wasabi

I have never needed to transfer funds from Thailand to the United States but I was surprised to see wise.com only allows you to transfer money from the US (and other countries) into Thailand. I could do a wire transfer from my Bangkok Bank account to one of my US Banks but the exchange rate would be poor which becomes problematic for large transfers. What do people with Thai Baht use to transfer larger amounts (500,000 THB and up) from Thailand to a US bank? There are likely already threads discussing this but I could not find them.

It is still relatively cheap to live here and the Thailand Elite Visa makes immigration easy. Air pollution is the number one reason I would consider leaving.

Well I arrived in Thailand last week. What was the additional health screening process? From what I could tell only a thermal scan screen that I walked past with no conversation about it whatsoever.

Thank you for all the replies.

I'm bumping this up since I am traveling to Thailand in a few days and no one has specifically answered. Has anyone very recently arrived in Thailand and experienced the latest health screening process? If yes what is it?

Philippines Airlines had the cheapest business class flights. Both legs of the flight itself were fine, but the Kafkaesque experience in their airport made it not worth it and I won't repeat.

I flew out of BKK to LAX April 29th. All that was required was a negative Covid Test within 1 day of flying out. Note it is within 1 calendar day NOT 24 hours. I got the test at Bangkok Hospital in Bangkok. I was asked for the test results at the check in counter in BKK and again in Manila airport several times at random points where I had a stop. There was also a bizarre checked luggage analysis for all foreign passengers. I say bizarre because I checked the bags in BKK all the way to LAX but they yanked out every suitcase and brought us to a small windowless room to manually open and rummage through each one which took several hours. It was very confusing and hectic in Manilla, and I will not transit in that airport again. If you thought Thailand has too many outdated bureaucratic procedures try The Philippines. I have Global Entry and it was very easy to enter the US. I am returning to Thailand June 4th and already got my Thailand Pass.

The addition of a health screening process is something I've only seen in the past week. So visitors prior to that may not have experienced whatever it is. I also expect it will now include Monkey Pox screening.

I've seen various sources lauding the continued simplification of Thailand Pass. Ideally it goes away completely but till then I am glad they are chipping away at it. In its current incarnation what is meant by "Travelers are required to go through the health screening process at the airport?"

Yes I do have US Health insurance based out of Florida and found a Florida ENT Who would accept my insurance and do the surgery. However there were two problems. 1 my insurance has a high deductible so I still would be on the hook for several thousand dollars but more importantly he had the same outdated surgical method as the Thai doctors. In the end paying out of pocket for the Austin Dr was the most cost effective and in line with what I wanted out of the surgical experience (minimally invasive) For me the lesson is to shop around perhaps in Thailand and other countries. In the past I just assumed the Thai price was cheaper and didn't shop around. I think this was true for a long time, but not any more, particularly at private hospitals. Though yes, great deals can still be found in Thailand.

I agree that the US Healthcare system is badly flawed and typically very overpriced. That is why I was shocked the cost of my surgery in Texas was even cheaper than Kon Kaen and for an a higher quality, less painful, less risky result than I could've gotten in Thailand. Even with the cost of round trip airfare the cost was still cheaper than it would've been in Bangkok. And that is why I've learned it's not safe to assume I am getting a good deal in Thailand without checking prices in my home country first.

I want to start exploring clinics and lower cost options in Thailand that offer the same care with less of the "pampering premium" I have been paying at private hospitals.

where did you find insurance for 650 THB? ***update found the site with the low cost insurance using FWD insurance which was accepted.

