Are you content living in the land of smiles ?

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

No I could not, can you please help me?

No, I have no idea . 

If you stated it happens , I thought that you must be able to give details of who it involves .

   Do you just think that it happens and you stated your thoughts as being facts with no evidence to back it up ?

  Does it actually happen or do you just think that it happens ?

[Nemises]

59 minutes ago, donnacha said:

wherever you think is so great now will be just as bad in a decade's time, if only because the whole region is getting worse.

I never said anywhere in Thailand is “so great” now, or in the future. What I did say was that ALL of Thailand is not affected by burning seasons. 
Farewell. I hope you don’t move into a burning season area again. 

[sirineou]

Just now, sanemax said:

No, I have no idea . 

If you stated it happens , I thought that you must be able to give details of who it involves .

   Do you just think that it happens and you stated your thoughts as being facts with no evidence to back it up ?

  Does it actually happen or do you just think that it happens ?

No , I know better than to get involved in Thai politics, i don't know the players or care to know. but I know there are players, and I know the game they are playing id not what they say it is.

  We all had this conversation before concerning the Insurance requirement and the reasons for it. 

It was stated that hospital were losing a X amount of money from expats not paying their bills. When we did the math of number of foreigners per year and moneys not paid to the hospital (don't quote me on the exact amount because I don't remember) but it came to about $2 average  per foreigner. So if the shortfall was the intent, it would have being much easier to simply charge each foreigner $2 per year , Problem solved. 

  Even if the above is not true, if the intent was to require expats to have insurance,to cover shortfalls, why force them in to a useless private insurance scheme that provides very little coverage,is expensive, does not cover pre existing conditions, and does not cover  those who would need it the most, The elderly????

Why not allowed long stay expats to buy into the Government system, and charge tourist a couple of dollars more on visas, who would not come to Thailand because they had to pay $2  ?? 

IMO the game  is something different than what they are saying it is. Perhaps my version of the game is wrong , but I guarantee you, there is a game.and we are being played.

[donnacha]

12 minutes ago, Nemises said:

What I did say was that ALL of Thailand is not affected by burning seasons.

 

And what I said is that things change. What some smug chap online considers to someone else's mistake today could very well turn out to be his own mistake in just a few years time.

 

Between Indonesia, China, and Thailand's own negligent attitudes, I doubt anywhere in this country can be said, with long term certainty, to be a good decision.

[sanemax]

3 minutes ago, sirineou said:

No , I know better than to get involved in Thai politics, i don't know the players or care to know. but I know there are players, and I know the game they are playing id not what they say it is.

  We all had this conversation before concerning the Insurance requirement and the reasons for it. 

It was stated that hospital were losing a X amount of money from expats not paying their bills. When we did the math of number of foreigners per year and moneys not paid to the hospital (don't quote me on the exact amount because I don't remember) but it came to about $2 average  per foreigner. So if the shortfall was the intent, it would have being much easier to simply charge each foreigner $2 per year , Problem solved. 

  Even if the above is not true, if the intent was to require expats to have insurance,to cover shortfalls, why force them in to a useless private insurance scheme that provides very little coverage,is expensive, does not cover pre existing conditions, and does not cover  those who would need it the most, The elderly????

Why not allowed long stay expats to buy into the Government system, and charge tourist a couple of dollars more on visas, who would not come to Thailand because they had to pay $2  ?? 

IMO the game  is something different than what they are saying it is. Perhaps my version of the game is wrong , but I guarantee you, there is a game.and we are being played.

So, all foreign tourists to Thailand should pay for the hospital bills for the elderly ex-pats with no insurance ?

  People on a two week holiday should pay for a long termer with no insurance ?

  You want to join the 30 Baht scheme and get instant coverage for everything, even though Thais have been paying in all their life .

  The Thai 30 Baht insurance scheme only covers the basics , they just do the basic and nowhere near the same as private hospitals .

  You just dont want to pay for medical insurance

[URMySunshine]

[sunnyboy2018]

On 12/16/2019 at 1:38 AM, digibum said:

 

I have to laugh a bit because that was one of the only preconditions I had on where we live; nowhere near her family.  Obviously, that needed to be put more delicately but I explained while I loved her family and enjoyed visiting, that Thais love drama (something she always says too) and that living near her family would be bringing the drama close enough that her family would feel like they should get her involved in the middle of it.

