Bangkok: “Somsak,” the Minister of Public Health, announced that foreigners are not permitted to use the 30-baht healthcare card. This statement follows a report of a Cambodian individual at the Thai-Cambodian border posing as a Thai citizen to access free medical treatment. He proposed employing biometric machines to verify nationality.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Public Health, addressed concerns raised by a doctor about Cambodian nationals exploiting the Thai healthcare system at border hospitals. He stated that the issue of illegal workers has been forwarded to the Cabinet, emphasizing the need for the Ministry of Public Health to effectively manage epidemic investigations. Somsak highlighted that many diseases have entered Thailand, and existing laws often conflict with operational principles, necessitating reforms for the Ministry to fulfill its responsibilities adequately.

When questioned about the verification of fake identities, Mr. Somsak clarified that such matters are handled on a case-by-case basis at the officer level and do not typically reach him. He also noted that the issue of medical personnel shortages has been addressed.

Regarding eligibility for the 30-baht healthcare card, Mr. Somsak confirmed that recipients must be Thai citizens. He mentioned a recent discussion with the Communicable Disease Control Committee about implementing biometric systems. Despite initial concerns about the cost, he assured that each biometric machine, used for iris scanning, costs only 15,000 baht. If 30 border hospitals acquire these machines, the total expenditure would be just over 400,000 baht, ensuring foreign nationals cannot misuse the system.