Health insurance mandatory for long-stay foreigners in Thailand

[aqua4]

I think it is a good idea as I am sure the Embassies in Bangkok are getting tried about being called about a foreigner who has no health coverage. I have seen this many times before where many expats dont even so much as have accident insurance. Yes you think it will not happen to you until is does. Private health care in Thailand can be pretty stiff and there should have been a rule years ago about health insurance as well as death coverage to ensure that there is money to send you body back home if that is what you want. The annual premiums above is pretty standard in Thailand but they usually offer combination policies such as coverage for cancer and other illnesses, accidents as well as death. 

[asiaexpat]

22 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Fpr the attention of Ubon Joe. Grateful to know your take on this. Have 103FM got it wrong? They state all retirement type visas and extensions.

Not believing 103fm since other reports differ

[DrTuner]

Clear as mud as usual, will this apply to all visa types, including PE (elite) when over 50 or just O-A and retirement extension or all extensions or to any one the IO of the day decides it should apply to. Can't they just shoot the PR people and replace them with one myanmar maid.

[Mosha]

Can we only use Thai companies if they are part of the scam sorry I mean scheme? 40,000 for out patients? Are they serious? Is this just extension non o and a, or is it the normal multi entry visas?

[carstenp]

3 minutes ago, asiaexpat said:

Not believing 103fm since other reports differ

Well last time they was correct, so my opinion is they are absolutely trustworthy, speciel with the laws down here about fake news

[aqua4]

2 minutes ago, Mosha said:

Can we only use Thai companies if they are part of the scam sorry I mean scheme? 40,000 for out patients? Are they serious? Is this just extension non o and a, or is it the normal multi entry visas?

 

I would assume as much as the local hospitals dont get a fit when you have a Thai medical aid card.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

What about me that are paying Thai SSO and have a foreign in hospital policy with a cover of $2,5 mil.

What about those foreigners married to government workers. They are given free medical because all immediate family is covered 100% for any inpatient and outpatient medical problems as long as they use government hospitals. How will this new law affect them? 
 

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[sletraveler]

Been expecting this.  I have in stay hospitalization coverage but no outpatient.   If I don’t need hospitalization I can fly back  to the US if it requires tens of thousands in outpatient care.   Hope they take that into consideration because I don’t want or need  outpatient care coverage.  

[GroveHillWanderer]

17 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

If you live out the UK for more than 6 months in one year you lose the entitlement to free medical treatment although they don’t ever refuse emergency treatment irrespective if you own property.

Although you are liable for UK Tax if you own a property in the UK ?

That's not quite true - you are not entitled to free NHS care in the UK if you are not 'ordinarily resident.' Someone who has been out of the UK for less than 6 months is almost always still considered as ordinarily resident but in contrast, just because you've been away for more than 6 months does not mean you have automatically lost your ordinarily resident status.

 

Just ask anyone (and there have been numerous cases) who has been forced to pay taxes because they were still considered to be ordinarily resident despite spending more than 6 months abroad. There was the famous example of an airline pilot (John Robson Gibson) who over a period of years spent as little as 60 days a year in the UK but was still found to be ordinarily resident and had to pay back taxes. On the other hand, he would still have been eligible for free NHS care.

[Mason45]

I'm not exactly cash rich but I'm travelling comfortably. I have about 4.5 million in assets albiet in my wifes name can this be used as security. I've been married to my Thai wife for close on 20 years. Little do these lawmakers know that us better class farangs do take care of our Thai wives family. I've taken care of several siblings but at this stage I'm taking care of her 60yo brother who's unemployable from a construction site injury and never received one satang compensation because he's an essan jungle bunny.

[bbi1]

Let's face it, as it was said many years ago, Thailand only want quality type of tourists with money to spend. They want the young guns these days (especially the Chinese) or older folks with enough money to live here, not the grey nomads with no money to spend who will be a burden when they don't pay their hospital bills as the article stated.

[Kalasin Jo]

Ah another visa requirement on top of the rest. It's getting tough isnt it.

 

I wonder does this apply to non immigrant O multiple entry visas where your stay is limited to a max of 90 days?

 

Yes I know, you can leave the country and come back the same day at land border entry points such as Savanekhet, my preferred choice ( and to get new visa) unless I am leaving for some time. But I do leave for some time. I only spend a max. of 5 months a year, split in to two periods, in Thailand so to be required to buy an annual policy seems unreasonable. Will we be required to show an in date insurance certificate each time at entry points?