 

They are lovely people but three generations of her family and extended family live in a 2 square mile radius and you're going to get a boatload of drama. 

Too true mate The extended family network, is a hot house of neurosis.

[Nemises]

8 minutes ago, donnacha said:

What some smug chap online considers to someone else's mistake today could very well turn out to be his own mistake in just a few years time.

Operative word being “could”. 
Farewell again. Sorry you couldn’t find a non-burning season area in Thailand in which to live - or to move to, like others can and do. 

[sunnyboy2018]

On 12/16/2019 at 8:23 AM, unblocktheplanet said:

I’ve been here more than three decades. Bangkok is home but that doesn’t mean I have to like it!

 

I have good days & bad days. Good days I notice the tropical flowers, bad days I notice pungent tropical garbage. BK is far different than village life. While I like having everything easily available, I rarely take advantage of most of it. Shopping malls are soulless places.

 

The pollution is really getting to me. And govt inaction, but that’s everywhere. Things will only get worse as all those new condo towers get filled with car owners. But it’s much the same in first-world LA (NOT Roi Et!)

 

As  well-read academic and omnivorous autodidact, I’m weary of not being able to voice my opinions. In other places, people have a choice to not listen. Here, speaking out could rub somebody powerful the wrong way and there would be personal consequences to one’s safety & freedom.

 

The impossibility of health insurance past age 70 is also of great concern. We don’t have a big enough bank balance to cover enormous hospital bills.

 

Pessimistically, I think things here will get worse—way worse. Perhaps they will soften eventually but I’m too old to wait.

 

We’ve told our Thai daughter to make a life for herself somewhere else. For us, though, there’s nowhere else to go.

You can voice your opinions freely among expatriates and most Thais with the exception of the LM laws. I live in Iran, Libya, Burma and much more strict countries where people livex in fear.

[sirineou]

17 minutes ago, sanemax said:

So, all foreign tourists to Thailand should pay for the hospital bills for the elderly ex-pats with no insurance ?

  People on a two week holiday should pay for a long termer with no insurance ?

  You want to join the 30 Baht scheme and get instant coverage for everything, even though Thais have been paying in all their life .

  The Thai 30 Baht insurance scheme only covers the basics , they just do the basic and nowhere near the same as private hospitals .

  You just dont want to pay for medical insurance

No read again,that's why I highlighted "buy"  I said "Why not allowed long stay expats to buy into the Government system, and charge tourist a couple of dollars more on visas, " Long stay expats buy into the government system giving them a safety net, and preventing them from becoming a burden on the system. 

440,000 expats live in Thailand, In 2016, Thailand had 32.6 million visitors. Expats are an insignificant part of the problem, Expats ar only 1.3% of the problem

Trust me, the numbers are against this being a legitimate issue.

   

Edited December 17, 2019 by sirineou

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

No read again,that's what  I highlighted "buy"  I said "Why not allowed long stay expats to buy into the Government system, and charge tourist a couple of dollars more on visas, " Long stay expats buy into the government system giving them a safety net, and preventing them from becoming a burden on the system. 

440,000 expats live in Thailand, In 2016, Thailand had 32.6 million visitors. Expats are an insignificant part of the problem, Expats ar only 1.3% of the problem

Trust me, the numbers are against this being a legitimate issue.

   

Elderly Ex-pats may be the lesser number, but they would be far more likely to require hospital treatment 

  An ex-pat seeing out his days in Thailand will require more medical attention from hospitals than the two week tourists

[sirineou]

9 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Elderly Ex-pats may be the lesser number, but they would be far more likely to require hospital treatment 

  An ex-pat seeing out his days in Thailand will require more medical attention from hospitals than the two week tourists

Yes but even if 100% of them required medical care , every year, and  100% of them did not pay their bill, they are only 1.3% of the foreigner population

  But still, as I said if the Thai government believe that 1.3% is the problem, why force them in an expensive system that is inadequate, does not cover pre existing conditions and is unavailable to those over a certain age? The current system will only cover a small percentage of a small percentage.

IMO it does not pass the smell test.

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by sirineou

[sanemax]

1 minute ago, sirineou said:

Yes nut even if 100% of them required medical care , every year and  100% of them did not pay their bill, they are only 1.3% of the foreigner population But still. as I said if the Thai government believe that 1.3% is the problem, why force them in an expensive system that is inadequate, does not cover pre existing conditions and is unavailable to those over a certain age? The current system will only cover a small percentage of a small percentage.

