Compulsory tourist travel insurance

[reader]

Had to laugh when I read this quote: "The requirement should not be seen as a "hurdle to visitors...". Imagine for a moment the hordes of tourists disgorging from a 380 and scrambling to the vending machines to buy insurance before racing to the immigration queues.  No, no trouble at all.

 

From Bangkok Post

 

All foreign tourists will soon be required to have travel insurance before entering Thailand under a proposal put forward by a committee of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, according to an informed source.

 

The plan has been proposed by a committee working on the development of Thailand as a wellness tourism hub, and will be forwarded for consideration by the national tourism policy commission.

 

The requirement should not be seen as a "hurdle" to visitors to Thailand, the source said on Monday.

 

Under the proposal, the Office of the Insurance Commission would draft details on insurance policies and insurance distribution channels, including the installation of automatic vending machines at international airports and border checkpoints.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1262919/insurance-to-be-compulsory-for-travellers-to-thailand

[emailbroken]

Only the wealthy can afford to travel without it.

 

Annual policies are a good deal and very often credit cards actually provide it for free.  

[NIrishGuy]

Only the wealthy can afford to travel without it.

 

Annual policies are a good deal and very often credit cards actually provide it for free.  

 

 

On that note has anyone ever had reason to call upon said "free" credit card company provided insurance I wonder ??  I know a few people who tell me they have it and "that's enough"whereas personally I prefer to pay the ( very little) extra to know I have the fully paid for gold level policy in case "shit happens" - so either I'm being a mug and paying for something I could have free ( which I doubt as on checking I always see the cover at a fairly minimal or less) OR I'm right an god forbid anyone ACTUALLY ever needs to call on said cover for hospital treatment etc ?    

 

Anyone anyone have any real world experience of using same perhaps ?   

[rollingstone]

I have no personal experience on credit card 'free insurance'. Touchwood, never had any significant incidents while traveling overseas.

 

I have a straight friend traveling on vacation with his wife to Europe and his wife had a bad fall. The two of them had to fly back to Bangkok (yes both are Thais) with a doctor who flew in to the country where the fall took place (thought it was Austria) and the three of them flew back in first class on Thai Airways. His wife's surgery alone later cost half a million baht. Luckily my friend had purchased 'proper' travel insurance hence all these costs were paid for by the insurance. Otherwise he could be set back by quite a bit.

 

Will I buy a separate insurance in future when I travel? No, unless it is mandated by the host country. LOL.

[NIrishGuy]

"Will I buy a separate insurance in future when I travel? No, unless it is mandated by the host country"

 

If I understand the Governments suggestion correctly what they actually mean is that they'd like all travellers entering Thailand to be in possession of suitable travel insurance ( pre-purchased in their own country is fine) or yes purchased at the point of arrival and actually I think that's fair enough to ask for that in the bigger scheme of things these days with medical costs being what they are.

[reader]

Agree that it's reasonable to require it.  However, the only way I can conceive that it could be accomplished without creating significant inconvenience and delays on arrival is to require airlines to collect it at time of ticket purchase as they do airport use fees imposed by individual countries. 

[stijntje]

I was on holiday in Iran a few weeks ago, and I had to buy a local travel insurance, as I had no proof with me my annual travel insurance covered Iran. This extra insurance costed me only 14€/16$, so nu hurdle. Low, especially if you compared that to the 75€ visa cost.

[a447a]

I have free insurance worth my credit card. I checked into it and all seems fine - at least as good as any insurance you would buy.

 

'Choice" consumer magazine rated mine as excellent. But it's always best to check.

[Guest Hutchison]

Getting caught in a medical drama without travel insureance can cost you your house back home -  it happened to a woman I know who came down with meningitis overseas.

 

Let the nay-sayers nay about that.

[TMax]

Always travel with insurance and have only had to use it once

[emailbroken]

On that note has anyone ever had reason to call upon said "free" credit card company provided insurance I wonder ??  I know a few people who tell me they have it and "that's enough"whereas personally I prefer to pay the ( very little) extra to know I have the fully paid for gold level policy in case "shit happens" - so either I'm being a mug and paying for something I could have free ( which I doubt as on checking I always see the cover at a fairly minimal or less) OR I'm right an god forbid anyone ACTUALLY ever needs to call on said cover for hospital treatment etc ?    

 

Anyone anyone have any real world experience of using same perhaps ?   

I use it a lot actually.  It is a good idea to ask your card provider to send you a list of benefits in the post so you can do a comparison.  I think some of the policies are quite generous and get away with being so because so few cardholders realise they are covered.  

