Etaoin Shrdlu

Actually, the restriction on cross-border insurance transactions is not something unique to Thailand. Almost all countries have such regulations. In fact, the US has roughly similar regulations in each of the 50 states! I think the EU is a bit easier when it comes to insurance between member states, but I don't think it is completely free. Haven't kept up with EU regulations, however. So, yes, it is a bit protectionist, but no more so than almost all other countries. It is normal for regulators in the financial sector to protect the public from foreign entities over which they have no jurisdiction and control.

Yes, finding offshore medical insurance for a Thai national can be difficult. The reason is that only insurers licensed by the OIC can legally offer insurance to the Thai public. Technically, the "Thai public" is anyone physically in Thailand. The reality is that the OIC has not enforced this rule. The fact that almost the only persons seeking offshore health insurance are foreigners probably has something to do with it. It would probably be a different matter if offshore insurers actively sought to sell insurance to Thai nationals. Offshore insurers are aware of this regulation and will not wish to overtly go against.

Yes. His facility is well-equipped with machines he imported from the US. I was satisfied with the treatment I received and I know he has a well-established clientele. Full disclosure: I know Dr. Mark personally as well.

I think the business model is to set up a company in one jurisdiction, perhaps the US or UK where capital is safe, get it licensed as an insurer in a lightly-regulated jurisdiction, as many of the Caribbean countries are, and then set up a distribution hub in yet another jurisdiction, possibly lightly regulated or unregulated. UAE free zone distribution hub, Caribbean insurance license, no info on financials of the risk-bearing entity, reference to reinsurance. I'm not implying anything wrong or illegal, but I don't consider the Dubai Outsource Zone or the Turks and Caicos to be hubs of financial probity. Lack of financial information on the insurer concerns me as well. In looking for a non-Thai insurer, my preference would be to go with a major insurer that has acceptable S&P or AM Best ratings, is domiciled in a developed and well-regulated jurisdiction and has verifiable claims-paying history. But to each his own.

VUMI's website states that its head office is in Dubai Outsource City. Dubai Outsource City is a free zone within the UAE. Companies in free zones in the UAE do not come under the regulation of the UAE Insurance Authority, so it is not clear which insurance regulator, if any, would oversee that operation, which is probably their distribution arm and not the actual insurance company. After further search, I believe VUMI's insurance company is domiciled in the Turks and Caicos Islands. I haven't been able to find any financial information on the Turks and Caicos company and I have searched Standard and Poors and AM Best. This leads me to believe that it is a small company compared with the likes of AXA, Cigna. Turks and Caicos requires just $100,000 in capital to form an insurance company. Ole1291 has posted information above that indicates QBE reinsures VUMI. QBE carries a group rating of "A" from AM Best, which is good. But policyholders do not have direct access to reinsurers in the case of insolvency of the primary insurance company and reinsurance will not necessarily prevent an insurer from becoming insolvent.

Something was certainly misunderstood or mis-quoted or an error of the type you mention occurred. It probably was 57,000 arrivals as I don't think 5,700 in a day would tax immigration at Suvarnabhumi. It could have been 25 flights per hour, at least for a certain period or periods. If an average flight had 250 passengers, that would yield 6,250 per hour and that would probably have strained the immigration staff during such a surge. If an average flight had 250 passengers and the total arrivals were 57,000, then there would have to have been about 228 flights. That's probably not too far off.

Dr. Mark Leoni Holistic Health Systems Ltd. 322 Sukhumvit Soi 79 Phrakanong Neua, Wattana 10110 081 627 0312 http://thailandchiropractor.com/about-dr-mark/

Quite possibly something like that. At least for a portion of the day.

I have no problem logging in with either Opera or Safari.

Let's say the average flight brought 250 arrivals. It would take 228 flights to reach 57,000 arrivals. That's fewer than ten per hour, so it is certainly doable. Someone was mis-quoted or something was misunderstood when the article was written.

57,000 arrivals on 25 flights. That's 2,280 per flight. Must be using TAT's calculator.

He is a naturalized Thai. He relinquished his US citizenship in the 1990s. His father worked for the US government and was not wealthy. Whatever is actual wealth is, it is self-made. Forbes has him on its list of 50 wealthiest Thais and estimates his wealth at USD1.4 billion.

