News Forum - Thai government ditches 300-baht fee for tourists: Massive insurance plan

[Thaiger]

In a bold move to restore tourist trust, Thailand‘s Tourism and Sports Ministry has abandoned the long-delayed 300-baht tourism fee and is now looking for another type of insurance for tourists. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is spearheading a grand plan to offer a whopping 500,000 baht coverage for injuries and a jaw-dropping 1 million baht … …

The story Thai government ditches 300-baht fee for tourists: Massive insurance plan as seen on Thaiger News.

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[Khunmark]

So, we are led to believe providing us with insurance will make us feel safe and secure. If I’m faced with a gun toting lunatic at the local shopping centre, I should produce my insurance policy and all will be fine? Or I’m about to be the object of a kidnapping and out comes the insurance policy and my kidnappers apologise profusely and send me on my merry way? Sounds reasonable.

[ChrisS]

How exactly does providing insurance make someone feel safer? Most RESPONSIBLE tourists and ex pats have insurance anyway so this will only subsidise those stupid enough not to have it.

[Marc26]

5 hours ago, ChrisS said:

How exactly does providing insurance make someone feel safer? Most RESPONSIBLE tourists and ex pats have insurance anyway so this will only subsidise those stupid enough not to have it.

Of course it will

 

A lot of times you have to pay up front then submit a claim

 

Having this insurance that will take care of a general hospital visit is beneficial 

 

They have the same set up in other countries 

Costa Rica being one of them

[CanadaSam]

I can not believe the amount of idiots who are dumping on this!  Thailand is doing good things for foreigners, and you are abusing it?  Crazy!

[Marc26]

1 hour ago, CanadaSam said:

I can not believe the amount of idiots who are dumping on this!  Thailand is doing good things for foreigners, and you are abusing it?  Crazy!

You haven't been around the forum of the miserables that long 

 

They'd complain about a blow job from a supermodel 5555

[Khunmark]

3 hours ago, CanadaSam said:

I can not believe the amount of idiots who are dumping on this!  Thailand is doing good things for foreigners, and you are abusing it?  Crazy!

We are critical of this because, as seems to be the case with most policies the government delivers, it treats the symptoms rather than the cause.

There are several elements to this; the first is the mad scramble for the tourist dollar, which seems to invoke a new ill conceived policy on a weekly basis. This particular policy will fail in its objective because the tourists who consider worst case scenarios when they travel will happily take out insurance cover off their own steam as they always do. This policy won’t attract the less risk averse types because the thought of winding up in hospital and footing the bill for the stay doesn’t even enter their calculations when planning an overseas holiday. So this policy will not increase tourist numbers

The second element relates to safety and security. As for the mind set of the risk averse tourist, safety considerations are not going to be ameliorated by the insurance coverage because any claim made is after the fact. I.e. after the unwanted and unfortunate event has occurred. If the government were serious about addressing the concerns of potential tourist surrounding safety and security they would employ task forces to; 1) examine the practices of converting blank firing guns into gun that fire live ammunition 2)  Reduce the amount of unregistered firearms within the community 3) Target foreign nationals coming into Thailand to conduct elicit activities that involve extortion and ransom 4) Improve the levels of protection for foreign nationals who are vulnerable to criminal syndicates.

That the 300 baht tourist fee is being shelved before it starts gives you some insight into the lack of planning and cohesion associated with each announcement. No tourist actively wishes to exercise an insurance claim.

 

[Marc26]

2 hours ago, Khunmark said:

We are critical of this because, as seems to be the case with most policies the government delivers, it treats the symptoms rather than the cause.

