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Mandatory health insurance for Non O-A visa effective from 31 October


webfact

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2 hours ago, rexall said:

I am 69 and just renewed with Aetna (formerly BOOOOOPA) for 72K.  It is 100% inpatient, and the coverage is <deleted> for anything serious, complicated and lengthy. 

Aren't you concerned tho that under those circumstances, that you really aren't "insured"?

Perhaps you would be better off with no insurance. Insurance is for things that you cannot cover for out of pocket, ie, serious, complicated, and lengthy. Now you are paying 72k for noncomplicated issues, which if those things were to occur, you could self pay with the 72k if you didn't bother with the insurance and just paid oop if and when they arrive. Either way, you aren't covered for the "serious" incidents should they happen.

 

All in all, your in a dangerous position of not being covered for major illness in Thailand and the older one gets, the more likely of the occurrence.

 

Edited by wisperone
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4 minutes ago, billsmart said:

I'm still confused...

 

I entered Thailand on a Non O-A Long-stay Visa 20 years ago and have been living here ever since. I get an Extension of Stay every year, and use the Retirement criteria, but could use the Marriage (Thai Wife) criteria.

 

If anyone can answer these questions about the necessity to have health insurance with any level of certainty, I would appreciate it:
 

1. Does this new law apply to someone (like me) already in Thailand and just applying for an Extension of Stay based on Retirement criteria?

2. Does this new law apply to someone (like me) already in Thailand and just applying for an Extension of Stay based on Marriage (Thai Wife) criteria?

3. I am 73 so cannot buy health insurance. Could I post a THB440K bond (THB400K for inpatient plus THB40K for outpatient) with the government or a health insurance company to satisfy the insurance requirements?

 

Thanks...

Will not affect you, only for new applications from their home country.

 

6 minutes ago, billsmart said:

I'm still confused...

 

I entered Thailand on a Non O-A Long-stay Visa 20 years ago and have been living here ever since. I get an Extension of Stay every year, and use the Retirement criteria, but could use the Marriage (Thai Wife) criteria.

 

If anyone can answer these questions about the necessity to have health insurance with any level of certainty, I would appreciate it:
 

1. Does this new law apply to someone (like me) already in Thailand and just applying for an Extension of Stay based on Retirement criteria?

2. Does this new law apply to someone (like me) already in Thailand and just applying for an Extension of Stay based on Marriage (Thai Wife) criteria?

3. I am 73 so cannot buy health insurance. Could I post a THB440K bond (THB400K for inpatient plus THB40K for outpatient) with the government or a health insurance company to satisfy the insurance requirements?

 

Thanks...

Will not affect you, only for new applications from their home country.

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7 minutes ago, billsmart said:

1. Does this new law apply to someone (like me) already in Thailand and just applying for an Extension of Stay based on Retirement criteria?

2. Does this new law apply to someone (like me) already in Thailand and just applying for an Extension of Stay based on Marriage (Thai Wife) criteria?

3. I am 73 so cannot buy health insurance. Could I post a THB440K bond (THB400K for inpatient plus THB40K for outpatient) with the government or a health insurance company to satisfy the insurance requirements?

 

1.  No. Not yet - but it probably will soon. Start planning now.

2.  No. Not yet - but it probably will soon. Start planning now.

3.  No.

Sorry.  

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I guess that compulsory insurance for extensions will follow within a couple of years.  If they believe this is really necessary, there is not much point requiring it for the first year and then allowing unlimited extensions without insurance, as the visa holder gets older and older. 

 

I agree with many that tourists on motorcycles are more of a risk of leaving unpaid bills at government hospitals but uninsured retirees must be some sort of a risk too.  Last time I visited the M-i-L in her village the talk amongst the old ladies about a farang of unspecified nationality who died in the government hospital leaving no money and an unpaid hospital bill of B150,000 for his Thai wife.

