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jingjo01
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Posts posted by jingjo01
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For me the mandatory 40,000 OPD cover is DEFINITELY not worth it. I am now 77 and have had a 1 million baht IPD Cover here in Thailand for nearly 20 years. In order to renew your one year extension of stay for retirement visa you must have this cover for the Immigration Dept if your arrived in a NON O-A visa. I had to upgrade my policy to include the 40,000 OPD cover as no other company would insure me because of age. The premium last year for this was 32,000 baht with exclusions based on existing conditions. This year the premium will no doubt be more. As I have cash in the bank I would rather just pay for my outpatient treatments ( if any) rather than pay a compulsory charge for something I don’t want or need.
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The Municipal Park which has outdoor exercise and basketball spaces in Bang Saray has never closed. Every afternoon/ evening Thai teenagers are playing non competition basketball. No masks and obviously no social distancing. Perhaps the local tessaban is unaware of the Chonburi Governors instructions ?
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IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT DISCRIMINATING WITHIN THE LONG STAY EXPAT COMMUNITY
Most retired long stay expats are probably aware of the new health insurance requirements when non O-A visa holders apply for their one year extension of stay (commonly referred to as retirement visa extension). Like many of my expat friends, we have lived full time in Thailand for 20 years or more and now in the age groups 70 and 80+. Each year we attend Immigration with all the necessary paperwork to renew our extension of stay. In my case I have had inpatient health insurance with a well known Thai company for 18 years. Now at age 76, the premiums are very expensive. Up until now I have not had outpatient health insurance (far too expensive), so if and when the need arose I made a quick visit to a private hospital and usually arranged for payment prior to treatment. Now I have paid an exorbitant sum for an OPD upgrade to my existing policy to include the 40,000 baht cover. Only to be told later by the insurance company that I cannot claim OPD expenses on certain types of procedures, like blood tests, skin cancer checkups etc. So I am paying for OPD cover but cannot claim !
I retired to Thailand from Australia on a non immigrant O-A visa. Many of my retired long stay friends from Australia, New Zealand and America are here on non immigrant O visas. For some reason, these lucky individuals have not been targeted with the new health insurance requirement by the Immigration Department when they attend to extend their one year visa.
I am aware of the differences between the two types of visas. I am also aware that (if we weren’t under COVID 19 travel restrictions) I could now visit a Thai Embassy in a neighboring or other Country and change my visa to an O type. Then return to Thailand as a tourist, and at the appropriate expiration time of my tourist visa, visit my local Immigration Office and apply for a one year extension. From then on the new OPD health insurance requirement would no longer apply to me.
The Government did a survey of their public hospitals to establish the baht value and statistical numbers of those people who were leaving without paying for their treatment. The results showed that the majority of offenders were immigrants from neighboring Countries and short stay tourists. I don’t recall reading that long stay expats were even mentioned.
So why is a select group of long stay expats being financially penalized by the Immigration Department?
(Sign me as) JINGJO
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Interesting. I wonder if only the 12 Immigration approved Health Insurance companies are to be used when getting an STV ? For my non O-A one year retirement extension i had to have outpatient cover which i did not want or need. The premium with AETNA (formerly BUPA) for 40,000 baht OPD cost me 32,000 baht (80% of the cover). I am 76 and living in Thailand. I think any elderly STV applicants will probably have trouble getting any kind of health insurance and hence unable to come into this Country.
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For those of you retired and living in Thailand on the age pension consider yourself very lucky. I am a 76 year old Australian citizen born and bred in Sydney. Centerlink will not grant me the age pension. Reason being that as i have been absent from Australia for more than 2 years i am considered a non resident. I applied from here at age 67. I retired to this Country at age 60, assuming that when i reached 65 i could get the age pension. Wrong !! The only way to get it would be to return to Oz and live there for 2 years without leaving during that time. I have been in Thailand for 17 years now , with a house, long term Thai partner, dogs and a normal life with local financial responsibilities. I have no property or family left in Oz so it is just not feasible for me to return. I still maintain an Australian bank account and a contact address. So please don't complain because your pension is not getting an increase when there are people like myself who cant get anything. I paid taxes ,Medicare etc all my working life from 18 to 60 and now refused the age pension because i chose to retire and live in Thailand. My ever dwindling savings and superannuation payments are just keeping my head above water, especially with the new Immigration Insurance requirements and the high cost of health insurance generally for someone my age.
