Health insurance mandatory for long-stay foreigners in Thailand

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, randy723 said:

is this now the law or is this what they are trying to get passed? does anyone know for sure?

The articles say it's been approved by the Cabinet... That pretty much makes it law AFAIK.

 

But it seems as though there's still a lot of administrative rules and procedures to work out, including the methods they'll use to enforce the new rule and when those will take effect.

 

[jesimps]

3 hours ago, smedly said:

correct - an O-A Retirement Visa can be "extended" by a year by crossing a border

 

an extension of stay is completely different and has its own set of financial rules in country - people need to calm down and stop reading stuff that isn't there and is unrelated to this announcement 

I hope you're right Smedders, but I think you're wrong. 

[fforest1]

Just now, The Theory said:

“According to Nattawuth, the new rule applies to both new applicants for the non-immigrant visa (O-A), which offers a stay of up to one year, and those wishing to renew their visa. Each renewal is valid for one year.“

 

 

Wrong..........Extensions of stay ARE NOT VISAS............This is only for the    O-A......

[Letseng]

21 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

ITS NOT POSSIBLE FOR FARANGS to skip out of paying major medical bills in Thailand because they will not do any thing major here unless money is payed up front.......

 

The farang deadbeat bill payers is a COMPLETE LIE...

 

But insurance companys love to repeat the lie over and over in hopes of a huge scamming mandatory insurance pay day.....Oink Oink said the pigs at the trough..... 

An expat friend of mine works for one of the smaller private hospitals. His job is chasing after ppl who left  hospital without paying. 

 

"The farang deadbeat bill payers is a COMPLETE LIE.."

 

This is not a lie. Sad truth is that many left without paying. Therefore, we have the "pay up front" or no treatment.

 

Apart from this, Thais require to show insurance when applying for Schengen visa. 

[fforest1]

1 minute ago, jesimps said:

I hope you're right Smedders, but I think you're wrong. 

He is right...

[pookiki]

16 minutes ago, AAArdvark said:

They have a facebook page that lists a web address of xxx.net.  It doesn't work but if you replace the .net with .com it will say coming soon.

Sorry, I can't find it and I've tried to google it, too.  Could you provide the complete web address?

 

[StayinThailand2much]

Great! That's clarified then. Turning 50 this year, I was considering an extension based on retirement. Not any more! The one or two times I have been seriously sick in Thailand over the past 15 years, I had to pay for useless, overpriced paracetamol-like tablets, which I could have bought over-the-counter at any Watson's or Boots for 1/4 of the price charged by the hospital. Thank you, Immigration, for saving me from keeping 800,000 baht in a Thailand bank account!

[eddysmit]

3 minutes ago, jesimps said:

You'll probably get it anyway. I read recently that the hospitals have given up checking the passports of health tourists. Too much work. I'd imagine a Brit with an NHS number will have no problem bluffing his way in.

I think what happens(if you have not destroyed your passport, as many new arrivals do) your NHI number plus your passport details would be asked for, even for emergency treatment you stand a very good chance of receiving an over-inflated bill, could do a runner as many do, but for me that is not the option I would choose, what I have always jokingly said is if I'm forced to return back to the UK it would be on the back of a lorry passport-free, catch and load up onto an EU returning lorry in the UK would do the trick, and 'No speak da Anglish' that way you will be guaranteed shelter, food and accommodation.

[Brickbat]

No vagueness about this , as many claim. It’s pay up or ship out. Bye Bye farangs. This is the end of the road for Thailand as a cheap retirement destination. 

And I don’t blame them. It’s clear as hell. Cheap farangs don’t pay their hospital bills. So stop complaining! 

[The Theory]

20 minutes ago, eddysmit said:

Is it really, I misunderstood the 'O' visa part then.

There are some guys who are married to Thai, but since they can not afford 400,000 in bank no choice but Non-O visa. 

[Jingthing]

It must be just for O-A visa. Those who got no 800,000 in bank or no monthly transfer. 

Must? Hardly. You don't know that.

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Jingthing]

With all the medical exclusions in some of these policies, how are these medical insurances anything other than compulsory extortionate funding of insurance companies and hospitals who will probably be using it as a slush fund to dip into to cover their costs of treating those who cannot afford to pay their hospital bills.