IMO it does not pass the smell test.

 

Most insurances do not cover previous conditions and most insurances will not begin to insure people over a certain age 

[sirineou]

Just now, sanemax said:

Most insurances do not cover previous conditions and most insurances will not begin to insure people over a certain age 

You are making my point,

If the concern was to cover the shortfall  , expensive private insurance that does not cover pre existing conditions and is unavailable to the elderly is a bad system. and does not solve the supposed problem, and   don't think those who require it dont know it's a bad system, So why do they require it?

  Why not allowed long term expats to buy into the government system ,that would solve that part of the stated problem?   Because IMO the stated problem is not the real reason..

if it is it is at best inept, 

   

[sletraveler]

Just now, sanemax said:

 

  You want to join the 30 Baht scheme and get instant coverage for everything, even though Thais have been paying in all their life .

  The Thai 30 Baht insurance scheme only covers the basics , they just do the basic and nowhere near the same as private hospitals .

  You just dont want to pay for medical insurance

You are wrong about it paying only for the basics.  In fact it covers everything including long term cancer care, surgery, hospice, etc.  I've seen it often enough among

the chronically ill in the local villages.  Thing is I would never go to a public hospital because 1. I don't have to since private hospitals are cheap  2. The waits are very long and I don't want to kill a day sitting in a room full of sick people. 3. The level of care is better in a private hospital.  4. The public system was created for poor Thai people so it is morally wrong to try to make use of it.

[4MyEgo]

On 12/18/2019 at 12:53 AM, sirineou said:

" Long stay expats buy into the government system giving them a safety net, and preventing them from becoming a burden on the system.

From where I am sitting, I don't see expats being a burden on the system, for example, I spent between 800,000 to a million baht in Thailand last year alone, excluding private cover for the family which I have just notified the insurer that we are not renewing in the new year, and the main reason is that the policy increased by 15%, no, I am not talking about the $ where I come from dropping 20% of late but you could add that too it if you like.

 

No claims and wifes age bracket doesn't change till end October next year, so what was the reason for the 15% increase, well the letter said a 5%-10% increase was due to the fact that there had been an increase in claims in south-east Asia, oh, excuse me please, why the hell don't you increase the policy's on those who made the claims, that should cover it, oops forgot, they are in the business of making money, couldn't even wait for the age bracket of the wife at end of October before increasing the policy, well the family has the 30 baht cover and I have money in the bank for emergencies and will add the 55,000 that it would cost me to renew the policy to one of my separate accounts to self insure them, my policy is due in June, no doubt that will go up as well, probably to 65,000 so 120,000 a year in the bank x 2,3,4,5 years should work well for our pockets if we don't have an emergency, otherwise it's money from the reserves, but if these insurers are so desperate, well they lose our business x so many years.

 

All over the world tourists/expats are a burden on the hospital systems, but what about what they put into the economy, remove them because of policies and what will you have, do the math, Thailand is already feeling the decline in tourist numbers, so what next, make the expats take out insurance, fair suck of the sav, won't work, I will be the first one on a flight out, at least in my own country I will have free cover under Medicare.

Edited December 19, 2019 by 4MyEgo

[thaibeachlovers]

On 12/16/2019 at 3:36 PM, roquefort said:

We moved a few years back but still come to Thailand several times a year because my wife needs to see her family, so yes, I do keep in touch with what's going on in Thailand by reading and posting on this forum.

 

As someone else has said, it's a question of balance. If the pros outweigh the cons (or vice versa) you make the move. Personally I missed too many things from my home country.......changing seasons, proper conversations, quality food, absence of corruption, laws that are actually enforced........ so I put up with all the PC <deleted> over there and arranged my life so it doesn't really affect me that much. My wife works and earns good money which she couldn't do in Thailand. Most of us have choices, it's up to each of us to make the right ones for our personal situation.

Seems we are diametrically opposed. I loved that it is always warm to hot in LOS, food is just whatever keeps me going ( good food is wasted on me ) so cheaper the better. 50 baht fried rice chicken was fine. I don't know anyone where I live that enjoys a real conversation, so that's irrelevant, even my home country has sadly become corrupt- it's just high level instead of the cop on the street type in LOS, laws are never enforced, seemingly, on bad drivers and gang members- only on powerless people, I had enough money to live reasonably in LOS given I didn't live like a self entitled farang, but not getting the pension there killed it for me.

