Jeff Olssson

I have pain in the back of my knee. A few weeks ago I saw a doctor at a hospital in Bangkok (not sure if I can mention the name) who recommended laser physiotherapy in 2 weeks, 3 times a week. It has been a fairly expensive treatment but unfortunately it has not helped. I have seen @Sheryl's recommendation for Dr. Panya. The thread is fairly old so I am just wondering if anyone has some new recommendations for a good orthopedic doctor in Bangkok preferably specialist on knee surgeries. Thanks.

I actually like it but for me Creed Aventus is the best. I have also tried Green Irish Tweed and Vetiver from Creed but Aventus is my absolute favorite.

I have tried some of the suggestions in this thread and they have been generally very good, especially the Creed Aventus, Tom Ford Ombre Leather and Dior Sauvage Flixir. Creed has also this new edition of Aventus: I like also this one from Armani which I don't think was mentioned in the thread:

Approximately US $650 a year but they refund you for the time period you don't use. Note that this is the discounted price and it is based on how many other insurances you have with the company, the length of the time you have been with them, your claim history and so on. I don't know what the cost would be for a completely new customer.

That is a good point and in all fairness I should mention that I called the Thai embassy and said that I can buy the health insurance with the coverage they require but it is really considered very unusual thing to ask the director of a big insurance company to sign the certificate. The lady at the embassy seemed to be aware of the issue and said that I could upload the same document for items 6 and 7 in the list for O-A visa (https://thaievisa.go.th/visa/long-stay-visa) and it would probably be acceptable otherwise they would contact me and ask for supplementary documents.

Thanks for pointing this out which simplifies the planning for extension application.

Thanks for your suggestion. As I mentioned in my OP, I am considering different alternatives and I noticed that I can even apply for a Non-O visa in the embassy in my home country. I have two questions: 1. A Non-O visa will give me a 3-month permission to stay from the date of arrival. Can I still have a return flight booked for example for 7 months after arrival (as I plan to apply for extension of stay) or I might encounter problem at the check-in at the departing airport or on arrival in Thailand who might require to see a return ticket withing 3 months? 2. If I have a Non-O visa then I need to show that I have at least THB 800k in my Thai account which has been transferred from overseas at least 2 months before the day I apply for extension at the immigration in Bangkok. Is this correct?

Thanks. I called the embassy yesterday and they referred me to the same form which you have linked to in your reply. I think if the embassy does not accept the form (foreign insurance certificate) one can always apply for another type of visa but do you know of any case where the visa based on a foreign insurer was approved in the embassy but the IO officer at the airport has required a Thai insurance certificate?

Thanks for your reply. My main concern was whether it is required to have a TGIA-associated Thai insurance in each reentry during the validity of OA visa but it seems that the requirement for having a Thai insurance applies only for the extension of stay in the country.

This is exactly the reason I am considering the OA visa but I understand that there are different opinions on this in the forum.

Thanks for your reply and sorry to be pedantic but as I understand your post, the insurance for that period in each reentry during validity of visa can be from a foreign insurance company in my home country and it does not need to be from a TGIA-associated Thai insurer. Is that correct?

I am planning to stay in Thailand for about 6-7 months a year in the next two years and I have considered different visa alternatives. I understand that OA visa is multiple entry but it is not clear to me whether in each new entry (during the validity of visa) I will get one year permission to stay from the date of arrival or based on the last coverage day of the corresponding foreign insurance certificate. Specifically, here is my preliminary plan: 1. I buy a foreign insurance from my home country (in EU) with the validity from Sep 1 2024 to August 31 2025. 2. I apply and obtain an OA visa valid from Sep 1 2024 to August 31 2025. I have two questions: a) If I arrive in Thailand in Sep 15 2024, do I get permission to stay until Sep 14 2025 (i.e. for one year from the date of arrival) or August 31 2025 (according to the expiry date of my foreign insurance)? b) If I leave Thailand in April 2025 and return in August 1, 2025 with a new *foreign* insurance policy for the period August 1, 2025 to July 31 2026, is my permission to stay going to be until July 31 2026? Please note that I am not planing to extend my OA visa in the immigration in Thailand and I will have a new one-year foreign insurance (not TGIA-associated insurance) in my return to Thailand in August 1 2025. Cheers, Jeff

I like this quote about marriage: Marriage is a beautiful forest where Brave Lions are killed by Beautiful Deer. - Brad Pitt