for civil servants and state enterprise employees, the Social Security Fund, the medical
welfare for the poor, the voluntary health insurance, and other private health insurance
programs. With initiation of the universal coverage health scheme (UC -- commonly
known as the “30 baht scheme”) in 2001, the government voluntary health insurance
was merged into the UC scheme where a Thai citizen only pays a small amount of 30
Baht per visit for health services. UC is the main and the most important source of
health service for the largest majority of Thai citizens today. (The program revision in
November, 2006, has made it possible for all Thai citizens to have access to health
service under this UC scheme without having to pay any fee.)