Are you tired of waiting for the next shoe to drop ?

[KMartinHandyman]

I never mentioned the word "Emergency" in my post on the health care system in the USA.
Regardless, have had good, immediate treatment and consultation here in LOS at minimal cost

No you said someone would bleed out in the waiting room of the 5% of hospitals that would treat someone uninsured.
So the premise of your anecdote is people are bleeding out in the waiting room for scheduled uninsured elective treatment?

[Skallywag]

12 hours ago, sirineou said:

And that's why  KMartinHandyman mentioned.

In the US when ill and don't have insurance, all you have to do is go to the emergency room, say that you are not feeling well , that you have a sore through and fear you are dangerously ill and by law they are required to treat you. . As far as waiting, the wait time is the same with insurance holders as it is with non insurance holders. 

 That's part  of the reason why medical costs are so much higher in the US than other countries , and outcomes are worst.

  Many of the uninsured get their medical treatment at the emergency room where it is much more expensive, and by such time that it has become much more serious, Resulting on higher costs and worst outcomes. 

This Wall Street Journal article disagrees.  https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120934207044648511
"Hospitals are adopting a policy to improve their finances: making medical care contingent on upfront payments. Typically, hospitals have billed people after they receive care. But now, pointing to their burgeoning bad-debt and charity-care costs, hospitals are asking patients for money before they get treated."

 

 

The "Emergency" room scam I understand, but not applicable to many illnesses and diseases that need more than "one time" treatment

 

[Skallywag]

2 hours ago, KMartinHandyman said:

No you said someone would bleed out in the waiting room of the 5% of hospitals that would treat someone uninsured.
So the premise of your anecdote is people are bleeding out in the waiting room for scheduled uninsured elective treatment?

See post above. 

Would not an "elective treatment" have nothing to do with coverage under any health insurance plan?

Sorry, poor choice of words on the bleed out.  

Yes a one time "Emergency" can be taken care of in an Emergency room at any hospital.  

[soalbundy]

On 10/12/2019 at 5:03 PM, Samuel Smith said:

And unfortunately, Thailand seems to be copying the US medical system, rather than the European one ????

I don't think this is entirely true, it depends very much on the hospitals own policies. I overheard a conversation between a doctor and a somchai in the waiting room of a private hospital (yes not very private) the doctor had brought him the bad news that he had cancer but it was treatable, when Somchai said he had no savings to pay for it the doctor said we will treat you anyway we can come up with a monthly payment. Same thing with my wifes TB which wasn't responding to government hospital treatment so we went private, the doctor said he would have to use some new foreign medicine which however was extremely expensive. We are all insured but it usually takes around 4 months to get the money so the doc said he would arrange it so that the insurance paid the hospital directly or failing that we could pay monthly and he would write the bill as being fully paid straight away so we could get the money as soon as possible. The doctors aren't monsters.

[yogi100]

On 10/12/2019 at 9:59 AM, RedPill said:

He did not refer to the English BJ ... the other one ????

 

Some people can't be asked writing names out in full. They must think we're all cryptologists.

[yogi100]

On 10/12/2019 at 10:46 AM, possum1931 said:

and what about the burden of Thais in the UK and probably other countries?

A question for those who have taken their Thai brides to their home country to live with them, are you paying

anything towards their medical or hospital costs? If so, I bet it isn't near as much as insurance or medical

costs in Thailand.

I stand corrected if I'm wrong.

A friend of mine brought his Thai wife to the UK. They had two children. They soon split up. 

 

Within weeks she got a free council flat in London, free medical care and free money to live on. She supplements these hand outs by working cash in hand in a massage parlour. She loves England.

[yogi100]

On 10/12/2019 at 11:04 AM, moe666 said:

Some people are not happy unless they are worried about something, all the carping and complaining about Thailand. Yes, there are things I do not like that goes on but I do not spend my day wondering when the next shoe will drop. 

You're on here reading and carping about it so it must be worrying you as well.

[NoshowJones]

7 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

A friend of mine brought his Thai wife to the UK. They had two children. They soon split up. 

 

Within weeks she got a free council flat in London, free medical care and free money to live on. She supplements these hand outs by working cash in hand in a massage parlour. She loves England.

I am not the least bit surprised.

[yogi100]

On 10/11/2019 at 12:31 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

For me it seems Thailand is enforcing some existing laws.

And they think about how to handle all those old people who can't or won't pay their hospital bills.

 

I understand that this makes some people unhappy and probably some people will have to leave Thailand.

But on the other hand I understand that Thailand does not want that some people are a burden to the country. And that's what they are if they don't pay their hospital bills.

