Details of mandatory health insurance for Non-Imm O-A visas to be announced next week

[lamyai3]

10 hours ago, Traubert said:

It is however for 21 other countries, not only the TV favourite targets, India and China. Malta, San Marino and Vanuatu haven't felt the wrath of the TV pitchfork mob yet.

The coalition of the willing. You forgot Poland! 

[Crossy]

29 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

What is PSC? I don't pay anything at the airport nor does anyone else I know! We used to pay an exit fee of 500 Baht but that was years ago.

 

Passenger Service Charge - it's included in the price of your ticket.

 

[Nyezhov]

43 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

I was taken by a hospital to an ATM machine quite literally. If I said I couldn't pay no idea how that would have ended.

Well if surgeon came to the ATM with a scapel guess you would have founded out.

[lkv]

8 hours ago, dcnx said:

Yep. And you can’t act like no one warned you about it. This has been coming for a while.

You know, I remember you made a comment on some thread I think a few months ago, saying something within the lines of: "within 5 years half of you guys will not be in Thailand".

 

I do remember your comment so clearly, but cannot locate it.

 

The way things are going, I think it might happen much sooner than you predicted.

[lamyai3]

6 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

It was published somewhere but i cannot find it, however they managed to get all the figures wrong !

Yes, they initially cited 38 million Non O-A visa holders! When it became clear this was the total number of tourists they revised it to 80,000, and who knows if they conflated Non O's into this number too. Everyone knows how error prone the government is with big numbers, and it inspires zero confidence in the case they're presenting. Anecdotal evidence by hospital staff however suggests that most unpaid bills are those generated by Thais (who are way harder to track down to a registered address than retirees), Asians from neighbouring countries, and much lower in the list perhaps short stay tourists. If hospitals are unable to track down an expat and subject them to legal proceedings for non-payment (just as any restaurant or other business would) then this just comes down to poor housekeeping. 

[StayinThailand2much]

21 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

I thought that the plan was to increase the airport PSC from 700 baht to 800 baht as of 1 October 2019, and that the resulting 3.8 BILLION baht generated annually would go to the MoH to cover the ~ 200 million baht unrecovered annual medical expenses incurred by foreigners, with a tidy 3.6 BILLION baht left over for, well, stuff.

 

https://morning-news.bectero.com/economy/24-May-2019/144181

 

 

 

Who says they can't do both to ripp off their visitors?

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, yogi100 said:

What is PSC? I don't pay anything at the airport nor does anyone else I know! We used to pay an exit fee of 500 Baht but that was years ago.

That's because it's included in the ticket price now. It was 700 baht last time I checked. Easy to slap on an extra 100 baht.

[StayinThailand2much]

20 hours ago, Sticky Wicket said:

If you are going to advertise as a tourist destination then you are bound to have a few unwanted costs. However compared to what comes in it's a drop in the ocean.

 

Also they don't advertise how dangerous the country is! 

Most of the injuries/deaths will have been caused by a Thai or Thailand

8

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I would have thought with the millions of tourists flooding Thailand that they would be more of a medical problem then a few hundred expats living here !

Sensible tourists have travel insurance. Expats that don't have enough money for the excessive rates of Thai insurance, or are too old, don't have insurance.

Old people, like many expats, are far more likely to require expensive medical treatment.

Personally, I think Thai hospitals should not have to do more than emergency treatment if they don't get paid. Seems though, that they won't let people with fatal conditions die, now, so it's on their own head if they do keep treating them without any prospect of payment.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Number 6 said:

I was taken by a hospital to an ATM machine quite literally. If I said I couldn't pay no idea how that would have ended.

I'm curious. Did you have travel/ any medical insurance? If not, do you think Thai hospitals should have treated you for free?

Obviously you did pay, but that question applies to any farang that enters LOS.

I'm quite astounded by the number of tourists that don't have travel insurance and expect other people to pay for their treatment.

[fullcave]

Seems the 800k deposited in bank account would more than cover the 400,000 inpatient coverage. DUH Much less many expats have far more in their Thai bank accounts than the minimum 800k. Obviously it's a scam to extort money from retired expats. No wonder so many are leaving for Vietnam. 

