elite visa versus health insurance

[stevecarteraus]

On 1/9/2020 at 11:16 AM, Tounge Thaied said:

Wrong question on my part regarding the annual renewal. What I want to know is, does the Elite Visa still require you to report to an immigration office annually? I have heard that you get a 60 day window of time at the end of your annual stamp to report to immigration. The reason I ask, is I travel in and out of the Kingdom often, sometimes for extended periods, and if I should not be here during my 60 day window, then when I return, theoretically, my TE Visa would not be in effect? If you (or anyone else reading this knows) could clarify the actual annual reporting requirements beyond the 90 day requirement... Thank you in advance. 

Each entry you get a 12 month stamp, you can come and go any time. I suppose you may need to go out and re-enter 12 months from last entry to get another stamp, or perhaps the Elite Visa people help arrange the next 12 months, seems you would need to get stamp renewed in some fashion I suppose. I have not needed to think about this. I have found the office very responsive to any queries, unusual in Thailand for sure.

[Momofarang]

For what it is worth, I have made the attached simulation to compare the cost of a Pacific Cross plan with 300000 deductible with TE. At 20 years Health insurance would still be cheaper than TE. That's only pertinent for people like me who would never make any claim, because the have a better cover elsewhere.

I didn't go ahead with this because I haven't managed yet the toxic interaction between the two plans that may arise.

 

HIvsThaiElite.xlsx

[MRToMRT]

On 1/13/2020 at 8:29 AM, Momofarang said:

For what it is worth, I have made the attached simulation to compare the cost of a Pacific Cross plan with 300000 deductible with TE. At 20 years Health insurance would still be cheaper than TE. That's only pertinent for people like me who would never make any claim, because the have a better cover elsewhere.

I didn't go ahead with this because I haven't managed yet the toxic interaction between the two plans that may arise.

 

HIvsThaiElite.xlsx 43.42 kB · 6 downloads

Thats interesting thanks. I never considered getting a 300k deductible. Makes it at least affordable if it does come the "non imm O" and one has "real" insurance.

[JetsetBkk]

5 hours ago, MRToMRT said:

On 1/13/2020 at 8:29 AM, Momofarang said:

For what it is worth, I have made the attached simulation to compare the cost of a Pacific Cross plan with 300000 deductible with TE. At 20 years Health insurance would still be cheaper than TE. That's only pertinent for people like me who would never make any claim, because the have a better cover elsewhere.

I didn't go ahead with this because I haven't managed yet the toxic interaction between the two plans that may arise.

 

HIvsThaiElite.xlsx 43.42 kB · 6 downloads

Thats interesting thanks. I never considered getting a 300k deductible. Makes it at least affordable if it does come the "non imm O" and one has "real" insurance.

...or one doesn't have "real" insurance but has enough in the bank to cover most eventualities.

[wilkis333]

Do we need to put a lump sum of money for elite visa eg 400k or 800k as other visa type

[mfd101]

I'm weighing up the various possibilities for my next retirement renewal of stay next October [OA visa dating from Oct 2015]. Last October I used the 65K monthly method using TW without hiccup, but I must admit that the monthly moving of cash is a small source of anxiety each time, and of course organizing it cuts across other things one might be wanting to do (travel, other spends with a different timetable or rhythm ... ).

 

I'm not wildly enthusiastic about the 800K alternative - too messy for my taste (x months before, y months after, 90-day check yawn sigh).

 

So I've begun looking at Elite visa AND/OR Pacific Cross insurance. At this stage I could go either way, and sticking with the 65K monthly if not Elite. One thing that strikes me is that there's an element of risk involved in paying for a 5-year service up front, not to say a 20-year service! - putting that in a Thai cultural & political context ... [nuff said]. Plus I gather from readings on this site some time ago that there was an earlier version of Elite that went bust some years ago, with predictable results for its customers. And some of the comments above about permission to stay vs Elite membership are not exactly encouraging.

 

I shall keep my options open for the meantime (hoping that reason might come thru and the whole health insurance nonsense might just go away) but I'm beginning to think that a rational course for me might be, for a trial 1 year at any rate, to stick with 65K monthly + take out the appropriate Pacific Cross cover with smallish deductible. At 70 and healthy, even reasonably fit, I think I have room to manoeuvre a bit for another year after this October. During that time I would keep a close eye on others' Elite experience. I have a cousin who has just retired to Thailand and has taken the 20-year deal so will observe his experience too.

[Tounge Thaied]

27 minutes ago, wilkis333 said:

Do we need to put a lump sum of money for elite visa eg 400k or 800k as other visa type

You purchase the Elite VISA. For example the five year is 500,000 baht and the 20 year VISA Elite is 1,000,000 baht. One lump sum never to be returned. 

[Tounge Thaied]

3 minutes ago, mfd101 said:

So I've begun looking at Elite visa AND/OR Pacific Cross insurance. At this stage I could go either way, and sticking with the 65K monthly if not Elite.

I am only 51 years old on a "Thai Marriage" Visa. If your not interested in that for reasons of keeping a lower monthly or lower bank amount, I would say stick with your current 65K per month bank statement Non-Immigrant O. Keep your cash liquid, or invested elsewhere in my opinion. I consider the Thai Elite as a last minute go to in the event all the VISAs (in the future) require insurance and then I cannot qualify and I am invested fully in Thailand, girl, house, retired life etc. Keep your pacific cross at a high deductible essentially a "catastrophic" policy so that you are paying a lower premium... since you remain healthy. Pay out of pocket for the simple doc visits. 

[mfd101]

22 minutes ago, Tounge Thaied said:

I am only 51 years old on a "Thai Marriage" Visa. If your not interested in that for reasons of keeping a lower monthly or lower bank amount, I would say stick with your current 65K per month bank statement Non-Immigrant O. Keep your cash liquid, or invested elsewhere in my opinion. I consider the Thai Elite as a last minute go to in the event all the VISAs (in the future) require insurance and then I cannot qualify and I am invested fully in Thailand, girl, house, retired life etc. Keep your pacific cross at a high deductible essentially a "catastrophic" policy so that you are paying a lower premium... since you remain healthy. Pay out of pocket for the simple doc visits. 

Yes, good thinking.

 

It's not always easy working one's way thru the thickets of information, disinformation, opinions sensible & opinions off the planet ... but thinking aloud is useful, both for oneself and others, if it provokes everyone including the writer to think more clearly.

 

Thanks for your input.

[gk10002000]

On 10/10/2019 at 8:20 AM, Max69xl said:

I wouldn't call it "smart" to pay 100000 baht/year for a Visa. 

I would call it "smart" if a person could easily afford it, and is willing and able to pay for the convenience and the perks of the Elite and chooses to do so.  The persons were smart enough or lucky enough or worked hard enough or long enough to accrue enough money to be able to afford the Elite. 

[stevecarteraus]

19 hours ago, wilkis333 said:

Do we need to put a lump sum of money for elite visa eg 400k or 800k as other visa type

no