yamadajr

Thank you Sheryl. 

I had a Thai colleague contact the Nonthaburi office and it seems like the person they spoke with indicated a Pink Card was now required.  I've had extended coverage under Section 39 before from previously leaving employment (without the need for a Pink Card), but the same office I applied at last time now says a Pink Card is mandated.  It seems the Nonthaburi office said I should "negotiate" with the branch SSO office regarding my situation and not being able to get the Pink Card in a timely manner based on Covid-19.  So far, the several SSO branch offices I have contacted are not too willing to "negiotiate". 

Thanks again.  In the meantime, I will keep trying.  Hopefully, my District Office will resume the Yellow Book services soon and I can get the Pink Card.  Good to have anyway I guess.  Best regards.

On 4/2/2019 at 12:15 PM, Sheryl said:

The pink card is Thai ID card for foreigners. Similiar to ID card for Thai citizens but pink in color.

 

To get one you must have a yellow tabian ban.  So would have to wait until you move, when you do I suggest you make landlord's willingness to help you get tabian ban a condition of rental.  Aside from SS, yellow tabian ban/ pink ID card is used as proof of address for immigration, and pink card can be used as ID. The pibnk card is tied to your tabian ban so no need to show the tabian ban once you have the pink card and it is more convenient to carry.

 

Ampurs vary but to get the yellow tabian ban you usually need:

 

a translation of your passport

landlord/house owner's ID and blue tabian ban and they will ususally need to come along in person

some Ampurs may ask for more

 

Pink card is obtained in a flash once you have the tabian ban

 

Re SS, they recently shifted from use of cards to an electronic system and it contains a field for ID number. I believe there is a work around for foreigners - maybe entering passport number or something. It can be done but most functionaries do not know how to. They just see a form asking for an ID number and if you don't have ID they will say they can't do it (worse yet, some have told people not to worry, just show your passport at the hospital but without having registered them through the system in that hospital).

 

Get the pink card if you can. If you cannot, call the main SS office but it may be a bit of a hassle.

 

 

Hi Sheryl & others,

I am trying to apply for continued medical coverage under Section 39.  As already discussed on this topic, I am being told that a Pink Card is now required to apply.  Therefore, I am trying to obtain the Yellow Book and subsequent Pink Card, however my District Office has currently suspended these services due to Covid-19 and I fear I will miss the 6 month deadline. 

May I please ask for any updates you may be aware of in such situation where I cannot get the Pink Card?  One poster mentioned that the Rayong SS office may be able to process without a Pink Card.  Do you have any updates for this location?  Can I drive to apply in Rayong if I live in Bangkok?

Alternatively, are you aware of any updates of the main SS office you mentioned in Bangkok being able to help?  Is the main SS office in Nonthaburi?

Thank you kindly.

I just tried the TM30 app on iOS but it is also not working for me.  I successfully used a couple weeks ago, but it was a "hit or miss" on whether I could login.  Try to access at several different times throughout the day or use the website version as others have suggested.  Though, the website is not as user friendly for first timers.

6 hours ago, Winegeeker said:

This is what i got. I haven’t paid yet, if you dont pay within 3 months you have to apply from start again

i dont know about your 3rd question 

Greetings from Thailand Elite ….

We would like to inform you that we have acquired an approval letter from Thai Immigration Office as attached herewith together with the Banking/Payment details. 
The approval letter will be valid 3 months from the date listed on the approval form. Please kindly complete the payment for your membership before the end of validity date.

 

Thank you!! This is very helpful.

Hi everyone, just looking for some information regarding recent experiences with obtaining the Thailand Elite Card during covid-19.

1. After application approval, how many days do you have to submit payment?  

2. After application approval, if you decide not to move forward and not pay, is there any penalty or negative consequences?  Could you apply again normally in the future if you wanted?

3. Based on my reading in the forum, if on the 2nd year of an O-A visa (expired Nov 2019 with last entry into Thailand in Oct 2019) with a current permission to stay stamp until October 2020, this permission of stay can now be cancelled by CW Immigration within Thailand and the new Elite stamp issued?  Is my understanding correct during this covid period?

