LoeiI

16 minutes ago, BritTim said:

As a practical matter, you are not entirely wrong. However, the law as written in the Immigration Act is used a a guide unless the officials strongly disagree with the provisions.

Don't want to be pedantic but if the senior I/O disagrees strongly he is in fact the Law and can interprate the immigration act as he sees fit ? 

15 hours ago, BritTim said:

But, many immigration officials, including some in very senior positions, disagree with the current laws. Why should they be obliged to follow those laws when they dislike them?

I was under the impression that Senior I/Os were the law ??

1 hour ago, nong38 said:

Strange thing is that Thais returning are exempt from the insurance and can just go home.

I expect that TAT and the hotels assume that on November the first and every day after that the skies will darken with aircraft flying tourists in, when it does not darken and reality sets in its just a slim possibility that someone might notice that the tourists did not turn up and everyone is in deep poo as more businesses hit the fan, they sure now how to cook the golden goose. 

The good old days are not coming back, just too many hoops to jump through and more welcoming places in the world beckon. People with vision should have seen it coming.

My daughter came over in 2019 with hubby n grandkids absolutely loved it met up in Phuket had a brilliant time she wouldn't even consider it now too much uncertainty with the regs and  all the hoop jumping and paperwork think the authorities are dreaming 

1 hour ago, Qal S said:

Thank you very much for this useful information.

I was looking on line at house building companies but decided to go with an architect who the village boss knows well (I know the village boss well and he knows the architects family) we went to meet him and he took us to some properties he has already started. I know nowt about house building so the specifics go straight over my head but have been impressed with the plans / specs / price he provided and if anything starts to go wrong i know where to go 

2 hours ago, 1FinickyOne said:

nothing - if he is alive and wants to change his will at any time for any reason, he can do that as he probably can in any country... including your beloved land of fish and chips and football hooligans... New wills are made and changed all the time. 

Fish Chips n Football Hooligans ya cheeky <deleted> (you forgot the mushy peas)

On 10/21/2021 at 12:42 PM, ukrules said:

Thailand in its perpetual state of delusion believes it's the number one place in the world and when the doors are opened everyone in the world will want to come.

To them the problem is that they must restrict the number who do come because far too many will want to arrive all at once.

 

They all believe this 100% - it's been indoctrinated and beaten into them since they were dumb little brats, now they're older and in positions of authority.

 

I can't wait for the reality to hit.

European booking a holiday next year : There's slightly less restrictions in Cambodia, forget about Thailand, just go there instead.

 

'There' could be any one of 100's of different countries in the world, like the Caribbean for example.

Its probably been asked already but Just wondering how many actual tourists have arrived this year I flew in June there were 11 people on the flight and all the faff with 3kg of paperwork I cant imagine many families are choosing LOS for their hols it seems mainly like ex pats with Thai wives / families returning and putting up with all the Knob ache be interesting to see if it actually gets better with less restrictions  

4 hours ago, topt said:

The question has been asked about them a couple of times on here in the past - 2/3 years or so from memory. I remember trying to look them up and felt similarly to you.  

It would be interesting to hear if anybody here has any experience with them.

There is a good chance I will switch to them next month as I have been told the David Shield premium will increase by 30% - and that is in the middle of a banding......as another poster mentioned earlier in the thread. 

The premiums in later years also become less competitive. The fact that it is known now has probably done me a favor in making me change now when it is still relatively easy.

 

So good to know you are positive so far about April International 

Does anyone have experience with April International regarding the usual "Old Fella" pre existing conditions controlled BP / Type 2 diabetes etc. and what the loading might be if it is actually accepted ? 

22 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

AA will probably provide you details of Thai April, they did with me, you need to ask for the April France. Ask AA the question they should know rather than us guessing

Spot on thanks i just received the April international details after asking the question 

5 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Legal, in Thailand is a far less definitive than in the west. Also what was legal yesterday may be illegal tomorrow. 
Corrupt is also a slippery concept and really depends on attitudes that change.

 

In a western society it’s reasonably easy to say that something is corrupt, in Asia, not so much.

I'm tending to agree in most western democracies a government official receiving a payment to facilitate circumventing the rules on immigration would mean front page coverage and undoubted jail time, over here it seems that the ordinary Thai people accept what westerners would call corruption as part of life and that the rules are written in such a way as to allow a degree of "Interpretation", it is after all a country where a bloke in the army took power from an elected prime minister without a vote being cast (albeit at the barrel of a gun or two). Gunna listen to the Mrs now and sabi sabi   

7 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Not legal.

Sorry but if the Chief I/O has the authority to basically interpret the rules as he sees fit even to the point of disregarding the applicants financials as has been posted by many people previously how is it "Illegal" ? I can understand that you may consider it rule bending / bypassing and morally wrong but surly not illegal    

On 10/16/2021 at 9:17 PM, dinga said:

Of course - everyone's circumstance is different.  Coverage for pre-existing conditions (or not) are a major consideration.  In my case - after some dramas with very large proposed DS/Passport Card premium increases - April International offered not just very competitive premiums (both current and projected) as well as optional coverage for existing conditions at a 25% loading.  

 

In summary - see if options are available that meet your personal circumstances (there is no "one size fits all")  

 

  

I'm just looking at a quote from April international through AA, just a couple of questions, are April an International company (as the name suggests) or a Thai company and if you develop a condition during the term of the policy would this become a pre existing condition for the remainder of the policy term or upon renewal or both or neither ? I'm quite confused 

Thanks for any replies

3 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

They often have to get such an extension from a province you do not live in, so that makes it not legit, even if they do it's still corruption

So not legit and corrupt but Legal ?

