timoti

3 hours ago, Cardano said:

Although I sympathise with you it's probably best to try and sort some kind of resolution with the computer store owners as it will probably cost you more taking legal action than what the computer is worth.

I asked them in person already they admitted their mistake but can't pay or fix what they broke.

On 2/15/2024 at 11:36 PM, noodleslayer said:

s24 ultra so yes it's in TH. I gave them the model number in the email and they told me that the model number is not on the NTBC list.... so I would need a license or something like this.... lol

What did you do?

On 2/16/2024 at 6:57 PM, Billpro785 said:

I had a Thai speak to them, and they sorted it all out. She handed everything. The 3 phones were I believe 400 USD total in value and I know she had to submit screen shots of the prices . I will ask her what the complete procedure was and get back to you 

Which brokers did you use?

On 2/14/2024 at 1:58 PM, Crazy Noobie said:

Wrong. You do not want to select Choice 3. It sounds like you didn't read what Choice 3 says on the paper. TH customs DOES NOT send your item back, they "abandon" it. Which mean they keep it. Therefore you will lose all of your money. Their Choice 3 is a stupid policy. I had this exact same problem with a gamer unit called X-Box. Here's something else you might not know. Everyday you wait the storage fees go up, as custom charges you for storage until you handle everything with them. Plus there are a bunch of other fees too. I had to turn it all over to a 3Rd Party Custom Broker. And when everything was done, it cost me way too much money, more then what the product was worth. I wished I would of listened to my son and just purchased the item locally. I wish you good luck, as Customs is a pain to deal with.

On 2/14/2024 at 1:51 PM, 41632584 said:

 

Although, I didn't order via Amazon but had a phone privately shipped from a family member, my phone was not on the NBTC approved list, I basically was in a similar situation a few months ago.

 

It took me a few days of reading and calling around to find out what exactly had happened and what could be done.

 

Officially, all phones being imported to Thailand require an NTBC license. If the phone has been approved by NBTC and is on their list, in theory, some have done it, one can go through various bureaucratic steps and apply for the license. If you succeed, most likely it will take a decent amount of time, effort and some expense.

 

If your phone has not been approved, and thus no license can be acquired, the only way to get it, is to pay a well connected broker, who will persuade the customs officer to allow it to be imported without a license. Although, I can't speak for all brokers, but expect it to be 10k upwards.

 

Possibly, but without certainty, it could be that the fee would drop without an agent in between. But that would require you to have face to face time with the right customs officer.

 

Then there is the option of having it sent back, but here one enters a catch 22. In order for it to be exported out of Thailand, it requires an NTBC export license, which one either can't get or has difficulty getting.

 

The final option, which some have succeeded in doing, is to file for a return from Amazon and buy the phone in Thailand (if available). 

 

Which brokers/agents did you use? Can you send contact? My phone is also stuck in customs due to NBTC and the model number is not on their list. There is a similar one but not the exact same model number, ie a different variant.

Hi,

I was looking to buy OnePlus 12 but it's not available here. I guess the best option is to send from US? Any reliable and fast mail forwarding service you can recommend?

Thanks a lot in advance.

On 4/2/2024 at 8:08 PM, Sheryl said:

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Supinda-Chusakul

 

 

It seems like that doctor is not available for quite a while so requires a visit on a different day which I might do but I saw you also recommending this doctor:

https://www.bangkokhospital.com/en/doctor/dr-songklot-aeumjaturapat

Would you recommend him over her? I will check if he is available the day I will be in BKK. If so that would be ideal of course. I just assumed Bumrungrad generally has the best doctors.

Thanks a lot I will make an appointment with her.

It's nose related like frequent bleeding (a few times a week), either randomly or when I blow my nose, with some bloody mucus.

The other issue is frequent throat clearing, not sure if that might be related to potential acid reflux, burning sensation in the throat, but this started happening before that.

Hi,

I will have to go to Bangkok and while I am there I want to show some issues I have to an ENT specialist. Can you please recommend me the best doctor for this?