[wgdanson]

7 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

If the UK can do health cover for non British  200 GBP  ( Bht 7,500 approx) why cannot Thailand.

 

Who is that with please?

[markpbfree]

I'm really curious to know how this is going to affect people who are here and are retired, but are on an extension of stay, not a Visa. There is a difference between a retirement Visa and an extension of stay. they still have not clarified how this would affect retirees who are here on an extension of stay. They do actually have a marriage visa and a retirement Visa, which are different. Does anybody really know?

[FarFlungFalang]

From my understanding it only affects new non imm AO in one's home country Thai embassy.

[Dionigi]

22 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but many expats can't get an insurance because of their age.

Therefore 800,000 in a bank account. If the hospital requires it bye bye extension.

[Fex Bluse]

38 minutes ago, markpbfree said:

I'm really curious to know how this is going to affect people who are here and are retired, but are on an extension of stay, not a Visa. There is a difference between a retirement Visa and an extension of stay. they still have not clarified how this would affect retirees who are here on an extension of stay. They do actually have a marriage visa and a retirement Visa, which are different. Does anybody really know?

I'm also confused.

 

Doesn't every foreigner require some type of visa? 

 

And the extensions of stay are based on a required visa? 

[Desmondo69]

23 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

I still find this extremely hard to believe as the hospital will never let you leave until paid in full. How do you rack up a bill and then walk away?

 

All we can do is wait and see what comes out and how it is written. Not going to speculate, but I have my feeling there is more to it than that..

I know of a Scotsman that gave a false name then jumped out of the window at Bandon hospital after a bike accident .leaving a 125000 bill...he’s still driving about..all adds up.

[Roy Baht]

14 minutes ago, Dionigi said:

Therefore 800,000 in a bank account. If the hospital requires it bye bye extension.

You people still don't get it. It's put up or pack up time. Do you know what you're supposed to do if a hospital stay forces you to spend the 800K in your bank account? Put another 800K in your bank account. The Thai gov't wants people who can afford to live here. You think it's about "walking away" from medical bills? What do you think happens when one of you uninsured morons dies in hospital--or joins the Pattaya Flying Club? Who pays for that? Non-Thais have no right to live here. Period. And if you can't afford to live here on THEIR terms (it's their country) you have to go live somewhere else. That's just reality. And if reaches the point where I can't afford to live here anymore (which it might), I will just leave--not whine like a bitch on Thaivisa.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

You people still don't get it. It's put up or pack up time. Do you know what you're supposed to do if a hospital stay forces you to spend the 800K in your bank account? Put another 800K in your bank account. The Thai gov't wants people who can afford to live here. You think it's about "walking away" from medical bills? What do you think happens when one of you uninsured morons dies in hospital--or joins the Pattaya Flying Club? Who pays for that? Non-Thais have no right to live here. Period. And if you can't afford to live here on THEIR terms (it's their country) you have to go live somewhere else. That's just reality. And if reaches the point where I can't afford to live here anymore (which it might), I will just leave--not whine like a bitch on Thaivisa.

Oh do please shut up.....????

[Jip99]

22 minutes ago, Desmondo69 said:

I know of a Scotsman that gave a false name then jumped out of the window at Bandon hospital after a bike accident .leaving a 125000 bill...he’s still driving about..all adds up.

 

 

Grass him up.....

[looplaw]

8 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

You people still don't get it. It's put up or pack up time. Do you know what you're supposed to do if a hospital stay forces you to spend the 800K in your bank account? Put another 800K in your bank account. The Thai gov't wants people who can afford to live here. You think it's about "walking away" from medical bills? What do you think happens when one of you uninsured morons dies in hospital--or joins the Pattaya Flying Club? Who pays for that? Non-Thais have no right to live here. Period. And if you can't afford to live here on THEIR terms (it's their country) you have to go live somewhere else. That's just reality. And if reaches the point where I can't afford to live here anymore (which it might), I will just leave--not whine like a bitch on Thaivisa.

Very well put.