Thanks for your assistance.

May I ask if anyone that has applied for the LMG Insurance policy has been denied due to pre-existing conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancer, etc.)?  Just trying to get an idea of how strict their underwriters are as I will be helping a friend apply soon. Thanks.

3 hours ago, Guderian said:

My 90-day is due on 20 April. I know they announced that there's no need to do 90-day reports until 30 April or further notice, but it doesn't cost anything to do it online so I thought I'd give it a go. I've never had any success with online reporting in the past. So using Chrome I opened the Immigration website page, filled in all the details, entered the captcha which it accepted, and pressed confirm or whatever the final button says. The page just went blank, no messages or anything. So my question is, was this just another unsuccessful attempt at online 90-day reporting to add to the 1,001 other unsuccessful attempts, or have they closed down online 90-day reporting for the duration?

Try to refresh the blank website page and accept the pop-up to resubmit the data.  Worked for me and brought up the 2nd page to complete as normal. Just submitted my 90-day report using Chrome this morning and it was approved in about an hour (Chaengwattana). 

My mother submitted her online 90 day report 29 March and it was approved this morning 7 April (for Chaeng Wattana).

Note the 1st page did freeze after hitting submit, but then she refreshed the web page and accepted the message to resubmit the information and it worked ok bringing up the 2nd page to complete as normal.

My mother submitted her online 90 day report 29 March and it was approved this morning 7 April (for Chaeng Wattana).

Note the 1st page did freeze after hitting submit, but then she refreshed the web page and accepted the message to resubmit the information and it worked ok bringing up the 2nd page to complete as normal.

@Peter Denis Hi Peter, can you kindly PM me the roadmap for converting from a Non-OA to a Non-O. 

Also, in respect of converting based on Retirement, are you aware of any of the "extra" document requirements for Chaing Mai Immigration such as a) - i) (as outlined by KrishnaCameb4Buddha in Post#97 above) being needed for Chaeng Wattana Immigration as well?

Many thanks.

Many thanks.

Thanks Sheryl. Do you have any insurance company recommendations for an international policy appropriate for US citizens?  Thank you.

34 minutes ago, yamadajr said:

Regarding the visa exempt entry at DMK, do you think she should be ok in this situation if we choose this route?  Thank you.

Ubonjoe - Do you think the visa exempt entry at DMK should be ok since she has no prior recent "tourist" history? Thanks.

22 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

There is no need for her to do anything until October 2020. She can still get a reentry permit and enter the country until then if she wants to travel.

Thanks Ubonjoe.  This is exacty why I chose to have her leave and re-enter Thailand on her OA visa just before the 31 Oct 2019 effective date (in case there was any confusion on the implementation of the new regulations), so she could have another year to figure things out. But so far, the outcome is not going the way I expected.

While I do understand this is still "playing out" with respect to insurance being required for pre-31 Oct 2019 OA visa holders at the time of extension, I am a bit worried they may stop accepting in-country Non-O conversions based on retirement. Do you think this is a possibilty?  And it would be difficult for my mother to do a trip to Savannakhet for a Non-O assuming they keep allowing as well.  

Regarding the visa exempt entry at DMK, do you think she should be ok in this situation if we choose this route?  Thank you.

I am currently looking at helping my elderly mother (who has been declined for a Thai insurance policy due to pre-existing conditions) convert her Non-OA visa to a Non-O visa by having her leave the country without a re-entry permit (after her Non-OA visa expires on 25 Nov 2019 - she is currently permitted to stay until Oct 2020) and returning on a Visa Exempt then go through the Non-O conversion process at Chaeng Wattana.

She has been living in Thailand continuously for one year under the Non-OA visa (with only a couple regional vacation trips).  Her last Visa Exempt entry would have been almost 10 years.  As such, do you foresee any problems with her getting the Visa Exempt stamp upon entering at DMK airport in this situation?  I presume she should be ok, but wanted your thoughts?  Many thanks.

