Travel insurance to be arranged for all tourist arrivals over holiday season

[reader]

From Thai PBS World

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has ordered the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to arrange travel insurance to cover accidents and death for all foreign tourists arriving in Thailand during the New Year holiday period.

The prime minister’s order, issued at the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, follows two incidents involving foreign tourists who died recently in Thailand. One incident concerned a Taiwanese tourist who was denied emergency treatment at a private hospital in the Pattanakarn area and died on his way to a second hospital about 10km away. The second case involved an Irish tourist who had been treated in the intensive care unit of a private hospital for dengue fever, but the hospital bill reached about 100,000 baht a day, forcing the patient’s family in Ireland to raise funds to get him back home for treatment.

It is reported that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports will seek about 50 million baht from the Central Fund to buy insurance coverage for tourists visiting Thailand over the New Year period.

The prime minister also instructed Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol to coordinate with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam to promote regional tourism.

One of the regional tourism routes, which was proposed by Vietnam, is the world heritage route encompassing Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, Luang Prabang in Laos and Thailand’s Udon Thani province.

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From Pattaya Mail

Yet another plan to cover tourists with medical insurance breaks the ice

By Barry Kenyon

Worried about negative international publicity, Thailand’s tourism and sports ministry is dusting off plans to insure overseas tourists with 500,000 baht (US$14,000) per person for injuries and double that amount in the event of death from an accident. Prime minister Srettha Thavisin said recent bad publicity arose from cases such as the mass shooting by a troubled youth at Siam Paragon mall and the death of a Taiwanese holidaymaker who was denied emergency care at a private hospital following a road accident.

Policies to cover medically many millions of tourists every year have flummoxed military and civilian administrations over the years. In 2002 Thaksin Shinawatra’s administration toyed with turnstiles at airports and land frontiers to collect a 50 baht insurance fee from all non-Thai visitors, but was discarded for fears of chaos and winding queues at entry points. In 2018 the notion of a 150-300 baht entry fee for foreign tourists by land, sea or air (but not for Thais) was first publicized and promised as late as September 2023. But it has now been dropped amid opposition from airlines, border police and others fearing public confusion and yet more bad publicity.

Few details are yet available, but the latest plan is far from comprehensive. Only short-term tourists will be covered and holders of non-immigrant visas or 5-20 year visa options will almost surely be excluded. Tourists, yet to be strictly defined, will be covered specifically for injuries and deaths from accidents and not for general health issues. An earlier version had suggested the inclusion of diarrhea as a legitimate claim, but is not currently mentioned. The Office of the Insurance Commission is suggesting the cost annually would be around 200 million baht, or more depending on the crucial detail. The debt could be paid by the central budget, or offset by yet another disguised tax such as a supplement on the tickets all international passengers arriving in Thailand.

International insurers say it’s too early to judge the latest government initiative. Geoffrey Collard, spokesman for Worldwide Travel, said, “Who exactly is covered and why precisely they are seeking admission to hospital will lead to admission issues unless the detail is fully spelled out. 500,000 baht for treatment from accidents looks generous, but costs in private sector intensive care units can be 100,000 baht or around US$3,000 per day.” Meanwhile, the Thai Hotels Association president, Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, said the idea was a good one, to increase the confidence of all tourists travelling to Thailand.

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From The Thaiger

Explosive growth in Thai insurance industry predicted for 2024

The Thai General Insurance Association (TGIA) has foreseen an unprecedented surge in the insurance industry, with premiums expected to skyrocket to 303 billion baht in 2024.

The TGIA president, Somporn Suebthawilkul, revealed the industry’s trajectory, unveiling that premiums for the initial nine months of this year already hit a whopping 210 billion baht, marking a staggering 5.2% rise from the same period last year. The projections for the full year anticipate a robust 4 to 5% growth, amassing a colossal 285 billion baht in premiums.

But what’s the secret sauce behind this financial boom? Somporn predicts a dual force: the soaring popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) and the flourishing health insurance sector. With EV sales predicted to hit a monumental 100,000 units this year, it’s clear that the future is electric – and so is the insurance industry.

Somporn teased the anticipation of an even more lucrative 2024, riding on the back of sustained growth in the health and EV sectors. Travel insurance is also set to cash in on the continued rebound in tourism, making your next adventure not just thrilling but also well-insured.

“The industry improved this year as expected because of the economic recovery and smooth government transition, increased EV sales, and a rebound in both domestic and international tourism.

“All these factors have a positive impact on the industry, with good growth trends for various types of insurance.”