[looplaw]

5 minutes ago, transam said:

Oh do please shut up.....????

He makes a good point.

[Peterw42]

54 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

Now once again Thaivisa why do you not list the source of your article here.  What are you trying to hide from us.   Is this more fake news coming from you or the government?

The OP lists the source

 

"On Friday, a senior executive from one of the insurance companies involved in the scheme told Thaivisa that the Office of Insurance Commission, the Ministry of Public Health, the Foreign Ministry and Immigration Bureau will announce the insurance requirements for  Non-Immigrant O-A visas on 22 August."

[fforest1]

18 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

You people still don't get it. It's put up or pack up time. Do you know what you're supposed to do if a hospital stay forces you to spend the 800K in your bank account? Put another 800K in your bank account. The Thai gov't wants people who can afford to live here. You think it's about "walking away" from medical bills? What do you think happens when one of you uninsured morons dies in hospital--or joins the Pattaya Flying Club? Who pays for that? Non-Thais have no right to live here. Period. And if you can't afford to live here on THEIR terms (it's their country) you have to go live somewhere else. That's just reality. And if reaches the point where I can't afford to live here anymore (which it might), I will just leave--not whine like a bitch on Thaivisa.

So in your reality the one and only thing that matters in life is $$$......Families children marriages dont mean jack....If your rich your good and if your not rich your bad and have not rights.....

[Melbun]

23 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I would have thought with the millions of tourists flooding Thailand that they would be more of a medical problem then a few hundred expats living here !

Doesn't make sense. Tourist have travel insurance. It's the non paying expats that are the problem. Don't know why all this moaning about compulsory health insurance. Every country demands it - to my knowledge. Just a few geezers that want to ride on the back of a foreign country for nix. Get over it and pay up - OR disappear back to you abandoned home land.

[Peterw42]

14 minutes ago, Roy Baht said:

You people still don't get it. It's put up or pack up time. Do you know what you're supposed to do if a hospital stay forces you to spend the 800K in your bank account? Put another 800K in your bank account. The Thai gov't wants people who can afford to live here. You think it's about "walking away" from medical bills? What do you think happens when one of you uninsured morons dies in hospital--or joins the Pattaya Flying Club? Who pays for that? Non-Thais have no right to live here. Period. And if you can't afford to live here on THEIR terms (it's their country) you have to go live somewhere else. That's just reality. And if reaches the point where I can't afford to live here anymore (which it might), I will just leave--not whine like a bitch on Thaivisa.

Other than this whine, you wont be whining ???

[Melbun]

23 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but many expats can't get an insurance because of their age.

Boo Hoo mate. Not Thailand's fault. So what do these cruddy old expats want if they have pre -existing illnesses ?? to have an exemption and not have to provide guaranteed surety to cover illness OR to have Thailand look after them for free. In your own country private health insurance doesn't cover pre- existing illness nor doesn't a lot of travel insurance.

[Nowisee]

1 hour ago, markpbfree said:

I'm really curious to know how this is going to affect people who are here and are retired, but are on an extension of stay, not a Visa. There is a difference between a retirement Visa and an extension of stay. they still have not clarified how this would affect retirees who are here on an extension of stay. They do actually have a marriage visa and a retirement Visa, which are different. Does anybody really know?

 

In the ThaiExaminer article it mentions "The Thai government has made it official. All foreigners living in Thailand on Non Immigrant O-A type (Long Stay) visas will now be required to have health insurance cover to a set criteria. The move was endorsed by the Thai cabinet on April 2nd and takes effect under Thailand’s extensive 1979 Immigration Act. It now means that health insurance is compulsory and it will be required on all future visa applications and extensions at immigration offices for this type of visa and extensions."

 

 

 

[fforest1]

1 minute ago, Melbun said:

Boo Hoo mate. Not Thailands fault.

Some one woke up on the NASTY side of the bed today...

[Briggsy]

10 hours ago, Huckenfell said:

 

 

O-A is not a popular visa ?   Please what do you mean by this.

I mean the number of people on permissions to stay based on an O-A visa entry are tiny compared to

 

1. extension holders and

2. 0 visa entries.