 

My hope is that the government will come up with some affordable scheme that will cover treatment at government hospitals before they inevitably require insurance for extensions. They already have something similar for workers from neighbouring countries, although I think it is just like a national insurance fee, which probably just goes into government coffers, rather than a specific insurance scheme.

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9 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

The prices seem to cover ages 50 to 75 from the ( very ) quick look I had. The policies seem to be specifically for the OA visa requirements, nothing else. There could of course be the dreaded fine print that I didn't read.

Yes, correct. And what about 75+? Just get rid of them, old ugly farangs ;-(

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4 hours ago, webfact said:

According to the order, health insurance is not required for those applying for an extension of stay based on retirement and only applies to Non O-A visas.

I don't really understand that part in the first/original post :ermm:

 

If it doesn't apply for Retirement Extension, then why did they add this rules #6 (insurance) in the conditions for Retirement Extension ??? :wacko:

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In my opinion you should be able to opt out of you have a minimum 2 million baht in the bank. 400K is nothing for anything serious. It seems like a racket to make it compulsory as the insurance companies will eat you alive.

Edited by mickey rat
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29 minutes ago, Call said:

That´s it, they win!

Me and my father 66 + 90 have to leave (as retired).  Myself have been here for 13 years, retired and investing heavily in Thai economy. Thanks for that!

Facing the facts, visiting Thailand as tourist will be the future opportunity.

The 2 x 800.000 Bath plus some insurance of over 200.000 Bath a year, gives a lot of dream travels possible. Maybe a settle down somewhere else, where they appreciate retired people, with money and efforts to take care themselves and some people around. ???? 

You and your father should be able to get extensions with a single 800,000 and your birth certificate blessed by your embassy.

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I had very little experience of Thailand until my first visit one year ago.

 

Since then I have been following the news, this forum etc... to try and learn more about the country, it's societal structure... 

 

I always had the impression of Thailand as a care free land where anything within reason goes. After my first visit I thought to myself I will definitely end up living here asap. 

 

But it seems as if the citizens/tourists are increasingly being controlled by the government through new laws which seem to pop up daily.

 

I am 32, work in professional capacity and can work online. However, I am starting to think there must be better places with less government influence on day to day life than Thailand.  

 

My Question(s):

1. Has Thailand always been this way?

2. If not, then when and why (in your opinion) did it start getting more strict? 

3. Where else in the world/SE Asia would you recommend to someone like myself (i.e. are there any relatively untouched lands left?)

 

Thank you
 

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1 hour ago, kevinmartyn said:

Well i checked around and found cost excessive at 65! 7k to 22k USD/year.

 

To that end i cannot afford the cost! Anyway just have to plan and leave my Thai wife.

 

 I'm convinced the "Thai Government" will take good care of her like i have been doing for the past 11 years!

That’s the problem. Like yourself, there are many of us who don’t have loads of money to pay huge amounts of thousands and thousands...even tens of thousands of dollars to insurance companies. You’re not alone. Lots of us have that problem. So what do we all do? (I’ll ignore the one’s here on TV who have loads of money with big fat bank accounts who will try to tell the rest of us to go back to our birth countries.)

Edited by Catoni
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6 minutes ago, mickey rat said:

In my opinion you should be able to opt out of you have a minimum 2 million baht in the bank. 400K is nothing for anything serious. It seems like a racket to make it compulsory as the insurance companies will eat you alive.

Move the goal posts for you and then you can become an I'm alright Jack guy. Until the next crazy idea that comes along and 2 weeks later is law. Great way to live your life. 

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1 hour ago, Surasak said:

It possibly will happen. Its no if but when. Those of a certain age will be very unlikely to qualify for cover from an insurance company. So the question then will be, who will provide the cover? If not the insurance companies, will the government? Or will those unable to acquire cover be deported? I feel sure there are those who will be unable to afford the premiums and are trusting their family will help. Not such a good idea. The government should give very, very serious consideration to enforcing health insurance on long term expats.  

You can’t force older retired folk to pay huge extortionate amounts of money that they don’t have.

    “Can’t get blood out of a stone.” as they used to say. 

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