What are my options?

[xerostar]

I have a Thai Non-Imm O-A Visa multiple entry which expires on 13 February 2020.

I arrive in Thailand tomorrow 26 November. I will not get the 800K baht into my Thai bank until next week.

I do not have any regular income at present.

Will I have a problem if I go for renewal in early February or should I return to Australia and apply for a new visa in the new year?

Wondering if there was any other option?

[MeePeeMai]

You will get a 1 year stamp from the date you enter Thailand.  The Visa expiration date is the last date in which you can enter Thailand on that Visa (to get your 1st year permission to stay in Thailand)

[xerostar]

OK thank you MeePeeMai.

So when will I need to show that 800K in Thai bank? 

[MeePeeMai]

Not until you go in to apply for your 1st extension of stay but the 800k must be in your bank account in Thailand for 3 months (just to be safe) prior to your application for your 1st extension (which will not be until some time in Oct of 2020  if you apply 30 days before your current permission of stay would expire).  You can also get more time out of your O-A by leaving the country and returning again thereby prolonging your stay here before you need to go in and apply for your 1st extension.

 

There is an issue I forgot to mention though - When was your O-A issued?  Was it before Oct 31, 2019?  I suppose it was but it is important to know the date due to the new mandatory Thai health insurance insurance guidelines.  There are some discrepancies reported by folks entering on O-A visa now at the airports due to some inconsistencies with Immigration at entry points.

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, xerostar said:

OK thank you MeePeeMai.

So when will I need to show that 800K in Thai bank? 

You seem bit confused. If your non O-A expires Feb 13 and you enter Nov 26, you will be given an until date if Nov 26 2020.

If you did another exit and reentry eg Feb 10 ....you would be given permission of stay until Feb 10~ 2021.

The 800k being in Thai bank is for future extensions of stay. That's a long way off for you.

Few current threads about imm attitude to extensions of stay for folk that have an O-A. Wait till dust settles in that. 

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

Not until you go in to apply for your 1st extension of stay but the 800k must be in your bank account in Thailand for 3 months (just to be safe) prior to your application for your 1st extension (which will not be until some time in Oct of 2020  if you apply 30 days before your current permission of stay would expire).  You can also get more time out of your O-A by leaving the country and returning again thereby prolonging your stay here before you need to go in and apply for your 1st extension.

 

There is an issue I forgot to mention though - When was your O-A issued?  Was it before Oct 31, 2019?  I suppose it was but it is important to know the date due to the new mandatory Thai health insurance insurance guidelines.  There are some discrepancies reported by folks entering on O-A visa now at the airports due to some inconsistencies with Immigration at entry points.

Good advice.

OP mentioned current O-A expires Feb 13 2020. Implies is was issued similar date Feb  2019.

[xerostar]

Thanks again MeePeeMai

The Visa was issued in Oz on the 14 February 2019

That's great. It will give me plenty of time to get organised. 

I have travel insurance that is valid for 12 months.

It's a great policy issued by Woolworths - considering I'm already 74.

Only catch is you have to renew it in OZ.

[MeePeeMai]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

Good advice.

OP mentioned current O-A expires Feb 13 2020. Implies is was issued similar date Feb  2019.

Thanks Jack, yea I thought it would have been but I remember seeing a pic of someone who was issued an O-A which expired just a couple of months after being issued plus I was going to mention the 30 day stamp that some are being given (in error) at the airports when entering on a new O-A and advise him to check the date on his entry stamp before walking off to collect his bags.

[MeePeeMai]

3 minutes ago, xerostar said:

Thanks again MeePeeMai

The Visa was issued in Oz on the 14 February 2019

That's great. It will give me plenty of time to get organised. 

I have travel insurance that is valid for 12 months.

It's a great policy issued by Woolworths - considering I'm already 74.

Only catch is you have to renew it in OZ.

When you get to the Immigration booth at the airport, hand your passport over with your arrival card slipped in to the page with your O-A Visa in it.  After the Immigration Officer stamps and hands back your passport MAKE SURE YOU STAND THERE AND CHECK THE STAMP HE PUT IN IT. 

 

You are supposed to be given a 1 year entry (expires in 1 year) but some are getting only a 30 day stamp (in error).  If he/she gives you only a 30 day entry stamp you need to politely point it out that you have an O-A visa which was issued in February of 2019 and you are supposed to be given 1 year entry.  If he or she refuses then you should politely ask to speak to a supervisor and point it out to the supervisor. 

 

Good luck and have a safe trip!

[DrJack54]

6 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

Thanks Jack, yea I thought it would have been but I remember seeing a pic of someone who was issued an O-A which expired just a couple of months after being issued plus I was going to mention the 30 day stamp that some are being given (in error) at the airports when entering on a new O-A and advise him to check the date on his entry stamp before walking off to collect his bags.

Yes ..,..I think you mean entering and being given a new permission of stay. Not a new O-A visa. Every reentry to Los for folk with a valid non O-A visa would be given 12 month stay prior to the date your oa expires. Keep in mind any exit after the non O-A expires you would need to obtain a reentry permit. Yes couple of errors from imm folk. Check your stamp at passport control. 

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, xerostar said:

I have travel insurance that is valid for 12 months.

It's a great policy issued by Woolworths - considering I'm already 74.

You might want to plan ahead if you're planning on staying long term and consider your future insurance options before you're 75th birthday because after certain birthdays it can be much harder to obtain some insurance policies - ie - they will deny coverage to you based on being too old where if you get in there before the cutoff date you will be ok and they will renew.

 

This is  just a thought for the future....better to be well informed in advance than surprised on the day!

