david_je

Has anyone dealt with a broker with office in Bangkok familiar with health insurance for expats, and whom you found reputable? A couple of brokers have been mentioned in this forum, but they are in Hua Hin, Pattaya, etc., and I'd prefer to meet the broker in person. Please only recommend if you yourself have actually dealt with the person. Thanks. 

For anyone who's bought World Nomads, seems on application, they only ask basic personal ID and address details and nothing on preexisting conditions or any medical questions at all. Can that be right? And is that the same for other similar policies mentioned in this forum -- insuremytrip (?), etc.?

15 hours ago, elektrified said:

Have you contacted AA Insurance Brokers in Chonburi? I purchased short-term medical insurance from them for a trip to the USA in 2015.

What policy did you purchase pls?

20 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

You could buy travel-insurance on the fly. 

This covers both accidents/incidents needing immediate treatment, as well as re-patriation when required.

WorldNomads - not the cheapest, but good coverage and very transparent - allow to subscribe the day before (coverage from start-date chosen on receipt of payment) for any period ranging from 2 days to 1 year.

 

Just to be clear -- I am already now in Thailand and I can buy it to cover me in Thailand, correct? Have you used them and for what and ever made claim?

I hold two nationalities; what difference does it make which I chose to apply? And why do they ask what state in US is my residence?

Application page has this. What does it mean?

"The coverages provided in the plan are secondary coverages. This Plan will pay its benefits first, but the amount of the benefits payable will be determined as if this Plan were the Secondary Plan. In this situation, our payment will be the limit of this plan’s liability."

Thanks.

My current policy expires in a few days and I'm not renewing due to surging premium. Since it's complicated, I'd like to take some time to find a new policy. I'm worried about being temporarily uninsured, though. Is there any short-term insurance I can buy for the gap, say for only a month or two? I plan to be mostly in Bangkok during that time. I'm early 60s expat. Thanks.

On 1/7/2020 at 8:13 PM, kiever said:

I decided to buy April my health essential pack after checking many. 

Why did you chose them after checking many? That's the Thai-based policy, correct? Thanks.

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If your visa had already expired and you had a re-entry permit for a entry from it you would have to wait for it to expire or have less than 30 days remaining or immigration would insist on using it instead of doing a 30 day visa exempt entry.

If you still had valid OA visa you would have to use it for entry.

So if my O-A stay/re-entry permit is still valid when I return by air, but there's less than 30 days remaining, do I tell the IO, "I would like to enter visa exempt instead"? And if IO asks me why, do I say, "So I can apply for non-O"?

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You might need the ticket out of the country within 30 days to board a flight without a valid visa for entry. Not needed if entering at a land border crossing.

Immigration seldom asks to see the10k baht for a visa exempt entry.

You mean if we make the trip for purpose of O-A to O conversion and return visa exempt by air, we should purchase air ticket out of country within 30 days just to show in case it's asked for, and then get the ticket refunded?

18 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Your permit to stay would of ended as soon as your left the country. Unless you had a valid re-entry permit their would be no reason for  immigration to deny entering the country visa exempt.

I have seen reports of people that have done it already.

 

But I do have multiple re-entry with the O-A. And since we're talking here about whether it's possible to do this trip before O-A expired, the re-entries would still be valid when I returned.

The first page asks for "personal info" -- passport details, TM6, etc. The page indicates there are steps 2-4. What info is needed in those steps? Any documents need to be uploaded?

Just want to be prepared when I do this next week.

Thank you.

3 hours ago, jacko45k said:

I thought it was...

 

1. The visit is strictly for tourism purposes.

2. They must have a confirmed return ticket to show that they are flying out of Thailand within 30 days of entry, as appropriate. Open tickets do not qualify. Traveling over land out of Thailand by train, bus, etc to Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia (including en route to Singapore), Myanmar, etc may be accepted as proof of exiting Thailand.

   You may be asked to show your flight ticket on entering Thailand. If you do not possess a flight ticket to show you will be exiting Thailand within 30 days of entry you will be most likely refused entry.

3. It will also be necessary to prove that you have funds of at least 10,000 THB per person during your stay in Thailand.

I noted that as well. So it would good to hear from anyone with actual recent experience who held O-A based on retirement and left country, came back before O-A stay expired and chose to enter visa exempt instead, with purpose of converting to Non-O at CW.

Come to think of it, even if you returned after O-A had already expired, could you be questioned about entering visa exempt (as tourist) and would need that ticket and funds on hand?

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

However, when exiting Thailand and wanting to re-enter VisaExempt to apply for the Non Imm O Visa in-country, that can be done PROVIDING the remaining days of your Non Imm OA Visa are less than the 30 days you would get from your VisaExempt entry.

