Health insurance mandatory for long-stay foreigners in Thailand

[Tuvoc]

1 minute ago, Peterw42 said:

Thats how I understand it , new OA is pretty clear but it will probably come down to what they mean by renew/renewal, I take it as permission to stay based on the OA, others see it as meaning all extensions and all visa's. 

 

It makes zero sense to require it for one year for the initial application, and then to say that you don't need it after that. Commons sense applies I think.

[4MyEgo]

16 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

“The Devil is always in the details”.

I see two issues with the program:

1.  Hypothetically speaking a 50+ person goes to a Thai Embassy/Consulate to apply for the Non Imm O-A in the future.  This person is fully qualified and is told he must purchase Health Insurance.  Therefore, if he purchases Health Insurance then the application is guaranteed to be approved?  I doubt any Embassy/Consulate can much such an assurance.  

2. Hypothetically speaking the same person applies for the Non Imm O-A but does not intend to depart for Thailand for several months.  Does this mean this person must also purchase Thai Health Insurance even though he will not be in the country for months.  

 

I have checked the Los Angeles Thai Consulate website and so far no mention of this new law.  I will probably go to the same Consulate to apply for another Non Imm O-A sometime next year and I will see if any new requirements are implemented.  

Another interesting point would be, and this would depend on the laws of the country you usually reside in, i.e. what would you take your insurance out as, e.g. a resident (at the time) or a non-resident (after 6 months), technically speaking when you take out insurance they would ask, are you a resident or a non-resident and could put you in trouble when making a claim, i.e. assuming you put yourself down as a non-resident (which doesn't take place until after 183 days out of the country), or a resident, however you are no longer a resident when out of the country for 183 days (technically speaking), if you see my point ?

[bert bloggs]

19 minutes ago, Tuvoc said:

 

It makes zero sense to require it for one year for the initial application, and then to say that you don't need it after that. Commons sense applies I think.

So if we have been here many years ,but cannot get medical insurance ,will we be told to leave ?

[Tuvoc]

2 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

So if we have been here many years ,but cannot get medical insurance ,will we be told to leave ?

 

Unfortunately that appears to be what they are saying - if you don't have insurance for your extension then you won't get that extension and then be in the country illegally. Draconian. But I think it is all speculation at the moment until we know exactly what they mean.

[bert bloggs]

1 minute ago, Tuvoc said:

 

Unfortunately that appears to be what they are saying - if you don't have insurance for your extension then you won't get that extension and then be in the country illegally. Draconian. But I think it is all speculation at the moment until we know exactly what they mean.

So thats my wife of 20 years ,gone my home gone ,everything gone ,just dozens maybe hundreds of us turning up in the UK .

[Nong Khai Man]

5 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

So if we have been here many years ,but cannot get medical insurance ,will we be told to leave ?

And If We Are,That'll leave an awful LOT Of Farang / Thai Marriages Up Sh*t Creek without a Paddle "

[Nong Khai Man]

1 minute ago, bert bloggs said:

So thats my wife of 20 years ,gone my home gone ,everything gone ,just dozens maybe hundreds of us turning up in the UK .

Yep, My Thoughts Entirely !!! BTW,We've been Married for 26 Years,3 Months & 12 Days.....NOT that I'm Counting Mind !!

[Lacessit]

Just now, Nong Khai Man said:

Yep, My Thoughts Entirely !!! BTW,We've been Married for 26 Years,3 Months & 12 Days.....NOT that I'm Counting Mind !!

In most countries, one doesn't get that long for murder.

[Melbun]

1 minute ago, Nong Khai Man said:

And If We Are,That'll leave an awful LOT Of Farang / Thai Marriages Up Sh*t Creek without a Paddle "

Yes, very sad. But if you have heaps of money, there will be some company able to offer coverage. Decision time for many. Maybe an extra job to cover the costs - there must be some jobs available to older gents resident in Thailand. BUT - does that also contravene the visa under which people are there ?? Wow complex.