Bingo

Sent from my Lenovo A7020a48 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[david143]

The new requirement applies to all foreigners aged 50 or older,” he added.
 

[eddysmit]

9 minutes ago, The Theory said:

“According to Nattawuth, the new rule applies to both new applicants for the non-immigrant visa (O-A), which offers a stay of up to one year, and those wishing to renew their visa. Each renewal is valid for one year.“

 

I does not mention non-O 

 

Thank you for that information, cleared it up for me.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

4 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

He is right...

 

I know the wording they're using in the articles... But based on the way the Thais have written about such things in the past, I BELIEVE they're meaning to include BOTH O-A visa AND retirement extensions issued by Immigration. In the past, they've often referred to retirement extensions as extending or renewing visas.

 

Could be wrong, but if I were a betting man, that's would be my bet... Plus, Immigration was said to be involved in this, and for folks on O-A visas, they never really have to deal with Immigration, as long as they continue getting successive O-As through their home country Embassy/Consulate. That's also what makes me think they in fact are intending to include retirement extensions.

 

 

[fforest1]

1 minute ago, Brickbat said:

No vagueness about this , as many claim. It’s pay up or ship out. Bye Bye farangs. This is the end of the road for Thailand as a cheap retirement destination. 

And I don’t blame them. It’s clear as hell. Cheap farangs don’t pay their hospital bills. So stop complaining! 

Well I hope your on the first boat out...

[Dario]

48 minutes ago, Dario said:

Thanks Kerryd. Looks interesting and affordable, IF it really covers 400'000 Baht IP and 40'000 Baht OP. I always thought that BBL Insurance is the most expensive. Apparently not.

I forgot to mention: the BBL proposal for 21'000 Baht/year notes 20'000 Baht OP per visit. That doesn't say 40'000 Baht per year. And then: may we ask your age? I'm past 73 right now. Can you elaborate, please?

[david555]

10 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

Wrong..........Extensions of stay ARE NOT VISAS............This is only for the    O-A......

He stated anyway :

new requirement for all foreigners staying in the country on one-year Non-Immigrant O-A “visas”, or “permits-to-stay”.

 

That last line is clear enough …..any I.O. has the possibility to applicate in their agent connection direction  

[randy723]

how much would it cost a person with a retirement visa for insurance that is 76 years old? does anyone know? Please reply to me if you know. Thank you

[Eligius]

This is all part of the Giant Lie that is present-day Thailand.

As if 'foreigners' are bleeding the hospitals of this country dry. What a load of baloney. 

Compared with the huge, massive, ENORMOUS amount of corruption and larceny on the side of certain oligarchical tranches of Thai society - who are robbing the Thai people blind, day in, day out - the few unpaid bills by a few foreigners in Thailand is a drop in the ocean.

 

This is all about squeezing yet more money out of foreigners  - or kicking them out of Thailand altogether.

Do people not understand what extreme nationalism leads to? Thai ultra-nationalists are no lovers of the West or its peoples  - only their money. Without that, the strident cry is ' get the hell out of here' (never mind that you have worked here for decades and have a Thai family) ...

 

[StayinThailand2much]

6 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

Face it: Thailand is tryin' to kill the dream you're tryin' to live.

To put large signs in every Thailand airport: "We Want Tourists to Stay Only 14 Days in a Year (But you can send $$ 365 days/year via Western Union)" would be much easier to implement and would save Thailand major headaches...

[stanleycoin]

Just now, Brickbat said:

No vagueness about this , as many claim. It’s pay up or ship out. Bye Bye farangs. This is the end of the road for Thailand as a cheap retirement destination. 

And I don’t blame them. It’s clear as hell. Cheap farangs don’t pay their hospital bills. So stop complaining! 

For every  1 falang that has to go, at the minimum 2 Thais will loose there income.

Thailand is just stealing money for it's own people in the log run.

Big own goal i would say, but as we all know Thailand's rich and powerful care not about there citizens.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

1 minute ago, david143 said:

The new requirement applies to all foreigners aged 50 or older,” he added.
 

