Galong

They might, but I find them a lot easier to deal with and their exchange rate knocks PayPal's out of the water.

The international space station has been working on solar power for 23 years. It's -454.8°F in space. Solar energy works on rays, not warmth.

I closed three PayPal accounts yesterday: my personal account, my wife's personal account, and our business account. Goodbye PayPal hello Wise.

Thanks for letting me know. I'll follow up on this. The lump sum + medical coverage would be wonderful. I've paid into the system for almost 30 years. The lump sum is a substantial amount... at least for me. Cheers.

Alas, you are correct. Best of luck to you, sir.

I definitely wouldn't call it fulfilling by any stretch. It's just nice to speak to someone who is fluent in English sometimes. I'm the only Westerner in the area where I live. My wife is my best friend, but there is only so much we have in common and can talk about at length. I Skype my very old mother twice a day. That is nice for both of us. I video chat with my slightly younger brother a couple of times per week too. That's always really nice.

Will do. My wife went ahead and contacted our accountant and they decided to get me a new SS card. Apparently that's good for only two years, but it's very easy to get. All they needed was a signed copy of the two main pages on my passport... the photo page and the visa page. Now, let's see how long it actually takes to arrive. Cheers and thanks again for your informative post.

I have a couple of restaurants that I cycle to where seasoned expats tend to hang out. I don't like bars, so that limits me quite a bit. I also don't like going out at night. That REALLY limits me. To be frank, I know very few folks my age. I have some friends who are younger, but not many. I have six rescued doggies, so they're my most dependable and loyal friends. ????

Yep, been to a few gyms and left all of them for the same 2 reasons: loud "music" and folks not wiping their sweat off the machines when they leave. I cycle 30 - 45-ish km every day for health and fitness now. It's pretty wild in traffic. It's like a video game with real-life consequences. ????????

Yes, I imagine there are quite a few elderly folks who gladly take good care of their Thai family. It makes no sense to 'potentially' destroy them over absurd insurance prices. If they can show that they can/have/will cover their medical bills, that should be sufficient. Not every foreigner lives in an expensive are or goes to high-end medical facilities. I hope they have a bit of compassion for these folks. ????

Thanks for all of the info! I got as far as downloading MyWallet and followed the instructions... nothing seemed to happen. I started on my PC, then went to my Android phone. I had to flop back a couple of times on my phone to get to the options. By closing the app a couple of times and restarting it, I found Social Security as one option and clicked on it. It gave me a digital pass with my name, amount that I'll get when I retire (at the top right), the amount that I have to pay (0 Baht), and a QR code. All I can figure out is that I now have a digital SS pass. I assume I can show this to someone else to scan to prove that I have coverage... 'tis a head-scratcher as they don't really say what this pass does. I've sent a message to my accountant to see if she knows what to do.

Crikey, that's a long time for a simple print and mail task. ????

That would be really nice, but I doubt that's actually the case. The head chap at SS in Phuket Town told me I could only pick one. ☹

My wife and I went to the SS office in Phuket Town a few years ago and talked to the big boss. We were told that when I retire I have three options: 1. A lump sum payment. This was over 300,000 baht! 2. A meager monthly payment... can't remember the amount but I remember calculating that I'd have to live way beyond what is normal to match the 300K. 3. Keep paying into SS and retain the healthcare benefits for life. Option 3... it's a no-brainer. ????

I live in Phuket Town and the Mission Hospital is 1 km from my house! It's a great hospital and I'm so glad it's one of the SS hospital on the island. The other hospitals pale in comparison from what I understand. I'm lucky. I hope you find a hospital that you like.

Yep, 432 baht is what I heard too. My Thai wife pays 500 baht/month, but she's still working. I don't know if that would drop to 432 baht if she retired. I didn't know about the 6-month grace period. I would do it right away just to play it safe. Cheers.

It seems confusing. I've read that you have to pay into the system for 180 months, BUT I've also heard that you can voluntarily keep it going by paying every month. My wife is a director of a company, so she can't get SS through her company, but she can pay by herself into the system and get it. I don't know if this applies to foreigner or only to Thais. I recommend seeking proper advice for the SS folks. I'd hate to give you bad info.

I've worked in Thailand for over 28 years. Whether you are Thai or foreign, if you pay into the system for 180 months (15 years), you've got SS for life. I'm getting ready to retire. Apparently, I'll still have to pay about 500 Baht/month to retain the privilege, so the "for life" bit does not mean for free... go figure. That's fine. It's a stellar system and worth every baht.

Thanks for the very clear and detailed info. ???? I have Thai Social Security for life, so I was hoping that a new card would be for life, but whatever... two years is fine. I'm in the computer system at my hospital (just like Thai folks), so this would only be if I visit my family and need to get back in.

Cool! Thanks for the info. I was unaware of this option. I'll look into it further now that I've heard your story. My wife is the director of our company, so a nice retirement letter 'should' be easy. ????????

Hi John... Oh, I didn't know that was an option. Can it be a non-B married? It says "married to Thai" in my passport now with my non-B. I don't really care if there is a difference between how much money I need to keep in a Thai bank (400K or 800K), but I'd like to know if there are any advantages either way. Cheers.

OK, so I didn't understand there is a difference between a marriage and retirement visa extension. I mean, I know the difference, but didn't know the difference would potentially affect this insurance issue on an OA. I'm still working, married, but have a non-B visa. I plan on retiring soon and changing to an O visa extension. I guess, from what you're saying, I should specify that I want a 'married to a Thai' extension instead of a 'retirement' extension. Also, I have Thai Social Security for live (had a work permit and paid into SS for close to 30 years). I HOPE that if they ever change the requirement for O visas that this will count as sufficient healthcare insurance. ????????????

Hmm, and when foreigners don't show up, it'll be us 'picking' on poor Thailand... ????

What about those of us who have worked in Thailand long enough to have Thai Social Security for life, which covers healthcare for life? I assume Thai SS would be accepted in lieu of additional/supplemental 3mil coverage. I'm thinking about turning in my work permit and getting a Non-O retirement extension.

Thanks Pib. I was unaware of the two types. I thought the first one you mentioned was the only one available. I assume that's what my bank branch signed me up for, but maybe I should check. Thanks for the detailed info... Cheers.