I've noticed inflation in general healthcare at private hospitals in Thailand, mostly Bangkok, over the past 2 years. But I still find the treatment and care high quality and reasonably priced relative to my home country the United States so I have begrudgingly accepted the slowly inflating prices for things like skin care and blood tests. Recently I was diagnosed with a deviated septum and what is called hypertrophic turbinates at one of the major hospitals in Bangkok (not to be named). All of this together means you can't breathe well through your nose and may suffer from sleep apnea which I do. A surgical resolution called a Septoplasty combined with turbinate reduction was offered to me via a "package deal" that offered the surgery itself, the usual nurses doing blood pressure and temperature checks, and a hospital room for 2 nights for the equivalent of $6,000 USD. It was further explained I would require general anesthesia for up to 2 hours while the surgery was performed and would need to have packing and splints in my nose for up to 3 weeks. I decided I needed to do more research and declined. I recalled a video from a popular Thai Youtuber who had septoplasty surgery in Kon Kaen for $3,000 USD. Furthermore he only had to have the postsurgical splints for 6 hours (not 3 weeks) and was released the same day via outpatient surgery, though he did need general anesthesia. Now I'm willing to pay a premium if I am getting better care but I suspected the care I'd get in Kon Kaen would be the same as Bangkok so I contacted the hospital and set up an appointment for the next week. Later that night I watched several more Youtube videos and read about the surgery where people described their septoplasty experience. A common refrain was the misery of having the splints and packing in their nose for weeks. I recalled the guy I saw in Kon Kaen who only needed such devices for 6 hours and started to wonder if there was a more minimally invasive variant of the surgery. That night I started getting worried about having general anesthesia coupled with sleep apnea which can cause stroke if not handled correctly and canceled the appointment in Kon Kaen. I have US health insurance so I decided though It'd likely cost 3 times as much, plus the cost of travel I just would feel safer having it done there. I called various doctors in the USA. Most surgeons in America also wanted to use General Anesthesia and also wanted to place the packing and splints in the nose but for shorter time periods. The costs were higher than Thailand but my insurance would cover it. I still was not satisfied. After searching and searching I finally found a Dr in Austin, Texas who uses Twilight Anesthesia and requires no splints or packing for septoplasty in a more modern minimally invasive method. He explained general anesthesia and packing for typical septoplasty surgery were outdated techniques from the 80s. Twilight anesthesia is a lighter form of anesthesia that doesn't require a tube in the throat, and various machines to keep you alive during the surgery. You recover much quicker after the surgery too. He explained he only required a single dissolvable suture and the whole surgery would likely take 15-20 minutes. If I paid out of pocket the total cost would be $2000. $1000 for the septoplasty, $300 for the twilight anesthesia and $700 for a CT Scan. I flew from Thailand to Austin TX and went to the clinic. I was very happy with the bedside manner and skill of the Dr and felt confident moving forward. After getting my CT scan he explained my surgical needs were typical and the surgery would only last 15 minutes. Furthermore he utilized a device that kept airways open during surgery that would prevent all risk of breath cessation. Twilight anesthesia already lowers that risk and this device with the twilight brought the risk to near zero. My surgery was the following day. It went very smoothly and I'm now sitting at home in Florida quickly recovering. I have no splints or packing in my nose and am very comfortable as I heal. I'll be back to Thailand at the end of the month. I remain appreciative of the healthcare I typically get in Thailand and the correct diagnoses of my problem in a hospital there. But for me the moral of the story is don't think just because it's Thailand you are getting the best price and these packages may be inclusive of nonessential services relative to your case. There is no reason this surgery in typical cases should require overnight hospitalization or should take 2 hours for most people and certainly not for me. Furthermore some of the surgical techniques may be outdated (this is also true in other countries including America)

where did you find insurance for 650 THB?

I had this problem in the past, too many visits in the eyes of immigration. Getting a Thailand Elite visa solved it. Not the right choice for everyone but it was the best option for me.

Any particular Florida cities you recommend?

I've considered this but overwhelmed by all the different city choices. A college town would be nice. Somewhere with a downtown, safe, relatively affordable housing. I was looking at this list but never having been any of these places it's hard to know what to think. I have been to Miami, Orlando and Cocoa Beach. All okay places but not top for me to live.

My wife and I lived in Berkeley off and on for 10 years. It's our top place to live, but unfortunately we never bought a house or condo there so it's became unaffordable. We are now living in Bangkok because it's convenient but the air pollution is horrible. We've tried to find other cities to live in Thailand but nothing seems to fit the bill. Pattaya is okay but it has plenty of air pollution too. Main benefit is you can't see it as much if you are near the sea. I've also considered moving back to the USA but not to California but not sure where yet.

I would still vacation here for the culture but I only live here for the low cost of living. Thailand Pass and wearing masks both should be eliminated immediately.

Get rid of the Bangkok Airways flight monopoly and their inflated prices and more will come from in-country.

Just drop USD/THB back to 45.00 and we can call it a day.

Might help their pride but I can't see this helping tourism.

Taiwan is an economic treasure trove. The people are culturally similar to China an invasion is going to happen, just a matter of when. Laos may be communist but they and Thailand likely have very little economic value to China. An invasion would be a messy headache. We are not talking about the Third Reich with genocidal aspirations we are talking about economic reshuffling and logical border expansion.

I underestimated the impact Covid will have so I won't do the same here. That said it's anyone's guess. I think the stock market (most but not all stocks) will continue dropping until what is going to happen and how quickly it will be resolved is more clear. Oil will continue to rise. If no war or a brief skirmish it could be a great buying opportunity but if things escalate could worsen already strained supply chains and best to sit it out. Someone else mentioned China is watching closely. I would hate war to happen anywhere but the reality is Ukraine is not that important to the global economy. Taiwan on the other hand is critically important for Microchips worldwide. China is surely aware of this and also dependent on microchips but I can't guess what they are willing to sacrifice to reclaim Taiwan. A cyber or military attack could have severe and lasting consequences. The world may become a very different place, just like Covid changed the world if that happens. I can't see the US defending Ukraine or Taiwan on a military level so the question is does either country really care about US and European sanctions? I have 70% of my money in Dividend producing stocks, none of which will be disrupted even by war so financially I will be fine. But the other 30% is in growth stocks. Those have already taken a hit but would drop more. I considered selling on Friday but I am in a position to ride it out and have always failed at market timing so for now Let it Ride. I hope this turns out like Bay of Pigs brinkmanship ending peacefully, but the world is very different now.