GeorgeCross

2 hours ago, JAS21 said:

Ex Pat Den have just published this ... https://www.expatden.com/thailand/mandatory-health-insurance-rules-for-retirees/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A+Guide+to+Thailand+s+Mandatory+Health+Insurance+Rules+for+Retirees&utm_campaign=Published%3A+A+Guide+to+Thailand+s+Mandatory+Health+Insurance+Rules+for+Retirees

 

might be of interest to someone

from the linked article:

Quote

What if I Can’t Buy Health Insurance? 

The Thai government is changing the financial requirements and will soon update retirement visa holders. 

But if you can’t buy health insurance for whatever reason, you should expect to have to show more money in your bank account when you apply for your new retirement visa. 

This is to make that you have enough money to pay for your medical bills if you don’t have health insurance.

This rule is not set in place yet. Soon, we may see changes in retirement visa requirements. Visa requirements may be separated between those who have health insurance and those who don’t.

they better hurry up, the new rules kick in in 2 days and retirees may soon be flying home through no fault of their own other than being too old or too sick to qualify for insurance ????

6 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

Page 2 of the english translation 

 

"Criteria for consideration of granting an aliens extension of stay"

 

"6 Only for an alien who has been granted a non immigrant visa class O-A, must buy a Thai health insurance online, which covers the length of stay in the kingdom with no less than 40,000 baht coverage outpatient and no less than 400,000 baht inpatient coverage via the website"....

I just cant understand how that can be read any other way than it applying for extensions of stay incountry.  Is there some understanding of the Thai version that I am missing ?? Does it read differently there ?? 

364114635_InsuranceO-AVisaNewPoliceOrder.pdf 1.87 MB · 0 downloads

yeah reads the same to me, also saw this earlier on FB. not looking good ????

58 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

Put the money in the bank and extend for retirement. 

not for me i am married, i am trying to help my elderly neighbour who currently doesn't qualify for insurance and is rightly in a panic, poor guy

so just to clarify, existing O-A holders do need insurance for their 1 year extensions?

and what about those refused insurance for being too old and/or with pre-existing conditions?

53 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

If you want heartless immigration rules look no further than Australia,  UK or USA..

UK's seem fair to me, we will be processing my wife's this year.

she is looking forward to getting her CITIZENSHIP.

11 minutes ago, DaRoadrunner said:

For those barred from insurance, I thought there had been some discussion about depositing a bond as surety to cover medical expenses? Though I ask, is it not enough that we already have shown 800k in a Thai bank account?

 

i thought so too but i guess not as the police order makes no mention of it

so if a retiree is denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions they, what? cannot get an extension and have to go back home?

seriously?! how heartless can a country become. disgusting.

i thought there was supposed to be some kind of 'get out' for these cases?

and not grandfathering again. they really are ... well you know.

21 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

Yeah a Phuket friend went to Patts and got the same issued in 48 hours.. He paid a air bit more tho. 

Since then I have heard Phuket folks going that route on Phuket. Nothing new about that really, always been there I just think its getting more popular as rules become harder for even legit applicants to cover every detail. 

understandable for those who have nothing to lose and don't want to go home. i mean, what's the worst that can happen? get deported? 

not such a clear option for those with something to lose though

11 hours ago, SteveK said:

All those tour operators and guesthouse owners are now looking at going bust because of this. Well done Thailand.

because out of 39 million tourists per year about 4 or 5 get turned away each day? are you serious?! 

2 hours ago, moldresistant said:

Most of them aren't smart enough to realize you can make an income without working a job, or they just don't want to accept it. They wasted their lives away working the 9-5 and think all "nomad" types are poor backpackers.

dream on, ever had a look at the wealth stats between boomers and millennials

have a look .. and a weep.

42 minutes ago, ExFarang said:

Hi. Can you point me to any official statement by the Thai government asserting this rule? I can't find what you are claiming anywhere officially. I mean, they clearly state on the Visa that it is good for 60 days, so Thai's apparently do understand the concept of setting 'stated' limits. Why do you think they refuse to make this clear? You state it as something obvious but if it's so obvious then why can't they delineate it properly? I mean if I overstayed 1 day then they have no problem enforcing that with a fine. Is it just a matter of selective enforcement based on the consular officers / IO's mood?

 

BTW, where are you drawing that statistic that "you are working in Thailand on a tourist visa, which probably 97% of all people living on those do." Where are you getting that number from? Out of thin air, or...?

 

Funny you mention that though as I brought that up with the worker at Savannakhet that I know that's probably what his boss thinks... and that it is an absurd conception. I said it jokingly and he agreed. But I asked him what "job" could I possibly have in Thailand?

 

There is no money to be made in Thailand. Thailand is only for spending money, not making money.  Want to know how to move to Thailand and become a Millionaire? Move here with 10 Million...

