Desut

We have certainly considered the scenario you suggested—maintaining my US policy after retirement and getting a travel policy for our time in Thailand. Since we do plan on traveling back and forth, but not sure how often those trips would be. I further inquired about the retiree health plan offered by my employer, and the $1100/month quote I initially received was for a family plan. If I opt just for myself, it would be significantly less, around $400/month. My wife, who is younger and in perfect health, could get a separate policy, which might be a viable solution. She is also a Thai citizen and entitled to free universal health coverage. I also learned that I could opt out of my employer retiree plan but can reinstate it at a later time if I can prove that I maintained coverage with a comparable plan. So, we have several options to consider. As we get closer to next year, I will begin getting detailed quotes from providers. Thank you for your help and suggestions; I appreciate it. Thanks for your insights and experiences. I've been to Thailand about six or seven times since I met my wife 13 years ago. We just returned from a one-month trip in April. I love everything about Thailand—the people, the culture, the food, the easygoing way of life, and the acceptance of everyone, especially compared to where we live in NYC. We really love the southwest coast and plan to make our home somewhere around there—Hua Hin, Pran Buri, or Khao Kalok. We are aware of the new tax laws, which is why I’d prefer to get the LTR visa, especially for the tax exemptions. However, I understand that these laws could change overnight.

Thanks for the information, Sheryl. It's very informative. I'm comparing this against the health insurance provided by my employer in the US. Ideally, I'd like to find similar coverage so that, if or when I get sick in retirement, I don’t have to worry about whether or not the insurance will cover me. Perhaps that's hoping for too much. Thank you, Presnock. I'll be 58 when I plan to retire early next year, and unfortunately, I'm not in the best of health due to some pre-existing conditions that I anticipate will impact me as I age. I'm hoping to find a suitable health plan that won’t cause me too much stress in my later years. I've budgeted up to $800/month if needed for a plan that provides comprehensive coverage with minimal worries. This is much more affordable than the retiree plan (limited to US coverage) my employer offers at $1,100/month, which I find absurd. Thanks, Etaoin. It's good to know that the OIC in Thailand can be quite consumer friendly when it comes to grievances. I found this interesting OIC update issued just a few months ago: https://www.tilleke.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tilleke-Thomson-Reuters-Country-Update-Thailand-Insurance-January-2024.pdf

Thanks Presnock, yes, my aim is certainly the LTR visa if I am able to meet the 80k/year income threshold. We won't know our final numbers until early next year, but it will be very close. Thank you CanadaSam. That's interesting. So, if I now understand it correctly, local companies are governed by an ombudsman, whereas international companies fall under legal regulations of their home country? Which arrangement would be more beneficial for an expatriate living in Thailand is a question that pops into my mind.

Thanks Sheryl, yes, I was put off as well by the Bermuda incorporation. I will focus with either April France or Cigna Global. My US employer does currently offer a robust retiree health plan thru Cigna Healthcare but unfortunately, they only cover domestically in the states, no options for international coverage, and it comes with a steep premium.

Thanks for the replies

Thanks to all the great advice in this forum I connected with a broker from AOC. I am looking to retire to Thailand next year and I connected with this broker to get an idea of my options and prices for a health insurance plan. The broker provided quotes from Now Health International, April International and Cigna Global Health. He highly recommended the plans from Now Health International & Best Doctors Insurance. He mentioned that Now Heath International & Best Doctors Insurance is a global insurer around the world with operation everywhere (United Kingdom, Dubai, South America, Belgium, Scotland, China, Indonesia , Singapore, Hong-Kong, Malta etc.) and reinsure by RGA in United States. He also recommended to avoid the local and regional players because they may be cheaper, but they offer no rights to the consumer and no long-term commitment. I was wondering if anyone here has any experience with Now Health International? I did a search of these forums but have come up empty. https://www.aoc-insurancebroker.com/themes/wiredelta/aocinsurancebroker/files/2020-01/Now_Health-Best_Doctors_Insurance_Corporate_Brochure_2020.pdf Thanks!