COVID-19: Thailand allows foreigners to claim medical expenses

Foreign visitors who were treated for COVID-19 in Thailand will be able to claim back medical expenses from the country’s hospitals, the Thai Ministry of Finance confirmed on March 19.

Passengers have their body temperature checked at Phuket International Airport of Thailand on March 19

This policy is also applied to foreigners who are waiting for COVID-19 test results.

Poomisak Aranyakasemsuk, director-general of the Finance Ministry's Comptroller Department, said Thais and foreigners, including expatriates, who are covered by Thailand's welfare scheme, can claim medical expenses for the amount that exceeds the limit of the welfare scheme.

The Ministry of Public Health will work out the details of who, among non-Thais, are eligible to claim medical expenses and how much, he noted.

To curb the spread of COVID-19, Thailand’s army units have been deploy to disinfect public places in Bangkok since March 19.

As of March 20 afternoon, the country had recorded 322 infection cases, including one death.

Meanwhile, Myanmar recently decided to suspend labour export as from March 18 over concerns about the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2.

The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar also announced a temporary ban on foreign nationals’ entry as from March 19.

Myanmar hasn’t recorded any COVID-19 cases so far./.

VNA