BobTH

Thanks for sharing this, I really enjoyed it. I have moved back to the USA but I used to shop there all the time and knew many of the vendors. One woman would save me the beef tenderloin, which is not easy to buy or find there. I leaned to make a nice tender Thai beef steak from them at a fourth of the price of beef at Villa.

15 hours ago, taxout said:

"If you enroll in a Part D drug plan within two months of returning to the United States, your coverage will start on the first day of the month after you enroll and you will not be liable for late penalties."

 

https://www.aarp.org/health/medicare-qa-tool/medicare-if-living-outside-united-states/

This is true and I was aware of it prior to applying here for part D. However they also expect you to have had a creditable insurance coverage prior to your return or they will penalize you. I am sure ericthai who has commented on this tread can explain it better. I am just trying to give a heads up. I have been aware of all the information others have shared on this thread, as I said I do my homework.

8 hours ago, ericthai said:

Also part D if you dont sign up when eligible or have creditable coverage you will pay a penelty which is 1% per for every month you did not sign up.  Any questions you can PM me I worked in the medicare insurance market for several years. 

I agree with you ericthai, this is the point I have been trying to make. It is also what I did not know prior to applying in the USA, however as I have said, I did have creditable coverage while in Thailand so I occurred no penalties. 

53 minutes ago, ericthai said:

Have you checked into Medicare advantage plans?  Typically an advantage plan will include RX coverage.  Premiums are anywhere from $0 per month upto $110, the cost of the plans are dependent on location. There are limitations, you have to stay in network in most cases, but the costs are typically much lower over a 12 month period. A visit to your primary is anywhere from $0 - $25, plans usually include dental, vision, hearing and transportation.  Best is they have a Max out of Pocket, so once you hit the max out of pocket you stop paying the plan pays 100%. Max out of pocket ranges anywhere from $1500-$10,000  the $1500 would be an HMO ( need to stay in network) the $10,000 would be a PPO (allows you to go out of network). 

 

If you have any health issues i.e. Diabetes, Hypertension, etc typically there are special Medicare Advantage plans that provide more benefits and in some places lower your Medicare part B payment ($144.60). 

 

The supplement plans are good, they allow freedom that you can go to any doctor that accepts Medicare. However you have the monthly premium which will depend on age and location, Ive seen as low as $125 a month and has high as $550 a month, then you still need your part D coverage this ranges from $15-65 per month.  There are allot of options and it can get complicated. If you have any questions you can PM me. 

 

 

I looked at all the plans and met with someone who was independent to explain all the different plans and companies. I knew what I wanted and it was covered by the plan G that I opted for. Yes I pay a monthly premium but I can go to any doctor anywhere in the country that takes Medicare. And the coverage if you become seriously ill long-term is much better. I recently had surgery that was billed at $86,000 US, I paid $179 out of pocket. The plans can get confusing, but I did my homework and got the plan that fit me.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Then something was wrong, as there is no penalty for not having a Medicate Supplemental Plan, only for late enrollment into Part B.

 

Unless this is some rule of the private insurer. Not a Medicare rule. But I doubt it. Sounds like they were confused and thought you had not had Part B. For that, there is a lifelong penalty unless you were abroad and can prove your were insured there.

When still in Thailand I enrolled in Part B through the US Embassy in the Philippines. So I was paying for it knowing I could not use it overseas thinking I might move home and not wanting the lifetime penalty. I made it perfectly clear to them when I moved back and although you are correct, the situation was something they were not used to dealing with. Both policies (AARP United Healthcare Insurance Supplement Plan G. The RX is a Humana Medicare RX Prescription Drug Coverage) wanted proof of coverage in Thailand. I had to explain on a recorded deposition, explaining I was covered under the Thai Health Insurance company LTD. I was not expecting this questioning either, and perhaps it was the private companies policy rules but it happened. I only wanted to share my experience so other forum members could prepare for this questioning. I was not penalized on either policy but they were suggesting lifelong penalties.

