AdamTheFarang

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

The long of the truth.

 

The video in my opinion is nothing short of trying to stir up the hornet's nest. It showed no options, therefore is implying that Thailand doesn't want farangs to retire here, which for those of us that live here know is a load of rubbish.

 

My take on this is simple if you think outside the square.

 

Could it be that Thailand wanted to strengthen a current loophole whereby it make it mandatory for those who do not have money in Thailand to have money in the bank to support themselves if hospitalisation was required ?

 

Making sure that those on the retirement visa otherwise known as an the non O visa have 800,000 baht in their Thai bank account for 2 months before they apply for their extension and 3 months after their extension, with 400,000 baht to remain in the account for the remainder of the year, i.e. making sure those on the O visa/extension based on retirement have at least 400,000 in their bank account, which in hindsight reduces the exposure to Thailand's hospitals from those farangs who have no money in their bank account to pay for any necessary treatment/s if and when in hospital.

 

By doing the above I believe that the Thai government has understood that doing things this way, it is not impacting on most farangs, as those farangs should have the required 800,000 baht in the bank anyway and as has always been the case, albeit they tweaked the law to make it so that the farangs have 400,000 baht or half of that 800,000 baht requirement in the account for the 12 months to assist those farangs for any such unforeseen events should they require hospitalisation as opposed to peein it up the wall and leaving it for the government to pay the hospitals, well someone has to pay the tab.

 

I call this good management and the Thai's being understanding of the fact that if they imposed mandatory insurance for farangs on the non O visa/extension, it would have a major impact on a lot of elderly farangs who couldn't get insurance over a certain age, perhaps they looked at the statistics and said, these guys have been here for years and xyz of them are in their 60's, 70's, 80's and would have to leave which would create a big mess for them and also impact on a lot of Thai's, although minimal, then you have those who have families and are not married to Thai's although have Thai partners that they support, get my drift, so I applaud the Thai government for shoring up the loophole, it's responsible and for not making it mandatory for the retirement and or marriage visa/extensions to take out mandatory health insurance, and do not see them making it mandatory in the future for the above reasons I have stated. If they do, we will all have to address it when and it arises, speculating will only cause us stress, and we are all here to enjoy ourselves, are we not ?

 

Those on the O/A visa don't require to have the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account and can enter and leave Thailand when they want, so it looks that perhaps they know more than what they are wanting to say, just my thoughts, i.e. maybe they have uncovered a system where those on the O/A could enter, get what they required from the hospital system and exit without paying, just my thought as paranoid as it sounds, and if true has left the Thai's with a loophole which costs the Thai taxpayer to foot the bill. If they don't want to take out the mandatory insurance, they can simply changed visas to an O based on retirement or even go for an elite visa, they have options, it's not a do or die scenario and has nothing to do with farangs not being welcome.

 

Whoever made this video simply cannot see past his own nose, because it's that big it's obscures his vision.

 

This is just shoring up the loophole, i.e. if you have a non O, then you are now required to have mandatory insurance before you depart your country, and it must be with a Thai health insurance company, which they can verify, unless it is one on the list that fits the criteria, like I said, they are shoring up the loophole, call me mad, I don't mind, but I like to think outside the square.

 

I am all for mandatory health insurance in all countries, I mean why should someone else pick up the bill, in Australia where I come from, in the state of Melbourne last year if I recall correctly, the government had to pay $80,000,000 in costs to hospitals for visitors to Melbourne who had used the system, had no insurance and then left, I believe they had recouped 3/4's of it, but $20,000,000 or a 1/4 was ridden off, so why should Melbournian's have to foot the bill, for those that don't know, Australia has 7 states last time I checked, although I haven't been far south for a couple of days if you would excuse the pun. 

 

I have a pre-existing condition, I have health insurance, I am on the marriage extension, albeit it is expensive and it only covers me for emergency cover, and it will go up when I turn 60 this year, like it or lump it, I have to carry my own, rightfully so as I am a guest here in Thailand, although I can self insure as there is no mandatory requirement for me to have health insurance in Thailand, and I could self insure and pocket the annual expense, but like I said, I should carry my own and not rely on the Thai's to cover me or allow me to self insure because monitoring such I would imagine would be difficult unless they want to put a few farangs noses out of joint, like make it mandatory to have x amount of baht in the bank for 12 months of the year. 

 

I don't have the solution, but the video is all one sided and for those that can see through the propaganda, will stay on to enjoy Thailand with her warts and all.