[rwill]

19 hours ago, xerostar said:

Thanks again MeePeeMai

The Visa was issued in Oz on the 14 February 2019

That's great. It will give me plenty of time to get organised. 

I have travel insurance that is valid for 12 months.

It's a great policy issued by Woolworths - considering I'm already 74.

Only catch is you have to renew it in OZ.

That insurance will not be accepted when you apply for an extension of stay.  It must be one of the listed ones only.  Also considering your age I recommend you apply immediately for one of them.  The latest cut off age I have seen to apply is 75.

 

https://longstay.tgia.org/home/companiesoa

 

[Max69xl]

21 hours ago, xerostar said:

OK thank you MeePeeMai.

So when will I need to show that 800K in Thai bank? 

The 800k must be in the bank 2 months before the application (since March 1 2019).

[Speedhump]

17 hours ago, rwill said:

That insurance will not be accepted when you apply for an extension of stay.  It must be one of the listed ones only.  Also considering your age I recommend you apply immediately for one of them.  The latest cut off age I have seen to apply is 75.

 

https://longstay.tgia.org/home/companiesoa

 

This insurance regulation is the latest scam by immigration on retirees. Thai insurance companies are not legally bound to renew  insurance policies, nor to quote you the same as others in your situation/class, as international insurers are. If you make a big claim a Thai insurer can just pull the plug on you come renewal time or charge you a huge premium increase. The two international companies on the approved list are very expensive compared to the insurer I use (April). I sincerely hope thst more international companies will be added to the approved list, but of course that won't help the scam, (more business for Thai companies), so maybe that's not going to happen. 

Edited November 27, 2019 by Speedhump
Spelling

[Max69xl]

52 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

This insurance regulation is the latest scam by immigration on retirees. Thai insurance companies are not legally bound to renew  insurance policies, nor to quote you the same as others in your situation/class, as international insurers are. If you make a big claim a Thai insurer can just pull the plug on you come renewal time or charge you a huge premium increase. The two international companies on the approved list are very expensive compared to the insurer I use (April). I sincerely hope thst more international companies will be added to the approved list, but of course that won't help the scam, (more business for Thai companies), so maybe that's not going to happen. 

It wasn't immigration who came up with the idea about a mandatory health insurance, it was the Ministry of Public Health. Immigration has to enforce it, though. 

[Speedhump]

1 hour ago, Max69xl said:

It wasn't immigration who came up with the idea about a mandatory health insurance, it was the Ministry of Public Health. Immigration has to enforce it, though. 

Yes, thanks for the clarification. 

[Max69xl]

34 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

Yes, thanks for the clarification. 

But I do agree that the insurance sucks for elder expats. 

[Speedhump]

5 hours ago, Max69xl said:

But I do agree that the insurance sucks for elder expats. 

I have always had insurance here for me and my British wife. Cover of THB 4 million now, more in the past.  My insurance was carefully chosen and excellent cover. To be forced to use a cheap but unreliable (as I explained) Thai company or pay a lot more for one of two premium cost international insurers is just not reasonable and not acceptable. 

[Max69xl]

2 minutes ago, Speedhump said:

I have always had insurance here for me and my British wife. Cover of THB 4 million now, more in the past.  My insurance was carefully chosen and excellent cover. To be forced to use a cheap but unreliable (as I explained) Thai company or pay a lot more for one of two premium cost international insurers is just not reasonable and not acceptable. 

Personally I think the requirements will change. They have to accept foreign insurances that are actually better than the thai. 

[Sheryl]

4 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Personally I think the requirements will change. They have to accept foreign insurances that are actually better than the thai. 

Unfortunately they do not have to.

 

Should, but do not have to.

 

Health Ministry was fine with foreign policies but I think the Insurabce Commission plus local Thai insurers were the problem and they held sway.

[Max69xl]

3 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Unfortunately they do not have to.

 

Should, but do not have to.

 

Health Ministry was fine with foreign policies but I think the Insurabce Commission plus local Thai insurers were the problem and they held sway.

It's been less than 1 month, and I still think the requirements will change (not today) in the future. If the Health Ministry prefer listening to money hungry thai insurers, then they aren't serious at all. 

[Sheryl]

1 minute ago, Max69xl said:

It's been less than 1 month, and I still think the requirements will change (not today) in the future. If the Health Ministry prefer listening to money hungry thai insurers, then they aren't serious at all. 

They were not in  not control of the process. Nor the wording of the police order. Basically they just started the ball rolling and then it was out of their hands.

 

Neither the Health Ministry nor Immigration knows the first thing about private health insurance and it is a complicated subject. I think early on people threw up their hands and left it to the "insurance people" to sort out .

 

Unfortunately in addition to conflicts of interest most of the Thai insurance sector doesn't really understand health insurance either.  It is not common in Thailand and most insurance companies, if they offer it at all, do do only as a small sideline to their main business which is motor vehicle and lufe ibsurance...few companies excepted.

[Speedhump]

55 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Personally I think the requirements will change. They have to accept foreign insurances that are actually better than the thai. 

TIT 

[Langsuan Man]

15 hours ago, Max69xl said:

It's been less than 1 month, and I still think the requirements will change (not today) in the future. If the Health Ministry prefer listening to money hungry thai insurers, then they aren't serious at all. 

This is Thailand, if the medical community wasn't supporting this idea it would already be dead by now

 

If you were a Thai hospital why in the world would you want a patient with a Thai insurance policy with all it's restrictions versus a foreign insurance policy that usually covers everything, if not via direct billing,  then the patient paying and getting reimbursed

 

Like most things here:  follow the money  is the only explanation 

Edited November 28, 2019 by Langsuan Man