Thai travellers abroad urged to have health insurances

TOKYO, June 12 (TNA) - Thai nationals who want to travel abroad, including Japan, are advised to have health insurances to guarantee their medical treatment in a foreign country in case of any emergency. Thai Ambassador to Japan Bansarn Bunnag voiced the advice on June 11, saying that the Thai Embassy in Tokyo has issued the warning to create an awareness among Thai people as medical treatment costs in Japan, for example, are much higher than those in Thailand. The top Thai envoy stressed that Thai travellers abroad should, therefore, have health insurances as a precaution. However, the Thai ambassador announced that the Thai Embassy in Tokyo is always welcome to provide all areas of assistance to Thai visitors to Japan, if contacted. According to the top Thai envoy, the number of Thai visitors to Japan has considerably increased, thanks to Japan's policy on two-week visa-free travels for Thais. The Thai ambassador projected that the number of Thai visitors to Japan this year should exceed one million, probably reaching 1.4-1.5 million, comparable to the number of Japanese tourist arrivals in Thailand. The Thai ambassador noted that Thailand is the fourth largest tourist market for Japan after China, South Korea and the United States. (TNA)