Tourism Thailand are trying to mandate all tourists coming into Thailand to have a valid travel insurance citing reasons such as costing local health care providers
at least 3 billion baht ($A117 million) a year for their medical treatments at state hospitals.
If the proposal for compulsory travel insurance is approved by the cabinet, visitors would require to show proof of travel insurance documents at immigration counters upon arrival. Thailand do not require visa for most foreign visitors however, implementing the check at the immigration checkpoint is definitely going to make passing through the immigration checks longer.
Travel insurance – a necessary evil, yet many travellers still choose to ignore it. Perhaps they believe that when you – see no evil, say no evil, hear no evil – all will be safe. However, if you ever heard of Murphy’s law, what can go wrong will go wrong, you might want to think otherwise.
I am not trying to scare you but me having travelled a fair bit and fortunately, recovered some of my ‘losses’ through insurance cover, I must say that travel insurance, is more important than having that backup credit card in your wallet.
Travel insurance policies can cover you for unexpected accidents or illness, lost luggage, theft, personal liability and unforeseen trip cancellation. I usually buy an annual policy. If you travel more than three times a year, it is more economical to buy a yearly policy. Remember to check out the terms and conditions. Bear in mind, no two travel insurances are the same. Read the fine prints and everything in between!