Ministry of Public Health proposes using 'land entry fee' to help public hospitals resolve bad debt issues
The Ministry of Public Health has disclosed financial data regarding over 30 regional hospitals across the country, which are facing bad debt issues from medical treatments amounting to several billion baht per year. Most of these debts stem from patients who are unable to pay for their medical expenses, causing hospitals to lack the liquidity needed to procure medical equipment and improve services.
To address this issue, the Ministry of Public Health has expressed support for the concept proposed by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which intends to collect a tourism fee from foreign tourists—commonly known as the 'land entry fee'—at a rate of 450 baht per person per visit. It is proposed that a portion of this revenue be contributed to a fund for purchasing health insurance for this group of patients.
The primary objective of this proposal is to reduce the financial burden on public hospitals that must bear the medical costs for foreigners who lack health insurance and are unable to pay for their own treatment. This would allow hospitals to manage their budgets more efficiently and reduce the long-standing problem of accumulated bad debt.
Currently, the proposal is still in the stage of joint discussions between relevant agencies to find an appropriate approach for utilizing the revenue to provide the greatest benefit to the Thai public health system. It is expected that if this project is implemented, it will help create financial stability for public hospitals and improve the quality of services provided to the public.