Thailand to demand proof of health insurance for 'risky' long-term visitors

[thequietman]

7 minutes ago, Mark mark said:

I think that for Retirement Visas at least, .... it is 2 moths for the initial applications, so the good Immigration woman said Re the Retirement Visa's 800,000 in the bank requirement, .... and 3 months for the Extension of an existing visa ... which would be logical, the extension already being on a visa in play. So you should know by them ? ... 

I know the rules!  - However, my point is that the IO's Don't.

[Mark mark]

Well looks that it is OK for Us retirement Visa Holders and applicants, ...  for now any way, and yes, the people that say that to Implement Compulsory Health Insurance, for all Long stayers, is going to be ? well, .... probably will not be Implemented ... as probably about 50% of us will not be able to get any health insurance any way, !!!  ...   and well sooner or later the Insurance Companies might just spit the dummy having all of these Uneconomic Old people, being forced on them any way. ...  And all being <deleted> off when refused ! ? .... And luckily, ... For Now, Police regulations only say Non OA.

 

... And Yes to the fellow who said he was happy that all of us smart asses, who were just blarzay about the new Bank account regulations, as we had the readies to be able to do that, reasonably easily ! and, Like, it is STILL out money .... He was happy that we had been taught a lesson by the really Daunting threat of the requirement for Insurance, that many of us could not get any way !!! ...  Yes Nice Call mate !!! Definitely a good wake up call on the impending ? well lets hope not ... Streamlining ? Sanitation of the Visa obtaining situation, like I WAS taught a lesson and Thanks ! ...  So Touchey Mate and hats off to you !!! YES some of our more frugal brothers could well be very upset, by what we have been just shrugging off and taking in our stride. I can not be bothered in finding you original post, as well it is 46 Pages of blogs on this one now !!! ? 

 

You all do know that world wide this had been going on for oh ? About the last 5 to 10 years now ! Anti Money Laundering ... anti tax Evasion, ... the electronic pursuit of any one ! ...  For Money ... any where !!! By Governments than have the diplomatic, and electronic means to get it.

 

My Brokers in Singapore warned me several years ago now, not to ever close ANY of my accounts down there, as he said that I would "Never be able to get them back again" ... Like they are changing the rules, and banking rules !!! ... And the rules, for "Money" ! Every where ! ....  and it IS every where I think. ... Not only in the Thai immigration Dept. ... 

 

So, No Compulsory Insurance .... just for now !!! Well Phew !!! ... have a Beer Mark mark, ... but also do just remember that your Singapore broker also said that the Thai banking system will slowly be changed ... Like Singapore's had ! ... And it will become hard for Non residents to get accounts here also !

 

....   Like so HEY Fellas, time to stop Bad Mouthing the Thai banking system ! ... Pick a GOOD Bank (Like BBL) and open an account ... (And get Credit cards, if you can, so you can EASILY ! spend, and access the money all over the world, ... ) ... ... While you still can.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Mark mark
Spelling

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, Mark mark said:

I think that for Retirement Visas at least, .... it is 2 moths for the initial applications, so the good Immigration woman said Re the Retirement Visa's 800,000 in the bank requirement, .... and 3 months for the Extension of an existing visa ... which would be logical, the extension already being on a visa in play. So you should know by them ? ... 

It's 2 months before applying for every extension using the >800k in the bank method since March 1. Period!  Read the official police order. I did my last extension in May. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

9 minutes ago, Mark mark said:

 And luckily, ... For Now, Police regulations only say Non OA.

 Not so fast, sparky....  O-A based extensions of stay also regardless of when the original O-A was issued.

 

 

Quote

 

For the next 10 to 15 minutes I talk to this officer and she spoke pretty good English.  Once again this officer started scanning thru my numerous extension of stay stamps....back to the OA visa stamp.  And when seeing the OA visa from 2008 there is the bad news is coming facial expression again.  She said, "Yes I will be required to have insurance to extend again."   The new requirement applies all all OA visas issued "before, on, or after" 31 Oct 2019.  No grandfathering....it even applied to my 2008 OA visa.  

 

-  During those 10 to 15 minutes I asked the question at least 3 times in various forms like pointing out my OA visa is from 2008...."an old visa"....I've got 11 extension of stay since that 2008 OA visa expired---she said that didn't make a difference.  The new rule did not apply just to OAs issued after 31 Oct 2019....it applied to all OAs...past, current, and future.