Thing that really makes me angry here is that the PC mania extends all the way to the very top. It's just not avoidable even not watching tv news ( which is the worst propaganda I've ever seen ) as it's everywhere, killing us like a Bkk smog. It's just not the good country I grew up in anymore- now it's an obsession with money and PC.

 

If I had the money I'd be back in LOS like a shot.

[kevvy]

On 12/15/2019 at 7:48 PM, villagefarang said:

I am still enjoying my 40 year holiday.

congratulations of 40 years 

Edited December 20, 2019 by kevvy

[Tomahawk21]

yes if i was not happy or content i would live some where else.

[mike787]

I came here to meet a hot asian girl and love it.  Thai immigration is the only serious issue we have to gamble with.

[yogi100]

On 12/16/2019 at 9:43 AM, Yinn said:

Hmmmm. Maybe.

But immigration not the owner of insurance company. Immigration will not win from that. The insurance company be rich, not immigration that rule.

(i believe you say is corrupt, same land office, school, police, army, agriculture department, orbortor etc etc etc)

 

and

is is better you to have insurance in Thailand. IF have a good company/fair.

 

Better for the foreigner if problem and better for the hospital because SOME people not want to pay. This people make the problem.

If everyone pay, will be no problem.

 

 

Maybe Yinn start a fair Insurance Company for foreigner. 

 

Most foreigner will like private hospital. Cleaner with better service. Government hospital must wait, and wait, and wait. So slowly.

The sick foreigner will be angry sure. Will be problem, must wait the queue.

 

But it expansive. Last week my friend can go Wichara government hospital in Phuket. Will be only 130 baht.

At private hospital, same thing will be 6,000 baht. 

 

Private is expansive. But good. 

 

My idea= If foreigner not pay, escape then YOUR government should pay the hospital. YOUR government chase the money.

Good idea?

Yinn, Our governments will not help us let alone your hospitals whatever the problem may be.

 

 I have had to visit hospitals in Pattaya three times and had to pay each time before I was treated.

 

Friends I've known have to hand over their visa card to make sure it has enough funds before they can get treated.

 

How can a falang escape paying if they make him pay first?

 

 

[yogi100]

On 12/19/2019 at 5:15 PM, 4MyEgo said:

From where I am sitting, I don't see expats being a burden on the system, for example, I spent between 800,000 to a million baht in Thailand last year alone, excluding private cover for the family which I have just notified the insurer that we are not renewing in the new year, and the main reason is that the policy increased by 15%, no, I am not talking about the $ where I come from dropping 20% of late but you could add that too it if you like.

 

No claims and wifes age bracket doesn't change till end October next year, so what was the reason for the 15% increase, well the letter said a 5%-10% increase was due to the fact that there had been an increase in claims in south-east Asia, oh, excuse me please, why the hell don't you increase the policy's on those who made the claims, that should cover it, oops forgot, they are in the business of making money, couldn't even wait for the age bracket of the wife at end of October before increasing the policy, well the family has the 30 baht cover and I have money in the bank for emergencies and will add the 55,000 that it would cost me to renew the policy to one of my separate accounts to self insure them, my policy is due in June, no doubt that will go up as well, probably to 65,000 so 120,000 a year in the bank x 2,3,4,5 years should work well for our pockets if we don't have an emergency, otherwise it's money from the reserves, but if these insurers are so desperate, well they lose our business x so many years.

 

All over the world tourists/expats are a burden on the hospital systems, but what about what they put into the economy, remove them because of policies and what will you have, do the math, Thailand is already feeling the decline in tourist numbers, so what next, make the expats take out insurance, fair suck of the sav, won't work, I will be the first one on a flight out, at least in my own country I will have free cover under Medicare.

At one time there was a plan to make all foreigners pay a certain amount for health and accident insurance for each week that they spent in the LOS.

 

It was not a great sum of money but would greatly simplify the system and its running costs. Then you automatically got treated for any illnesses or accidents that may befall you regardless of age. Those who did not claim would subsidise those who did.

 

IMO that was a splendid idea and one that we could adopt in the UK for our visitors.