Thanks so much Sheryl for your valuable comments.  While my mom is doing great and in good health now, she did have breast cancer in 2011.  I just received a response from Thaivivat and they declined to issue a policy due solely to the breast cancer pre-condition.  So I will be moving on to my next choice at the moment which is Pacific Cross but will need some time to put together all the documents requested.

The goal is for her to stay permanently and I am looking at the various options.  I am on a non-O visa with an extension based on married.  However, I am currently not working and still a few years under 50 years old, so I understand that she could not piggy-back off my visa as a dependent in this scenario based on my reading of Immigration Order No. 138/2557 [section 2.18 for my case (married to a Thai national) and section 2.20 for my mother (family member of an alien permitted to stay) - but unfortunately section 2.18 does not apply under 2.20].  If my understanding doesn't sound right, please kindly let me know.

If unable to get insurance, the other options are to try to convert her to a non-O visa with extensions based on retirement or the Thai Elite Visa. She is fully moved here and would be unable to easily return back to the US at this stage.  Difficult times indeed....  Thanks again Sheryl for all your efforts on this subject.

First of all, thanks to everyone for providing valuable advice on this topic. 

I am currently looking at the Thaivivat 400/40 plan for my elderly mother (73 years old).  Other than Pacific Cross, I understand Thaivivat is the only other company with a plan currently available for entry permitted up to 75 years old with lifetime renewal.

As such, does anyone have any experiences (positive or negative) with Thaivivat insurance company that you can share?  Many thanks.

“He indicates the law (after October 31, 2019) requires all new OA Visas, AND  any annual retirement extensions based on those visas to have health insurance."
 
That statement seems to address those who get an O-A visa starting October 31 but does not address whether people who arrived with O-A visa in the past and are currently on extensions of stay are required to have insurance when applying for future extensions. It is that ambiguity that fuels these discussions.

2 hours ago, khm2412 said:

Another report from this morning - October 18th - confirming the situation at Phetchaburi Immigration.

 

"I encourage everyone to check on their own personal circumstances and situation, but here’s our experience and insight:

We talked with the Sr. Immigration officer at Phetchaburi office;

He indicates the law (after October 31, 2019) requires all new OA Visas, AND  any annual retirement extensions based on those visas to have health insurance."

 

So, based on the discussions, your understanding is that insurance is only required for new O-A visas issued after 31 October 2019 and any subsequent annual retirement extensions based only on those new O-A visas issued after 31 October 2019?  Is that correct?  This was my initial thought when reading the police order. Thanks.

Thank you everyone for the valuable information provided.  My mother is staying with my wife and I in a condo that my wife owns (with 90 day reports currently being done). However, after my mother returns from a short trip abroad, she will move into a condo that I own and we are preparing to file the TM28/TM30 reports for the first time together by mail to the Chaeng Wattana office.

Along with the respective TM28/TM30 forms, we will submit copies of our various passport details including:  photo page, arrival stamp, current visa and permission to stay, TM6 departure card as well as copies of the blue house-book for the condo (currently with no name and I do have a yellow book), chanote, and condo purchase contract.

Since there is no rental contract and the utilities such as water, electric, and internet are all in my name, do we need to submit any other “proof of residence” document or will stating her relationship to me as “Mother” on the TM30 spreadsheet details normally be sufficient in the case of family members (we have the same last name on our passports)? 

I guess this question also applies when we get ready to apply for her extension based on retirement?  Any other “proof of residence” document typically needed in the case of family members living in your condo?  Thanks.

Thank you everyone for the valuable information provided.  My mother is staying with my wife and I in a condo that my wife owns (with 90 day reports currently being done). However, after my mother returns from a short trip abroad, she will move into a condo that I own and we are preparing to file the TM28/TM30 reports for the first time together by mail to the Chaeng Wattana office.

Along with the respective TM28/TM30 forms, we will submit copies of our various passport details including:  photo page, arrival stamp, current visa and permission to stay, TM6 departure card as well as copies of the blue house-book for the condo (currently with no name and I do have a yellow book), chanote, and condo purchase contract.