[happy chappie]

23 minutes 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/

Knowing what insurance companies are like.the first minute the rule is changed the websites will go down for a day and hey presto it'll double as we expats are swimming in pools of cash.as I've pointed out before Thais can't raise prices 10-20%.they go the full hog of 50% or more and especially when there is 10,000s of farang with bags of cash having to buy insurance.

[bigginhill]

I,m sorry if this has been covered elsewhere, I,m at page 10 of 61.????

https://longstay.tgia.org/Home/Guideline

 

Guidelines for applying Health Insurance for Long Stay Visa in Thailand

Each applicant, including spouse and children, must hold Thai Health Insurance policy sold by authorized insurance companies only.

Each applicant, including spouse and children, must have their own Health Insurance Certificate to present during visa application process.

Health insurance policy must have coverage not less than 400,000 Thai Baht per policy year for Inpatient, and not less than 40,000 Thai Baht per policy year for outpatient.

Each applicant, including spouse and children, must ensure that he/she has always held the Thai health insurance policy throughout the granted period of long stay visa. Failure to meet this requirement will be considered as disqualified to the standard requirements under the announcement by Department of Consular Affairs, and the granted visa will be withdrew.

All applicants must contact authorized insurance companies directly to apply for Thai health insurance policy. Any inquiries on completing Insurance application can be addressed at each insurance company.

according to this the policy must be from approved Thai Companies. ( and for all members of the family)

[brewsterbudgen]

 

Fabulous 103 isn't official.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[connda]

Here's the other reason I plan to leave:

There is no stability.  You can not make plans for a life in Thailand.  The government will keep moving the goalpost.  They will keep implementing sanctions on foreigners in degrees that they would never imposed on their own citizens.  

 

If you had planned to retire here, or to marry a Thai woman - think again.  Don't!
For those of you here who have been supporting a Thai family for over a decade?  Bend over.  Or leave.  I'm going to opt for the latter and I'll leave a broken family behind.  That's on the Thai government.  

 

 

[brewsterbudgen]

Here's the other reason I plan to leave:

There is no stability.  You can not make plans for a life in Thailand.  The government will keep moving the goalpost.  They will keep implementing sanctions on foreigners in degrees that would never imposed on their own citizens.  
 
If you had planned to retire here, or to marry a Thai woman - think again.  Don't!
For those of you here who have been supporting a Thai family for over a decade?  Bend over.  Or leave.  I'm going to opt for the latter and I'll leave a broken family behind.  That's on the Thai government.  

Thailand is not for everyone.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[greeneking]

3 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Let's face it, as it was said many years ago, Thailand only want quality type of tourists with money to spend. They want the young guns these days (especially the Chinese) or older folks with enough money to live here, not the grey nomads with no money to spend who will be a burden when they don't pay their hospital bills as the article stated.

This negative attitude has been repeated often and  is in danger of being accepted as true.  But is it?

It must be very difficult to leave the country, bills unpaid, with the hospital reporting your passport data to the authorities.

I have no knowledge of anyone trying to skip their bill anyway.

And millions of tourists spending their money here must well outweigh any problem made by a few.

 

[pagallim]

1 hour ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

To quote Kevin Keegan, I would love it, just love it if this does not apply to extensions of permission to stay but when the Colonel Kathathorn quoted in the Phuket News article says:

 

I'm fairly sure that what he's talking about is one-year extensions of permission to stay based on retirement.

 

"Col Kathathorn also confirmed that the new insusrance requirement applies only to Non-Immigrant O-A "retirement" visas."   

 

A direct copy from the Phuket News article.   What I find odd is that as I understand it, O-A Visas are only administered in the Thai Embassies/Consuls of the applicants home country or permanent residence.   There local IO's would have zero involvement.

[elliss]

13 hours ago, Orac said:

Seem to be several plans up on their website already though not all companies have them. Pacific Cross have cheapest but still just over 30k a year for my 51-55 age bracket and nothing for over 75s.  Click  on each insurer for their plan and premium.

 

https://longstay.tgia.org/

 

             Chances are , the insurance company will be owned by the Thai Goverment.

            

 

 

[Mason45]

bbi1, what I stated before is not my total wealth. I'm 74yo if I'm diagnosed with something incurable I'll go home and die. I was with BUPA for 15 years but in recent years the fees are out of control. 

[aqua4]

9 minutes ago, connda said:

Here's the other reason I plan to leave:

There is no stability.  You can not make plans for a life in Thailand.  The government will keep moving the goalpost.  They will keep implementing sanctions on foreigners in degrees that they would never imposed on their own citizens.  

