Weerasak proposes entry fee and tiered insurance for tourists

Thansettakij•Economy•1d ago

Reader Briefing

Weerasak Kovasurat proposes a 450-baht entry fee and a three-tier insurance system for foreign tourists in Thailand.

•Weerasak Kovasurat proposed a 450-baht entry fee for foreign tourists to generate nearly 10 billion baht annually in non-budgetary revenue.
•The proposal includes a three-tier insurance system covering basic medical needs, high-risk activities, and self-drive vehicle liability.
•Payment methods for the fee would include airlines, online TM6 systems, and airport kiosks to prevent bottlenecks at immigration.
•A proposal exists to allow foreign insurance clients to access healthcare in Thailand via the Thai Social Security system.

•On August 26, 2026, Weerasak Kovasurat revealed details regarding the proposed tourist entry fee and insurance requirements.
•The 450-baht entry fee is currently undergoing a public hearing process for at least 30 days as per the policy of Supajee Sutthampun.
•Weerasak Kovasurat suggested that the 450-baht fee would not significantly impact foreign tourists as similar fees exist in other countries.
•Weerasak Kovasurat proposed an Open Government management style for the resulting fund, involving stakeholders and live-streaming meetings for transparency.
•Weerasak Kovasurat proposed three tiers of insurance: basic coverage for all entrants, additional coverage for high-risk activities via QR codes, and liability insurance for rented vehicles or drones.
•The basic insurance tier is intended to prevent Thai taxpayers from bearing the burden of medical costs for foreigners in public hospitals.
•The proposed vehicle and activity insurance would turn activity supervisors into legal insurance brokers earning commissions and entering the tax system.
•Weerasak Kovasurat mentioned a concept to attract foreigners to Thailand for medical services by coordinating with foreign insurance companies and the Thai Social Security system.

Full article content is available on the original source.

Weerasak Kovasurat(วีระศักดิ์ โควสุรัตน์)

Former Minister of Tourism and Sports and Chairman of the Advisory Board to Deputy Prime Minister Supajee Sutthampun.

Supajee Sutthampun(ศุภจี สุธรรมพันธุ์)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce.

Joint Public and Private Sector Consultative Committee (JPCC)(คณะกรรมการร่วมภาครัฐและเอกชนเพื่อแก้ไขปัญหาทางเศรษฐกิจ (กรอ.))

A committee fostering collaboration between the government and private sector to solve economic problems.

Social Security System(ระบบประกันสังคม)

The Thai system proposed to be used to manage medical services for foreign insurance clients.

Thailand(ประเทศไทย)ℹ️

The country implementing the proposed tourist entry fee and insurance tiers.