In order to avoid being stamped in again for the remaining days of the permission to stay the Non Imm OA Visa granted you and kept alive by the Re-Entry Permit (making it not possible to apply for another Visa), you would need to leave the VISA-number blank on the small TM6 arrival/departure card you need to fill in on re-entering Thailand.  In that case border-immigration will stamp you in VisaExempt for 30 days.  In case they remark that you still have a valid re-entry permit in your passport, the normal procedure would then be to ask you which entry you prefer, and then you opt for the 30 days VisaExempt.

 

That's good to know, thanks.

Would be great to hear from someone in same situation who's actually done this. Since visa exempt is for tourists, would you be questioned if you have still-valid O-A?

Is it everyone's understanding that if you have a multiple-reentry with your O-A stay based on retirement and you want to convert to O at an overseas consulate, you can only do this after your stay has expired? No way to do before that, correct?

Sheryl,

Sorry, did not mean to be seeking broker-like advice. Just interested in your own choice, so I can make a better choice based on your medical savvy. Thanks.

50 minutes ago, nightbird said:

Please read the thread first. Both these questions are answered.

You're right. Lots to process and I got mixed up between threads. Thanks.

20 hours ago, nightbird said:

Already had an OA and many extensions.

Were you asked why you were giving up the O-A and converting? And did you need to show the 800,000 was transferred from abroad, and if so, how did you prove that?

Thanks.

10 hours ago, nightbird said:

Last month, I went to Penang and applied for a Non O. I brought all the documentation that is listed on their website(Penang Royal Thai Consulate). Doors open 9am. Dropped it off at the clerk's window and picked up the new visa the next day at 2pm. No questions were asked. Easy in, easy out. Just make sure you have everything that is asked for. No proof needed of funds coming from abroad. Only your bank statement, stamped by the bank, showing you've had at least 800K for more than 2 months. 

Were you converting from O-A based on retirement to O, to get around the insurance requirement? Or did you not already have O-A? Thanks.

Unless one found a consulate that issued O-A without requiring the insurance met Thai requirements? I have foreign-issued insurance but like many others, only inpatient.

A Thai friend has prominent surface veins in legs, wants get it checked at Chula, to make sure it's not just cosmetic problem. Can someone recommend vascular surgeon there?

She's also been experiencing pain in area below left rib cage. What kind of specialist should she see about that -- and again any recommendation at Chula? Or possibly other government hospital -- cost is an issue.

Thanks.

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You can apply for as many OA long stay visas as you want to back to back. There are people that have been doing it for many years.

But some people doing them are now having problems getting proof of their insurance now.

You mean instead of extending at CW, leave before current stay expires and apply for new O-A visa after it expires? Is that a viable way out of the requirement for approved insurance?

Before insurance requirement, why were people doing this for many years instead of extending at CW?

Thanks.

On 7/31/2019 at 5:35 AM, Sheryl said:

 

I have it to (he international one). Very happy with it. I got it through AA Brokers and very happy with them as well.

 

They do cover take home medications but you have to pay first and get reimbursed same as for the follow up visits. Which are unlimited but within the 30 days after discharge. I was fully reimbursed for about 60K baht of discharge meds and follow up OPD visits after a recent hospitalization. Again, I have the international plan, don't know if the Thailand plan differs,

Sheryl,

Could you tell us which April international policy you have, whether you elected deductible, what is premium like, etc.? Website shows three choices and lots of possible matching. Would be good to know what kind of policy you believe economically reasonable yet secure for expats in Thailand who also travel abroad.

Has anyone recently been issued such in HK, which can then be extended for a year in Bangkok? Website mentions O for family but does not mention retirement.

I am one of those seeking to switch OA to O.

Thanks.

My passport expires in December. I need to do my annual extension based on retirement at Chaeng Wattana by early July. At that time, I assume the passport must have at least 1 year validity, correct?

The validity of the new passport starts on what date?

I get my Thai visa transferred to my new passport at CW and only CW, correct? Is there a certain number of days by which you must transfer the visa? How long does the transfer process take at CW? Can it be done on the same day as the retirement extension?

The US embassy website says I can apply at any time and it takes only a few weeks get the new passport. Is there any reason to wait, or should I just take care of it now? I guess I would save a few months on my renewal after this one if I don’t apply too early.

By the way, anyone done this in person at embassy? I am wary of putting the passport in the mail.

Thank you.

Would someone who has recently done this amid the recent changes pls confirm if my list of documents required for retirement visa extension (4th time) at CW is correct? Thank you for your trouble.

Retirement extension:

TM7 --

Bank certification of 800,000 3 months prior

Bank book with copies of name/account number page and last three months of transactions

Passport with copies of ID page, last extension, last entry stamp, original O-A visa, airport departure card

Hand-drawn map of residence (any particular requirements on how drawn?)

TM30 --

TM30 form

Landlady’s tabian baan and ID card

Rental agreement

Passport with ID page, original O-A visa, last extension, last entry stamp, airport departure card

Multiple re-entry --

TM8

Passport, no copies of pages required