StevieAus

22 hours ago, Bert got kinky said:

Not just insurance, many expats also pay into the Social Welfare health scheme.

 

Plus I understand those expats married to government employees get “ free treatment” at government hospitals.

I have accident/ medical insurance but don’t expect an exemption, it will be applied to all non Thais.

On 8/27/2022 at 9:36 AM, AhFarangJa said:

I always do that now after an experience several years ago. Bought a brand new 4 kg gas bottle for the Wife to cook on outside ( frying chillis!!). When it ran out the Father in Law was visiting, and he took it to the shop for a refill. He came back with the oldest, mankiest, rusty bottle you have ever seen. When I asked the Wife were my new bottle was she said "oh, that is ok, they always give you a replacement to save you waiting for it to be filled. Needless to say, without repeating the swear words on here, I went to the shop with her, and got my new bottle back. The look on the guy's face was a picture to behold.

I don’t blame you the ones we use are our own and refill.

I have never seen any requirement here about internal inspection.

The couple we had in Australia for the barbecue had to be inspected every x years and stamped.

They wouldn’t refill them otherwise.

2 hours ago, seajae said:

my wife came from a very poor family so she had to work to support her university studies, why cant other thais do the same, problem is too many are either lazy or think they are above having to work to support themselves in anything but the postion they want to be in

Rather than being lazy some students are fortunate that they don’t have to work to pay for their University education and not only in this country.

I worked full time and obtained a Law Degree in Australia studying part time and paying full university fees.

My Thai wife also from a ‘poor’ single parent family borrowed the money to study at university and I paid off the loan,

My daughter fortunately will not have to do that, lazy, no just lucky,

I would be more  concerned if they were making two finger gestures but on second thoughts might be more appropriate.

15 hours ago, Lacessit said:

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/everyday-money/insurance/what-to-do-if-your-insurance-claim-is-rejected

 

https://www.dougterrylaw.com/types-damage-bad-faith-claims/

 

Insurance claims may be denied for good reason. They can also be denied because the insurer is acting in bad faith.

 

An example of bad faith was in the Black Saturday fires in Victoria of 2009. Insurance companies were refusing claims for total loss because house chimneys were still standing. The CFA fixed that by taking fire trucks to destroyed houses, and knocking the chimneys down. My son was a CFA crew member at the time.

 

I was told by an insurance executive ( not a guy at a bar ) that claims departments have incentives for employees to deny claims, I assume that meant performance bonuses. Make of that what you will.

 

Those big buildings insurance companies live in and own - they didn't get to be that big by making a loss.

 

You may be having a good run on claims because you are dealing with a reputable company. Permit me to doubt they all are.

 

 

I never said there are no bad insurers but that does not mean they are all bad.

There are bad companies in all areas one would have to be naive to say otherwise

I spent 19 years as a Employer Director of a Super Fund so have had a fair exposure.

In my experience most insurers pay out out on legit-imitate claims.

We don’t hear too much criticism on this site of the bogus claims which world wide runs into billion for which all policy holders pay.

6 hours ago, jacko45k said:

This is an good example of when we should get the terminology correct.....as otherwise we get confusion. Like holding back the tide. 

Totally agree given up on calling Canute !!

4 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

I guess you never heard about the Royal Commission into the dodgy practices of the big insurers that provide life, TPD and income protection cover for superannuation funds. 

 

the insurer owned by "which bank" fared the worst. some of the stuff that came to light was absolutely shocking.

Yes I did followed it quite closely most of it was the banks

Perhaps you should have a look at the massive fraud that occurs from the consumer side

Runs into billions world wide.

Ultimately resulting in higher premiums.

7 hours ago, pomchop said:

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that TAT would propose tourist visas be valid for 45 days instead of 30 days and visas on arrival for 30 days instead of 15 days and the measure should continue until Dec 31, 2022.

 

One might think they would know that a tourist visa which is a pain in the butt to get online is valid for 60 days and not 30...why would anyone go through all the hassles of downloading doc after doc and paying a non refundable $40 and then waiting 10 days or more to get a response if all they get is the same 30 days (not 15 days) that a visa exempt person get for doing/paying nothing?

