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I am in Thailand and have been for 11 years. I am going to start traveling in Asia and need COVID insurance that covers at least Thailand and the Philippines. I'll keep my 1yr retirement visa here with multiple reentry. Not insured now, but expect would need to return. Web sites only seem to cover 1 country (Thailand) and if I search specific for Philippines, I can only find insurance for leaving the Philippines. I am from USA but not a resident there, so the USA insurance sites will not sell to me and have extreme rates anyway. Age 51 Anybody have a good lead on all-Asia COVID insurance bought in Thailand?

This is amazing. The idea behind SSA having to go to a "locked" account accessible only by personal appearance is foreigners will die unreported to USA and someone keeps taking their payments. The banks were having to pay the USA back. Simply switching routing methods... amazing. Thank you for another amazing tip, Pib!

I need some money short term for major medical. Any chance a bank will loan or give a credit card with a retirement visa? I can show good monthly income deposited to BKB every month.

Yes. I just found this out. I applied with sdfcu and should know in a few days. I will simply have them transfer or wire to my regular BKB account the minimum visa amount each month and use ATM in the Philippines. Also, Ian, the BKB executive at the NYC branch mentioned above, is having someone look in to an easier solution. It may be that with the right contact, one can email proof of being out of the country and they will route the funds to regular account. I will post a new thread with details about this when I know. Thank you again!

Thanks for all the feedback. I should be more specific: To get a retirement visa, direct deposits every month are needed (not transfers or regular deposits.) Thus, a couple of years ago, I gave up my USA account and just let it come to Bangkok Bank so I qualify for my visa. No, you can't have SSA deposits to a regular account. They see it from the USA government and send it back. If you have never had it DD before, you may get away with it a few months. Since I do not have a USA drivers license or physical address and every "open an account online" in the USA requires these (will not allow passport as ID), I can not open an account until I get there and can walk in to a branch. Since I am going to the Philippines first, 1 or 2 months pay will be stuck here in Thailand. (Foreigners can not open a bank account in the Philippines unless they have residency status.) SSA also needs time to change accounts. I have had it take more than 30 days. Here are my 2 options: * Find a way to access the frozen funds in Thailand based on the fact that I am out of the country so can not go to a branch * Or, if someone knows a bank in USA that I can open an account with while in Thailand using my USA passport and Thai address (or family USA address) then I am better off... going back to that convenience is worth the extra visa fees of not having DD of SSA

US Social Security gets deposited into an account then each month the person must go in person to a branch to access the funds. What to do if I travel for a month or two out of Thailand? I asked at the bank and called HQ and was told, "Don't know." I use BKB.

A Bangkok Babk account that accepts USA Social Security payments is necessary for my retirement visa. I have to show all 12 deposits to keep the visa. Of course, an SS deposit account means a monthly visit to transfer the money in person to my normal spending account. No online access, etc as you have to prove in person you are alive to access the funds. Now I want to travel for a few months. How can I get my money each month since I can not go to a branch? I can't have it deposited elsewhere or I don't qualify for my next visa renewal. Asking at the branch and calling they had no understanding.