 

 

Edited October 18, 2019 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[metisdead]

A post using a trolling representation of Trump's name has been removed as well as a reply.

[Mark mark]

33 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 Not so fast, sparky....  O-A based extensions of stay also regardless of when the original O-A was issued.

 

 

 

Phewww, .... Still, ! ...It is only to OA's !!! ... Thanks God !!!

[Max69xl]

2 minutes ago, Mark mark said:

Phewww, .... Still, ! ...It is only to OA's !!! ... Thanks God !!!

That's been clear since day one, early this year. The police order was released in April. Don't read posts that says otherwise. 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, Mark mark said:

Phewww, .... Still, ! ...It is only to OA's !!! ... Thanks God !!!

 

What else were you thinking?

 

The entire discussion about this recent Immigration regulation has ONLY been about O-A visas and potentially extensions of stay based on O-A visas... The only debate has been on issues of old vs new, retroactive or not, etc etc...

 

No other visa classes have been part of the discussion over the latest Immigration regulation at all -- at least, for now.

 

[Mark mark]

39 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

It's 2 months before applying for every extension using the >800k in the bank method since March 1. Period!  Read the official police order. I did my last extension in May. 

OK ! Nice ! ... Now I just have to convince my local Immigration Department of this ! ... I will ask them next month, when I ask them about the Hopefully, NON requirement of Insurance. probably a good time for me to sell some stocks now any way, ... as the Market quite possibly will go down in the next Month any way, ... with all of these potential Trade wars going on. And other Global instability occurring.

[Wazoo]

Agree. No thai should receive free health care in europe as pay back for this call. There are 1000s of expats here who will not even be able to get insurance, even if they could afford it. And while we are at it why not add 200% import duty to all thai goods entering Europe in the same way Thailand imposes this on our goods when imported. You know, a fair trade agreement.. bet they would not like that. 

[rohitsuk]

16 hours ago, Mark mark said:

OK ! Nice ! ... Now I just have to convince my local Immigration Department of this ! ... I will ask them next month, when I ask them about the Hopefully, NON requirement of Insurance. probably a good time for me to sell some stocks now any way, ... as the Market quite possibly will go down in the next Month any way, ... with all of these potential Trade wars going on. And other Global instability occurring.

Thai Visa Assist Agency in Chiang Mai are advising their clients of a new requirement to leave the B800k in the account for three months after the extension is granted. Then for the next six months up to half of it can be withdrawn after which it must be made back up to B800k for the last three months before the next extension application.

 

Thai Visa say that this will be strictly enforced by Immigration.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, rohitsuk said:

Thai Visa Assist Agency in Chiang Mai are advising their clients of a new requirement to leave the B800k in the account for three months after the extension is granted. Then for the next six months up to half of it can be withdrawn after which it must be made back up to B800k for the last three months before the next extension application.

 

Thai Visa say that this will be strictly enforced by Immigration.

Well it's not exactly new as that become effective much earlier this year, but that is mostly correct. But it's two months not three BEFORE for both new and subsequent extensions under the national rules (but a few offices haven't gotten that message). 

Edited October 19, 2019 by Jingthing

[Mark mark]

16 minutes ago, rohitsuk said:

Thai Visa Assist Agency in Chiang Mai are advising their clients of a new requirement to leave the B800k in the account for three months after the extension is granted. Then for the next six months up to half of it can be withdrawn after which it must be made back up to B800k for the last three months before the next extension application.

 

Thai Visa say that this will be strictly enforced by Immigration.

... Yes, that is what the Good Woman at the Ayuttahya Immigration Dept told me. Thanks.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Mark mark said:

... Yes, that is what the Good Woman at the Ayuttahya Immigration Dept told me. Thanks.

Seriously? 
They said THREE months at 800K BEFORE the next extension?

That's incorrect.

The national rule is clearly TWO MONTHS before. 

[Mark mark]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Seriously? 
They said THREE months at 800K BEFORE the next extension?

That's incorrect.

The national rule is clearly TWO MONTHS before. 