[ggobkk]

Lots of good advice and insight in this thread.

 

I fell and cut my head open a few years back. Nothing serious but convinced me to buy insurance for future trips. I get an annual policy as I travel internationally six or seven times a year. There are brokers who will craft a policy to meet individual needs. NY Times travel wrote about this last year.

[emailbroken]

Lots of good advice and insight in this thread.

 

I fell and cut my head open a few years back. Nothing serious but convinced me to buy insurance for future trips. I get an annual policy as I travel internationally six or seven times a year. There are brokers who will craft a policy to meet individual needs. NY Times travel wrote about this last year.

Sounds like it would be really good project for anyone who travels regularly to set aside an hour or two to check what their card offers and what alternatives might be out there.  Price varies I guess depending on where homebase is for you, but certainly annual policies on sale in Europe are a very good deal, provided they don't duplicate the cover you already have.

[PeterRS]

I just cannot understand why anyone would ever consider travelling without travel insurance. Suppose you are in Pattaya on a back of a motorcy which gets knocked over by a truck.  Neither the motorcy driver or the truck driver/company has third party insurance. Without your own insurance you are screwed big time! Same if you are just run down as you cross the road. Your home medical/accident insurance might cover you, but are you sure? If so, what is the claims procedure and what are the limits/deductables. If it does not cover you, you are again screwed.

 

Perhaps the saddest medical emergency was mentioned on this Board. I forget the name of the member. He had a form of cancer which he was thrilled he got treated cheaply at a hospital in Bangkok. Then I think it returned and his insurance had run out. He died on a friend's sofa. 

 

Its easy to think oh it won't happen to me. Are you really prepared to take that risk? Really?

[bobsaigon]

It is sometimes impossible to obtain insurance, either for travel or when residing abroad full time.   Insurance companies that I've contacted are not interested in covering me because of my age and pre-existing conditions.    

 

Fortunately, the treatment  and medications I get here in Vietnam are reasonably priced and the same as I would get in America, so there's no point in going back to the States (and my doctor says I should not even think about making a trip like that).

[Guest Hutchison]

I just cannot understand why anyone would ever consider travelling without travel insurance. Suppose you are in Pattaya on a back of a motorcy which gets knocked over by a truck.  Neither the motorcy driver or the truck driver/company has third party insurance. Without your own insurance you are screwed big time! Same if you are just run down as you cross the road. Your home medical/accident insurance might cover you, but are you sure? If so, what is the claims procedure and what are the limits/deductables. If it does not cover you, you are again screwed.

 

Perhaps the saddest medical emergency was mentioned on this Board. I forget the name of the member. He had a form of cancer which he was thrilled he got treated cheaply at a hospital in Bangkok. Then I think it returned and his insurance had run out. He died on a friend's sofa. 

 

Its easy to think oh it won't happen to me. Are you really prepared to take that risk? Really?

 

 

 

Most travel insurance does not cover accidents and injuries involving motorcycles-  read the fine print.

[PeterRS]

Most travel insurance does not cover accidents and injuries involving motorcycles-  read the fine print.

I have. The policy states this as an exclusion:

 

Motor cycling, as either driver or passenger, unless the driver holds a a current licence permitting him/her to ride the motorcycle.

[colmx]

isn't there also usually a ridiculous cc limit (50cc) on a lot of those insurance policies?

[ChristianPFC]

What is "travel insurance"? The kind of insurance that helps you when your flight is delayed or cancelled luggage lost? I never took these, and saved a lot of money!

 

Later in the article it becomes clear they mean health insurance:

 

 

Hospitals have until now often been left carrying the cost of medical treatment of tourists injured during their stay in Thailand and who have no means to pay their bills.

 

It is the onus of the business operator to make sure his customers can pay. Not something the government should interfere (apart from prosecuting those who use the service and don't pay, if necessary in their home country). All my minor health problems I got treated in Thailand, I paid in cash after the treatment. I assume for more expensive treatments, the hospital will ask for coverage first?

 

Anyway, if a tourist gets injured, the person who caused the injury should pay for the treatment. Most probably it's a Thai, so they should force their citizen to have an insurance!

 

Like popular subjects on the forums, this insurance is one that comes up every now and then, to be quickly forgotten.

[PeterRS]

if a tourist gets injured, the person who caused the injury should pay for the treatment. Most probably it's a Thai, so they should force their citizen to have an insurance!

