It’s now perfectly legal for Thai public hospitals to charge foreigners double for medical treatment

Uh oh. If you're a foreigner living and working in Thailand, I've got bad news for you.

The Southeast Asian country just made it legal to charge people dual-fees when it comes to medical expenses.

For those unfamiliar with the term, it simply means that there are different pricing for locals and foreigners.

While it's pretty common to see museums, amusement parks and national parks imposing different charges - typically higher for foreigners - the list has now been expanded to public hospitals.

Previously, there had been complains by foreigners of being charged higher. With the new ruling, the government essentially has made it legal to do that.

According to reports, there are four tiers of pricing and this heavily depends on your visa status. Here's a break down of the list from the cheapest to the most expensive:

  1. Thai nationals
  2. Southeast Asians
  3. Expatriates on non-immigrant visas
  4. Tourists and retirees

The difference in pricing can be between 40% to 50% more, especially if you're on a tourist visa.

According to Coconuts Bangkok, if expats were to apply for a basic antibody screening which'll cost locals and Southeast Asians US$4.24, they'll be charged US$6.20. It'll be US$8.48 if you're a tourist, thank you very much.

That's not all. What about the cost for a MRI on your spine? For locals and Southeast Asians, they'll just have to fork out US$609.82. But if you're an expat or a tourist get ready to cough out US$762.27 and US$914.72 respectively.

What caused the move? Apparently it's to do with the booming medical tourism business. In 2018 alone, Thailand profited close to US$600 million.Though it's not mandatory for private hospitals to follow the new ruling which comes into effect on September 29, there is the fear that there would be a spillover effect.

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Source: Mashable

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Thailand is looking to introduce a value-added tax on electronic businesses in 2020

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand expects to introduce a value-added-tax on electronic businesses next year, aiming to collect between 3 billion to 4 billion baht ($98 million to $131 million) a year, an official said on Monday, tapping a boom in e-commerce in the country.

The tax is expected to seek parliamentary approval this year, Ekniti Nitithanprapas, director-general of the Revenue Department, told reporters, without elaborating.

E-commerce is surging in Thailand where entrepreneurs sell products directly to customers via Facebook, Instagram and messaging apps like Japan’s Line Corp (3938.T).

Driven by upgrades to mobile banking apps, sales via social media in Thailand more than doubled to 334.2 billion baht ($10.92 billion) in 2017, according to the latest report from the country’s Electronic Transaction Development Agency.

Ekniti said the government is targeting overall tax revenue of 2 trillion baht in the current fiscal year to Sept. 30, and rising to 2.116 trillion baht in the next fiscal year.

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Source: Reuters

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Phuket Immigration explain TM30 and TM28 requirements for reporting foreigners

“No, we don’t hold foreigners responsible for filing the TM30. Foreigners just need to make sure that they fill in a TM28. The TM30 is the landlord’s job,” Phuket Immigration Deputy Chief Col Nareuwat Putthawiro said plainly on Wednesday (Aug 28).

The TM30 is the form for landlords to report to Immigration within 24 hours of the arrival of any foreign tenants, as required under Section 38 of the Thailand Immigration Act of 1979.

The TM28 form is for foreigners to report themselves to Immigration after staying away from their registered address for more than 24 hours, as required under Section 37 (c) of the same act.

“The TM30 is the house owner’s responsibility, whether the home owner is a Thai or a foreigner,” Col Nareuwat said. [Click here to read more →]

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