 

What am I going to be? An English teacher? Making 1K USD a month? LOL. No thanks. I literally told him all this and he 100% agreed it was "crazy"... His words. "Baa" he said. That's Thai for crazy. I haven't spent any time in Thailand for years but years back when I did spend more time there I literally never met one single person working there except when I first came there some 20 something told me he was an English teacher in some remote village and when he told me how much he made I laughed hysterically. That was 15 years ago, before they cracked down on language schools.

 

Ever seen a Farang taxi driver, or construction worker, or anything else? Because I never have so I don't know where you pull this magic 97% number out of your @ss.

 

The only people I have EVER seen possibly working (but who never admit to) are bar managers where they are friends with the bar owners but in that case the Thai need to clean their own house because everybody knows bar owners pay the police "tea money" so if anyone knows about illegal Farang workers they know exactly where to find them. 

 

But in reality I know many bar owners and they have always maintained that they are forbidden from even picking up a beer from the Thai bartender and handing it to me even when they are sitting right next to me.

 

So again, where are the news reports of any Farang ever working in Thailand except the odd English teacher in some backwater Providence? Because I've never seen it firsthand. Ever. 

 

What I do see is lots and lots of Indians running restaurants, or selling clothes and knickknacks or harrasing me for a custom suit with no Thai workers anywhere in sight. Never once a Westerner.

 

BTW, I am retirement age and as I said I provided a bank statement with a healthy bank balance so your "argument" is meaningless in any case. I just don't want to apply for a retirement visa because as I stated (which for some odd reason you refuse to accept) I don't live in Thailand, and have no desire to. Thus, a tourist... Whether you can come to terms with that or not.

 

 

so i came here when i was 28. back then it was quickly drummed into me that if i wanted to stay here long term i was going to need some kind of "work" - down on the islands (gulf side, won't elaborate more) that was generally entertainment (djs, touts), timeshare or diving, up north it was teaching then later nomad stuff (yeah yeah not "work" lol) and tourist trekking tour stuff. hua hin was teaching, touting, translating & online language lessons and bangkok once again entertainment, nomad stuff and teaching. never spent anytime in pattaya but heard some guys make some videos ????

of course there was various businesses mixed in too be it bars, restaurants, boats, clubs, real estate, etc

note all of this "work" can be done legally (with a work permit) and illegally (without)

back then it was mostly without lol but times have changed

so yes the 97% figure is about right - i think i only ever met a handful of guys who really really didn't need to work (and i was one of them). i had rental property back home others had the odd passive business but they were very rare.

11 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Be patient my friend. It's coming shortly to the over 50's soon on their retirement visas ????

yep any day now... any day...

yawn.

actually a 50% real estate crash would be awesome (but about as likely as snow over dubai). go grab some bargains

3 minutes ago, Vacuum said:

Been here 20 years, never met an IO that told me I'm not welcome to stay.

seconded. my wife has said to me multiple times that she has never heard anyone say westerners are not welcome & she has IO friends in the local office too

tin foil hat <deleted>

3 minutes ago, sunnyboy2018 said:

Yet

won't be holding my breath x

1 hour ago, Power of life yoga said:

less hassle with an elite visa ????

true that but total overkill for the average millennial enjoying a gap year or two

if they sold them with 1 year durations instead of 5/20 i bet they would sell a tonne of them

should put an end to all the "why issue the visa & then deny entry?" posts

however i'll take with a pinch until i hear more reports. they should flood in if confirmed

58 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

The extension cannot be applied for until 45 or 30 days before the end of the period of stay. 

 

That then puts a 30 day under consideration period on the end of the 90 days entry. Sometimes (rarely) they need a second under review period. 

 

90+30 minium.

 

 

ok, but you don't have to actually be here for the whole 90 days or the 30 days part just enter to activate the visa, leave, return to process the extension, leave, return to pick up the stamp, leave again? (extending non-o multi)

4 hours ago, RedPill said:

Looks like it's either a mandatory 4-5 month Thailand holiday for you to get the marriage extension done or Elite?

 

Always wondered what's so magic about age 50? People 45-49 years old have less money than people with 50?

 

why does it take 4-5 months?

firstly put money in bank to season for 2 months - takes 1 day to deposit or 0 days if wire from abroad

get wife to gather up all the docs

once seasoning finished, fly in, grab bank letter/kor ror 2, put in extension request, then wait 1 month with under consideration stamp

as far as i am aware one can still fly out/in on an under consideration stamp?

so time in country 1-2 days to apply + 1 day to pickup?

17 minutes ago, fondue zoo said:

"You steal our women white devil"

seriously man thats right up there with "they hate us and want us all gone" - it just never crossed their minds ????

3 minutes ago, SteveK said:

A good plan B is Cambodia. No visa problems. Much easier to work legally. Much lower cost of living. Just don't have loads of possessions in Thailand if you are leaving the country to get a visa.

yeah i was more thinking, man up, get a job, some savings & an extension but dragging the wife and kids to cambodia could work as well