How do you get away without paying hospital bills. Unless it's for a minor problem your visa card is the first thing they ask you about.

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

A friend of mine brought his Thai wife to the UK. They had two children. They soon split up. 

 

Within weeks she got a free council flat in London, free medical care and free money to live on. She supplements these hand outs by working cash in hand in a massage parlour. She loves England.

IMO always a mistake to take the loving wife to a western country to live. They get to be just like the western women one didn't want to marry.

 

In my country, all a poor lass has to do to get a house, a good car and an income without working is to get pregnant. 

[Max69xl]

18 minutes ago, yogi100 said:

You're on here reading and carping about it so it must be worrying you as well.

It's sometimes interesting to read posts from whining members at TVF. I would like to know how many are really living in Thailand, and not sitting in a sofa in the UK. 

[BritManToo]

On 10/12/2019 at 4:46 PM, possum1931 said:

A question for those who have taken their Thai brides to their home country to live with them, are you paying

anything towards their medical or hospital costs? If so, I bet it isn't near as much as insurance or medical

costs in Thailand.

400 pounds a year up front for joining the NHS while on a settlement VISA.

No insurance, every event is covered.

[NoshowJones]

1 minute ago, BritManToo said:

400 pounds a year up front for joining the NHS while on a settlement VISA.

No insurance, every event is covered.

Did you read the post from Yogi100? Is it a new rule?

[yogi100]

On 10/12/2019 at 12:28 PM, OneMoreFarang said:

No, I am not a Swede, and I am not from the UK. But I read the news.

Here is just one article which was easy to find with Google:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/immigration-uk-economy-what-are-the-benefits-stats-theresa-may-amber-rudd-tory-conference-speeches-a7346121.html

 

Is everything they write 100% correct? I don't know. But I read lot of similar articles and my conclusion is that all those foreigners cost a lot less than the average person think they cost.

The Independent is a notoriously liberal journal that promotes multiculturalism at every chance it gets.

 

As do most politicians. They know that in large parts of the UK the immigrant vote now decides who wins the elections and who gets to be an MP on £80,000 a year plus expenses.

[yogi100]

On 10/12/2019 at 12:31 PM, Stevemercer said:

 

Yes, public image is against migrants in many western countries, but those governments give certainty, permanence and citizenship to migrants despite those negative 'perceptions'. They enforce the same rule of law for all citizens.

 

Thailand seems to be doing the opposite.

 

A Thai person marries an Australian citizen and they have the right to live in Australia. After 2 years they become a permanent resident with the same rights as all Australians. They have complete freedom of movement with no need to report to anyone. They can be employed in any job. They can start and run a business subject to the same rules as any Australian citizen. They are entitled to free health care and unemployment benefits. They can buy and own land. There is no discrimatory pricing for foreigners (in fact it is illegal). It's the same in most western countries.

 

Tell me, do foreigners married to Thais living in Thailand get the same certainty or security?

Some people think that Thailand and other nations with the same attitude to foreigners and immigrants have got it right while the more liberal Western nations have got it wrong.

 

Those who have tried to make Thailand their home are obviously going to think the Thai attitude is unjust and you can't really blame them because they put in more than they could ever take out.

 

But we live in two different worlds and the different regulations, laws and cultures simply can't integrate. This topic and others like it are ample proof of that.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2019 by yogi100

[Just Weird]

On 10/13/2019 at 8:14 AM, possum1931 said:

On 10/13/2019 at 12:08 AM, Just Weird said:

Yes, I really do not know what new things have regularly come up that has made being in Thailand unpleasant.   As someone with over 20,000 posts perhaps you can enlighten me, specifically.   And that would be NEW things, plural, that have appeared regularly.

I am not wasting my time going through things that the majority of members are well aware of, just keep logging on to Thaivisa and maybe things will sink in, and I am aware that the TM situation is not new and has only recently been enforced.

Another thing, I am aware of your opinions and you are entitled to them, but you are about the last poster I want to have a debate with.

"I am not wasting my time going through things that the majority of members are well aware of..."

I was pretty sure that you wouldn't be able to come up with anything.  Q.E.D.

 

"...just keep logging on to Thaivisa and maybe things will sink in..."

I do just that and the amount of nonsense and inaccurate Thai-bashing that sinks into some member's minds never fails to amaze me. 

 

"Another thing, I am aware of your opinions and you are entitled to them, but you are about the last poster I want to have a debate with".

That's ironic considering you responded to someone you don't want interaction with!