The Medicare Supplement plan I was referring to is called AARP United Healthcare Insurance Supplement Plan G. The RX is a Humana Medicare RX Prescription Drug Coverage. These two companies required me to prove I had insurance in Thailand. And yes I did apply for part B when I still lived in Thailand and enrolled in the allotted time frame without penalty.  

  Dr. Parichat Chalithapong, she works at a few different locations though the week but I would see her at the St. Louis Hospital on Sathorn Road, Dr. Parichart has a brisk no-nonsense manner which some people quite like but which puts off others. I really liked her, she is well known in the field and the St. Louis Hospital is reasonable and Expat friendly. And yes I have been a patient of hers and also Dr. Wichai Hongcharu in the same department.

When I left Thailand, I had to go to the Bangkok Bank Main Office on Silom Road and transfer my money home. And like others have said I had to prove where the money came from. I had kept records of my large transfers to Thailand from the USA. There might be others ways but this was the way I did it and the charges were not high doing it this way. I could not do it from my Bangkok Bank branch office, I had to go to the Silom Head office. I think any other ways you can find to do it will be too expensive or you might be able to use the power of attorney somehow, if there is someone you can trust with that kind of money.

39 minutes ago, neeray said:

No duties would apply on export. A clear manifest will be required.

If only clothes, still be certain that your package is robust, both carton quality and tape. I shipped some delicate items to Canada from Thailand by air parcel post, all well insulated and protected. As best I can tell, I think it fell off the conveyor belt on the way to cargo hold, then they threw a couple tons of other cargo on top.

Probably got rough handled again at destination. The postal delivery man was a bit embarrassed when he handed the squashed carton to me.

Hope you have better luck.

Thanks a lot neeray. Very helpful information. May I ask where did you get the manifest document or did you make your own?

I am leaving Thailand and moving back to the USA. I would like to send one larger size box of my personal belonging and was thinking of using the Thai post office Logispost World service. I was wondering if anyone has used it and if it fairly user friendly to do. I would just be sending clothes and other small personal items with no more than 50 pounds or 23 kilos of weight. My calculations for 23 kilos is around 6000 baht (reasonable) and they accept a box up to 150 x 150 x 200 cm to the USA using the service. Also, if it is just previously used personal items will I also be paying other duties either here or in the USA on the shipment? If anyone has any other reasonable alternatives I would welcome those also. I would not be in any hurry for the shipment to arrive in the USA. Thanks in advance for any helpful comments.

11 hours ago, marcusarelus said:

Do you mean the limit you set?  I set a 50,000 limit in my Bangkok Bank account or are you referring to a different limit?

 I called their customer support number and was asking questions when out of the blue the man asked me what bank I was with in Thailand this was concerning a discussion on using their phone application. I told him Bangkok Bank and he said their limit is 20,000 baht per transaction. He knew nothing about my limits nor did I tell him anything when he said it. Maybe he or I one was confused but at that point I thought: at that limit per transaction it would be expensive using their mobile app. so I decided to do the transactions from their office witch had higher limits 800,000 baht per day or 450,000 baht per transaction. When I went to do it that way is when I was told they could not send to my bank in the USA, because it wasn't on their list. I do use a smaller bank in the USA, my hometown bank which has a main office and I believe 7 branches. I just looked at the Windows log-in screen that Pib mentioned and had never seen it before where they send you an OTP, I tried it and after I entered the OTP it asked for password but wouldn't let me type in anything for some reason. But since I can not use my bank to send to, it really doesn't matter but thanks everyone for your help especially Pib. 

I tried to use DeeMoney, opened an account and got my wallet card. I prefer not using smart phone, just my personal taste, so I don't and you can't use a Windows based desk top to do a DeeMoney transfer. Even if you do and have the app, if you bank at Bangkok Bank, which I do, there is a 20,000 baht limit per transaction, so if you are trying to move a couple of million baht that can get expensive fast. I went to their office prepared to send funds that way and found that they could not send money to my bank in the USA. I use a small but good bank there and it is not on their list of financial institution they can do business with. At that point I decided to find another way to transfer funds from Thailand to overseas. I only shared this information to inform those using smaller banks abroad may run into problem using DeeMoney.   