 

It always amazes me that that these govt and big corps can't spend a few baht to hire a native or at least fluent English speaker to PROOF READ their announcements.  It would take all of about 5 minutes for someone to point out the obvious errors. How much could that cost?  I suspect the problem is that it would cause some bigwig to lose face when shown he has no clue about proper english.

I am no supporter of TAT but most people would refer to them as Tourist Visas.

How many people on this site continually refer to Retirement Extensions as Visas?.

They are English speakers.

13 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

an accident is not a pre-existing condition ????

How is that relevant to what the original poster was claiming about insurance companies “weaseling” out of paying.

No mention about a pre- existing claim.

13 hours ago, Lacessit said:

A statistical sample of one or two proves nothing.

Explain to me why insurance companies have entire departments that process claims, with the performance bonuses going to the employees that can deny the most claims.

You have evidence of that or is it what the bloke at the bar told

you ?

Never had any problems with Insurance companies either here or in Australia but then again any claims I have made are genuine.

On 8/13/2022 at 3:00 PM, proton said:

The best is one that gets you an extension from the province you actually live in, you will still need an address and a bank account. You only need an agent if you do not have the funds or are too lazy or daft to fill out one form and wait a while.

You don’t have to be daft or lazy to use an agent.

I use one not because I don’t meet the requirements but for convenience and the service.

Its the same reason I fly business class rather than economy, use the private hospital system rather than government system and stay in four or five star hotels rather than two star.

Perhaps try it some time.

22 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I self-insure, i see no point to paying out huge sums at my age to an insurance company who will be doing their best to weasel out of any obligations it incurs.

Yet another self-righteous poster with Procrustean ideas.

I had an accident two years ago requiring seven orthopedic operations, the insurance company paid the hospital directly without question, as they have done when my daughter required inpatient care.

No weasel action by this company.

23 hours ago, Tropposurfer said:

I'm uncertain if this item qualifies under 'personal belonging' ... Re: one off importing for retirees of their home contents and personal belongings ... is free of any import tax/duty. 

The reason you may not be able to is such an item may be construed as related to a business venture and therefore disqualifying it under the terms of you retiring here.

If you disassemble it and wrap pack it amongst other large household items and ship it maybe it will pass?!

To qualify for this one-off import of personal goods for retirees you have to have your retirement visa in place prior to the container you fill arriving on Thai shores ... and show this visa etc with inventory of container contents for customs to be granted this one-off duty-free importation.

I'm not sure of which retirement visa you are going to entrain O or OA but know that you MUST HAVE your retirement visa in place BEFORE you can import the personal belongings FREE of any import duty. 

I'd contact Thai Customs and ask.

Re your comments in paragraph 1.

I thought that only applied to a Thai person returning and it’s only a one off.?

Wouldn’t the easiest and smartest thing be to ask the Bank?

What people on this site think is irrelevant. 

12 hours ago, Walker88 said:

Qatar is having all sorts of problems lately. Change of plane is now almost a certainty. You think you've booked a Q-Suite, then with a plane change you get something with standard 2-2-2 seating...no Q Suites. Qatar with a Q-Suite is a nice ride, but without Q-Suite Qatar is no different from any other bulk livestock mover.

 

Qatar also initiated a new policy where ticket prices vary depending on whether you get to choose your Bus Class seat or not. You can book the cheaper ticket, then pay extra to book a seat, but since the plane is oing to be changed anyway and whatever Q Suite you selected won't exist, it's a mug's game.

 

Qatar seems to have gotten a little too full of itself. Flying Qatar today is almost like flying an entirely different airline from before Covid.

I agree having been caught out recently flying from Bangkok to Manchester return business class that use of the Business class lounge in Manchester wasn’t included unless I paid extra to enter

Apart from that everything else was excellent but have advised them that they will lose my patronage with that nonsense.

Probably don’t care

1 minute ago, StevieAus said:

From what I see happening not only here but in Western Countries you might you might be left like the proverbial

“ <deleted> on the rock”

as the use of cash is rapidly disappearing.