Ideally Bumrungrad.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Do you guys think if the second doctor orders another colonoscopy, the insurance would have an issue with it? I will show the doctor all the documents I got which has pictures of my insides and diagnosis but there is a difference between seeing pictures vs seeing the real thing in front of you. Not sure if that will be necessary but I can't argue with the expert doctor even though the prep was very painful.

Thanks a lot everyone. I guess I will see Dr Parit then. I wonder which hospital would be better to see him. I will do telemed first. I assume Bangkok hospital would be better because the first doctor I saw is also from there so they have all my records. But I can also send it to Bumrungrad. I imagine both have telemed option. I only plan to go there if they want more tests.

I think Bumrungrad might be better though because I worry Bangkok hopsital might not want to give different diagnosis that goes against one of their own? So they might try to protect their already given diagnosis and double down on it. So I think it feels better to have these separated by hospital.

Hi,

I need to see a new gastroenterologist for second opinion and also to hopefully find proper diagnosis. I was told I had colitis and was given medicine but after 1 month, was asked to stop using it. But now I have the same symptoms back after a month of stopping the medicine. Mainly the frequent need to be on the toilet when I feel like I have some gas when I know there is also waste waiting to go out as soon as I let it out. It's not diarrhea though. But having to use the toilet 4-5 times in a span of several hours affect my daily activities.

The first doctor I saw here locally is intermediate from what I can gather by his credentials. That's why now I want to show another expert my test results and explain my symptoms. I imagine I won't have to do another colonoscopy again.

Thanks a lot in advance.

For the network thing I was told the same by AA World that you have to use the app to find the hospital and see if it's listed there, even for Thailand. If the hospital is not listed, then I believe you will pay that percentage listed. I don't remember the actual amount.

AA World gets its info from April so I think it should be correct.

25 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

What brand and specs for that price?

https://www.hidevolution.com/msi-creatorpro-x17hx-a13vm-236us-17-uhd-144hz-i9-13980hx-rtx-5000-ada.html

I will wait CES next year to see if there are better laptops coming but doubt it.

Thanks a lot. Btw I mean buying it online from Thailand, I wont go to US to get the laptop.

Hi,

I checked online it says laptops are not subject to duty but would I be charged extra by the customs beyond the 7% VAT? I never bought one from US in Thailand before but when I did in Singapore, strangely I wasnt charged tax or customs. So that made the price less than half the local price.

Before anyone says to buy it locally, the laptop is not available in Thailand, it's a custom high end laptop (~8K USD).

Would appreciate any recent experiences and gotchas.

Thanks in advance.

I recommend myprotein unflavored casein if you don't care if it's whey, otherwise they have unflavored whey too.

But in Thailand you can only find their whey unless you order international.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

All hospitalizations require pre-approval. Pre-approval process looks closely at medical necessity as well as reasonableness of cost.

 

IF  a hospitalization was approved and took place, outpatient visits directly  related to it are covered for 30 says.

 

I doubt a hospitalization would be approved just for monitoring and doing some tests as that sounds like something that could be done as an outpatient. 

 

It sounds like you are trying to arrange dubious/unnecessary hospitalizations just to get outpatient visits covered. That is not going to work.

 

Also please note my prior post about your outpatient bill submitted for direct payment. It will not be paid. 

 

 

No the second hospitalization is related to a complication the arise from inpatient procedure and april approved it. Doctor said i should stay overnight so they can see if it will be better.

I was just curious because after discharge the specialist wanted to follow up on this later on after a week.

18 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Outpatient care related to an actual (already took place)  approved hospitalization is covered for 30 days after hospital discharge. On a reimbursement basis. You pay first. Then submit medical certificate and receipt for reimbursement. 

Thanks a lot Sheryl. So a hospitalization related to a potential complication of a previous procedure, just for monitoring the patient and doing some tests would be covered on its own and it will allow future follow-ups related to this new hospitalization for a month with a different doctor in a different hospital, while being able to do follow up on the actual procedure with the original doctor?

Also if you see another doctor for potential complication related to an inpatient treatment, would April cover that within 1 month of the operation?

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

 

I had not seen  pdf-network-specified-inpatient-providers-list-and-guide.pdf   before and will have to check with my broker. It sounds like it is a specific option people can  choose to take in exchange for a lower premium.  "You can save on your premium by choosing a Hospital and Surgery module with a Specified Inpatient Providers restriction."  I have not elected to do that, and would not.