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Downloaded the DLT Smart Queue App to get a queue number before attending DLT Banglamung area to make renewal easier. The app does not allow login when tapping on 'enter Passport Number'. It works for Thai citizen ID. So cannot get a Queue number. I understand that at Chonburi Immigration in Jomtien, they will no longer issue the standard required Residency Certificate to take to the DLT unless i provide my Queue Number. So its a catch 22 situation . So cannot renew my 5 year licence. Has anyone experienced this same recent problem ? I have tried to ring Chonburi Immigration but phone not answered. Tried calling Rayong DLT, as i live in Sattahip and thought it might be closer. Message says phone number no longer valid. My Thai Partner rang DLT office Banglamung and was rudely told that I must sort it out with Immigration...not their problem !!
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All but two.
Dont know.
The few that actually reside here not interested.
Only a few live here. Not interested in forming a committee or HOA.
Yes. That is a worry.
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22 hours ago, scorecard said:
"...The reason being that it is compulsory that we pay the developer for our private pool servicing and private gardening which is undertaken by the developers village staff..."
Is the above specifically mentioned (and mentioned as compulsory) in the contract to buy the land and house? Same questions re elec. and water meters set-up, is it mentioned in the contract in any way?
And is this an old developer? If yes can you contact a few owners in any previous villages and check if it's the same picture?
And is the quality of the building work OK or...
No. Not mentioned in my contract. Rates for water and electricity also not mentioned in contract.I wish TV members would just answer my simple questions, thats why I usually refrain from posting in this forum.
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22 hours ago, happylarry said:
Project developers more often than not charge inflated prices for utilities on private estates, did you not know this before you bought the property? Its a very old scam and been going on for years.
HL
As I have said, this is my third village and my meters have always been connected directly to the providers.I have visited at least four nearby villages and all owners pay direct to the providers, not the developers. I have lived in Thailand for more than 15 years. So I assume you live in a village and pay for your electric and water at inflated prices to the developer ? I wish TV members would simply answer the questions and not sidetrack the thread or denigrate the poster..
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17 hours ago, baansgr said:
Talay Sawan? I believe original sales contracts there state that.
I am not naming the village. My Maintenance contract does not state that private pool and private garden will be maintained by the management staff. In fact, when I first purchased the pool was maintained by an external company and paid for by management from our maintenance fees. I wish TV members would just simply answer my questions. Nor does my contract mention the rate payable on electricity or water usage.
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I have two questions for any TV members who own a house in a village (gated community). My house is in a small village of 25 completed houses located in Sattahip. The foreign developer has not handed the management over to the home owners as yet. Question 1 : Our Common fee (Annual maintenance) is very expensive compared to the previous two villages where I have lived. The reason being that it is compulsory that we pay the developer for our private pool servicing and private gardening which is undertaken by the developers village staff. I have never experienced this situation before and wondering if any other TV members are in a similar situation ? If so, have they been able to get out of it ? Question 2 : In this same village both the electric and water meters outside our houses are not connected to the actual utility providers. The developers staff read the meters and then issue a monthly invoice to home owners to pay the Developer at higher than domestic standard unit rates. Have any other TV members experienced this same set up ? If so, were you able to change the situation ?
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30 minutes ago, tomwct said:
As long as the developer is managing your moo ban properly don't rock the boat. If the fees are too high negotiate a lower fee, but
if you have a moo ban with just security and a little landscaping like my moo ban, I'm sure the developer would turn it over to the homeowners. I pay 300 baht per month, which I gladly pay for security, cctv cameras, and general upkeep. About 90% of the homeowners pay and the other 10% will pay when they try and transfer their property.
