travelerjim
May 6th, 2013, 00:57
Here's a topic of much concern for retirees and expats on 1 year retirement visas...
Thailand is losing BIG amounts of Thai baht in the medical care & treatment of expat retirees...
What is the solution?
Proof Of Medical Insurance Proposed For 1 Year Visa
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637 ... n=featured (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637123-proof-of-medical-insurance-proposed-for-1-year-visa/?utm_source=newsletter-20130505-1639&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=featured)
http://pattaya-today.com/news/news-from ... -tourists/ (http://pattaya-today.com/news/news-from-around-pattaya/compulsory-insurance-for-expats-and-tourists/)
The government is considering forcing foreigners to buy health insurance before traveling to Thailand.
Public health minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said that 2.5 million foreigners out of a total of 22 million visitors appeared at Thai hospitals last year, but a significant minority were unable to pay which resulted in a financial burden for local hospitals. He explained that the main problems concerned foreigners hospitalized in emergencies, especially traffic accidents and heart attacks, and the costs associated with taking care of corpses, particularly autopsies and cold storage.
The situation is particularly acute in tourist-dominated resorts. The state-run Banglamung Hospital, near Pattaya, estimated that unpaid bills from foreigners amounted to 2 million baht in 2012. The government Vachira Phuket Hospital claims that free treatment for foreigners is costing them 3 million baht a year. Total costs nationwide are in the region of 70 million baht annually.
As regards older expats on one year visas, the most likely outcome is that applications will need to be accompanied by valid medical insurance or proof of a greater income or cash deposits than is currently required (800,000 baht for a retiree visa and 400,000 for a farang with a Thai spouse).
A spokesperson for the Immigration Bureau said there were no imminent financial changes to the one-year visa rules, but the matter is under review. In the 1990s, he explained, there was a requirement to provide a certificate of good health before a long-stay visa was granted. тАЬThe rule was dropped because the letters were often issued after a very cursory medical examination or no examination at all.тАЭ
(see articles/links for complete news release)
tj
Thailand is losing BIG amounts of Thai baht in the medical care & treatment of expat retirees...
What is the solution?
Proof Of Medical Insurance Proposed For 1 Year Visa
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637 ... n=featured (http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/637123-proof-of-medical-insurance-proposed-for-1-year-visa/?utm_source=newsletter-20130505-1639&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=featured)
http://pattaya-today.com/news/news-from ... -tourists/ (http://pattaya-today.com/news/news-from-around-pattaya/compulsory-insurance-for-expats-and-tourists/)
The government is considering forcing foreigners to buy health insurance before traveling to Thailand.
Public health minister Pradit Sinthawanarong said that 2.5 million foreigners out of a total of 22 million visitors appeared at Thai hospitals last year, but a significant minority were unable to pay which resulted in a financial burden for local hospitals. He explained that the main problems concerned foreigners hospitalized in emergencies, especially traffic accidents and heart attacks, and the costs associated with taking care of corpses, particularly autopsies and cold storage.
The situation is particularly acute in tourist-dominated resorts. The state-run Banglamung Hospital, near Pattaya, estimated that unpaid bills from foreigners amounted to 2 million baht in 2012. The government Vachira Phuket Hospital claims that free treatment for foreigners is costing them 3 million baht a year. Total costs nationwide are in the region of 70 million baht annually.
As regards older expats on one year visas, the most likely outcome is that applications will need to be accompanied by valid medical insurance or proof of a greater income or cash deposits than is currently required (800,000 baht for a retiree visa and 400,000 for a farang with a Thai spouse).
A spokesperson for the Immigration Bureau said there were no imminent financial changes to the one-year visa rules, but the matter is under review. In the 1990s, he explained, there was a requirement to provide a certificate of good health before a long-stay visa was granted. тАЬThe rule was dropped because the letters were often issued after a very cursory medical examination or no examination at all.тАЭ
(see articles/links for complete news release)
tj