 

If you don't have money in the bank albeit 400,000 baht to keep in the bank for a year at a time without touching it, you shouldn't be here, it's not a great deal of money, and if you drink that much, i.e. 12 Changs a day, you won't be on this planet much longer.

 

Just my two bobs worth. 

More like two Quids worth!

14 hours ago, UKresonant said:

Also the Thai insurance T&Cs require you to be in Thailand more than 6 months in 12. If someone were looking to come here, or were not here all year round. 

Thats why I anticipate that the O-Visa is not at risk, for this poorly concieved arrgt, but extensions could be in future.

The logic would be if you can have 800,000 in the bank, for most medical conditions you would be able to pay. Option 1) Place the insurance on all visas and many leave and the economy is hard hit. 2) A small amount of expensive operations are needed for people on retirement visas, of which some money is collected. Option 2) sounds logical.

1 minute ago, Swiss1960 said:

false on so many levels

- first, not everybody needs health insurance, only people with OA Visa

- second, the health insurance might exclude pre-existing conditions (as does mine), but still I have insurance 

therefore, once again false rumours by people who probably want to scam others

Retirement is Non-O therefore has anything changed in regards to insurance? 

Visas were so much easier a few years ago. Clearly the Thai government has tightened up. You should be able to get reliable information by calling your local office. If not on here. Hey, at least if you have the O and then the retirement visa you are good for a while. I had heard that they have changed the time you need to keep the 800,000Baht in the bank. I left Thailand for many reasons, visas being one of them and the fact after 7 years I still needed, as everyone on a retirement did/does have to report every 90 days. At least it was online, but even if I married citizenship is extremely difficult to get. Then you have to report if you stay in another place for a few days, it's like a Police state. I felt unwanted and was fed up of dual pricing. Thailand was also cheap, now with the Thai Baht so high it is expensive. There are plenty of better places to live where citizenship is available and a more welcoming environment. 

Classy mask, covers his face well. Most of the time they are surgical masks, or motorcycle helmets. There must be a large business for masks in Thailand, even copy masks.

On 7/28/2019 at 3:57 AM, darksidedog said:

It is interesting that both Phuket and Pattaya have problems with taxis and other transport providers ripping their customers off continuously, while at the same time both places are suffering from a serious lack of customers. One wonders if the penny will ever drop and the connection between the two made.

Don't be a fool man. Prices have to raise in bad times!! Where have you been. A friend told me that when the condos he was staying in had few long term tenants, the owner put the prices up as less money was coming in. So he left! 

On 7/20/2019 at 6:30 AM, oldrunner said:

Go fund me is bu.s.it. My daughter, granddaughter and daughter's beau spent 30 days out of USA via Japan, Bangkok, Pattaya didn't need it but had plenty of insurance. Why so many Brits got their hands out all the time for bar bills (oops Hosp bills), etc. Yanks just hang in until they die.

Because Americans have had to pay for medical insurance in the USA for many years, otherwise what happens if they get sick, or have an accident. The UK has mandatory contributions taken from earnings, so that medical cover, including because of an accident like this are "free"

I was on holiday in Los Angeles and dislocated my arm and went to hospital. At the time quite dazed, I did not have cash on me. I did have insurance, but again not on me. They did not hold my Passport which is possibly illegal. I doubt this couple had their Passports on them so the hospital took matters into their own hands. 300m Baht is a tiny amount of money compared to the billions of Baht tourists bring in every month, to a country mostly of uneducated peasants. I am Jewish and most Thais did not even know what a Jew was. Amazing Thailand for the wrong reasons!! Talk about uneducated. Thailand is all take and gives back nothing, not even showers on the beach. Australia, Israel and many more have showers on the beach in tourist areas, Phuket the Jewel Of the Andaman I never saw a shower and if there are they are not government funded as they do not respect the tourists putting money into the economy like Australia, Israel and many more. Thais just think they are superior, which is inverted and show little respect and give nothing back. I lived there for 7 years and from landlords, to girlfriends this was shown over and over again. So if Thailand get so many tourists and a few have accidents Thailand should pay for them. It is no wonder less people are going, high Baht (are the elite buying abroad) as the economy is not good and the Baht is not a freely convertible currency. Is the Baht manipulated, make it convertible and we will see!! Visas are harder to get now. One of the many things Thailand does not understand now is the world is global and Thailand is still xenophobic. Imagine Isarn without any foreign money from the hookers. I once met a lady who said her boyfriend, a German had died and they lived with her family and she said her father loved the German. It took me w while to realise why...............westerners do not stoop so low.......the old man loved the German's money not him! Peasant people. How many foreign doctors, lawyers etc do you see, none as the Thais know they are better than them!