 You need to include the rest of the description where the articles talk about the specific type of visa (O-A) that the new rule is going to apply to..... O-As and the renewals of those, which probably means retirement extensions... And for both of those, you have to be 50 or older.

 

The news articles here don't make any mention of any other type of visa being included in this new rule.

 

[RBOP]

So now we have to add 440K baht to the already 800K baht we can't touch. Long stayers are not the problem. Its the short time tourists who can easily run away from hospitals without paying. More bullying of good law abiding seniors, oh goody. 

[Mister Fixit]

1 hour ago, Time Traveller said:

Did you not read the post I replied to?

It was saying that people paying out of their own pockets - as Americans mostly do as they don't have universal healthcare - makes them a parasite. But somehow those who don't pay - non Americans - are not parasites. 

Not sure why you don't think US has a proper medicl health system. It does. The only difference is the User pays.

So let me dumb it down for you. Socialized medicine is paid for by WORKERS, while the non worker parasites get it for free. In America, no money, no medicine.

Say what you want about Americans, but they sure ain't medical system parasites as you suggest.

And let me dumb it down for YOU.  First off, it's not 'socialized' (sic) medicine.  The American system sucks to hell and back compared to the UK and other civilised countries systems of health care because it's not designed for the good of the whole population, only the insurance companies.  The population is not cared for in the States.  Swingeing costs for meds, in-patient care, grasping insurance companies who make life hell for claimants etc.  I could go on and that's without mentioning the bankruptcies the US system causes.  

 

I am not saying that Americans are parasites, and nor are Europeans, Kiwis, Ozzies etc.  It's just that the rest of us pay in advance for medical care whether required or not but also into a collective pot, because it's for the good of all.  If that's socialism, then you have a very odd perception of the concept.  I call it a country taking care of its population, it's greatest asset.

 

Medical care in the UK is free at the point of use for all who need it.  Hospitals are entirely free (there may be a small charge to cover the cost of things like crutches, but it's not the full cost).

GP visits for consultations and minor surgery are free at all times.  If meds or medical appliances are prescribed there is a small charge as a contribution towards costs.  Those in genuine need will not pay.

 

It's a shame the 'greatest country on earth' didn't think of it first, but then it wouldn't have such an unhealthy population to milk.  

 

 

[randy723]

Just now, fforest1 said:

Well I hope your on the first boat out...

fforest1 I broke my leg in a motorbike accident about 3 years ago and when they took me to the hospital I had to pay 7,500 bath before they would even touch me. So I do not know how you can say wht you did fforest1. have you ever had to go to a hospital?

[Mac98]

solution for over 75s: Have enough in bank for cremation. Oh, wait, you can't open a bank account unless you have a retirement extensuon and you can't get a retirement extension unless you have 65,000b a month going into the account you can't open for a year while you are home living on nothing. You will probably have to have that insurance polucy paid up for a year in advance, and only good in Thailand while you sit home. 

[jollyhangmon]

1 hour ago, hashmodha said:

Forgive me but why does all this imply that longstay people? like me are causing problems not paying their medical bills,be it government or private hospitals....I use Both.... don't understand the logic in mandatory requirement....I always thought it was the traveller/Tourists not paying bills....as for the long stay,one would be ashamed not to pay their bills living with their own families in various parts of Thailand....the fault lies with the hospitals not being strictly controlled...where I live Cambodian/Mynmarr/Labourers have caused such a serious problem,the Hospital decided to double up the charge and ask advance if get suspicious...fair dos....

 

... because longstayers are the easy targets/low hanging fruits - not that easy to `call it quits´ (as substitute for expression that would get this post deleted) for them as it is/would be if implemented for standard tourists who just don't come if feeling negatively affected in the first place ...

 

Nothing but a (prolonged) Bonanza for insurers & associated banksters ... where's the next solid tree, someone got a rope ...?! 

[RBOP]

6 minutes ago, randy723 said:

how much would it cost a person with a retirement visa for insurance that is 76 years old? does anyone know? Please reply to me if you know. Thank you

Can't get it. 76 over the limit. You have to lock in another 440K on top of the 800K.

[carstenp]

7 minutes ago, randy723 said:

how much would it cost a person with a retirement visa for insurance that is 76 years old? does anyone know? Please reply to me if you know. Thank you

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