That would be the case in most western countries and I agree. But how sure are you that Thai drivers, motocy owners or anyone else who could be in a position to cause you physical injury actually have insurance? Some will not. Are you prepared to take the risk of being run down by a drunken driver without insurance and you require brain surgery? I would rather have the comfort of travel insurance especially in any country where I might be particularly at risk of such a situation arising.

[pong]

1.this is again a case where people speak beside one another, as different countries have different systems. That cr-cd offers it, is unheard of on the continent of EURope.

2.However, about any EU-ropean (and even Brits as long as brexit is not finalised) should have or able to get the EHIC-card which shows that you are insured-in whatever way of the country-you get as your status as EU-citizen corresponding help when you get an accident in another EU-country, at least for any emergency. For me it will do the same wherever in the world, except that expenses are limited to max. what would be paid out in home-country-which for TH or ASEAN is not a problem. I have annual infinite travel-insurance, the main part of it is the extra on it in countries like JPN/US and immediate assistence anywhere in the wolrd via their help desk for whatever problem-I can just pass it on to them. This cost me around 40/45 eur/year, paid together with other insurance like home and personal accidents etc. Thus I object to paying extra in other countries, as about most conceivable mishaps are covered.

[colmx]

Two days before I was due to travel home in May 2016, I was hospitalised with Salmonella which in turn led to Septic shock and spent 6 days in Pattaya international hospital

 

Total hospital  costs ran to 112,000B with another 30,000B in associated costs (flight changes, calls to home, work, insurance company, taxis, additional 7 days of recuperation time waiting for fit to fly certificate etc)

 

I for one am glad that I spent €53 on my multi trip travel insurance and will happily pay it in future

[aussie_]

What is "travel insurance"? The kind of insurance that helps you when your flight is delayed or cancelled luggage lost? I never took these, and saved a lot of money!

 

Later in the article it becomes clear they mean health insurance:

 

 

It is the onus of the business operator to make sure his customers can pay. Not something the government should interfere (apart from prosecuting those who use the service and don't pay, if necessary in their home country). All my minor health problems I got treated in Thailand, I paid in cash after the treatment. I assume for more expensive treatments, the hospital will ask for coverage first?

 

Anyway, if a tourist gets injured, the person who caused the injury should pay for the treatment. Most probably it's a Thai, so they should force their citizen to have an insurance!

 

Like popular subjects on the forums, this insurance is one that comes up every now and then, to be quickly forgotten.

If some serious health issue happens when you are traveling outside of Thailand, for example Taiwan or Vietnam you may need medical evacuation back to Bangkok or probably your home country if you have no insurance for Thailand. Many thousands of $US and if you have no insurance or a good credit card you may not get any treatment depending upon your location at the time.

 

Forget about Thais paying for any accident. It is always the foriegner's fault. It's bad enough if you have an accident with another foriegner in Thailand. My Australian friend had a motorcycle accident in Pattaya with another foriegner who lives in Thailand. I went to the hospital to pay the 6000 baht (yes, i got it back) so my friend could get his knee patched up. While i was in the waiting room the other guy involved in the accident was already on his phone organizing "witnesses" and demanded that my friend pay for everything including medical and motorcycle repairs. Fortunately my friend had been in business before in Pattaya and knew a policemen who made sure they both paid half each. Anyone else might have had to pay everything. Thailand is great till something goes wrong and guess who will be responsible to pay?

[vinapu]

Not just Thailand, try to get in serious health trouble while travelling to say, USA, without an insurance 

Thailand is great till something goes wrong and guess who will be responsible to pay?

[ggobkk]

A personal story.

 

While traveling last week in the north of Thailand, I cut my right forearm while loading my backpack into a sort of baht bus. The cut also pulled back a flap of skin. I did basic first aid. When I returned to Bangkok, the wound was still oozing blood and the skin tag was dead but attached. I went to the emergency room at the Christian Hospital on Silom. An hour later, I emerged with a large bandage, a cleaned and disinfected wound site, skin tag removed, a tetanus shot, a bag of capsules to prevent infection, back up pain pills,.

 

The service from the greeting, to the taking of vitals, the medical consult, the procedure, the pharmacy, and the payment checkout was of a very high order.

 

The cost 1,995 THB. That's less than my out of pocket cost at home just to go to the emergency room and I have great in-depth insurance.

 

My travel insurance will reimburse me for the 1,995 THB.

 

I'm relating this positive experience as a way of indicating that things happen at home and during travel.