[sirineou]

On 10/11/2019 at 8:00 AM, Samuel Smith said:

On 10/11/2019 at 7:51 AM, OneMoreFarang said:

Did you never read about any of those cases were people can't pay their hospital bills? I see them all the time in the news.

A few isolated cases of young tourists on motorbikes.  WTH has that got to do with retirees living here?

It helps to not take a reply out of context but with in the context of the previous replies that inspired the reply so:

The operative word in the first post was "some" as you also claim, are not paying their bills.

Then the question was asked "who is not paying their bills"

Which led to the final question concerning news about people not paying their bills. 

So I am confused why you would wonder "WTH has that got to do with retirees living here?" Obviously some people not paying their bills, and the Thai government requiring that  retirees  have health insurance and all the implications associated with that have a lot to do with retirees.

I also don't understand  how you would get 16 likes and 10 thanks you for it

Am I missing something?

 

Edited October 14, 2019 by sirineou

[SuburbanOne]

On 10/13/2019 at 6:41 AM, thaibeachlovers said:

That's the rule for everyone ( retirement is 800, 000 in a Thai bank or whatever the income requirement is ).

Why do you think you should be different? Their country, their rules.

I got the interest the account made- they didn't keep any of it when I left the country.

Surely you knew the requirements when you CHOSE to live in LOS?

I assume your indicating your on a Retirement Visa of Having to have 800,000 Thai Baht in your Bank Account or is your Visa a Marriage Visa that Involves 400,000 Thai Baht  I am Not Being Nosey about your Financial Funds in Life but in Reality How Much do you have Sitting in a Bank Account for your Income Verification Purposes ONLY and How Much Interest did it Earn in 12 Months or a 1 Year Time Period , In Your Response I want to Know Exact Interest Earned on the Funds in the Account Then after Look at that Amount and ask Your self could you Live on the Interest over a 12 Month 1 Year Time Period and Be Truthful with me , i asked my Wife what her Bangkok Bank Account is supposed to pay in Interest Rate on money that she would have sitting in her Bank Account her Response to me was 0.05% or 0.005%  I Am Very Curious to hear Your Responds in Interest Numbers earned on a 1 Year Time Period Thanks "SuburbanOne"

[geronimo]

Focus on the positive and don't think about the future, it will be what it will be.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/13/2019 at 12:31 AM, Stevemercer said:

A Thai person marries an Australian citizen and they have the right to live in Australia. After 2 years they become a permanent resident with the same rights as all Australians. They have complete freedom of movement with no need to report to anyone. They can be employed in any job. They can start and run a business subject to the same rules as any Australian citizen. They are entitled to free health care and unemployment benefits. They can buy and own land. There is no discrimatory pricing for foreigners (in fact it is illegal). It's the same in most western countries.

I don't have a problem with immigrants that work and pay taxes like everyone else. where I draw the line is allowing parents of immigrants to immigrate to live and get all the benefits without having contributed a cent in the past.

This is a big factor in the UK where many elderly people get free treatment from the NHS, despite not even speaking English. It was so bad, we were not even allowed to ask them if they were entitled to free treatment. 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/15/2019 at 12:09 AM, SuburbanOne said:

I assume your indicating your on a Retirement Visa of Having to have 800,000 Thai Baht in your Bank Account or is your Visa a Marriage Visa that Involves 400,000 Thai Baht  I am Not Being Nosey about your Financial Funds in Life but in Reality How Much do you have Sitting in a Bank Account for your Income Verification Purposes ONLY and How Much Interest did it Earn in 12 Months or a 1 Year Time Period , In Your Response I want to Know Exact Interest Earned on the Funds in the Account Then after Look at that Amount and ask Your self could you Live on the Interest over a 12 Month 1 Year Time Period and Be Truthful with me , i asked my Wife what her Bangkok Bank Account is supposed to pay in Interest Rate on money that she would have sitting in her Bank Account her Response to me was 0.05% or 0.005%  I Am Very Curious to hear Your Responds in Interest Numbers earned on a 1 Year Time Period Thanks "SuburbanOne"

I have no idea how much interest my 800,000 earned, and it stayed in the account all the time- never touched it. I considered it the price I had to pay to be able to stay in LOS.

When I left, I was able to keep the entire amount plus interest.

 

No one chooses to stay in LOS without knowing what they have to do to be able to stay. If the requirements are unacceptable, then choose to live elsewhere like Malaysia or Cambodia which have more acceptable policies.

Moving to LOS then complaining about the requirements is like buying a house next to an airport and then complaining about the planes making a noise.

