Thailand to launch new medical treatment visa on Jan 1

#Thailand will introduce a new medical treatment visa on Jan 1 in a bid to help establish itself as a global leader for healthcare tourism.

Deputy government spokeswoman Tipanan Sirichana said the new multiple entry medical visas will be valid for a period of one year and will allow the holder to stay in Thailand for 90 days.

Up to three family members can also be included on the visa, Ms Tipanan added.

Applicants will need to prove they have funds of at least 800,000 baht to cover expenses in Thailand and they must also have accident and COVID-19 insurance which provide a minimum coverage of 3 million baht or US$100,000.

Ms Tipanan said the medical visa will be restricted to people who require continuous treatment for a medical condition for more than 90 days. Partner hospitals will also be required to outline a concrete treatment plan and detail the expenses for the patient.

The visas will be aimed at people looking for treatment in Thailand for such conditions as cancer, cardiovascular disease, organ transplants, and dental care, while those seeking anti-aging and cosmetic surgery would also qualify, she said.

Currently, foreigners visiting Thailand for the purpose of medical treatment apply for a tourist or non-immigrant visa, which allows only a single entry into the country.

However, there is an exemption in place for visitors from eleven countries, including those in the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates), as well as Cambodia, China, Loas, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The fee for the new new medical treatment visas will be 5,000 baht, Ms Tipanan confirmed.

Source - Hua Hin Today

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All Travelers to Thailand Require Mandatory Health Insurance

  

 A consortium of 16 health insurance companies in Thailand are now offering all travellers to Thailand travellers the mandatory insurance cover valued at USD100,000.

Thailand’s Office of Insurance confirmed last week that it has set up a consortium of insurance companies offering Covid-19 insurance online. Above all as the country prepares to reopen its borders to travelers.

Once the country reopens all foreigners entering Thailand will need to buy Covid-19 insurance. But until the door reopens the scheme will make it easier for foreigners who are currently eligible to travel to Thailand to acquire the mandatory insurance cover online.

In addition to having insurance cover, travelers need to provide the nearest Thai embassy with a Fit to Fly Health Certificate and a negative  RT-PCR swab test valid within 72 hours of the flight departing for Thailand. They are issued with a certificate of entry when they have fulfilled all the conditions and have a confirmed flight date.
Covid-19 insurance policy covers both deaths due to the disease

They must also have an appropriate visa that fits the approved category of travel. Tourist visas for leisure travel are not being issued. The Covid-19 insurance policy covers both deaths due to the disease as well as medical expenses for those undergoing treatment.

In case of death caused by the Covid-19, the policy pays for funeral expenses and the repatriation of the corpse or ashes to the country of origin. The maximum payout is THB3.2 million.

For medical expenses linked to the treatment of Covid-19, including the period of hospitalization (inpatient or outpatient). The maximum payout is  THB3.2 million.

Foreigners who buy insurance cover as part of the requirements to fulfill conditions to travel to Thailand must pay the insurance premium according to the period of their stay from 30 days to a maximum of one year.

The premium is set against benchmarks that identify the Covid-19 risk in the country of origin; the lower the risk, the lower the premium.

Insurance premium cover starts at THB1,600  and can be as high as THB14,400 for low-risk countries. Foreigners from countries with moderate risk are likely to pay an insurance premium of between THB2,560  to THB23,040. If the traveller is from a high-risk country, the insurance premium could be as high as THB43,200.

Insurance companies participating in the scheme include:

Assets Insurance Co Ltd (Thailand); Chubb Insurance Company Limited ( Thailand ); Navakij Insurance Co Ltd;  Pacific Cross Health Insurance, Thailand );  Falcon Insurance Co Ltd (Thailand ); East Insurance, Asia Insurance 1950; Bangkok Life Assurance Ltd; Thailand Life Insurance; and also Thailand Life Insurance.

“Development of an insurance policy that provides protection for foreigners entering Thailand supports government policy and will help restore the economy of the country,” said the OIC secretary-general.

Source: TTR Weekly

Wellness tourism is on the rise globally

Wellness tourism around the world grew nearly 7% annually between 2015 and 2017 to US$639 billion – more than twice as fast as tourism overall – and is forecast to reach US$919 billion by 2022.

And while Europe may be the most popular destination for wellness travel, at an estimated 292 million trips in 2017, it’s North America that rakes in the big bucks, earning the most in tourism revenue.

Those are among some of the big takeaways from a report released by the Global Wellness Institute and presented at the World Travel Market London, a major trade fair that took place recently.

In the report, wellness tourism is defined as travel for the purpose of maintaining or improving health – not to be conflated with medical tourism, which involves travel to seek a specific medical treatment.

Overall, in 2017 world travellers made 830 million wellness trips – 139 million more than in 2015.

But while Europe and North America may lead the wellness tourism market now, analysts point out that wellness trips in Asia-Pacific have grown 33% in the last two years, making it the fastest growing market.

 Between 2017 and 2022, wellness tourism is also projected to grow 13% in Asia-Pacific to reach US$252 billion in revenue.

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Meanwhile, within the region, China and India are the strongest performers, having added roughly 22 million and 17 million wellness trips respectively from 2015 to 2017.

“Wellness tourism burst into the consumer consciousness just a very few years ago, and it’s hard to grasp the speed of its growth and evolution,” authors note in the report.

“Wellness, hospitality and travel are now converging in unprecedented ways, from the ‘healthy hotel’ concept going utterly mainstream to airports, airlines and cruises injecting so much wellness programming, to the profusion of ever-more-creative wellness destinations, retreats and tours.”

The report also showed that wellness travellers are well-educated, open-minded globetrotters with money to burn, spending on average US$1,528 per trip or 53% more than the typical international tourist.

That’s even higher for domestic wellness tourists, who spend 178% more than the average domestic traveller, at US$609 per trip.

Here are the destinations that made the most money from wellness tourism in 2017:

1. United States
2. Germany
3. China
4. France
5. Japan
6. Austria
7. India
8. Canada
9. Britain
10. Italy

Source - TheJakartaPost

 

Panda Lin Hui likely to give birth in the next 3-4 days

Chiang Mai Zoo panda Lin Hui will likely give birth in the next 3-4 days, judging by changes in her behavior, said the research team.

October 13 marks the 114th day after the giant panda from Sichuan underwent an artificial insemination. The research team has closely monitored Lin Hui after changes in behavior have been detected recently.

According to the Chiang Mai Zoo director, Niphon Wichairat, Lin Hui has in the past few days been surveying for herself a nesting ground, eating less food and sleeping for longer stretches. The team has, therefore, concluded that she should be giving birth in the next 3-4 days.

Source: The Nation

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