Since there is no rental contract and the utilities such as water, electric, and internet are all in my name, do we need to submit any other “proof of residence” document or will stating her relationship to me as “Mother” on the TM30 spreadsheet details normally be sufficient in the case of family members (we have the same last name on our passports)? 

I guess this question also applies when we get ready to apply for her extension based on retirement?  Any other “proof of residence” document typically needed in the case of family members living in your condo?  Thanks.

1 hour ago, joealx said:

Yes, It's good (4/26, received 4/29-Weekend)

Thank you!

Has anyone successfully used the Bangkok Bank ACH Transfer from the US in the last few days? Just confirming that it still appears to be working in accordance with the recently received letter where they will "try its best to make such transfer until June 30, 2019."  Thanks.

6 minutes ago, Pib said:

I registered with a US address and my Magic Jack number.  Transferwise does not use your phone number to send any codes....like to log on.

Ok, thanks.  Probably best to stick with some sort of US based number for the time being if using a US address.

On 2/14/2019 at 9:11 PM, Pib said:

Personally and based on my "1st transfer" experience with TW, when initially registering right after you have finished setting up your logon credentials and then TW rolls right into setting up/sending your 1st transfer (kinda like a combo action) I would cancel at that point. I mean cancel doing the actual first transfer part.  

 

Now that you have your logon credential log back onto your need account and under your name/profile in the upper right hand corner click on the Verification selection. Within that area you can see what verification docs TW may need from you.   For me I only had to upload an image of my US passport main page....I actually updated the main page with all the info and the eagle page with my John Hancock.  Within 30 seconds I was verified.....good to go....I registered with my US address.  I could have uploaded a US drivers license or other type of ID like a Military ID I think....I went with the passport as mentioned.

 

Now when I first registered and continued on in initiating/launching my first transfer, right after that I started surfing around my new TW account, saw that Verification selection, and then I uploaded my passport mainpage and got verified.  But that was done "after" my first transfer had been launched....TW had not asked for verification during my registration process....maybe it should have but just didn't in my case for some reason.

 

That first transfer just didn't go anywhere even through I had funded it with the Bank Debit (ACH) method.  At the four day point I started an online chat with TW, asked why my 1st transfer seemed stuck....said TW showed me as verified...said no money had been pulled from my US bank yet.....etc....what's the problem?  The rep looked at my verification and 1st transfer status....couldn't figure out what was wrong in the 1st transfer just not going anywhere....also said my verification status was good to go.  The TW rep then recommended the 1st transfer be cancelled and I initiate a new one.  So I asked the rep to cancel it although I could have on my end.  The rep cancelled it...I initiated a new transfer a few minutes later....a few days later it posted to my Thai bank account no problem....and since then all additional transfers have went smooth and fast.

 

I think my problem was caused by me not completing the "verification" until after I had launched my first transfer.   Somehow the TW system got confused as to whether I was verified or not and didn't follow thru in pulling the money from my US bank to fund the transfer....so the transfer was just stuck. 

 

A few months later the wife opened a TW account, but she did I like I recommended above.  Right after completing the basic registration she did not follow thru with the first transfer at the same time.  She then went to the Verification area, uploaded her US passport mainpage....got verified in about 30 seconds.  Then the next day she logged back on and initiated her first transfer using Bank Debit (ACH) as the funding method....the transfer posted to her Thai bank account a few days later as additional transfers have.

 

Our transfers now arrive in approx 20 hours....or at least our transfers in January arrived that fast. 

 

Yeap, personally I would register and get verified "before doing your first transfer" to avoid the TW possibly getting confused in accomplishing the verification and initiating the first transfer within minutes of each other.  

 

Regarding the initial setup of the TW account, may I ask if you used a US or Thai mobile phone number in the profile section? I plan to use a US residential address for my profile but not sure if using a Thai mobile number for SMS alerts will cause any problems? Thanks in advance.