills, the public hospitals are sitting on, are most from tourists, getting delivered with an ambulance because of an accident, drowning, hear attack, you name it. 

The people, who need surgery, ICU, high cost treatment right away, when private hospitals wanna see a payment upfront. 

If you can't produce that, lets say, 50/100k /private travel insurance the hospital knows/can talk to,  b/c in bath pants, pulled out of the sea or scratched from the road after a bike accident and no one else is reachable and willing to pay,  of you go to Government hospital. 

They may care with "necessary"  help, so that you survive the way to the other hospital, but that's it! Anyway, the ambulances are trying to sort that for them. If only an unconscious  foreigner with no credit card in his wallet/without any wallet: Straight to the next public hospital. They HAVE to help!

https://scandasia.com/uninsured-foreigners-burdens-thai-public-hospitals/

[Guest1]

  On 7/17/2022 at 1:55 PM, Grumpish said:

Particularly Cambodia and Laos, where a lot of the cross-border traffic is small scale day traders, rather than tourists.  

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My guess, with border passes you are of the hook. Sooner or later that will happen. Or these countries will charge Thai border crossers, too.

[DesperateOldHand]

  On 7/17/2022 at 2:31 PM, Guest1 said:

My guess, with border passes you are of the hook. Sooner or later that will happen. Or these countries will charge Thai border crossers, too.

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Some are expecting this change reasonably soon......from what I hear.

[Mohandas]

  On 7/17/2022 at 2:12 PM, Guest1 said:

That is true if you walk in and be a outpatient. 

The HIGH bills, the public hospitals are sitting on, are most from tourists, getting delivered with an ambulance because of an accident, drowning, hear attack, you name it. 

The people, who need surgery, ICU, high cost treatment right away, when private hospitals wanna see a payment upfront. 

If you can't produce that, lets say, 50/100k /private travel insurance the hospital knows/can talk to,  b/c in bath pants, pulled out of the sea or scratched from the road after a bike accident and no one else is reachable and willing to pay,  of you go to Government hospital. 

They may care with "necessary"  help, so that you survive the way to the other hospital, but that's it! Anyway, the ambulances are trying to sort that for them. If only an unconscious  foreigner with no credit card in his wallet/without any wallet: Straight to the next public hospital. They HAVE to help!

https://scandasia.com/uninsured-foreigners-burdens-thai-public-hospitals/

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Things do need to change for the benefit of the commons - everywhere.

[DiJoDavO]

"that it will be used as compulsory insurance coverage for up to 30 days. "

So how about expats??? How long will it last for us and what are the benefits of this for us? This is clear as mud. 

They say it's unfortunately not possible to differentiate between types of visas, only countries. 

Well, maybe they should first figure it out before they start doing this. It's not that it's an emergency to do it immediately right now. 

Maybe they can hire that super hi-tech car that the police used to track down foreigners on an overstay because if it's about that, they apparently can check who is on which visa here. Have them work together maybe? 

[KaptainRob]

  On 7/18/2022 at 3:19 AM, DiJoDavO said:

"that it will be used as compulsory insurance coverage for up to 30 days. "

So how about expats??? How long will it last for us and what are the benefits of this for us? This is clear as mud. 

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30 days accident cover for all non-Thai arrivals is supposedly to be covered out of the 34 baht component of this tourist tax.

Don't fret, it's still a long way from implementation, minimum 90 days but with airlines and tourism authorities pushing back it might never come to pass.

Land Border collection and the potential for *cough* mishandling of the tax is also a hurdle as many Burmese, Lao, Khmer and Malay people enter for trade on a regular basis.  Should they perhaps be exempt?

[Bluesofa]

  On 7/18/2022 at 3:51 AM, KaptainRob said:

30 days accident cover for all non-Thai arrivals is supposedly to be covered out of the 34 baht component of this tourist tax.

Don't fret, it's still a long way from implementation, minimum 90 days but with airlines and tourism authorities pushing back it might never come to pass.

Land Border collection and the potential for *cough* mishandling of the tax is also a hurdle as many Burmese, Lao, Khmer and Malay people enter for trade on a regular basis.  Should they perhaps be exempt?

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The Burmese seem to be quite 'accident prone' (it can't surely be to the Thai hatred of them, making them scapegoats). So I would think the Burmese at least do need some sort of 'accident' cover.

[KaptainRob]

  On 7/18/2022 at 5:38 AM, Bluesofa said:

The Burmese seem to be quite 'accident prone' (it can't surely be to the Thai hatred of them, making them scapegoats). So I would think the Burmese at least do need some sort of 'accident' cover.

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Surely you jest.  Burmese workers do not necessarily enter as 'tourists' and all those we have employed and see working around CM are not accident prone.   

The tax is supposed to apply to border crossing 'visitors', those who come for business or trade and I'd hope those with work permits are exempted from the tax upon returning from home visits.  One of the many bugs to be ironed out or corrupted.

[Bluesofa]

  On 7/18/2022 at 5:52 AM, KaptainRob said:

Surely you jest.  Burmese workers do not necessarily enter as 'tourists' and all those we have employed and see working around CM are not accident prone.   

The tax is supposed to apply to border crossing 'visitors', those who come for business or trade and I'd hope those with work permits are exempted from the tax upon returning from home visits.  One of the many bugs to be ironed out or corrupted.

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I'm sure they aren't accident prone when working.
It was my sarcastic comment in brackets, about how they have been 'fitted up' to 'solve' murders when there's someone of influence (i.e. got loads of dosh) involved.
I know this is an aside, but wasn't the last one on Khao Tao?
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh_Tao_murders#Trial_and_conviction