Medical Certificate for O-A retire

[glennb6]

Hi all,

retiring end of year to live in tland, have air ticket, hotel res, working on stuff to submit to WashDC Thai embassy for a non-O-A visa. Have downloaded and printed the Medical Certificate page. Thus far have taken to 4 clinics, called 3 Dr offices, and the local Health Dept and none will or are able to complete the form. I get the look of confusion and as if I have a 3rd eye on my forehead when I show the form to the receptionist and explain it as a formality. Anyways, I live in Florida, don't have a regular doctor (not sick never needed one), if anyone has experience / suggestion as to how they have gotten this form completed and signed by a medical dr in the USA, I'd really love to know. :) Thanks, Glenn

[JLCrab]

I've not done this myself but you might try a place like this in Orlando that does USCIS exams :

 

http://www.immigrationdoctorsinorlando.com/

[longball53098]

How difficult is it for any medical type to fill in the doctors name and license number, the patients name two times and saying they are free of these afflictions and is in good health. Are you sure the places you looked can read and write English?  

[keeniau96]

The problem with med certification is the three infections, of which one (leprosy) is very rare and unfamiliar to USA medics. Cannot just do Thai style mai pen rai so they admit honest lack of knowledge.  

[sqwakvfr]

I went through the O-A process in Southern California.  I had one doctor for almost 30 years and I am certain he would have just singed off the Visa Medical form but due to the ACA(Affordable Care Act) I had to change health insurance plan.  The new doctor did not want to sign any form that had foreign writing on it(<deleted>).  Therefore, I went to a clinic that did USCIS exams and the entire medical process took 3 days.  The total cost of the Visa Medical was  $300(not covered by medical insurance).  

[Dipterocarp]

22 hours ago, keeniau96 said:

The problem with med certification is the three infections, of which one (leprosy) is very rare and unfamiliar to USA medics. Cannot just do Thai style mai pen rai so they admit honest lack of knowledge.  

Would the Royal Thai Consul (Los Angeles) accept a medical certificate from 

a hospital in Chiang Mai? I usually attend Chiang Mai Ram when anything comes up,

or the one near the Transport office for driving medical certification.

[SpokaneAl]

Each year I obtain a non imm o-a multi entry visa via the Los Angeles Thai Consulate and, each year drop off the form to my doctor, he signs the form and mails it back to me. Those are pretty exotic, life threatening diseases and one would have a bit of a hard time navigating life with any of them.

 

 

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[SpokaneAl]

Would the Royal Thai Consul (Los Angeles) accept a medical certificate from 

a hospital in Chiang Mai? I usually attend Chiang Mai Ram when anything comes up,

or the one near the Transport office for driving medical certification.

 

Give the consulate a call and ask them. The gentleman there who handles this stuff is pleasant and will give you a straight answer.

 

 

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[tonray]

32 minutes ago, Dipterocarp said:

Would the Royal Thai Consul (Los Angeles) accept a medical certificate from 

a hospital in Chiang Mai? I usually attend Chiang Mai Ram when anything comes up,

or the one near the Transport office for driving medical certification.

The NYC consulate accepts a cert done in Thailand, and I believe some have posted here also that LA has also accepted. 

 

The problem for most doctors in the US is worry about liability. If they don't have results of actual lab tests they will not sign and lab tests for foreign diseases are either not available or not easy to find. I took a chance and did my cert in BKK prior to heading to USA and it cost me 350 baht as opposed to what would have been easily 300 to $500 dollars and several weeks wait in America.

[TerryLH]

1 hour ago, SpokaneAl said:

Each year I obtain a non imm o-a multi entry visa via the Los Angeles Thai Consulate...

Can I ask why you get an O-A Visa every year?

If used right, you can get 2 years with an O-A Visa.

 

Just curious.

Terry

[SpokaneAl]

Can I ask why you get an O-A Visa every year? If used right, you can get 2 years with an O-A Visa.

 

Just curious.

Terry

 

Thanks for asking.

 

I am aware that if used correctly one can get two years out of a non imm o-a multi entry visa.

 

We spend about six months each year during the winter months in our Thai home and the other six months in our home in the US and do not wish to set our travel schedule based on a visa.

 

I also like the idea that when using a non imm o-a multi entry visa I do not have to deal with the local immigration office except for the initial reporting and the 90 day report.

 

I have never found getting a new non imm o-a multi entry visa to be particularly nor overwhelmingly difficult.

 

 

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[murraynz]

i had a similar problem with my doctor in nz...next requirement would have been a police record..

i have only ever had minor driving offences, but to obtain these records is long and complicated.

     its much easier to pay a lawyer in thailand to do the job for me --i did nothing--just handed over my passport and bkk bankbook...only waited approx 3 wks---excellent result...