That is what I thought, but like the guy from up at Changmai, that is NOT what they told me. ... Yes 2 months would be MUCH better, ... but that is NOT what they told me. I will ask again next month.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Mark mark said:

That is what I thought, but like the guy from up at Changmai, that is NOT what they told me. ... Yes 2 months would be MUCH better, ... but that is NOT what they told me. I will ask again next month.

Show them the police order. Unlike lots of things in police order, that is very clear. 

[ThaiBunny]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Show them the police order. Unlike lots of things in police order, that is very clear. 

And post a video online of their reaction

[Mark mark]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Show them the police order. Unlike lots of things in police order, that is very clear. 

Hmmmm, Arguing with the People that I hope will be extending my Visa .... with out to many Problems ! ? .... Probably not a very good idea. ... Do you have a quick link to the Police order, just there and easy to put on ? ... I have looked at the Immigration site, so I am not just being Lazy, ... but with out very much luck really. Though I do suppose that it is there some where. ...

[Jingthing]

Just now, Mark mark said:

Hmmmm, Arguing with the People that I hope will be extending my Visa .... with out to many Problems ! ? .... Probably not a very good idea. ... Do you have a quick link to the Police order, just there and easy to put on ? ... I have looked at the Immigration site, so I am not just being Lazy, ... but with out very much luck really. Though I do suppose that it is there some where. ...

Ask Ubonjoe. 

Obviously you need to be polite about it but they are simply WRONG with their current rules. 

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, Mark mark said:

That is what I thought, but like the guy from up at Changmai, that is NOT what they told me. ... Yes 2 months would be MUCH better, ... but that is NOT what they told me. I will ask again next month.

The police order clearly states 2 months before applying for the extension,starting March 1. 

[Perhaps2more]

On 10/19/2019 at 5:47 AM, Wazoo said:

Agree. No thai should receive free health care in europe as pay back for this call. 

I do not think Thais get free health care in Europe unless they are working legally there, in which case they are also paying their national insurance contributions after all the taxes.

[saengd]

12 minutes ago, Perhaps2more said:

I do not think Thais get free health care in Europe unless they are working legally there, in which case they are also paying their national insurance contributions after all the taxes.

That's correct, Thai (foreign)  spouses/partners) of UK citizens who are on settlement visa's are required to take out government backed health insurance which is 400 Pounds per year (actually it's a surcharge but it's the same thing).

Edited October 20, 2019 by saengd

[Pib]

25 minutes ago, saengd said:

That's correct, Thai (foreign)  spouses/partners) of UK citizens who are on settlement visa's are required to take out government backed health insurance which is 400 Pounds per year (actually it's a surcharge but it's the same thing).

 Only 400 pounds per year for medical insurance!?  That's cheap.   

[saengd]

6 minutes ago, Pib said:

 Only 400 pounds per year for medical insurance!?  That's cheap.   

I suspect most of the spouses on settlement visa's are under 40, that 400 Pounds per year is about 16,000 baht per year which is similar to Pacific Cross health insurance in Thailand at 20,000 baht per year for people aged 36-40.

[Pib]

17 minutes ago, saengd said:

I suspect most of the spouses on settlement visa's are under 40, that 400 Pounds per year is about 16,000 baht per year which is similar to Pacific Cross health insurance in Thailand at 20,000 baht per year for people aged 36-40.

 

If that 400 pounds/year also applies to any age group...even over 40...over 50...etc....then it's a good deal.

[nong38]

I would be interested to know how the Government will decide on whether someone is "risky" or not. Will it be by age, heath check or just pointing a finger?

[metisdead]

A post in violation of fair use policy has been removed:

 

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[PatOngo]

On 10/20/2019 at 5:37 PM, nong38 said:

I would be interested to know how the Government will decide on whether someone is "risky" or not. Will it be by age, heath check or just pointing a finger?

My guess is that anyone without black hair and brown eyes would be considered a risk!

[Pattaya46]

7 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

My guess is that anyone without black hair and brown eyes would be considered a risk!

Not many black hair among retirees. More likely grey or white 

[PatOngo]

1 minute ago, Pattaya46 said:

Not many black hair among retirees. More likely grey or white 

Exactly, white hair, brown hair, blond hair, red hair, grey hair will be deemed a risk, basically....anyone who wasn't born here!