Health insurance mandatory for long-stay foreigners in Thailand

[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

Personal experience from a "Trip" last night... 

 

Tripped coming out of the BTS & banged my head (lots of blood), trip to Sukumvit hospital, no passport no questions/checks on insurance, just treated & guided to the cashier on exit (15K paid on my credit card).

 

Head hurts like a bitch this morning & despite me repeatedly telling them "No Stitches" I can feel where they've given me 2-3

I don't think anyone with experience with the issue does not know the foreigners they are talking about are illegal migrant workers from neighboring countries.   I'd think if they get past the point of juicing up insurance sales and actually enact some new laws the actual numbers may come out. 

[jacko45k]

5 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

.

 

Makes no sense unless renew means extension now does it?
 

 

Well I actually said he was renewing his Permission of Stay, you made the jump to applying for an Extension to The Permission of Stay.  A holder of a current OA Visa would be making his first application, not renewing. 

But all this Lexicon complexity would be beyond this health minister. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by jacko45k

[marcusarelus]

2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Well I actually said he was renewing his Permission of Stay, you made the jump to applying for an Extension to The Permission of Stay.  A holder of a current OA Visa would be making his first application, not renewing. 

He would ask the immigration officer for a retirement extension form would he not?  Just a note I have done this 20 times. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by marcusarelus

[jacko45k]

1 minute ago, marcusarelus said:

He would ask the immigration officer for a retirement extension form would he not?

In one case he would be simply arriving at the airport or border. In the other use a TM 7. APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM. Where is renewal wrt that? 

[marcusarelus]

8 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

In one case he would be simply arriving at the airport or border. In the other use a TM 7. APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY STAY IN THE KINGDOM. Where is renewal wrt that? 

No.  The quote is, " those applying to “renew” their one-year permits-to-stay,"  Says nothing about a border.  Renew means extension.  

[jacko45k]

7 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

No.  The quote is, " those applying to “renew” their one-year permits-to-stay,"  Says nothing about a border.  Renew means extension.  

It does not say extend or extension, to renew one's 'Permit to Stay' would you not have to leave Thailand and re-enter? 

Anyhow, this is really a waste of time. Just another news report out of Phuket. 

[garyk]

On 5/18/2019 at 9:46 PM, fforest1 said:

All you guys threatening to leave Thailand.....Just go.....No one gives a rats-ass.......Stay no problem....Go no problem.....But the threats are getting boring...

I left 2.5 months ago. And just got my 1 year extension renewed. This is nothing more than highway robbery. Anyone putting up with it is daft in the head IMHO. I am pushing 70 and with these rules Thailand is a joke IMHO as a retirement destination. 

 

[ThaiBunny]

Just now, garyk said:

I left 2.5 months ago. And just got my 1 year extension renewed. This is nothing more than highway robbery. Anyone putting up with it is daft in the head IMHO. I am pushing 70 and with these rules Thailand is a joke IMHO as a retirement destination. 

Worse than Malaysia?

[garyk]

8 minutes ago, ThaiBunny said:

Worse than Malaysia?

I loved Georgetown and lived there for a while... Malaysia is easy with border runs. Frasiers Hill. I lived all over the northern mountain areas. Loved it.

I even liked Cambodia, of course I had a pickup I drove in both Malaysia and Cambodia. 

Vietnam is another ok place, personally I am sick of the Asian mind set. So I am heading to Mexico in 2 weeks. 

The whole of Asia is eaten up with screw the westerner, I put up with it in Thailand for years because of inexpensive living and fairly easy retirement rules. Now?  No way.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by garyk

[madmen]

Personal experience from a "Trip" last night... 
 
Tripped coming out of the BTS & banged my head (lots of blood), trip to Sukumvit hospital, no passport no questions/checks on insurance, just treated & guided to the cashier on exit (15K paid on my credit card).
 
Head hurts like a bitch this morning & despite me repeatedly telling them "No Stitches" I can feel where they've given me 2-3 
 

What's worse is they claim no stitches and still charged you 15k.

You check to see if the bandage is gold plated?

[brewsterbudgen]

6 minutes ago, garyk said:

I left 2.5 months ago. And just got my 1 year extension renewed. This is nothing more than highway robbery. Anyone putting up with it is daft in the head IMHO. I am pushing 70 and with these rules Thailand is a joke IMHO as a retirement destination. 

 

It doesn't apply to Extensions based on retirement.  Only to O-A and O-X visa applications.

