In a bold move to attract tourists post-pandemic, Thailand under the name of Thailand Traveller Safety, offers travellers medical coverage up to $14,000 (500,000 THB) in case of accidents and up to $28,000 (1,000,000 THB) in case of death. The tourism minister announced this initiative on Thursday (15 Feb), highlighting the country's commitment to ensuring visitors' safety and well-being. This comes as Thailand strives to revive its tourism sector, which faced severe setbacks due to travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite efforts to boost arrivals, the recovery has been slower than anticipated. For this scheme, the Thailand government has allocated 50 million THB.
Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, the Tourism Minister, detailed that the Thailand Traveller Safety scheme kicked off on January 1 and is set to continue until August 31. She emphasized the campaign's goal to convey to international visitors that Thailand prioritizes their safety and welfare. The country, a favoured destination among young backpackers for its beaches, sunshine, and thrill-seeking activities, has seen its share of tourist accidents. Recent incidents have raised concerns about young Europeans incurring substantial medical expenses due to insufficient insurance coverage.
The Thai government clarifies that the new scheme excludes incidents resulting from negligence, intentional misconduct, unlawful activities, or hazardous behaviour. For example, riding a motorcycle without a helmet or a valid international driver's license might be deemed risky or illegal, thus not covered under this plan.
Tourists interested in availing themselves of this coverage can register through the Thailand Traveller Safety website at www.tts.go.th (make sure to put www in front of URL). The initiative is part of Thailand's broader strategy to regain its pre-pandemic tourism glory. In 2023, the country welcomed 28 million visitors, a significant increase from 11 million the previous year but still short of the 40 million tourists in 2019. With an ambitious target of attracting 35 million visitors in 2024 and generating $55 billion in revenue, Thailand is making concerted efforts to reassure and attract international tourists by ensuring their safety and health are well taken care of during their stay.
The Thailand Traveller Safety is part of the many temporary programs in place to increase tourism. The others are:
- Extending the visa exception period to 90 days for Russian tourists. (1 Nov 23 to 30 April 2024).
- 30 day-visa exception for Kazakhstan (25 Sep 2023 – 31 August 2024), Taiwan & India (10 Nov 2023 till 10 May 2024).
- Removal of alcohol duty and alcohol import duty (1 January 2024 – 31 December 2024) – Widely announced but as of 17 February still not in place.
Some Important Points
- This scheme was launched on 14 February 2024 but covers 1 January 2024 till 31 August 2024. However, the registration page only allows you to put in the current date.
- It is a QR code based system that gives you a certificate that is valid for 30 days. You can renew this for another 30 days 2 days before e expiration.
What is Covered?
There is an announcement letter and a claims form which can be found here – www.tts.go.th/AnnouncementCoverage.pdf. You can email the claims form with lots of supporting documentation to: touristcompensation@mots.go.th
Here is an AI-generated summary of what is covered.
- Eligibility: Foreign nationals with valid passports and tourist visas visiting Thailand from 1st January to 31st August 2024 are eligible. This excludes those not in the country for tourism or engaging in income-earning activities.
- Compensation Conditions: Compensation is available for incidents not resulting from the tourist's negligence, intent, illegal act, or involvement in an offense. Eligible incidents include offenses against body and life, accidents, bodily harm or death caused by theft, rape, public endangerment, and others as decided by the boards.
- Compensation Details:
- Up to 1,000,000 THB for death, dismemberment, and related expenses.
- 300,000 THB for permanent disability, permanent eyesight loss, or total inability to perform any occupation.
- Up to 500,000 THB for medical and domestic transportation expenses in Thailand.
- Documentation for Compensation:
- In case of death: Passport copy, death certificate, autopsy report, police report, legal heir documentation, and authorization letter, submitted within 15 days of the death.
- For loss of limbs, organs, eyesight, or permanent disability: Similar documentation, including the doctor's report, submitted within 15 days of diagnosis.
- For medical treatment: Required documents include the tourist's passport, doctor's report, receipts, police report, and authorization letter, to be submitted within 15 days of hospital discharge.
- Decision Process: The Committee's decisions on compensation payments are final.
- Authority Discretion: The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has the discretion over eligibility beyond the specified details.
- Payment Authorization: Compensation payments must be authorized by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
- Application Timeline: Incidents occurring from 1st January 2024, before the announcement, must have compensation requests submitted within 15 days of the announcement. The final day for requesting compensation is 15th September 2024.
- Where to Request Compensation: Applications can be made at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Provincial Tourism and Sports Offices, Tourist Assistance Centres at major airports, via email, or post, with specific contact details provided.
This scheme aims to support and ensure the safety of foreign tourists by offering financial assistance for unforeseen incidents, underlining Thailand's commitment to tourism safety.