This from CarNewsChina.com on October 9, 2022: "The Haval H6 DHT-PHEV was built based on GWM’s L.E.M.O.N. platform." https://carnewschina.com/2022/10/09/haval-h6-dht-phev-officially-launched-in-thailand-price-starts-at-22400-usd/

I don't seem to be able to find this on Lazada. Do you have a link that goes directly to this item?

I met Bill Heineke and his brother Skip back in the 1990s. Bill is probably the only billionaire with whom I've had a conversation. As others have already stated, he gave up his US citizenship decades ago. His billions are self-made and prove that it is possible to make a living, and a spectacular one at that, doing business in Thailand. Good for him. If he wishes to charge an additional $8 a night for his hotel rooms, he is certainly free to do so. He can use the extra income to develop the tourism sector or he can use it to replenish a depleted balance sheet. Up to him.

On further inspection, my red police book does indeed show my address. It was tucked away on one of the pages towards the back of the book with many unused pages before it.

We have a pest control service come to our house and spray for insects on a regular basis, usually once every two months or so. As a result, we don't have issues with roaches or ants in the house. Termites are quite common here and we did have an infestation a couple of years ago. We used Rentokil to get rid of them. Rentokil stops by every two months to check the bait traps and inspect the house to make sure they have not returned. Rentokil is on an annual contract. We keep the dog away from the spray while the technician is applying it and for a couple of hours afterwards. We haven't had any issues.

It is concerning that the seller will not provide the agent with a copy of the chanote or at least give sight of it. I had no difficulty in obtaining a 10% deposit when I sold a condo to a Thai buyer a few years ago. Developers also require deposits when selling properties, whether condos or houses with land, and the vast majority of the buyers are Thai. Individuals who don't use agents may dispense with the sale and purchase agreement and deposit and simply transact the sale at the Land Office, but I am not sure I would be comfortable with that either as a buyer or seller. The purchase and sale agreement can provide protections to both parties.

Be aware that some visas and extensions carry a health insurance requirement. While offshore insurance in most cases meets the coverage requirements of the visa, it will likely not be possible to obtain the necessary documentation from the insurer to satisfy the Immigration Department. You would then need to obtain insurance from a Thailand-based insurer. It is possible to obtain a visa that is suitable for retirees that does not carry a health insurance requirement. This should then free you to obtain health insurance from a UK or EU insurer. Other posters more familiar with visa issues can probably provide better guidance with respect to specific visa options than I can. But keep in mind that visa and insurance can be an issue and therefore investigate and plan accordingly.

Insurance brokers licensed by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner are prohibited from obtaining insurance for their clients from offshore insurance companies. Loss of license is a possibility if they get caught. Some of them will offer offshore products, but you will be asked to pay directly to the offshore insurer so as not to leave a paper trail through the local broker.

My suggestion would be to look into getting health insurance from a major multinational company's operation located in the UK or possibly in the EU. Coverage will likely be broader and claims-paying attitude will probably be more favorable than that of Thai insurers. They will also be subject to greater regulatory oversight and be subject to more comprehensive consumer protection laws. Look at Cigna's and AXA's offerings from their UK or EU operations. There are probably other options for you in the UK market.

We visited Phnom Rung on the way back to Bangkok from points farther east. We had wanted to visit for a long time, but were always in too much of a hurry to either get to our destination or back to Bangkok. In June we finally found the time and were pleasantly surprised. There were very few other people visiting, so we had mostly uncluttered views and photo opportunities.

Non-US ETFs and mutual funds are classified as Passive Foreign Investment Corporations (PFICs) by the IRS. The reporting requirements and tax treatment of these investment vehicles usually make them extremely unattractive for Americans, toxic in fact. I suggest that before you get involved in investing outside the US that you do a deep dive on US taxation, including speaking with a CPA who has experience with the issues. At the end of the day, I think you would be best served by keeping your investments in the US where tax compliance is much easier. You will also have more investment options.

Sorry, missed the earlier thread.

I think the full moon and eclipse will be tomorrow night. Table below from timeanddate.com.