 

Some seem obsessed with one Health Official being quoted as saying "renewal", and assuming this means extension.  It doesn't.  Applying for an Extension Of Stay requires a new application for something that is not a visa.  If your O-A visa has expired and you want a new one, the insurance requirements will still apply.  This is what he was referring to.  In my opinion.

 

[Graviton]

This makes no sense for expats.

The bills imho are the O-A brigade and the responsibility of the health authorities to collect.

 

Need clarity on WHY not paid or why not collected.

 

Expats report every 90 days and have PERMANENT homes here and fill in TM 30 forms, so if it was them, bills would come through the door first, then legal action. Reason is I think they cannot trace these people because they have left, not real retirees.

 

Lets do the math.......

 

Year on year these unpaid bills are trending down from ฿380 million to ฿305 million today. That's £7.5 million compared with UK £200 million up. Not acceptable I agree.

 

If you were to divide that figure by the 700,000 western expats only It's ฿435 each or ฿10 on every plane ticket????? For all visitors.

 

This Mandatory Health insurance if true but I doubt it as expats have extensions not visa would be, get ready.........

฿56,000,000,000 a year, that's a hell of a big plaster and this figure is just for the 700,000 western expats.

Plus what about the ones no insurance company will touch, up sticks and go.

 

Plus that money leaves the country as most insurers are not in Thailand only offices and would be spent in private hospitals, not Government?

 

Most Expats with no insurance would pay at the Government hospitals?

 

Would it not be prudent for the government to come up with a health care care card for expats at a reasonable and affordable price and not make it mandatory.

 

Remember a lot have be here fir mire than 20yrs, 

 

Again I am confident it is an O-A problem as the numbers don't stack up.

 

Government need to clarify this immediately as many people are very worried.

 

Also what is the ฿400,000 untouchable deposit for extension for exactly. I guess most single westerners would struggle to meet the ฿65,000 a month due to the collapse of European currencies some as much as 40%.

 

Feel free to comment and add to

 

 

[luckyluke]

4 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

In my opinion.

Till we know more (eventually), it's all about opinion and perception. 

[Jingthing]

Till we know more (eventually), it's all about opinion and perception. 

Bingo!

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

[marcusarelus]

23 minutes ago, garyk said:

I loved Georgetown and lived there for a while... Malaysia is easy with border runs. Frasiers Hill. I lived all over the northern mountain areas. Loved it.

I even liked Cambodia, of course I had a pickup I drove in both Malaysia and Cambodia. 

Vietnam is another ok place, personally I am sick of the Asian mind set. So I am heading to Mexico in 2 weeks. 

The whole of Asia is eaten up with screw the westerner, I put up with it in Thailand for years because of inexpensive living and fairly easy retirement rules. Now?  No way.

No comparison.  Retirement in Malaysia is for rich people far more expensive than Thailand.  Who you trying to kid?

[marcusarelus]

20 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

It doesn't apply to Extensions based on retirement.  Only to O-A and O-X visa applications.

 

Some seem obsessed with one Health Official being quoted as saying "renewal", and assuming this means extension.  It doesn't.  Applying for an Extension Of Stay requires a new application for something that is not a visa.  If your O-A visa has expired and you want a new one, the insurance requirements will still apply.  This is what he was referring to.  In my opinion.

 

I thought you were going to wait and see instead of pretending to be an expert and knowing what Thailand has in store for us retired guys? 

[watcharacters]

On 5/14/2019 at 7:18 AM, masuk said:

..and how about the uninsured, 4-week tourist who is knocked off his motorbike and in hospital for weeks??

 

Next,  maybe the Thai government will throw the responsibility on foreign airlines to check for proper health insurance before allowing a person to fly to Thailand.

[marcusarelus]

Just now, watcharacters said:

 

Next,  maybe the Thai government will throw the responsibility on foreign airlines to check for proper health insurance before allowing a person to fly to Thailand.

There are many land borders.  What good would airline checking do?  Do you think the folks who are abusing the health care system (illegal migrant workers) are flying in?

[garyk]

37 minutes ago, marcusarelus said:

No comparison.  Retirement in Malaysia is for rich people far more expensive than Thailand.  Who you trying to kid?

That is not true, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about as usual. Not only was it not much more expensive than Thailand, In many of the small towns I stayed in there was a night life. Which surprised me.

Edited May 20, 2019 by garyk

[brewsterbudgen]

I thought you were going to wait and see instead of pretending to be an expert and knowing what Thailand has in store for us retired guys? 

I'm just quoting the experts. Plus a little bit of common sense! Can't I have an opinion? You have certainly made yours clear!

