Yes, for most people Thai health insurance will be required for Non-O visa extensions based on retirement, but Americans will be allowed to use insurance policies that cover them in Thailand regardless of where that insurance is based.

Sheryl posted an email she received from the US Embassy regarding this issue.  My feeling is the Embassy will be successful in their efforts for reasons which by now should be obvious.

Here is the text of the email:

"Sheryl,

Thank you very much for your email and this on-the-ground perspective.  Over the past six months, we have been engaging the Royal Thai government (RTG) to attempt to ensure that U.S. health insurance policies can be used to satisfy the new immigration requirement for health insurance for foreign retirees.  This advocacy was done by official Diplomatic Note, as well as during the recent RTG press conference announcing the policy.  During that event, the Consul General cited US veterans with TRICARE coverage specially as a population of concern in Thailand.  At least one other Embassy (the UK) cited concern as well.

The U.S. Embassy plans to continue our advocacy with the RTG regarding the option for U.S. citizens to use existing insurance – regardless of where that insurance is based – to meet the requirements.  We acknowledge there could be a difficult transition period as the Thai’s determine exactly how to implement the new health insurance requirement.  As you note, the language in the official police order is vague in some respects.  Therefore, we may have some room to navigate and improve on implementation. 

Ultimately, this is a Thai regulation and the Thai government is the final arbiter of how this regulation will be implemented.

Again, we will continue to engage with the RTP on this issue.

Respectfully,

ACS"

Sheryl's post is here:  https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1132569-oa-visa-and-insurance-experience-today/?do=findComment&comment=14747221

On 12/26/2019 at 9:56 AM, Sujo said:

Btw. If you want a non transparent investigation look and the clinton investigation. 

 

One person investigating. No one else allowed. All in secret.

KInda like Mueller, only Mueller couldn't find anything impeachable.

Well it looks like the whistleblower will be called as a witness.  Trump has outed him in a tweet.  Now we're getting down to business.

https://www.mediaite.com/trump/trump-retweets-article-which-names-alleged-whistleblower/

51 minutes ago, Chazar said:

Total <deleted> he was not and is  not a  "good  man"

 

Hitchens was a pathetic little man.

18 hours ago, candide said:

Interesting quote

 

"I'm not really making a political judgment about him, because that's not our expertise at Christianity Today. I am making a moral judgment that he's morally unfit, or even more precisely, it's his public morality that makes him unfit. Anybody in leadership has — none of us are perfect. We're not looking for saints. ... But a president has certain responsibilities as a public figure to display a certain level of public character and public morality."

https://www.axios.com/christianity-today-evangelical-trump-removal-d6e3309f-a163-4bae-a437-708a0f07acad.html

 

Nearly 200 evangelical leaders condemned Christianity Today's editorial calling for the removal of President Trump, which “offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations," they wrote to the magazine's president.

https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/nearly-200-evangelical-leaders-condemned-christianity-today-editorial-on-trump

On 12/20/2019 at 4:03 PM, thaicurious said:

More on recent crack in Trump's base with regard to which "Americans want Trump ousted"...

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/us/christianity-today-trump.html

...dissent among the religious conservative base...came at one of the most vulnerable moments of his presidency....

 

...the magazine has long represented more centrist thought...

 

...Opposition to Mr. Trump among white evangelicals remains exceedingly rare....

 

(but)

 

...“That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.”

Wrong...

Nearly 200 evangelical leaders condemned Christianity Today's editorial calling for the removal of President Trump, which “offensively questioned the spiritual integrity and Christian witness of tens-of-millions of believers who take seriously their civic and moral obligations," they wrote to the magazine's president.

https://www.foxnews.com/faith-values/nearly-200-evangelical-leaders-condemned-christianity-today-editorial-on-trump

3 minutes ago, jany123 said:

instructing his cohorts to cooperate with an investigation would be a good start.... not obstructing congressional oversight would help as well.

 

come on man... innocent people go before the courts everyday and manage to prove their innocence. To suggest its impossible to prove ones innocence is rare ignorance.

 

Speaking of courts, Pelosi had every opportunity to challenge Trump's executive privilege claim in the courts, but she refused to do so.  She knew she would lose.

The purge keeps on keepin' on....

3 minutes ago, Becker said:

Justice Ginsberg is getting on in years just like the IMPOTUS but her intellect is as sharp as ever whereas he was never more than a dim bulb, and that bulb just gets dimmer and dimmer.

She is no doubt the solution to the Dem's dilemma of finding a suitable candidate for president.

1 hour ago, alex8912 said:

Her 80th Christmas is next week. She is over doing it on the Botox as well and it’s a joke. The other 80+++ should be let go as well. It’s quite silly. They are often the problem in Congress. The state of the union I bet will have high ratings in Feb unlike former ones which were no go boring. There is a time in life when interests and hobbies and fun activities should be had. These 70 and 80+ year olds are not healthy to run government anymore. 

Same for Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Past time to leave.

2 minutes ago, mogandave said:

As I understand it, a strong argument can be made that it is already before the Senate, and there is no need for it to be sent over.

 

Apparently Mitch McConnell can set a date and move ahead with it. 

Yes and my point above is to illustrate that the whole thing is a cluster <deleted>.

And now it appears Trump hasn't even been impeached!  Get the popcorn.

"[Has Trump been impeached?]  A Harvard law professor, who also served as a Democrat-called impeachment witness, answered with a resounding “no” in a column that speaks to the deep dilemma House Speaker Nancy Pelosi faces as she sits on two articles of impeachment against President Trump."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pelosis-problem-dems-own-witness-says-trump-not-truly-impeached-unless-articles-go-to-senate

3 hours ago, Franko44 said:

I agreed, comming here for many years. But this year would be my last in Chiang Mai or maybe even in Thailand. Since 10 years I see that Thai are more and more focused only on money and trying to scam and cheat tourists as much as they can. Yesterday my gf and I was robbed here at the place where tuktuk driver took us to continue party when everything was closed. Place called Star Karaoke. They charged us 10.000 Bhat for two beer and when we refused to pay, they slapped my friend and they took all his money away (3000Bhat). We came to police station but because we had no evidence (of course they didn't give us a bill for beating) police didn't treat us seriously. From the goodman translator on the police station I get information that everyday someone is coming to them because of this place but police will not do anything cause the owner of this place is policeman (sick!). More and more I see this place corupted and focused only on money. Thats why it was my last time here ever.

 

 

 

Sorry this happened to you, but it's been going on for years.