The tourism and sports minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol has diluted the prime minister's promise that all foreign tourists would be covered for injuries and death from the new year. The minister said that universal insurance was not strictly needed as the foreign tourists' compensation assistance fund is traditionally underspent. Instead the minister suggested a central government grant of 50 million baht to cover likely claims in 2024.
The foreign tourists' fund was set up several years ago to grant compensation on a discretionary basis where foreign visitors were injured or killed in accidents, such as a ferry sinking or a motorway pile up. It has also been used to calm nerves in sensational, well-publicized cases where overseas tourists were victims in shooting incidents or where Thai public services had been sub-standard. The scheme authorizes a maximum of 500,000 baht for medical treatment and 1 million baht for post-mortem compensation to relatives.
There is no suggestion that the fund will be used for routine medical treatment, nor does it bypass the need for visitors to carry their own insurance which is legally compulsory only for some longstay visa holders. The fund can't be overspent since it is handled by the government on a discretionary basis. Mr Sudawan's suggestion also avoids disputes about hospital treatment created by a universal medical compensation which is bound to have ambiguous details if drawn up in haste in time for the new year.
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