[essox essox]

1 hour ago, hashmodha said:

I think we all start a petition ......fast to reverse this....I am not able to....can anyone put it up on change.org.....and we all sign...

good idea but where will it get you?? and any others?......

[Melbun]

1 minute ago, Melbun said:

Yes, very sad. But if you have heaps of money, there will be some company able to offer coverage. Decision time for many. Maybe an extra job to cover the costs - there must be some jobs available to older gents resident in Thailand. BUT - does that also contravene the visa under which people are there ?? Wow complex.

Just an idea. Maybe once a year gents can fly home , do some work to finance the yearly insurance premium. Would that work ??

[lifeincnx]

On 5/14/2019 at 6:32 AM, alfalfa19 said:

does medicare parts a and b work in thailand, does anyone know?

No. Valid only in the USA, and does not include the rest of North America (Canada and Mexico).

[Krataiboy]

16 hours ago, madmen said:

looking at their link for Bangkok insurance its very reasonable . Between 50 and 60 years its approx 50k. Whats wrong with that.

its staggering the amount of expats living here with NO insurance!!  if your 70 then go home for gods sakes where you can be taken care of in an emergency..which is just around the corner , not everyone dies in their sleep

 

 http:/ /www.bangkokinsurance.com/long-stay-visa/

Your posting shows little understanding of or empathy with the situation of many long-term, elderly expats like myself, who have raised families with a Thai national in the expectation of spending the rest of our lives here.

 

"Go home, for god's sake" is advice I, for one, am unwilling to take - any more than I relish being blackmailed into buying outrageously expensive insurance which precludes treatment for existing conditions most likely to kill me off!

 

Like many of my sensible and responsible contemporaries, I have set aside part of my modest savings to take care of my medical needs. The rest I was planning to leave to my wife, who has taken good care of me - and our family of five children - for 17 years and will doubtless continue to do so in my dotage.

 

I have no wish to resettle in my homeland (the UK) for any reason - and certainly not on the off chance of receiving better medical treatment than here. Apart from any other consideration, this would mean saying goodbye to the people I love most and the place I call home. 

 

Hopefully, you now understand why your "go home" advice is, for large numbers of us, as impractical as it is arrogant.

 

 

[Nong Khai Man]

13 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

In most countries, one doesn't get that long for murder.

I've TOLD Her that MANY Times Mate.....

[hml367]

50 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Thats how I understand it , new OA is pretty clear but it will probably come down to what they mean by renew/renewal, I take it as permission to stay based on the OA, others see it as meaning all extensions and all visa's. 

You can translate this page online and in my opinion it translates well enough to answer questions people are raising.

http://hss.moph.go.th/show_topic.php?id=2808&fbclid=IwAR1larNfJw6CsnF-5NBqjmXZzJu-guMb4BRNgwjoDt4m79ZA8PLNvV5aIJM

 

[Nong Khai Man]

 

its staggering the amount of expats living here with NO insurance!!  if your 70 then go home for gods sakes where you can be taken care of in an emergency..which is just around the corner , not everyone dies in their sleep............NOT A Very well thought out Comment That is it ??

 

I'm 70,What would I Want to " Go Home " for,I Class HERE as my home now !!

Edited May 15, 2019 by Nong Khai Man
More Added

[Lacessit]

1 minute ago, hml367 said:

You can translate this page online and in my opinion it translates well enough to answer questions people are raising.

http://hss.moph.go.th/show_topic.php?id=2808&fbclid=IwAR1larNfJw6CsnF-5NBqjmXZzJu-guMb4BRNgwjoDt4m79ZA8PLNvV5aIJM

 

Don't keep us in suspense, what do you consider it says?

[Peterw42]

30 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

So if we have been here many years ,but cannot get medical insurance ,will we be told to leave ?

If you read the OP, it also talks about a  cash deposit scheme for those who cannot get insurance. Not in place yet but niether is the insurance. 

