O/A visa and insurance experience today

[moontang]

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

People seem to be ignoring the many posts, it's clear insurance is being requested now for OA extensions, ignore it at your peril.

 

Hopefully the OA guys realise they need to get an O

The TM30 deniers were just as bad.

[deej]

39 minutes ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

 

 

Alas, the writing is on the wall. 

 

 

Not being sarcastic????

The medical Insurance for O-A  visa.s etc  has been on the wall .since the police order was introduced and to take effect  1/11/2019

very simple

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, moontang said:

The TM30 deniers were just as bad.

Did my extension CW Oct 8.

My last doc was tm30. The first I have ever done in 7 yrs. She did not look at it and pushed it back.

When the tm30 was all the rage there were many daily reports about fines and such. Perhaps several months back.

The new imm poster boy big Org? Came on scene and tried make a name. Hopefully he will follow big Joke.

 

[DrJack54]

19 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

People seem to be ignoring the many posts, it's clear insurance is being requested now for OA extensions, ignore it at your peril.

 

Hopefully the OA guys realise they need to get an O

Can you direct me to one rejection for extension. It's been almost a month.

[AussieBob18]

14 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

Hopefully the Non-O (based on over 50 / retirement) will not be next on the list for mandatory Thai insurance (or be scrapped all together).

IMO they are next on the list - as soon as they figure out how to peel out the 50+ Expats who are on Non-O Visasa and Extensions.  But they could also just apply it to all ages of Non-O 12 month period Visas and Extensions.  Who knows for sure.  And that is the issue right there.

 

[UncleMhee]

4 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

Or maybe the simplest explanation: I can imagine, without straining myself too much, that there's "something in it" for Thai immigration off the top of the insurance industry's income stream. 

And I can imagine, without straining myself too much, that there's "something in it" for Thai immigration off the bottom of the agent industry's income stream as well. 

There's only one winner out of this!

TIT

[MeePeeMai]

31 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Can you direct me to one rejection for extension. It's been almost a month.

There never will be a "rejection" because you are never allowed to get to the point where you are under consideration (by way of submitting your paperwork without an insurance policy). 

 

As soon as you walk in and take a number (for an O-A extension) you are immediately asked if you have a Thai insurance policy (before they even look at your paperwork).  If you reply in the negative then you will be informed that you need to have an approved Thai policy in order to "apply" for your extension... at which point you will leave and decide what to do next. 

 

You are not being rejected, you are simply being informed of their current requirements for an extension at that time.

 

9 times out of 10 retirees (like myself) will simply visit their local office (prior to applying) to ask for a list of the latest requirements.  This has already been reported by numerous retirees on an O-A entry.

 

 

Edited November 23, 2019 by MeePeeMai

[Mango Bob]

32 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Can you direct me to one rejection for extension. It's been almost a month.

I do hope you have an O/A visa so you can have a first hand experience.

[saengd]

4 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

There never will be a "rejection" because you are never allowed to get to the point where you are under consideration (by way of submitting your paperwork without an insurance policy). 

 

As soon as you walk in and take a number (for an O-A extension) you are immediately asked if you have a Thai insurance policy (before they even look at your paperwork).  If you reply in the negative then you will be informed that you need to have an approved Thai policy in order to "apply" for your extension at which point you will leave and decide what to do next.  You are not rejected, you are simply informed of their new policy at that time.

 

This is not a "rejection", this is simply being informed that in order for you to apply for an extension for a Non O-A you must have the required insurance.  9 times out of 10 retirees (like myself) will simply visit their local office (prior to applying) to ask for a list of the latest requirements.  This has already been reported by numerous retirees on an O-A entry.

 

 

Exactly! And after the applicant is informed, he/she decides what to do, go buy insurance (job done, no need to bleat about anything), switch to an O visa (get busy doing it) or, go home (busy packing). Note, at no point in any of the options is there a step entitled, "post experience on TVF".

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

There never will be a "rejection" because you are never allowed to get to the point where you are under consideration (by way of submitting your paperwork without an insurance policy). 

 

As soon as you walk in and take a number (for an O-A extension) you are immediately asked if you have a Thai insurance policy (before they even look at your paperwork).  If you reply in the negative then you will be informed that you need to have an approved Thai policy in order to "apply" for your extension at which point you will leave and decide what to do next.  You are not rejected, you are simply informed of their new policy at that time.