For petrolheads and road warriors, the revelation that motor insurance premiums surged to 118 billion baht in the first nine months of this year, a 6% year-on-year increase, is music to the ears. Car insurance policies are on the rise, and so are the average premiums per policy.

Fire insurance, with premiums rising by 2.1% to 7.76 billion baht, is blazing its own trail. Meanwhile, marine and shipping insurance faced a slight dip, down 0.6% to 5.33 billion baht due to slowing exports, reported Bangkok Post.

[gerefan]

41 minutes ago, reader said:

 

. The Office of the Insurance Commission is suggesting the cost annually would be around 200 million baht, or more depending on the crucial detail. The debt could be paid by the central budget, or offset by yet another disguised tax such as a supplement on the tickets all international passengers arriving in Thailand.

 I realise this is only for accidents but if the cost is 200million baht per year and there are 30 million tourists per year that means the cost should be 6.6 baht per person.

If it was extended to cover general illness which required hospitalisation then there would be an increase. Clearly wouldn’t be a lot.

It would be interesting to know how many tourists actually end up in hospital and what the total cost is. Then divide it by the expected 30-40 million tourists per year. The actual figure per person would probably be very small.

So why not add a minor addition to the airfares BUT make it quite clear that it covers hospitalisation costs. Doubt many would complain.

[Boy69]

3 hours ago, reader said:

The second case involved an Irish tourist who had been treated in the intensive care unit of a private hospital for dengue fever, but the hospital bill reached about 100,000 baht a day, forcing the patient’s family in Ireland to raise funds to get him back home for treatment

3000 USD a day ???!!!  Was he treated at presidential suite with bed cover in gold ?

[spoon]

Dengue fever ICU usually means multiple organ failure. Private hospitals will probably exhausted all they can to save his live. 

[Olddaddy]

Should be a Law that tourist entering Thailand have travel insurance!

I'm sick of reading about some young backpacker having a 🛵 accident is now needing a GoFund page 

[Keithambrose]

4 hours ago, Olddaddy said:

Should be a Law that tourist entering Thailand have travel insurance!

I'm sick of reading about some young backpacker having a 🛵 accident is now needing a GoFund page 

I agree, but Government already backtracking!

[reader]

From Pattaya Mail

Automatic medical insurance likely not necessary after all

By Barry Kenyon

The tourism and sports minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol has diluted the prime minister’s promise that all foreign tourists would be covered for injuries and death from the new year. The minister said that universal insurance was not strictly needed as the foreign tourists’ compensation assistance fund is traditionally underspent. Instead the minister suggested a central government grant of 50 million baht to cover likely claims in 2024.

The foreign tourists’ fund was set up several years ago to grant compensation on a discretionary basis where foreign visitors were injured or killed in accidents, such as a ferry sinking or a motorway pile up. It has also been used to calm nerves in sensational, well-publicized cases where overseas tourists were victims in shooting incidents or where Thai public services had been sub-standard. The scheme authorizes a maximum of 500,000 baht for medical treatment and 1 million baht for post-mortem compensation to relatives.

There is no suggestion that the fund will be used for routine medical treatment, nor does it bypass the need for visitors to carry their own insurance which is legally compulsory only for some longstay visa holders. The fund can’t be overspent since it is handled by the government on a discretionary basis. Mr Sudawan’s suggestion also avoids disputes about hospital treatment created by a universal medical compensation which is bound to have ambiguous details if drawn up in haste in time for the new year.

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From Pattaya News

Government Reminds Hospitals They Cannot Refuse Emergency Patients, Including Foreign Tourists

The National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEMS) has confirmed its readiness to handle an expected increase in accidents during the New Year festival. The organization has already conducted drills for emergency medical teams to ensure preparedness.

The institute said significant focus in this matter is on the Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients (UCEP) system. The system is designed to protect emergency patients in critical conditions.

Under UCEP, patients are to be treated at the nearest hospital without any cost during the initial 72 hours until they are out of danger and can be safely transferred. Criteria for emergency critical conditions include unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, limb weakness, sudden abnormalities, severe physical and brain injuries threatening life, and conditions affecting breathing or circulation.

For non-critical emergencies, patients are advised to coordinate with their entitled hospitals or use their insurance first.

There have been instances where hospitals have refused patients, citing reasons like exceeding capacity. However, NIEMS emphasizes that, by law, hospitals must first admit patients without inquiring about their rights or financial status.

In the case of foreign tourists, the institute separates this into two issues: foreigners can receive treatment at any hospital regardless of the emergency status. However, for critical emergencies, hospitals will claim expenses from the foreign patient’s existing funds, such as life, health, or travel insurance. Once a patient is delivered to a hospital, treatment cannot be denied.