3 minutes ago, StevieAus said:

If that is the the case please send as a matter of urgency the formula to the Australian government so that we can get a better exchange rate.

Huh, you said you owned properties in Hawaii, which presumably you rent out, so what about the USD, or wait for it, you are so wealthy you do not need to! What's the AUD got to do with your income from properties in Hawaii and Thailand. StevieHawaii50! Book him Dano, b......t too much!

5 hours ago, StevieAus said:

Sounds like you are a travel agent?

Where do you get all your money to buy all these properties? Are you yet another one who tells stories.....they used to be in the special forces, you can say anything on here. So you do not work and swim, but make huge amounts of money. Is that a pink pig I see flying past me. I lived in Phuket for 7 years and essentially it changed from being lovely, to being full of immigrant Thais trying to con any tourist or foreigner out of as much money as possible with no thought for the future. They openly admit this amongst themselves. Did you know that foreigners cannot but property in Phuket, or Thailand, except condos and there are many stories of properties being re-possessed and fraud etc You state you own properties in Hawaii and Thailand and are only 30 years old. Prove it, or shut up.  Most people come to Phuket with some money and end up with far less. You, however paint a heavenly view of your life, buying properties and swimming. What exactly do you do with these properties are clearly there are many empty rentals. StevieAus sounds Australian to me, but there I was thinking Hawaii was American, should that be Steve50 as in Hawaii 50! Lol, or StevieFullOfC..P 

On 7/12/2019 at 4:07 AM, Joe Mcseismic said:

The strength of the Thai Baht is not "artificial".

The reason it is so high is because:-

Increasing foreign exchange reserves.

Low inflation rate.

Low unemployment.

Resilient economy.

Concern about European economies (their currencies losing value).

 

The Thai Central Bank has the same job as other Central banks; to keep inflation in check. This is why they have very limited options with regard to the exchange rate.

 

The foreign exchange market is far bigger than any single countries power to influence their own currency.

Britain tried to support Sterling in 1993, but, still crashed out of the ERM.

Thailand tried to do the same in 1997 and spent most of their foreign currency reserves.

In both cases, it was the foreign exchange market that determined the outcome.

You are forgetting one thing, the Pound, USD and other major currencies are freely traded and speculated upon in other words freely convertible currencies, the Thai Baht is not, as it is not a freely convertible currency. Therefore the largest player is you guessed it.........Clue Thailand is for Thais.

Just now, marcusarelus said:

Gets you 2 years.

Really not 10 + 2 = 16 in your world!

I got my last one in Phuket. Are they still widely available in Thailand?

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

No.

Where can you get 1 year?

Hi,

Is it correct Retirement Visas are only 3 months now instead of 1 year with 90 day reporting?

It does seem that Thailand is sending a clear message with the limit to visa runners etc that unless you have money they do not want you in the country.  It is the same in many countries and who is to say that they will not stop Retirement Visas and "Give Thailand Back To Thais" that I suspect would put many of the TV readers here in a mess. I lived in Thailand but never felt secure in terms of the ever changing Immigration rules. Thankfully I am going to a developed country where I can get citizenship and even financial help with moving and treated like an equal. All non-Thais are often treated like 2nd class citizens.

Why is the rubbish not collected on the beaches?

When you come from a shack in a rice field in the middle of no where (90% of these girls are from rural Isarn) with no real education at all eg ask a Isarn to point on a globe where Thailand is, I did and she did not have a clue, coupled with a money grabbing family, maybe a kid, or two, so there own mother is on the phone asking for money, the fathers either left or at 50 odd are too old to work in the farm apparently, many of them have been sexually abused, therefore they have little morals and look down on foreigners. They think money solves all their problems and in many cases it does. These girls earn 300Baht a day if they are lucky in the middle of no where getting up at 5am and finishing at sunset then to take care of their kids(s) Come to a big place like Pattaya, Phuket in a bar they can  earn 10 times that and get drunk for free. In your own country would you go to the worst area and look for hookers expecting to find love? Get real! 

Thailand is for Thais, all others are just on Visas which can be cancelled at any time, like when you money runs out, even if you are married and have kids with a Thai.

14 hours ago, Bruce Aussie Chiang Mai said:

Ha Ha, I invite him to Chiang Mai he be busy.

Don't think that will be his cup of tea, there are no beaches there!

Thailand is run by Thais. Keep that in mind.