 

If you had planned to retire here, or to marry a Thai woman - think again.  Don't!
For those of you here who have been supporting a Thai family for over a decade?  Bend over.  Or leave.  I'm going to opt for the latter and I'll leave a broken family behind.  That's on the Thai government.  

 

 

 

I think it was in 2003/4 when a Thai women started an organisation to help Thai women deal with their husbands simply walking off when Thai immigration started changing the rules and getting work permits was becoming more difficult. I cant find the article on Bangkok Post again but I thought it was interesting. She said that Thai immigration was breaking apart families in Thailand. I did not take much notice of it as immigration was still lax at that point in time but I think that this is round two of the saga in Thailand.  

 

 

[fforest1]

6 minutes ago, bbi1 said:

Let's face it, as it was said many years ago, Thailand only want quality type of tourists with money to spend. They want the young guns these days (especially the Chinese) or older folks with enough money to live here, not the grey nomads with no money to spend who will be a burden when they don't pay their hospital bills as the article stated.

Workers from neighboring counties make up the vast majority of expats ..... I guess a few million day labors from neighboring countries are no problem for the Thai heath care system.....But a few 100,000 retired westerners are?

   

[Lacessit]

6 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Thailand is not for everyone.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

Only for those with the empathy of a sociopath, apparently.

[aqua4]

5 minutes ago, greeneking said:

This negative attitude has been repeated often and  is in danger of being accepted as true.  But is it?

It must be very difficult to leave the country, bills unpaid, with the hospital reporting your passport data to the authorities.

I have no knowledge of anyone trying to skip their bill anyway.

And millions of tourists spending their money here must well outweigh any problem made by a few.

 

 

I knew two over the years but they call immigration to arrest you when you cant pay. I had to pay someones bill many years ago. 

[connda]

12 minutes ago, connda said:

Here's the other reason I plan to leave:

There is no stability.  You can not make plans for a life in Thailand.  The government will keep moving the goalpost.  They will keep implementing sanctions on foreigners in degrees that they would never imposed on their own citizens.  

 

If you had planned to retire here, or to marry a Thai woman - think again.  Don't!
For those of you here who have been supporting a Thai family for over a decade?  Bend over.  Or leave.  I'm going to opt for the latter and I'll leave a broken family behind.  That's on the Thai government.  

 

 

Interesting comment from the wife just now.

"If you die, insurance pay me mai?"  Make of that what you wish.

[brianthainess]

12 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

The mandatory insurance requirement only requires a 400,000 policy limit. I am assuming self-insurance would only need to match this limit.

But that is logic and TIT!

[bwpage3]

There isn't one Thai gov't official that gives a damn about making it easy for expats to live in Thailand.

 

Read the news! 66 Generals appointed to the gov't. Extra-ordinary amount of political parties to form a coalition.

 

Guess what? They all want to get their share of the corruption.

 

The potential political parties are in the process of splitting up the governmental departments to see who will rule the roost over tourism, transportation, healthcare, you name it.

 

In Thailand people become politicians to raid their respective departments of all the corruption money they can while they are still in power.

 

Health insurance will surely be one of those scams making politicians rich.

 

Things won't ever get easier for expats, they will continue to get worse because the fact remains the Thai Gov't just does not care about you!

 

They care about policies that make themselves rich through corruption.

 

Healthcare is just the start.

 

Imagine all the other things they could start to bill for?

 

Best to have a backup plan as the next coalition gov't is going to wreak havoc on the economy and the country.

 

 

[ThomasThBKK]

7 minutes ago, fforest1 said:

Workers from neighboring counties make up the vast majority of expats ..... I guess a few million day labors from neighboring countries are no problem for the Thai heath care system.....But a few 100,000 retired westerners are?

   

 

They don't threat u anyway if you don't pay them except for emergency stuff, and that's most likely a traffic accident than and has nothing todo with over 50 yos, as likely  to happen or even more likely to happen to my 35yo ass.

 

There's no way they lose money on us westerners here in terms health care, most of us spend plenty of baht because we always go to samitivej, bumrungrad, bkk hospital and co and pay plenty for that.

 

I don't believe their reason for a second... all they want is more money prolly.

 

 

What's the reason i don't health insurance with elite visa? there's no <deleted> reason, i have one and i am as likely to get sick here as a retiree... 

[ocddave]

6 minutes ago, connda said:

Interesting comment from the wife just now.

"If you die, insurance pay me mai?"  Make of that what you wish.

Yup, scary when you (or your farang loving extended family) figure out you are worth more dead than alive, isn't it? LOL