 

You need to go by the terms listed specific to your policy which you will find posted on the online patient portal. Mine does not  refer to or link to this document. Rather it refers to a PPO network in the US. But I have emailed my broker for full clarification.

 

 

Let me know please. Because i see this in the general conditions document it's updated for 2023 they use blue text for the new changes right from the first page. There other ones i find from Google because the pdf doesn't say anything more.

I also didn't elect for this for cheaper premium so i hope it doesn't apply to us.

2022 edition didn't mention any of this.

1 hour ago, retarius said:

I'm always a bit careful with new procedures....not an early adopter. Have you been receiving treatment prior to this? If so what, amiodarone? warfarin? What has prompted the mention of surgical ablation at this time? New symptoms? 

I am familiar with the clinical data but would ask Sheryl if the data are compelling with regard to reduction in stroke risk and mortality?

No never. Doctor recommended it to me after first visit to him.

On 10/25/2023 at 8:37 AM, Sheryl said:

 

I did this before back surgery in 2019. Paid with no issue.

 

They will know it is relevant to the hospitalization from the medical certificate as this includes diagnosis. Note that a medical certificate is required for all outpatient costs claimed . Also note that the outpatient visit must have been within 30 days before or after an approved hospitalization.

Thanks Sheryl that's helpful. Also I noticed the hospital that treated me filled the insurance form the way they saw fit like they said they were first specialist that I saw about this issue. So I hope if I were to submit the real first specialist a few days prior, April won't create issues. Because hopsital's own claims dept fills these forms. Not sure if you closely inspected the same filled forms after the fact.

Also April's 2023 changes are a bit confusing, not sure if you have seen them?

"We provide you with a network of healthcare professionals who charge Reasonable and Customary costs. If You receive treatment in a medical facility that is not recommended and is nota member of the APRIL International network, You will be subject to a 20% Deductible applicable to the amount of your claim if the cost of your treatment exceeds local standards (except for vital emergencies).You will find information on the APRIL International healthcare network- in your Guide and in your Easy Claim mobile application- by contacting our team: they are available to help you with all your healthcare needs"

Finding these is a bit tricky. In the app there is no such guide. I guess you can try to submit a claim and see if the hospital is listed there?

I found this but some links are broken:

Healthcare Networks and Direct Billing | APRIL International (april-international.com)

They have this but also not sure if it's April France:

pdf-network-specified-inpatient-providers-list-and-guide.pdf (april.fr)

"In Thailand, your treatment will be subject to a 40% co-insurance for any service in Bumrungrad International Hospital, BNH Hospital, Bangkok International Hospital, MedPark Hospital, Bangkok Hospital Pattaya, Bangkok Hospital Chiang Mai, and Bangkok Hospital Samui. Members insured under a policy issued in Hong Kong or Singapore are not subject to this restriction and can choose any medical facility in Thailand subject to the clause below. You can enjoy full coverage in all private hospitals in Thailand except for the above-mentioned providers"

They also increased the copay from 20% to %50 if you fail to inform them prior to treatment. Fair enough but I hope they dont make their terms worse year after year.

I also need to do this. I am on ED visa. Do i need to transfer it from my old passport to the new one at the immigration office?

If you go to hospital A to get diagnosed and then go to hospital B to get second opinion, and decide to do the procedure there, would April pay for both outpatient visits at both hospitals if the visits are within a few days of each other? I don't know if they would consider hospital A's outpatient visit irrelevant to the procedural done at hospital B?

Not sure if anyone has done this?

I reckon it's always good to get second opinion if a better doctor is not within reach for the first diagnosis.

1 hour ago, Sheryl said:

Just glanced because not skilled in interpreting rhythms.  

 

Disregard that whole consultation. 

 

It does sound from your symptoms thst something significant is occasionally going on  but no telling at this point exactly what.  And without knowing that cannot proceed to treatment options. 

 

If for example what you are having is runs of v-tach treatment would be first medications then if not effective implantable defibrillator. 

Thanks a lot I will do that, hope it's not v-tach.