[Lacessit]

22 minutes ago, Melbun said:

Yes, very sad. But if you have heaps of money, there will be some company able to offer coverage. Decision time for many. Maybe an extra job to cover the costs - there must be some jobs available to older gents resident in Thailand. BUT - does that also contravene the visa under which people are there ?? Wow complex.

I'm 76. What kind of job did you have in mind for me?

[granuaile]

2 hours ago, Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere said:

Well my insurance in USA covers me out of country up to a curtain number of days then will not cover. Got sick once on arrival and my insurance covered it. 

Policies vary, but mine doesn't have a time limit. However it does require you to live in the U.S. (I take the Social Security guideline of 90 days in a country before you have to change your address as a rule of thumb though). I suspect a lot of plans would question repeated claims abroad though. My previous plan though was Blue Cross - I lost that when I turned 65 this year but they have an international network with no restrictions as far as where you live. But it would depend on the  policy.
 

[hml367]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Don't keep us in suspense, what do you consider it says?

You cannot translate it online?

 

Experience-Department-sat-revealed-Council-of-Ministers-approves-the-additional-criteria-for-health-insurance-for-the-elderly-foreigners-1-year-term-reduces-the-risk-of-bad-debt-hospital (1).pdf

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, hml367 said:

You cannot translate it online?

 

Experience-Department-sat-revealed-Council-of-Ministers-approves-the-additional-criteria-for-health-insurance-for-the-elderly-foreigners-1-year-term-reduces-the-risk-of-bad-debt-hospital (1).pdf 149.87 kB · 0 downloads

No

[Nong Khai Man]

3 minutes ago, Melbun said:

So you are 70 big deal - even Maccas employed older people - just an idea - do you have a better one? You are going to have to find the money somehow if you want to stay in Thailand - working to finance your premium seem a rational way (if you can't at present afford it).

Yep I'm 70 .....NO Big Deal,But I Won't be going back to the U.K (To Work ) If I Have to go back I'll do what all The Immigrants Do there.....BENEFIT Heaven.....

[Peterw42]

7 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Don't keep us in suspense, what do you consider it says?

It says pretty much the same thing as OP. Talks about OA visa but also about renewal, and not clear what renewal means 

[AAInsuranceBrokers]

To help people compare please see the attached for the low cost options suitable for the new Government regulations

 

www.aainsure.net

AA Insurance Broker Visa Plans.xlsx

[metisdead]

Some baiting posts and the inflammatory replies have been removed. 

[stanleycoin]

1 hour ago, Melbun said:

Oh really -an axe to grind. I though my logic made sense. I stand corrected. You are an ostrich maybe and don't like to listen (or spell correctly it's " you seem " not seam.

Oh, must have hit a nerve then.

An Ostrich, very funny. just goes to show how much you know, from afar.

Well done for joining the spelling and grammar police of Tv, 

good job.

[Huckenfell]

On 5/14/2019 at 4:05 AM, Thaiwrath said:

I am sure, with the proficiency of English within the Thai immigration, this should not pose any problems ! ???? ???? ????

This latest hurdle that they have found for us to jump over needs to be questioned.  Someone with the ability needs to organise another petition explaining to the government that many of us long term visa holders cannot get insurance because of our age. Asking them what is the reason for the 800.000 bht  required in the visa application. Explaining the incompassionate cruelty, that many will have to leave and desert their Thai families. This petition should be only open to those concerned and certainly not the likes of teenage tourists or in fact anyone who is not a retirement visa holder. Unless they are going to apply for one.

 

[Tuvoc]

17 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

If you read the OP, it also talks about a  cash deposit scheme for those who cannot get insurance. Not in place yet but niether is the insurance. 

 

Yes. I imagine there will surely be this option. They don't want to be seen to be breaking up families, that would create bad international publicity, something they seem keen to avoid in most areas.

[Don Mega]

10 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

It says pretty much the same thing as OP. Talks about OA visa but also about renewal, and not clear what renewal means 

other than renew the visa what else could it mean ?