Dear me, don’t they realize that the word that has been deleted also refers to a type of bird , as I intended and also a type of tobacco.

19 hours ago, The Theory said:

Cash is king. buy COD, pay by bank transfer and never transfer from you major accounts. Only transfer from a low balance account for this purposes/ATM. ????  I use CCard only for international tickets (in Thailand). 

From what I see happening not only here but in Western Countries you might you might be left like the proverbial

“ <deleted> on the rock”

as the use of cash is rapidly disappearing.

9 hours ago, walailak said:

My experience... 

I have a KTC Thai credit cards (3) since 2011.

About a month ago the bank rang, late on a Friday night, and informed me that my wife's credit card (second card holder under me) has been compromised and they spoke to visa international and the card needs to be cancel immediately!! 

I immediately hang up thinking it was a scam call and I rang back KTC myself to find out if it was really them or not. 

 

KTB Call center confirmed the story and they strongly suggested that the card needs to be cancelled asap. 

So I got them the cancel the card and a replacement card arrived in few days. 

Apparently someone in Europe tried or was going to try using it. 

 

I'm very very careful with using my KTC and Krungsri credit cards here in Thailand, as if something goes wrong I won't have the same rights fighting with the bank as if I would have back home with the commonwealth bank of Australia. 

 

Both KTC and Krungsri apps notifications are on and an otp is required for any transactions over 1 Baht. better safe than sorry ????

 

I have had no issue with the Bangkok Bank here and was one of the group who had small amounts scammed plus from overseas twice in the last year.

They have given me as good service as anything I had with Suncorp in Australia  who I think are a top bank. 

( Unfortunately soon to disappear)

7 hours ago, jak2002003 said:

You are 100 percent right there.  

 

People are easily duped into paying more at a fancy private hospital....the same doctor also doing the rounds at public hospitals in the same area.  

 

But they are paying for the fancy decorating and staff papering them at the private hospitals. ....which has nothing to do with with actual medical work or recovery.

Have you walked through a public hospital recently, seen the people crammed  together in wards, the standard of cleanliness, the waiting times etc.

Its a lot more than fancy decorating.

You stick with the government hospitals and I will continue to be pampered by the private system.

I live in Thailand and twice in the last six months my card has been used in the UK for purchases, usually they start with small amounts to test the reaction.

I have no idea how they get the number but the only thing you can do from my experience is

1 have the system on your phone that shows an alert when any transaction is made.

2 Immediately contact your bank and have the card cancelled and a new one reissued

3 Have the bank cancel the transaction and a refund made to your account.

17 hours ago, Classic Ray said:

There is no official support for the banning of passengers in pickup beds as all the likely victims are poor, and thus of no consequence.

 

Same for seatbelts and child seats. The rich and well educated will use them (except for the arrogant) but the poor, who really need telling of the consequences, will not through ignorance and apathy. Their children will be the victims.

Unfortunately the people who appear to have money and those you would think are educated, from my observations also ignore  seatbelts for children.

My daughter attends a non government school and daily I see teachers nurses and business owners bundle their children into their cars without seat belts and often standing up on the front seats.

One would think that nurses, who must see the injuries caused by motor vehicle accidents would have more sense, but then I see them riding motor cycles without helmets.

Perhaps as you say they are arrogant, I put it down to stupidity or something I don’t understand about the culture.

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Sorry I thought it was you who said you had it done, in & out in 2 hours incl X ray etc for £35.

No I was responding to someone else and as a comparison

on costs mentioned what it cost me to see a specialist, x Ray and blood test equivalent of about about 35 UK pounds.

I had never heard of this other procedure and hope I never require it.

13 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Are you talking about the whole Rezum operation?

An earlier poster I think it was Klong Song stated it had only been available here since January 2022 perhaps he was talking about Public Hospitals.

I was responding to a poster who was suggesting that it is no longer cheaper for people to have medical procedures carried out privately in Thailand than the UK which I find hard to believe.