O/A visa and insurance experience today

[Maestro]

On 11/14/2019 at 12:25 AM, tgeezer said:

Can anyone explain to me why IOs at borders are interested in the requirement for health insurance when the police order states that it applies to extensions? 
 

 

The instructions for the immigration officials at the border entry points concerning the the admittance of the holders of an O-A visa are not in the police order, but in the Memorandum 0029.161-W 4603 dated 27.09.2019. This Memorandum was issued under the authority of the Cabinet Resolution dated 04.02.2019 and amended the earlier Memorandum 0029.142/160 dated 14.01.2008.

[Max69xl]

1 minute ago, el jefe said:

That's great for your friend. When I used to get O visas in NY it took 5 minutes and cost nothing other than the visa itself. Going to savannakhet will take 3 days and cost an additional 12,000 baht. No thanks. That's why I got an O-A.

 

3 days? Haven't you heard about Fly'n'ride to Savannaket and back? You're back in BKK the same day. And how did you come up with the number 12k? 

[UncleMhee]

1 minute ago, Max69xl said:

7 minutes ago, el jefe said:

 

3 days? Haven't you heard about Fly'n'ride to Savannaket and back? You're back in BKK the same day. And how did you come up with the number 12k? 

Was wondering the same things but you beat me to it. As for my friend; yes it is great for him actually, he loves getting out and about every ninety days, has a place here he's lived in for twenty years. Good luck to ya!

[el jefe]

3 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

3 days? Haven't you heard about Fly'n'ride to Savannaket and back? You're back in BKK the same day. And how did you come up with the number 12k? 

I'm in Chiang Mai.
If you're saying I can drop off my passport in the late afternoon and pick it up early the next morning, maybe I can do it in 2 days.

Cost:  RT airfare CNX-DMG-Savannakhet + hotels, etc.

[Max69xl]

44 minutes ago, Forresttrump said:

Hi all, new member but not new to your forum.  I find your members experiences a great help when preparing for my frequent visits to Thailand.  I have the O-A visa issued December 2018 and returned here on Thursday.  Now the one thing I’ve learnt is never to question an IO’s knowledge of his job and have more documentation than you need!  Ok that’s two things.  First question from the IO you have your insurance certificate please, yes here it is, quick scan and stamp for one year extension and sent on my way.  For your information I only had multi-trip travel insurance for one year.  It worked for me your experience maybe different.

 

You got stamped in another year because of the O-A ME, not an extension. You only get extensions at immigration offices.

[el jefe]

2 minutes ago, UncleMhee said:

Was wondering the same things but you beat me to it. As for my friend; yes it is great for him actually, he loves getting out and about every ninety days, has a place here he's lived in for twenty years. Good luck to ya!

I guess you didn't read my whole post. I've entered Thailand 70 times in the past 15 years. Just no interest in going to savannakhet.

 

[Maestro]

On 11/14/2019 at 11:09 AM, lkv said:

Ok, so this memo states that a person without insurance will be denied entry.

 

Under what section of the Immigration act would that happen?

 

At the top of the chain of authorisation is the first paragraph of section 35 of the Immigration Act, which is about the conditions of admittance into Thailand for the holders of all types of visas. The authority is given to "the Director General [of the Royal Thai Police] or a competent official designated by the Director General"

[DrJack54]

54 minutes ago, Kadilo said:

You can call it what’s you like but some people who are going to get their EOS from previous O-A Visa ARE being asked for Thai Insurance 

There are examples across many existing threads. 

Please direct me to ONE, where someone on extension of stay based on retirement even with long expired original O-A visa is being required to show insurance. One will do. BTW being asked where? Airport or border crossing? Where

[Max69xl]

1 hour ago, Haribo said:

We have one client who has a non OA since 6 years, having denied extension on retierment because not accept the international firstclass health insurance. The Immigration say he has to make a thai health insurance.

So what will happen if a foreigner over 75 years old and not get an thai health Insurance?  

If the O-A is about to expire,then leave the country without a re-entry permit, and the O-A is officially invalid. Go to the consulate in, let's say Savannaket in Laos and apply for a 90 days Non-Immigrant O Visa based on retirement. Enter Thailand and after 60 days apply for a 1 year extension at the local immigration office. IF, he meets the financial requirements. 

[Max69xl]

3 hours ago, Pib said:

So, lets say a person has a Non-OA from Christmas past....say from 2010 and that person has been getting retirement extensions of stay ever since...and let's say that current retirement extension of stay is good till 30 Jun 2020.

 

With above scenario in mind, are you saying if that person exits Thailand tomorrow "without" a reentry permit to keep the current retirement extension of stay alive and reenters a week later that his current retirement extension of stay is still valid till 30 Jun 2020?  If so, I don't think that is correct.

 

Without the reentry permit the retirement extension is killed off (based on an old Non-OA from Christmas past) and the person would just get the normal Exempt entry stamp good for 30 days for many nationalities.  Then the person can start the process to convert the Exempt to a Non-O at their local immigration office.  And assuming the conversion is approved then during final 30 days of that Non-O is to apply for a retirement (or marriage) extension of stay.  