I wasn't sure where to post this, I found it on another site, thought it was informative so feel free to share. You never know when it might come in handy.

The previous thread posted twice for some unknown reason, moderators please delete this one if possible, thanks.

I have used Chulalongkorn Hospital and have for seven years. The last two years I have had an annual heath check there. The cost for the last two years was 1,180 baht. However you were screened prior to your checkup by a doctor and you are they might recommend additional test based on your input and their data on you. Last year I had one additional test ran for an extra 200 baht, so the total cost was 1,480 baht. Basically you get a physical exam, blood and urine labs, Chest x-ray and EKG and it includes a post exam discussion with a doctor to discuss your test result booklet and to make recommendations if needed. I had read somewhere recently that they had raised their prices, so this morning I had another appointment at the hospital and finished early so I went up to the 16th floor where they do the health checks and asked about the pricing. And yes whomever it was that reported the price increase was correct. The one that was 1,180 baht is now 5,000 baht for foreigners and stayed the same for Thai nationals. I guess that is still reasonable but it did go up substantially.

When I registered for the hospital card and patient number seven years ago, I went with a good Thai friend that was previously a nurse there and it was not hard at all to get the card. I have heard recently though it has become much harder and they ask for a lot more information than they used to. I have two friends that gave up trying, I do not really know their particulars, just that they gave up trying. I am only saying this so that if you do go there to apply for the hospital card take a lot of information or have a Thai speaker call and ask what will be needed in advance and make your life easier. I might add though that I have always been impressed with the doctors and technical staff there but you have to remember that it is a government hospital geared towards Thai nationals. Good luck

Yes, the EMS 90 day reporting has always been a better option than visiting Chaengwattana Immigration office to do it in person. However doing it online is even better if you are able do it without problems, I have been fortunate to to utilize it without issues. 

11 minutes ago, Agusts said:

That's good info that Phuket imm. doesn't require the embassy letter.  Although you didn't have an old expired/cancelled passport, but two valid one...!  I try next month and see,  do they ask for money for this transfer...? 

The transfer of stamps at Chaengwattana in Bangkok is free, no charge.

14 minutes ago, Eaglekott said:

I tried the 90 day report some years ago and that did not work, Since then I have always sent in by post. The annoying thing is that if I want to try online again, it will be too late to send in by post so I have to go there.

I report to Chaengwattana Immigration office in Bangkok. I have been in the same situation back when they were having outages in the Online Reporting Website page. I know the instructions for sending it by registered mail states must be sent 15 days before the due date but I have on more than one occasion sent it in less than that and it was accepted with no problems or warnings when sent back by mail. I would say you could try it online for a few days, and if it doesn't work you could still send it by mail. You do not state what office you report to but like I said, I use Chaengwattana.

I use Chaengwattana Immigration office in Bangkok. I did my online 90 report on Tuesday this week the 27th without problems.

4 minutes ago, cretin said:

I am under the impression that the online process is centralised. Anyway it's a nice day and Ayutthaya is only 30km away, so this might be the best option!

 

The online process is not centralized, the office you report to must still approve it in the system. 20 days is a long time to be in the pending mode. When you go to the office I would ask if they participate in the online reporting program as I am not sure about Ayutthaya. Good luck.

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

I have just started a topic about it.

 

Feel free to delete my comment if you wish. Thanks.

11 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

Thanks for the info. I did read that if you go to re-new your DL after the expiry date, the new one will run for 5 years plus up to your next birthday. So go the day after your birthday and you get 6 years instead of 5. But in the words of Jonny Logan 'What's Another Year?'

Maybe this is what you were referring to, but it isn't really clear. If you are going from a 2 year temporary license to a five year permanent license and you wait until after the 2 years expires, you will get another 2 year license. If you renew the 2 year before it expires you will receive a 5 year permanent. However if you are going from a previous 5 year permanent, to a new 5 year, then if you wait until after the expire date you get the 6 years minus a little, if you go before the 5 year permanent license expires you will get another 5 years.  Just so some understand the difference in a temporary and permanent renewals. No International licenses are issued on temporary, only permanent.