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Thailand General News |
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Thailand is located in Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma. Thailand since the mid 14th century has been a unified kingdom under the Thai monarchy. Until 1939, Thailand was known as Siam, it has been the only south East Asian nation never to be colonized or interfered with by a colonial power. Thailand was briefly held by the Japanese during world war two and eventually helped the Japanese by fighting alongside them in the south East Asian region. Recently due to political tensions Thailand has been host to a number of military and civilian led coups which saw Thaksin Chinnawat ousted from power in September 2006. This political disturbance as of late has lead to the Thai tourism sector not meeting expectations as many tourists have been put off for fears of safety.
The United Nations Development Program rates Thailand as having the 81st highest Human Development Index. Although this may seem quite low for such a developed country, this is quite good considering its close border neighbors Cambodia, Laos and Burma are far behind this level, making Thailand a leader in its area. This can be attributed to the economic boom experienced by Thailand in the late 80’s to mid 90’s. During these golden years in Thailand’s history, Thailand experienced average annual growth of 9.4% for 10 years, the highest economic growth for any country in the world for its period.
During these golden years in Thailand’s history, Thai people moved more towards seeking out professional help from health care providers as opposed to the more traditional self help method. This saw rapid advancements in Thai public health standards and health indicators. Both public and private expenditures for health services consequently increased in real terms. 75% of health expenditures were incurred in the public sector compared with 25% in the private. Also, during these golden years in Thailand’s history the Ministry of Public Health’s available funds increased dramatically by 258%. This extra flow in cash was a driving factor behind the modernization of the Thai health system.
76% of the Thai population is covered by either 5 different health schemes offered by the government. These five different plans included the following. The Civil Servants Medical Benefits Scheme (SCMBS), in which all government workers and there families are applicable to receive. Social Security Scheme (SSS) in which 1.5 % of the employee’s wage is taking out by the government on top of tax to account for health costs. Voluntary Health Care Scheme (VHCS) in which poor people were means tested and would only pay 500 baht per year to receive full health care. There has been criticism of late, especially due to the economic turndown that this scheme is not harshly tested enough, which leads to a few patrons who would be able to afford to go under the SSS plan, sneaking in to receive the luxury of the VHCS. The Low Income Card Scheme (LICS) was originally designed to encompass the poor, but recently has been extended to include the elderly, persons under 12, veterans, religious and community leaders and the handicapped. The last option is government issued private health insurance, where the government offers plans like a private international health insurance company to its citizens. This form of insurance is only really used by those more well off. Recently there have been calls for a system of universal health care, under which is affordable to everyone and there is no discrimination in the provision of health care.
Overall Thailand has a well rounded and easily accessible healthcare service. As is true with any country in the world, there are some problems inherent in the system; however most people are able to receive the care that they need when they need it. The only way to avoid the issues and concerns of any healthcare system in the world is through a quality international health insurance plan. These plans give you the flexibility to go to the doctor or hospital of your choice, meaning that no matter where in the world you may be located, from Afghanistan to the United States of America, you will always be able to receive the highest standard of care available.
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Thailand Expat Health Insurance |
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If you are an expat traveling through or working in Thailand, expat health insurance can provide you the comprehensive medical insurance cover you need. For more information about the Thai healthcare system, insurance in Thailand, health insurance that we can offer you, or for a free worldwide medical insurance quote, please contact one of our dedicated advisers today.
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