 

 

 

Ino, it's smarter to kill the O-A and apply for a 90 days Non-Immigrant O in Savannaket, and then after 60 days apply for the 1 year extension. When starting with a Visa exempt or 60 days TR, the paperwork is terrible. First the conversion to the 90 days Non-Immigrant O with two sets of documents + 2000 baht,then the 1 year extension with another set of documents + 1900 baht. 

[saiber]

6 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

You leave once.. Then you extend uincountry in exactly the same way.. Minus the insurance. 

 

You are aware that how it works yeah ??

Yep, i do how it works with an NON O ME ,over 50 ,issued by Thai Embassy Berlin.

 

( "O": visa for other purposes
NON-IMMIGRANT-O VISA S: (90-day stay, one-time entry, € 70.00 visa fee)
NON-IMMIGRANT-O VISA M: (90-day stay per entry, validity 1 year, multiple entry, 175,00 € visa fee
Pensioners / persons, from the age of 50 years)

 

[Martyp]

3 hours ago, flexomike said:

so if you just got your extension in November, did they ask about insurance, if no, what immigration office

 

I applied for my extension at CW 42 days early on Oct. 7. The Oct 31 date had not been announced yet. I was not asked about insurance.

[Kadilo]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Please direct me to ONE, where someone on extension of stay based on retirement even with long expired original O-A visa is being required to show insurance. One will do. BTW being asked where? Airport or border crossing? Where

Have a look through all the current threads running and you will find examples of where people are going to their IO for their new extensions and are being asked for Insurance. 
I get no joy from saying this as it will apply to me too hence why i know it’s a hot potato in some areas as I’ve been following purposely as mine is coming up. 

[Martyp]

3 hours ago, stat said:

Why not "simply" get a second passport from your homecountry and get new visa? Perfectly legal in most countries I know. Leave TH with old passport enter with 2nd passport. u can just send the 2nd pp from Thailand to embassy in your native country and have it resend to mate in homecountry who then forwards your passport to Thailand. Worked for me in 2011 with 2 tourist visas back 2 back, alas before biometrics at airports were introduced. But to my knowledge they just confirm if you fit the biometrics in your passport not if you have left Th in the morning with another passport as in my case.

 

Good luck!

Really? There are still people out there that think a new passport erases your history? I returned from the US on Sept 29th and they fingerprinted me. That, my passport, and my travel history are in the computers no matter new passport or not.

[lkv]

2 hours ago, Martyp said:

Really? There are still people out there that think a new passport erases your history?

To our understanding, the amazing biometrics do not count days, etc, so red flags appear upon the visual inspection of the passport.

 

The rejections also appear to take place upon visual inspection. They can get the full history in the back office, no point in keeping someone's full history on the main screen of the IO.

Edited November 16, 2019 by lkv

[LivinLOS]

4 hours ago, saiber said:

Yep, i do how it works with an NON O ME ,over 50 ,issued by Thai Embassy Berlin.

 

( "O": visa for other purposes
NON-IMMIGRANT-O VISA S: (90-day stay, one-time entry, € 70.00 visa fee)
NON-IMMIGRANT-O VISA M: (90-day stay per entry, validity 1 year, multiple entry, 175,00 € visa fee
Pensioners / persons, from the age of 50 years)

 

90 day entry, that you can extend 1 year extensions each time, exactly like an OA without the insurance

[LivinLOS]

7 hours ago, lkv said:

In the case you are describing, that person no longer has a valid non O-A visa in their passport, because it has long expired, and they are on a permission of stay that just got extended over and over again.

 

To invalidate a permission of stay, all you have to do is to exit Thailand, and not have a re-entry permit, as you said.

 

Permission of stays are granted when one enters Thailand and end when one leaves Thailand.

 

When one extends at local Immigration, they extend their permission of stay. The one granted initially upon arrival in Thailand. When one exits Thailand, they don't terminate "the extension of stay", they terminate the stay, whether it's extended or not extended.

 

I was describing the scenario for people that have a valid non O-A visa in their passports and want to invalidate it.

The person here on an OA entry, can just remain here until after the visa has expired.  They have no problem remaining until the next extension.

[LivinLOS]

6 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

78 pages of rubbish. 

 

For folks who entered years back on now expired O-A and apply for 12 month permission of stay based on retirement.... just continue. Business as usual. No insurance required.

Maybe there's 78 pages because posters like you keep posting nonsense that is factually wrong, and confusing everyone.

 

 

[LivinLOS]

4 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Please direct me to ONE, where someone on extension of stay based on retirement even with long expired original O-A visa is being required to show insurance. One will do. BTW being asked where? Airport or border crossing? Where

Posts on many threads, covering almost every immigration office in the country. 

 

You need insurance to extend your permission of stay. Exactly what you claim isn't happening, is happening, with poster after poster and office after office, all in agreement.

