The Nation has reported that Thailand has launched a scheme to offer visitors up to US$14,000 in medical coverage in the event of an accident, the tourism minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said.
The money will come from the ministry’s budget for emergency expenses and will be used to compensate foreign tourists on a case-by-case basis during their travel in Thailand between Jan 1 and Aug 31, 2024.
Medical expenses will be covered according to the actual amount paid, but not exceeding 500,000 baht (US$13,800). The government will pay compensation of up to one million baht (USS$27,770) in case of death under the new scheme.
Tourists will not be eligible for the coverage if the incidents stem from their carelessness, intention to take part in any illegal activity, or risky behaviour.
To apply for the coverage, foreigners holding a tourist visa can submit documents at the provincial tourism and sports offices, or at tourist assistance centres located in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports. Applications can also be submitted via post and e-mail.
Ms Sudawan said the ministry believed the campaign would help boost revenue from tourism. She added that foreign arrivals as at Feb 11, 2024, totalled 4.3 million up 48% from a year earlier, with China the top source market. This puts Thailand on track to achieve its target of 35 million foreign tourists in 2024. There were a record of nearly 40 million foreign visitors in pre-pandemic 2019.
The ministry has set a 2024 revenue target of 3.5 trillion baht (US$97 billion) from these 35 million foreign tourists and some 205 million trips made by Thai tourists.
The insurance programme would cover a gap period as the Foreign Tourists Assistance Fund was dissolved two years ago, and a new tourism fee had earlier been expected to be collected for tourism insurance and to develop attractions.
Under the other scheme, foreign arrivals by air were meant to be charged 300 baht (US$8.30) while those coming by sea and land would be charged 150 baht (US$4.15). The scheme, however, was postponed indefinitely.
Ms Sudawan insisted that the ministry did not plan to cancel the 300 baht landing fee, although it would not be implemented in the immediate future, as the tourism market had only just recovered from the impact of Covid-19. The ministry wanted to focus on increasing arrival numbers and tourism spending first.
The ministry said it will use its Thailand Traveller Safety (TTS) platform to facilitate the disbursement of insurance coverage to foreign tourists. The platform offers online registration for non-Thai residents with tourist visas.
Tourists can claim medical expenses within 15 days of the incident and compensation is expected to be paid 15 days after that.
Reuters reported that Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said the government plans to offer visa-free travel to citizens of several more countries. Thailand has recently waived visas for citizens of China and India to boost tourism, a key driver of Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy.
