Sheryl

Closed per Health Forum rules: 4. Posting/pinning of news articles: The forum is for members to seek advice on health/beauty related matters. it is not the place for general dissemination of news, research findings etc. Members are not to post news articles/research findings unless in the context of a discussion specific to an ASEAN NOW member's health/beauty related problem. https://aseannow.com/topic/224498-health-forum-rules/

Not a Nigerian charity. A registered US 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization. Co-foubded by North American athletes (President of the Toronto Raptors and a Scout for the Brooklyn Nets).

All 3 are available at any large pharmacy without a prescription. Multiple local brand names. Write down the names as Thai pharmacists often do nto understand western pronounciations. Show the written down names to a real pharmacist at a "real" pharmacy i.e. NOT a Boots or Watsons' (mainly sell cosmetics, very limited range of pharmaceuticals) and not a hole in the wall place either (those seldom have actual pharmacists). Cost will depend on what brand you get with locally made being cheaper. Where in Thailand are you?

Yes. More accurately wax can get pushed down suddenly. In particular seimming can do this. I don't know what dmdort of ear check you had 2 months ago but most would not dospecifically address wax. See an ENT. If not due to wax then you'll need to see a more specialuzed one but start with the obvious.

This is often due to blockage from wax. See an ENT.

This doctor: https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/bavornrit-chuckpaiwong https://www.phyathai.com/en/doctor/assoc-prof-dr-bavornrit-chuckpaiwong https://www.siphhospital.com/en/medical-services/doctor-biography?id=202 Doesn't matter which hospital you see him at. Bumrungrad will cost more but is more convenient/closer if coming from Pattata, the other 2 places are on Thonburu side of the river. Try to get copy if your Xray to show him.

Nobody is gojng to "pad out" anything but the doctor fee there (with Prof. Mason) will be about 2k baht and there will be about 300 baht hospital fee on top of that. I don't know the cost of ultrasound guided cortisone injection but that will be additional. If possible print out what you have on the NHS app.

Southern strain is recommended for Thailand and the rest of tropical/subtropical SE and south Asia. And, as the flu season in monsoonal Asia is the rainy season May - November, with peak incidence in July - October, flu shots here are best given in May. https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/emergency-preparedness/global-influenza-programme/recommendedvaccineformulationv2.pdf?sfvrsn=eaf3b86b_4

Do you have records with you from the UK stating all this? Do you have copy of your Xrays? It may not be reasonable to expect a doctor to just take your word for it. Especially since cortisone injections are contraindicated in some situations.

Please do not make duplicate posts. I already replied to this in the other thread. This one closed.

No, it is not OTT. This needs to be done by an orthopedic surgeon, preferrably one dmspecialuzing in shoulders, and the best such happebs to be at Bumrunfrad (Prof. Mason). In Thailand outpatient clinics are located in hospitals.

Try asking for it by generic name (Bisacodyl) and show that name to them written down. Also try a real Thai pharmacy. Nit Boots or Watsons. Where in Bkk are you?

You are not required to file if you gave no assessable income. And indeed, even if you have assessable income, you break no law by not filing if you owe no tax (i.e. if your assessable income is below the threshold).

"High Dose Influenza Vaccine"

Unfortunately, depending on what these conditions are, you may be uninsurable. Expat insurers are not required to cover people wirh pre existing conditions and for the most part, they don't. If you can provide detsils of these confitions I can advise better. Yoh might need to maintain your US policy and then get a travel policy on top of that which includes "acute exacerbations of pre-existing conditions". That presumes you'll be spending some time in US each year and would be prepared to return to US for non urgent care. Obviously this has cost implications for your retirement planning. So too may the new changes to Thai tax law. If you will be receiving a private pension any remittances of same to Thailand are taxable in Thailand if you are here 180 days a year or more (though under double taxation treaty can get credit for taxes paid in US). Government pension though is taxable only in US Ditto SS when you become eligible.

Off the top of my head, Cigna Gloval (UK based). There are others. Should get through a broker.

AA no longer handles/advises on internationally issued policies.

Me too except that to spare someone else getting the calls I put a nonsense phone number like a string of 9's.

Northern and southern strains are not identical. More importantly, a vaccine given in October will not give optimal protection in the peak influenza sesson in Thailand, which is July - October. I would recommend getting vaccinated again in Bangkok within the next couple of weeks or so. You cannot get it for free. 500 baht currently at Medconsult Asia. No add on charges, no need to see doctor first. https://www.medconsultasia.com/vaccinations/ 349 at the Mahidol Thai travel clinic but there us a doctor consultation fee on top of that so works out about the same as Medconsult. However if you are over 65 or immune compromised, high dose vaccine is recommended and last I checked available only at the Thai Travel clinic and some private hospitals. Cost about 1500 at the latter. https://www.thaitravelclinic.com/cost.html

Yes any policy will come under the laws and regulations of the issuing country. Thai policies come under the OIC. I would not describe that as an "ombudsman", it is not. It is a regulating commission. It is impartial and will decide any matter based on the terms of the policy and applicable Thai insurance regulations. Unfortunately both of these are pretty lax and allow things most western country regs would not. In addition the OIC is not specific to health insurance (most of its work is with vehicle and life insurance) and as far as I know it has no medically trained personnel or panels so is not in a good position to decide an issue based on medical details e.g. whether or not the fact that the insured had symptom or condition X years ago makes the condition they now gave a claim for pre-existing --- a very common point of contention due to most Thai companies not doing a thorough medical underwriting at intake but rather digging for evidence of (what they think are) related symptoms at the point of a claim years later. UK issued policies come under the UK Ombudsman. Most policies issued out of Western Europe have a similar body. So in answer to your question as to which is more beneficial it depends on which foreign country you are comparing to.

Likely that was either a Thai company or it was including outpatient cover or both. 70 plus can get a good international expat policy covering hospitalization (including day surgeries) and outpatient cancer treatment and dialysis for half that.

I have to strongly disagree on that. The regulatory framework for health insurance differs markedly from that in western countries and all8ws things other vounyries would not. Insurance company practices differ accordingly. Most do little or no screening at time of application and wait until a claim is made to decide if it is allowable. The basis for deciding, after the fact, that a confition was pre-existing is sometimes ludicrous/makes no medical sense. Innumerable reports of this over the years on this forum. In addition coverage levels tend to be low and premium costs comparatively high especially at older ages. The health insurance market in Thailand is very small since all Thai citizens already have free cover. This may explain why it is so weakly regulated.

Simply does not happen with reputable international (non-Thai based) insurers unless you lied or omitted relevant information at intake. I've had health insurance ally my life, and for >30 years in Thailand. Multiple claims over the years. Never a problem of any type. But I do not use Thai insurers.

Visa agent can do nothing except help her fill out the application. No effect on the visa decision, which is made by Consular Officer at the Embassy upon interview. As others have said: virtually zero chance if she does not have a good job and significant assets (and family) in Thailand having US citizen boyfriend is a minus not a plus in the decision, bets nto to even mention but that presupposes she has the finances to be believable as a tourist Better to holiday elsewhere until such a time that you are ready to apply for a fiancee visa.

I would also be concerned about it being incorporated in Bermuda. On of the key things to look at when considering an insurer is what recourse you have in the event of a dispute.