Thailand launches new health insurance package for international tourists

According to the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports , the government will allocate 50 million baht (1.4 million USD) from the emergency budget to fund this campaign, ensuring that tourists are well taken care of during their stay in the land of golden temples from January 1 to August 31 this year.

Under the new insurance package, tourists will receive a maximum coverage of 1 million baht per person (US$28,000 per person) in case of death and 300,000 baht per person (US$8,400 per person) in case of loss of vision, internal organs or permanent disability. Medical expenses will be covered according to the actual amount paid but not exceeding 500,000 baht (US$14,000).

However, tourists will not be covered if the incident results from personal negligence, or from intentionally engaging in dangerous or illegal activities on Thai soil.

Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports Sudawan Wangsupakijkosol said the campaign, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Ministry of Public Health, aims to reassure foreign tourists that they will be well taken care of when they visit the "Land of Golden Pagodas".

To apply for insurance, visitors with tourist visas can apply at provincial Tourism and Sports Offices or at tourist assistance centers located at Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang International Airports. Applications can also be submitted by post and e-mail.

In addition, Mongkon Wimonrat, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said the ministry will use the Thailand Traveler Safety (TTS) platform to facilitate the disbursement of insurance funds for foreign tourists. The platform provides online registration services for non-Thai tourists holding tourist visas.

Mr. Mongkon affirmed that the TTS database helps the Tourist Police Department and the National Institute of Emergency Medicine to access tourist-related information easily, thereby speeding up the insurance payment process.

Tourists can claim medical insurance within 15 days of the incident and compensation is expected to be paid to tourists 15 days later, he said.

This insurance program is intended to fill the gap between the time when the Foreign Tourist Support Fund expires while the new tourist fee program has not yet started.

The foreign tourist fund was suspended two years ago as Thailand proposed a new tourist fee scheme to raise funds for tourism insurance and tourism development. Under the scheme, foreigners arriving by air would have to pay 300 baht, while those arriving by sea and land would have to pay 150 baht. However, the scheme has been postponed indefinitely.

Ms Sudawan confirmed that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has no plans to cancel the tourist fee. But the timing of its implementation needs to be carefully calculated as the Thai tourism industry is only just recovering from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the immediate goal is to increase the number of visitors and spending.

From the beginning of the year to February 11, Thailand has welcomed 4.3 million foreign tourists. Ms. Sudawan said this is a positive sign to help the country achieve the target of welcoming 35 million tourists this year, with estimated revenue of about 3.5 trillion baht (97 billion USD).

Minh Hoa (reported by VOV, VNA)

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