JustAnotherHun

8 minutes ago, sirineou said:

The  quote  and link that I posted from the very prestigious John Hopkins school of medicine.

I know the article you linked. Other studies come to very different results and I think no one of us is able to decide which one are more right.

Quote

I think you are trying to imply that the response is out of proportion to the threat, which is arguable , but others might argue that the response is inadequate. 

both are neither here or there, the reality is , that it is disrupting and as such one needs to be concerned. 

That's what I wanted to say. Sorry, English is not my language and became a little rusty over the years.

32 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Travel insurance should be sufficient

It is. A friend of mine was confirmed yesterday with a travel insurance from ADAC

4 minutes ago, Leaver said:

Why do you think you have to return to your home country?  

 

I would think at $300USD for a 1 year multiple entry visa, no other hoops, Cambodia may pick up a lot of ex Thailand residents.  

 

Things can change here with a stroke of a pen in Bangkok, and the changes don't always make sense.  Everyone should have a Plan B sorted.  

Well, I'm not affected by tightened rules that might come. And I do not intend to stay in Thailand until I die. Things have turned to worse here. I'm just waiting until my son finishes high school and can study abroad.

My plan B was originally plan A. I bought a home on La Palma long time ago and planed to live there when getting old. Then I came to Thailand and fell in love with the country. Temporalliy as ist seems now.

5 minutes ago, Leaver said:

 

And those residents that are over a certain age that insurance companies refuse to cover.

 

What advice would you have for those residents, despite being able to afford the insurance? 

I don't know what those with small incomes can do if the O and extension rules are tightened. We can only hope Thailand acts according to humanity for those who spent decades here, supported families and sometimes whole villages. But I'm too long here to believe in.

For those with money there'll be always options to stay. Thailand would not want to lose wealthy foreigners. They might invent Elite Visas with coverage or something like that.

I looked at German insurances. One of them offers a six months coverage for 80+ year olds for about 2.500 Euros. 

Overstay? No option imho. You must be extremely desperate to take the risk ending up in an IDC as an old man. If all turns out wrong the last way will be back to the country you came from and die in the cold. So sad!

There was no "No Parking" sign

@Sheryl

I don't know how things are in other countries and my personal situation is different because I have a - crazy expansive- private insurance covering each and everything worldwide. They can't throw me out.

For Germans: As long as you keep your residency there are travel health insurances available even if you are older than 76. Costs much money but you can get it up to 6 months. After that you sign for the next 6 months and so on.

Could be a problem if you need to cover a one-year stay on extension, if the rules change.

1 minute ago, JensenZ said:

For many years many people have been sure this will change in the "near future". I suppose "near" is subjective. How near do you think it is and why are you so sure?

Sure I don't know when it might change.

How long ago did they change the rules for Non-O/A and made insurance madatory? 1 or 2 years, I think. That came "out od the blue" and it shows the way Thai authorities are walking on.

Health insurance is mainly a problem for those residents on smaller income. They are not the ones Thailand targets for the future. Not enough money to be made out of them.

I hope I'm wrong, but I fear the next step will be to widen the existing O/A rule to O and a bit later for extensions of stay based on O.

A couple of years ago Oman Air had by far the best BC and service but that has changed.

Emirates, Ethihad and Quatar are good airlines. My favorite is SIA.

Pre covid I used Thai often. Planes and service not comparable with the Middle Easterners though much more expensive. The reason to fly with them was they were the only ones to offera non stop flight Muc-Bkk.

For Muc-Bkk later this month I take Swiss because it's the fastest right now.

5 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

Well the last I heard and I could be wrong was all the other visas only needed  50,000 dollars covid insurance and the O and OA needed 100,000 dollars insurance covid and health........But like I said I could be wrong..

I heard that too, but even if true that's no problem. Most travel insurances cover far more, plenty of them unlimited. The costs might be a little higher but not mich.

4 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

Travel insurance is not the same as health insurance.

 

Travel health insurance then...

24 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

Why do they need an appointment. Always did mine over the internet in Oz.

You did it with eVisa? In Germany not available right now. Shall be invented on Nov 22 according to Thai Embassy

1 hour ago, mancub said:

What percentage of 'Tourists' do you believe can holiday for more than 30days ? Obviously millions from numerous places!

 

 

Tens of thousands of snowbirds from pre covid times for example. And if there was not huge interest in such visas, it would be easy to get applying appointments.

But ok, no Westerners want to come back to Thailand, TV and Non-O do not exist and the world is flat ????

38 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

I thought people just arrived, got their VOA and extended it at the IO?

 

What type of visa are they applying for, Non-0?

 

 

I think TV or Non-O. But no matter wich one, you won't get an appointment in different countries right now. All slots fully booked.

30 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

A visa? What type of visa?

 

Tourists from the West don't need a visa do they?

If you want to stay more than 30 days you do. And fact is, that you cannot get an appointment for an application right now in numerous EU countries.

I think the "us westerners will not come back" songs from people who want Thailand to pay the bill for treating us as dirty farang are wishful thinking.

Have a look at the appointment systems of thai embassies and consulates in different countries: Waiting lists for two months and more to apply for a visa.

"We" will be back.

37 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

...you could also just accept taking a loss on the deposit when leaving after 6 months already, it would still be relatively cheap regardless if just 5-8K a month. 

pacta sunt servanda. Maybe you're in Thailand too long for remembering that.