Did you read my word "compulsory" ? The developer will not negotiate a lower maintenance fee ! The developer also refuses to produce financial reports on the village operations. The developer has a staff of approx 11 people to maintain only 25 villas as they are needed to maintain our gardens and swimming pools ,which I personally do not want. The village is complete but the foreign developer will not handover to the owners.
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34 minutes ago, jingjo01 said:
Thank you to all the respondents to my post, however not one answered my question.
Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough. Some respondents sidetracked the discussion and it went off the rails.
So I will try and be blunt and to the point again :
1.I live and own a villa in a small gated community.
2.There is no communal swimming pool. Each villa has its own garden and private pool.
3.The development has been completed but the foreign developer has not handed over management to the homeowners.
4. The same developer will not produce any financial reports pertaining to the management of the estate.
5. The annual maintenance fees are high because of a compulsory component which requires all owners to use the developers staff to service their private gardens and pools.
I have lived in other gated communities here in Thailand and homeowners always arranged for their own gardening and private pool maintenance, hence lower annual maintenance fees.
I repeat my question : Are any other forum members (who live in gated communities and have private pools and gardens) forced to pay developers (or homeowner committees) to attend to their private pool and and garden ? I am trying to get a feel for this practice to see how widespread it is, as I feel the practice is unjust.
Just answer YES or NO. Thank you.
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2 minutes ago, Halfaboy said:
Unfortunately there seems to be not something like a Condo Act for Villages / Moo Baans.
There is. Its called the Land Development Act . Copy in English already provided to the foreign developer but ignored.
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9 minutes ago, KittenKong said:
You need to be more forceful. Lawyers, Land Office, publicity. Make the developer feel very uncomfortable.
Village has only 25 villas. More than half are absent Owners. Only about three permanent residents. No one seems interested and who would pay for the matters you suggested ? Foreign developer has been approached many times but just refuses point blank.
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3 hours ago, KittenKong said:
Why not form one then?
Foreign developer refuses to handover.
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Thank you to all the respondents to my post, however not one answered my question.
Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough. Some respondents sidetracked the discussion and it went off the rails.
So I will try and be blunt and to the point again :
1.I live and own a villa in a small gated community.
2.There is no communal swimming pool. Each villa has its own garden and private pool.
3.The development has been completed but the foreign developer has not handed over management to the homeowners.
4. The same developer will not produce any financial reports pertaining to the management of the estate.
5. The annual maintenance fees are high because of a compulsory component which requires all owners to use the developers staff to service their private gardens and pools.
I have lived in other gated communities here in Thailand and homeowners always arranged for their own gardening and private pool maintenance, hence lower annual maintenance fees.
I repeat my question : Are any other forum members (who live in gated communities and have private pools and gardens) forced to pay developers (or homeowner committees) to attend to their private pool and and garden ? I am trying to get a feel for this practice to see how widespread it is, as I feel the practice is unjust.
Just answer YES or NO. Thank you.
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When one owns a house in a Moo Baan it is required to pay an annual maintenance fee to cover the upkeep of that village (common areas, security etc). The village I live in has a high cost maintenance fee because of an inbuilt COMPULSORY component for owners villa pool maintenance and gardening service, which is carried out by the Developers staff. The village has been completed for some time but as the Developer still runs the show, there is no homeowners association or Juristic person setup. I have previously lived in two other village developments which had lower maintenance fees because the owners arranged for their own private gardening and pool service. Has anyone here in this forum experienced a similar situation whereby one is forced to pay the Developer for these services ?
Fines of up to 20,000 baht now in place for not wearing a face mask
in Thailand News
Posted
Someone should look at Bang Saray public park near the beach. Every afternoon and evening large groups of Thai youngsters gathering and playing around with loud music. No masks and no social distancing. Usually from about 5 pm to 10 pm. I did report it to the appropriate call in phone number several months ago. The operator said they would contact the Tessaban to advise. No action yet taken. These teenagers involved in risky behavior could take the virus back to their elderly parents and not even know. If I leave my house without a mask I could get fined. Why does this rule not apply to these irresponsible Thais ?