[lkv]

I just want to touch again on a subject. I see here people saying: easy, instead of non O-A, get a non O.

 

New Zealand, Australia, Washington, Jakarta and Ho Chi Min, do not issue non O's for so called retirement. Just to name a few.

 

Vientiane does, and excuse the chrome translate, they want:

 

For nationals of Laos Or those aged 50 years or older Who wish to live later or after retirement in Thailand

Documents to submit for visa application include

1. resume
2. A certificate of income not less than 65,000 baht per month from the embassy / consulate of the country of residence or a certificate from a bank in Thailand showing financial status of not less than 800,000 baht and already in the bank account Over 3 months
3. Evidence showing criminal background checks from country of residence
4. Medical certificate

Note: Visa applicants must not be prohibited. Or having a disease forbidden to enter the Kingdom of Thailand And this visa is not allowed to work in Thailand

 

This is for non O. I don't quite understand clearly, because of Chrome translate, if this is now reserved for Laos nationals only.

 

And yes, you understood right, criminal background check + medical + 800K banked for 3 months for non O for being over 50. 

 

Can someone explain to me, where can a person over 50 and not married, get a single entry non O nowadays?

Edited November 16, 2019 by lkv

[sunnyboy2018]

On 11/6/2019 at 2:41 AM, Jingthing said:

Why would they refuse entry when a person is eligible for a 30 day stamp? 

Because they can.

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, Momofarang said:

Before anyone goes into any illegal scheme with an agent I'd suggest to have a look at the attached figures. They are based on Pacific Cross' minimal plan that allows a 300k deductible.

And do you know for a fact that immigration would accept these plans in respect of any O-A Extension or entry into Thailand? I ask because if there is a deductible of over 40,000, then there would not effectively be a 40,000 baht out patient cover?

[Momofarang]

9 hours ago, Haribo said:

We have one client who has a non OA since 6 years, having denied extension on retierment because not accept the international firstclass health insurance. The Immigration say he has to make a thai health insurance.

So what will happen if a foreigner over 75 years old and not get an thai health Insurance?  

Thanks Haribo Newbie...????

[ukrules]

57 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

And do you know for a fact that immigration would accept these plans in respect of any O-A Extension or entry into Thailand? I ask because if there is a deductible of over 40,000, then there would not effectively be a 40,000 baht out patient cover?

A very good question. I suspect It's all about paying money to the insurance companies, which as it turns out by some strange twist of fate are all Thai.

 

The hospitals will still lose out won't they so I think we can safely say this is not about the hospitals and their unpaid bills.

[Momofarang]

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

And do you know for a fact that immigration would accept these plans in respect of any O-A Extension or entry into Thailand? I ask because if there is a deductible of over 40,000, then there would not effectively be a 40,000 baht out patient cover?

PC are selling it as OA compatible. How they got it approved? The only reason I could imagine is that 440000 < (780000 - 300000). Please note that the two plans with lower coverage are not OA compatible.

And it would make sense as many of our geezer medical bills will be way over these numbers anyway. 

[Martyp]

2 hours ago, jacko45k said:

And do you know for a fact that immigration would accept these plans in respect of any O-A Extension or entry into Thailand? I ask because if there is a deductible of over 40,000, then there would not effectively be a 40,000 baht out patient cover?

I have had the same concern but my Pacific Cross agent has told me on four separate occasions, email and phone call, that my Maxima Plus policy with the deductible qualifies and has been entered into the TGIA database.  However, I am noT due for another extension until next  November to test this for myself.

[Momofarang]

I am relatively "TV forum naive", but sifting through this thread I get the eerie feeling that it gets somewhat polluted by vested interests (i.e agents, insurance brokers, possibly IOs). So I'd take everything here with a pinch of salt...

 

As thing may remain in a state of flux for the next few months my suggestion to everyone would be to explore the shift to Non O, before making any commitment regarding Health Insurance.

Edited November 17, 2019 by Momofarang

[Langsuan Man]

Right now the conventional wisdom (if you have an expired/cancelled O-A) is to go to a neighboring country and apply for a Non O, based upon retirement, following whatever instructions / requirements that they require

 

Since most overseas Embassies and Consulates, as reported above, will no longer issue an O based upon retirement, does anyone really think that this local "loophole " will remain ?

 

Immigration in Thailand is like the kids game Whack a Mole, once you follow their requirements, another new one will pop up

 

I am one of the lucky ones, I don't have to come to Thailand, and there is less reason to be here since I followed the number one rule of living here: Don't invest more than you can afford to loose   

[jonwilly]

32 minutes ago, Momofarang said:

I am relatively "TV forum naive", but sifting through this thread I get the eerie feeling that it gets somewhat polluted by vested interests (i.e agents, insurance brokers, possibly IOs). So I'd take everything here with a pinch of salt...

Very wise.

 

john

[saiber]

6 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

90 day entry, that you can extend 1 year extensions each time, exactly like an OA without the insurance

I give up, seems you don't understand.