 

This is not a "rejection", this is simply being informed that in order for you to apply for an extension for a Non O-A you must have the required insurance.  9 times out of 10 retirees (like myself) will simply visit their local office (prior to applying) to ask for a list of the latest requirements.  This has already been reported by numerous retirees on an O-A entry.

 

 

So what your saying is that people have attended imm for their extension and told nick off you don't have insurance, as distinct from people inquiring what will happen when they next apply for extension.

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

I do hope you have an O/A visa so you can have a first hand experience.

I've been here 7 yrs and even if I had entered on an O-A visa it would have expired many years ago.

As for your nasty inference to me having had an O-A sadly for you I do not. Obtained non o from Vientiane many years back. In actual fact my posts have been in an effort to assist folk who did enter on an O-A. Factual reports would give them heads up to consider perhaps starting afresh with a non O.

[MeePeeMai]

4 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

So what your saying is that people have attended imm for their extension and told nick off you don't have insurance, as distinct from people inquiring what will happen when they next apply for extension.

I don't really understand your question but I am saying that whether you walk in to apply for your extension (paperwork in hand), or simply walk in asking for the list of items needed to apply for an extension you will be informed at that time of the new requirement (an approved Thai insurance policy).

 

It really makes no difference whether you have the paperwork in your hand or are simply asking for a list of items needed for your next extension, the outcome is the same.  No Thai health insurance = no extension for a Non O-A.

[BertM]

It would be nice to hear from someone first-hand who went for their extension in Nov 2019 who previously came in on an O-A and was told that they could not renew without insurance. It is an inconvenience, but it is not the end of the world to have to leave Thailand and get a new Non-O from an outside consulate, or a Tourist visa from an outside consulate or just come back in visa exempt and then apply for a 90-day Non-O in-country to start over. I would like to see some reports from people who were turned away and actually did one of the things I mentioned to get a Non-O.

Edited November 23, 2019 by BertM

[MeePeeMai]

Switching to a Non-O seems like the best option for those that already have good health insurance, are self insured or do not wish to buy a Thai policy but I am worried that this will turn out to be a temporary solution or loophole (which might soon be addressed or closed).

[BertM]

2 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

Switching to a Non-O seems like the best option for those that already have good health insurance, are self insured or do not wish to buy a Thai policy but I am worried that this will turn out to be a temporary solution or loophole (which might soon be addressed or closed).

You may be right in the end. Let's hope not for everyone's sake...

[MeePeeMai]

I'm pretty sure that Phuket is also requiring insurance for Non O-A extensions (as reported by the Phuket Volunteers in the link below) and one would hope that they would have updated this page by now if it was in error:

 

http://piv-phuket.com/long-stay-extensions/retirement/

[Maestro]

1 hour ago, BertM said:

It would be nice to hear from someone first-hand who went for their extension in Nov 2019 who previously came in on an O-A and was told that they could not renew without insurance.

 

Does this help?

 

[BertM]

2 hours ago, Maestro said:

 

Does this help?

 

Yes. That's close enough. He went in Nov to ask if he would need insurance for his extension in Dec. Looks like everyone with a past O-A should plan to buy insurance or plan to get a Non-O.

And for those who don't follow TVF, they will be in for quite a surprise when they go in to get their extension and are told the bad news.

Edited November 23, 2019 by BertM

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

4 hours ago, deej said:

Not being sarcastic????

The medical Insurance for O-A  visa.s etc  has been on the wall .since the police order was introduced and to take effect  1/11/2019

very simple

 

That's all very well, but think of all the "crackdowns" announced 197 days a year. Until it happens, I don't believe it. The reports have been coming in only in the last few hours to confirm the police order on health insurance is indeed being enforced. That's what many people have been waiting for, which is the proof. 

 

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

I've been here 7 yrs and even if I had entered on an O-A visa it would have expired many years ago.

As for your nasty inference to me having had an O-A sadly for you I do not. Obtained non o from Vientiane many years back. In actual fact my posts have been in an effort to assist folk who did enter on an O-A. Factual reports would give them heads up to consider perhaps starting afresh with a non O.

Not assisting much ignoring what's happening.

 

What would be interesting is if anyone on an OA is using the agent method for extensions, I'm pretty sure they will be able to ignore the insurance requirements, it's just whether they want to

[saengd]

6 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Not assisting much ignoring what's happening.

 

What would be interesting is if anyone on an OA is using the agent method for extensions, I'm pretty sure they will be able to ignore the insurance requirements, it's just whether they want to

Assist Thai Visa is probably the largest visa agent in Chiang Mai and they are instructing all their customers that health insurance is required for an O-A extension, in fact, they were confirming the need for the insurance weeks ago.