14 hours ago, Pmbkk said:

 

You could just slit your wrists and reduce all them....

Can you state your age and do a catch-up every year....

 

BTW - don;t cross the road, use any electrics  - or come into contact with anyone with Covid...

 

 

As the great Chubby said I'm fat cos I've got a problem with my feet I cant keep em out of the pantry

11 hours ago, The Hammer2021 said:

I lived in a kleenex box in Streatham!

I had to get up in the morning at 10 o clock at night half an hour before i went to bed.............

8 hours ago, Jeff Olssson said:

I have followed this thread with interest since I was thinking of having a similar setup in a near future when I plan to spend about 6 months a year in Thailand.

 

 

 

I am not sure if travel insurance and accident insurance are the same but I am planning to get travel insurance from my home country which is a member of EU.  As far as I understand, if one has a travel insurance and needs emergency hospitalization, then the insurance will cover all costs until the person is in a condition that can be flown back home (if the insurance company decides that).  I am aware that the travel insurance will not cover planned health care but for such cases I was thinking I would go back home.

 

 

 

So I wonder what is the main problem with this setup?  Is it that in an emergency situation you need to have access to a substantial amount of money anyway to provide to the hospital even if you will get reimbursed from your insurance company later on? Would not hospitals in Thailand accept a valid certificate from the insurance company back home guaranteeing that the emergency costs will be covered?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the UK the maximum length of time i could find for travel insurance was 60 Days out of the country 

6 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

Pre existing conditions are usually excluded including claim conditions by thai insurers

A quick question if you have a heart attack / stroke / accident or some other immediate situation would that then be classed as a pre-existing condition for the remainder of the policy or only when you renewed the policy next time ? I'm just thinking if it was something serious you would want continuous coverage for later years.  

I'm just pricing up health insurance and awaiting the detailed quotes looks like approx 100.000 baht per year for 1 million USD total coverage with CIGNA 60 years old does that seem reasonable ? Thanks in advance for any replies 

Same story as a lot of the previous posters I downloaded Thailandplus in the UK I was advised it was a mandatory requirement to enter Thailand and it worked I perfectly flew into Bangkok mid June nobody mentioned it at the airport, I asked when i got to the ASQ hotel and neither the hotel or the nurses had even heard of it. Its now stopped working (not sure when last week or so) opens then closes straight away have reloaded it a few times and still not working. Not sure if its still a mandatory requirement or if it ever was, would be interested if anyone knows

17 hours ago, jojothai said:

You must get onto the "NHS app".
To do that you need your 10 digit NHS number.

 

All the details will be in there, and you can download the certificate to print it.

As far as i understand you do not need an original certificate.

 

You can request an original certificate to be sent too your home address, if you have the time to wait.
They say on their website how long you may have to wait for it.
It was 1 week at first but because of the mad rush to get certificates in July it then went to 2 weeks,

You need to check what it is now. 

Downloaded the NHS app but also got my Dr to print it out for me before i left the UK in June  

2 hours ago, HeijoshinCool said:

What amuses me with threads like this is the very same guys who deride "Thai bashers," and demand all farang follow Thai customs and social norms, or "go home......"

 

Post here demanding the same farang do not use an agent, even though that is totally acceptable to Thai immigration/culture.

 

So which is it, follow Thai culture, or not?

.

Think I might be suffering a bit of culture shock (I've worked in foreign countries but only ever lived in the UK) I suppose "discretion" is the key word as far as getting visas is concerned (and a few other things form what i read / hear). I really couldn't get my head round the idea of a military coup until i saw it first hand here, as much as i despise bent Boris and his cronies i cant imagine the army just rocking up and taking over I mean who voted for them ??  reckon I'll just go with the flow as my old boss used to say "new ways of working" lol

5 hours ago, EricTh said:

He also said there's a monthly option which is legal.

 

However, the agent route is illegal as that is corruption.

 

 

Does anyone know for a legal certainty whether or not Visa agents are legal or illegal ? or is it just conjecture from the anti agent posters, as far as I can ascertain when the passport is returned from the agency the visas / extensions etc. are signed and stamped at the same immigration offices you would attend if you did it yourself ??  

1 hour ago, skatewash said:

First, it is generally not a good idea to send baht to Thailand as the exchange rate obtained for baht outside of Thailand is almost universally lower than can be had within Thailand.  This is true for most minor currencies, that is currencies which are not as widely traded as USD, EUR, or sterling.

Bahtnet deposit automatic transfer is an indication of a domestic transfer within Thailand.  For a description of what BAHTNET is:

https://www.bot.or.th/English/PaymentSystems/PSServices/bahtnet/Pages/default.aspx

I'm not familiar with the particular codes that Kbank uses but in general terms I think a Trade Finance deposit would be indicative of an international transfer.  I'm basing  this statement off of the definition of Trade Finance from here:

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tradefinance.asp

So, I think you would have an easy time getting immigration to accept the second (Trade finance deposit) as an international transfer.  I think you would have a difficult time getting immigration to accept the first (BAHTNET) but I guess with proper documentation from sending bank and the receiving bank it might be possible to convince them it was an international transfer.

Many thanks for this excellent info I would never have found it in a month of Sundays thanks again