[SpokaneAl]

i had a similar problem with my doctor in nz...next requirement would have been a police record..
i have only ever had minor driving offences, but to obtain these records is long and complicated.
     its much easier to pay a lawyer in thailand to do the job for me --i did nothing--just handed over my passport and bkk bankbook...only waited approx 3 wks---excellent result...

So . . . Instead of getting a non imm o-a multi entry visa, which must be obtained in one’s home country at a Thai Embassy or Consulate, you got an extension of stay based on retirement?


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[murraynz]

yes, correct

[glennb6]

I appreciate everyone's input, still searching, I feel like I'm doing a monty python skit live...

[NancyL]

When we applied for the O-A visa nine years ago, our doctor of long-standing insisted on ordering tests for everything disease on that form that has a test.  Something about liability.  He said he didn't want to sign off without actually being certain we didn't have those diseases.

 

The OP needs to find a doctor who will order the necessary screening tests.  The diseases listed on that form still are a public health concern here in Thailand.

[007 RED]

I am surprised that the resident expert (Ubonjoe) hasn’t offered his advice on this… must be slipping.  I don’t joke, he really is the expert on visa matters.

 

I’m not sure why you are going to all the trouble of getting an A-O visa in your home country with all the hassle and added cost of obtaining medical certificate and police checks.

 

If I was you, I would get a single entry non-O visa which will give you permission to stay for 90 days.  Then in the last 30 days go to the local immigration and get it converted to an extension to stay (1 year) based upon retirement.  No need for medical certificate or police check.

 

You will need to prove that you have sufficient fund to maintain your stay which is a) 800,000 Baht in the bank at the day of filing for the extension which need to have been 'seasoned' for 60 days, or  an annual income of 65,000 Baht per month, or c) a combination of a) + b).  You can get  as an affidavit from the US Embassy in Bangkok.

 

Hope this helps.

[BritTim]

23 minutes ago, 007 RED said:

I am surprised that the resident expert (Ubonjoe) hasn’t offered his advice on this… must be slipping.  I don’t joke, he really is the expert on visa matters.

 

I’m not sure why you are going to all the trouble of getting an A-O visa in your home country with all the hassle and added cost of obtaining medical certificate and police checks.

 

If I was you, I would get a single entry non-O visa which will give you permission to stay for 90 days.  Then in the last 30 days go to the local immigration and get it converted to an extension to stay (1 year) based upon retirement.  No need for medical certificate or police check.

 

You will need to prove that you have sufficient fund to maintain your stay which is a) 800,000 Baht in the bank at the day of filing for the extension which need to have been 'seasoned' for 60 days, or  an annual income of 65,000 Baht per month, or c) a combination of a) + b).  You can get  as an affidavit from the US Embassy in Bangkok.

 

Hope this helps.

If someone wishes to stay full time in Thailand, the extension route is probably easiest. For people who want to spend long periods in Thailand combined with extended periods outside, the O-A visa offers greater flexibility. With extensions, you are obliged to be in Thailand in a specific time window to complete the formalities. No such limitation exists with the long stay visa. Further, someone spending long periods in Thailand, but not full time, might not want to transfer 800,000 baht to a Thai account three months before each extension. The better option depends on circumstances.

[007 RED]

12 hours ago, BritTim said:

If someone wishes to stay full time in Thailand, the extension route is probably easiest. For people who want to spend long periods in Thailand combined with extended periods outside, the O-A visa offers greater flexibility. With extensions, you are obliged to be in Thailand in a specific time window to complete the formalities. No such limitation exists with the long stay visa. Further, someone spending long periods in Thailand, but not full time, might not want to transfer 800,000 baht to a Thai account three months before each extension. The better option depends on circumstances.

I certainly agree with you in so far that much will depend upon the individual’s personal circumstances and preferences.

 

However, just to clarify a couple of points: 

 

Firstly, the OP does not need to deposit the equivalent of 800,000 Baht in a Thai bank, seasoned for 60 days prior to the date of applying for the extension to stay based upon retirement.  That is just one of three possible options to meet the financial requirements.  They can just obtain a letter confirming their earnings/pension (equivalent to 65,000 Baht per month) from their embassy.  Depending upon location, immigration might ask to see some proof that funds have been transferred into Thailand in order to support their stay.

 

Secondly, regarding length of stay in or away from Thailand.  There is no controls on how long an individual must stay in Thailand.  Neither is there restrictions on the length of time that they can stay out of Thailand when on an extension of stay coupled with either a single or multi re-entry permit.

 

The major  benefit, I believe, for the OP in obtaining a one year extension of stay based upon retirement over obtaining a non-A-O in his/her home country is that the OP doesn't need to obtain a medical and police check certificates, both of which can be very expensive and (as discussed) difficult to obtain.

 

The possible downside of obtaining an extension of stay (and permits to re-enter) here in Thailand is on some occasions having to deal with less that helpful immigration offices, but that’s true the world over.

[amvet]

Industrial clinics in Florida.  Keep trying.  I found one doctor at a clinic who would sign anything. Keep looking.