There are several elements to this; the first is the mad scramble for the tourist dollar, which seems to invoke a new ill conceived policy on a weekly basis. This particular policy will fail in its objective because the tourists who consider worst case scenarios when they travel will happily take out insurance cover off their own steam as they always do. This policy won’t attract the less risk averse types because the thought of winding up in hospital and footing the bill for the stay doesn’t even enter their calculations when planning an overseas holiday. So this policy will not increase tourist numbers

The second element relates to safety and security. As for the mind set of the risk averse tourist, safety considerations are not going to be ameliorated by the insurance coverage because any claim made is after the fact. I.e. after the unwanted and unfortunate event has occurred. If the government were serious about addressing the concerns of potential tourist surrounding safety and security they would employ task forces to; 1) examine the practices of converting blank firing guns into gun that fire live ammunition 2)  Reduce the amount of unregistered firearms within the community 3) Target foreign nationals coming into Thailand to conduct elicit activities that involve extortion and ransom 4) Improve the levels of protection for foreign nationals who are vulnerable to criminal syndicates.

That the 300 baht tourist fee is being shelved before it starts gives you some insight into the lack of planning and cohesion associated with each announcement. No tourist actively wishes to exercise an insurance claim.

I think you are thinking way too much into it

 

The vast, vast majority of tourists wouldn’t even factor this into their travels 

 

I don't look at what countries offer insurance 

But when I land and I am handed insurance that would cover sickness and a minor accident I am grateful that I won't have to use my insurance and go through that hassle 

 

And I don't, again like the vast majority of tourists, change my behavior in anyway 

 

It's just a good backup offered (if it even works when needed!)

[Vigo]

There is currently aTG article touting the importance of the KSA tourists and the large amounts that they will spend in the "paradise" (sic) called Phuket. These people do not need Thai insurance.  In the past 2 years of the influx of Russians, we have not yet heard any tales of woe and a need to go fund their misadventures. Never a sad story about a PRC national either. It is always some down on his luck westerner, usually a UK resident, who runs into a problem. I don't need  the  limited Thai coverage, as I have my own private  healthcare. Maybe the Thais realized it would be better to keep the "problem" out of Thailand instead of trying to penalize 99% of the visitors  to Thailand who didn't need the coverage.

[Khunmark]

4 hours ago, Marc26 said:

I think you are thinking way too much into it

The vast, vast majority of tourists wouldn’t even factor this into their travels 

I don't look at what countries offer insurance 

But when I land and I am handed insurance that would cover sickness and a minor accident I am grateful that I won't have to use my insurance and go through that hassle 

And I don't, again like the vast majority of tourists, change my behavior in anyway 

It's just a good backup offered (if it even works when needed!)

On this particular policy, I probably am reading too much into it. However, the issue forms part of a broader discussion about reform and the will of the government (which doesn’t have a mandate) to deliver the reforms necessary to make a real difference to the safety and security of international tourists.

[Viggen840]

20 hours ago, ChrisS said:

this will only subsidise those stupid enough not to have it.

The backpackers that Thailand has previously thought of as the bottom of the pile are now seen as 'good' for tourism?

[Marc26]

9 hours ago, Khunmark said:

On this particular policy, I probably am reading too much into it. However, the issue forms part of a broader discussion about reform and the will of the government (which doesn’t have a mandate) to deliver the reforms necessary to make a real difference to the safety and security of international tourists.

I get it 

 

Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't even be able to use it when thr time comes!

 

No hab that insurance this hospitan

 

 

 

[Nick]

I've already got free travel insurance with my packaged bank account that gives me up to 10 million USD medical coverage so won't be needing it.

[Marc26]

7 hours ago, Nick said:

I've already got free travel insurance with my packaged bank account that gives me up to 10 million USD medical coverage so won't be needing it.

But I would guess you would use it if the situations arose

 

Instead of paying upfront and submitting a claim with your own insurance 

 

That's on the assumption the Thai insurance would work that way.....

 

That's the attractiveness of offering tourists insurance 

[Viggen840]

9 hours ago, Nick said:

I've already got free travel insurance with my packaged bank account that gives me up to 10 million USD medical coverage so won't be needing it.

Mind if I ask who with and your age?

[Sparrows]

Fee, no fee, fee? One hand doesn’t know what the other is doing.

It’s chaos, like the Benny hill show