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

[sirineou]

5 hours ago, Pib said:

You can buy private health insurance just like Thais.  And being a resident is not the same as being a citizen.  However, Thai citizens have no need to buy private health insurance because as Thai citizens they are covered for free under the Thailand national health program/30 baht program.  Now many Thais do buy extra private health insurance to supplement their 30 baht program coverage, but they are just doing that because they don't want to deal with the 30 baht program or don't like govt hospital...that's OK....it's their choice if they want to pay out of pocket for private insurance.

 

    Private insurance is not a viable  option because it does not cover pre-existing conditions at a reasonable price, and it is not available to older residents when they need it the most.

  If they were concerned about our health, and considered as "Residents" why not allow to buy into the 30 baht program? 

And I say "buy" into the system, because I understand that unlike Thai citizens we have not paid in the system.  I dont think this has anything to do with concern about as, but profits for private insurance companies, and good luck getting them to pay for anything.

 If this remains, it is a game changer for me at my age, and Thailand is no longer a long term option for me.

  I will simply spend a few months there and fly back home every year, spend time with friends and family, do some shopping, medical follow up tests. and get a new visa to come back, until I get tired of this and of Thailand and never see my Thai home again.

Edited May 20, 2019 by sirineou

[GinBoy2]

3 hours ago, garyk said:

I left 2.5 months ago. And just got my 1 year extension renewed. This is nothing more than highway robbery. Anyone putting up with it is daft in the head IMHO. I am pushing 70 and with these rules Thailand is a joke IMHO as a retirement destination. 

 

Thailand is a good, if not perfect, vacation destination.

 

As for long term retirement spot, I think that ship has sailed!

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, madmen said:

What's worse is they claim no stitches and still charged you 15k.

You check to see if the bandage is gold plated?

Plus 3 visits from Dr at 1,000 a time

[BritManToo]

7 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Plus 3 visits from Dr at 1,000 a time

I prefer my bill ........... 50bht foreigner charge, 25bht for a months medication, 2bht surgical gloves.  No charge for the doctor, nurse or BP/pulse/weight/height/temp tests (sometimes that costs another 90bht).

 

Edited May 20, 2019 by BritManToo

[marcusarelus]

2 hours ago, garyk said:

That is not true, you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about as usual. Not only was it not much more expensive than Thailand, In many of the small towns I stayed in there was a night life. Which surprised me.

Applicants and their dependants must possess a medical insurance coverage from any insurance company that is valid in Malaysia.

Applicants aged 50 and above may comply with the financial proof of RM350,000 in liquid assets and off shore income of RM10,000 per month.  For certified copy(s) of Current Account submitted as financial proof, applicants must provide the latest 3 months’ statement with each month’s credit balance of RM 350,000. For government pensioners, they can show proof of receiving pension of at least RM 10,000 per month.

Open a fixed deposit account of RM 150,000.00.

 

Tis you who are in error.  Not I. 

 

 

 

[marcusarelus]

45 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

I'm just quoting the experts. Plus a little bit of common sense! Can't I have an opinion? You have certainly made yours clear!

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Have any legitimate newspapers reported this story?  

[marcusarelus]

38 minutes ago, GinBoy2 said:

Thailand is a good, if not perfect, vacation destination.

 

As for long term retirement spot, I think that ship has sailed!

Yup.  Faced with the same situation 20 years ago I'd have moved to Victoria.  If you got here 20 years ago and locked in your prices in - it's OK but not for a Brit, Aussie or a New American.  Brexit will make it worse.  Only a few old yanks left with military insurance. 

Edited May 20, 2019 by marcusarelus

[oslooskar]

On 5/13/2019 at 9:02 PM, Mister Fixit said:

Try thinking harder.  Everyone puts something in the pot each week or month to fund everyone else's medical care, or their own if they need it.

 

 

Au Contraire, you try thinking harder because no matter how you butter it up it still does not equate to “free”.

[brewsterbudgen]

Have any legitimate newspapers reported this story?  

No idea. Have they? I seem to remember it was covered in The Nation. Is that legitimate? In any case, do you believe everything you read in the newspapers?

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[marcusarelus]

1 hour ago, brewsterbudgen said:

No idea. Have they? I seem to remember it was covered in The Nation. Is that legitimate? In any case, do you believe everything you read in the newspapers?

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk
 

Can't find it in any legit papers like that one in Bangkok or any others.  Seems it would be big news.  Wonder why no one else is covering it.  Hmmmm?