[scubascuba3]

3 minutes ago, saengd said:

Assist Thai Visa is probably the largest visa agent in Chiang Mai and they are instructing all their customers that health insurance is required for an O-A extension, in fact, they were confirming the need for the insurance weeks ago.

yeah i know and so do most others now unless in denial. There seems to be two main agent jobs, one hold your hand to compile all the correct docs and two they provide the bank letter \ financial proof, that's the one I'm talking about.

 

Is financial proof on OA extensions the same as O?

[saengd]

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

yeah i know and so do most others now unless in denial. There seems to be two main agent jobs, one hold your hand to compile all the correct docs and two they provide the bank letter \ financial proof, that's the one I'm talking about.

 

Is financial proof on OA extensions the same as O?

Yes, I'm on an O-A extension and moving shortly to an O, they both require 800k for money in the bank, 400k for marriage.

 

BTW there's a third agent role, for me at least....they cut down the amount of time I need to spend extending my visa, it's 5 minutes in Immi. every year to get my photo taken and that's it. There's no more making additional copies of things, going home to get additional paperwork, no more wrong form used, do it again, no more trying to help IO's reconcile the bank letter to the bank book, no more sitting on benches waiting, and so on and so on.

[Peterw42]

42 minutes ago, saengd said:

Assist Thai Visa is probably the largest visa agent in Chiang Mai and they are instructing all their customers that health insurance is required for an O-A extension, in fact, they were confirming the need for the insurance weeks ago.

Is the agent saying insurance is required "if you dont use their services" , If they are offering a way around the insurance and 800k etc, then its in there best interest to say that.

[lamyai3]

It makes zero sense to apply insurance to people already established on Non O-A extensions, given that those extension requirements are identical to those of people on Non O's.

 

The only period of vulnerability to medical expenses that might be argued to exist on the Non O-A is the two year pre-extension period, which they've already addressed with the rules on new applications. If they don't come clean and admit the rules have been misinterpreted, there's going to be a barrage of bad publicity over the coming months as good people get sucker punched when they roll up to extension time.

 

If they really do go full dotard and insist it's retroactive, they're going to have to face up to the fact that they've sold out a certain sector of the retiree demographic as a control group to the insurance industry. It's no fairer or more scientific than it would be to pick on all those with surnames beginning with the letter A. Why so stupid? 

[saengd]

34 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

Is the agent saying insurance is required "if you dont use their services" , If they are offering a way around the insurance and 800k etc, then its in there best interest to say that.

No, the agent is saying the insurance is required however you go about extending the visa.

[jacko45k]

14 hours ago, Thaidream said:

Thailand needs to take notice and I hope the US Embassy reminds the Thai officials that applying policy changes ro rhose who entered a country under a different set of rules is not only wrong, unfair and illegal but smacks of discrimination.

You have yet to notice that this does not worry Thai government or it's people?

Anyhow, ANY rules relating to immigration are by default going to be discriminatory.

[saengd]

21 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

You have yet to notice that this does not worry Thai government or it's people?

Anyhow, ANY rules relating to immigration are by default going to be discriminatory.

Whilst visiting CM Immi. a couple of days ago it was interesting to hear from a senior(ish) officer in the TM30 section, I asked him if health insurance was required for long standing O-A visa extension and he replied, I don't know, they keep changing their minds, go ask downstairs.

[Andrew Dwyer]

37 minutes ago, saengd said:

Whilst visiting CM Immi. a couple of days ago it was interesting to hear from a senior(ish) officer in the TM30 section, I asked him if health insurance was required for long standing O-A visa extension and he replied, I don't know, they keep changing their minds, go ask downstairs.

I had a similar experience at Ayutthaya Immigration.

I had educated my gf on the insurance/OA issue ( that was a fun 2 hours ???? ) and she relayed the question to a ranking officer.

His laughing and excessive talking, combined with the puzzled expression on gf’s face meant we weren’t getting anywhere.

I politely butted in and pointing to my expired OA and then my current extension stamp ( sept 2020 ) asked him “ insurance yes or no ? “ !!

 

His reply ?? :

” long time, long time, Thai government change many time “ ????

 

If I only knew what he meant I would be happy.......or not ????

[transam]

15 hours ago, saengd said:

The previous poster wants to know why your friend wasn't on here posting what happened to him straight away, can you explain why?

Perhaps he doesn't belong to this forum eh.....Duuuh...????

 

I was contacted on FB.....????