[WhatupThailand]

Somewhere I heard that the ministers were discussing cannabis just prior
to Debating the rules concerning Health Insurance.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

I did not wait for the other shoe to drop, I now use Malaysia as base due to free visas there for 3 months, better health care, much better traffic and roads, no xenophobic officials to deal with and a much easier place to use as travel hub to other countries. My son is still in school in Thailand and it cost me 300 Ringit, plus that I have to show that I got 200.000 THB (not sure if this is a immigration law or some BS they told me when applying for the visa in Malaysia) in a Thai bank to get a 3 month Non-O visa to visit him. I feel sad for the younger generation of Thais that they are ruled by moronic Kleptocrats, hopefully one day they will kick them out, but I can't see that happen in the soon future.

[soalbundy]

8 hours ago, geronimo said:

Focus on the positive and don't think about the future, it will be what it will be.

In a way yes but positives and negatives are both imposters, it is as it is, you have to watch the film but you needn't get emotionally involved in it. I watch detached what happens in the space of me knowing full well I don't control the game.

[swissie]

Read thread in R/E sub Forum "Possible change in Property Company law.....".

 

Is this the "next shoe to drop"?

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/16/2019 at 2:10 PM, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I did not wait for the other shoe to drop, I now use Malaysia as base due to free visas there for 3 months, better health care, much better traffic and roads, no xenophobic officials to deal with and a much easier place to use as travel hub to other countries. My son is still in school in Thailand and it cost me 300 Ringit, plus that I have to show that I got 200.000 THB (not sure if this is a immigration law or some BS they told me when applying for the visa in Malaysia) in a Thai bank to get a 3 month Non-O visa to visit him. I feel sad for the younger generation of Thais that they are ruled by moronic Kleptocrats, hopefully one day they will kick them out, but I can't see that happen in the soon future.

Seems to me that a lot of farangs made decisions relating to buying property and producing offspring based on an assumption that nothing would change.

Of course everything changes, and not usually for the better.

Back in the 90s I got unlimited back to back 90 day visa exempt entry, but of course that stopped. 

If people considered that requirements might get worse, perhaps they wouldn't be in such strife now.

 

PS- that is not referencing any particular poster. Just an observation from visiting LOS for decades.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

7 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Seems to me that a lot of farangs made decisions relating to buying property and producing offspring based on an assumption that nothing would change.

Of course everything changes, and not usually for the better.

Back in the 90s I got unlimited back to back 90 day visa exempt entry, but of course that stopped. 

If people considered that requirements might get worse, perhaps they wouldn't be in such strife now.

 

PS- that is not referencing any particular poster. Just an observation from visiting LOS for decades.

I am happy that I never bought property in Thailand, my son got dual citizenship and he can leave whenever he wants, he and his classmates understand what's going on now in Thailand and they are not very happy with the military government. 

[BritManToo]

On 10/12/2019 at 6:31 PM, Stevemercer said:

A Thai person marries an Australian citizen and they have the right to live in Australia. After 2 years they become a permanent resident with the same rights as all Australians. They have complete freedom of movement with no need to report to anyone. They can be employed in any job. They can start and run a business subject to the same rules as any Australian citizen. They are entitled to free health care and unemployment benefits. They can buy and own land. There is no discrimatory pricing for foreigners (in fact it is illegal). It's the same in most western countries.

 

Tell me, do foreigners married to Thais living in Thailand get the same certainty or security?

Traditional thinking was the guy had the right to take his wife home.

Foreign women marrying a Thai man, have an easy route to Thai citizenship/residency at almost zero cost.

 

Thailand hasn't changed but the 'equality' laws in the west has generally made the world a harder place for white guys.

Edited October 18, 2019 by BritManToo

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/18/2019 at 10:32 PM, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

I am happy that I never bought property in Thailand, my son got dual citizenship and he can leave whenever he wants, he and his classmates understand what's going on now in Thailand and they are not very happy with the military government. 

If he's still in school he won't remember how bad it got under Thaksin. I still think it's far better for THAIS now that it was under that guy, and I hope those days never come back.

If any want to know why Swampy is such a rubbish airport ask yourself where all the money went.

[WhatupThailand]

Seems to me that most Long Term and Retired Expats,

Have been trying to Integrate into Thailand, and become assets to their local Community.

The Integration processes, for both individuals and groups, are long-term by nature.

 

And most Countries try to help ease this process, by offering reduced Red tape, and Benefits,

to entice those interested in settling into the Country, help to do so in an easy manner.

 

However Thailand, acts in a completely opposite manner.

Go Figure.

 

 

Edited October 21, 2019 by WhatupThailand
add word