Cannot stay if you have a pre-existing medical condition. True, or false.

[Lacessit]

2 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

Thanks.

 

I didn't know you could get an Ozzie insurer, insure you here if you were out the country for x amount of months, or were no longer a resident for tax purposes, is there one I missed ?

My post may have been misleading, my apologies. I fly back to Australia every six months for the medical checks, and self-insure in Thailand. 500K baht set aside for any medical emergency here, apart from the 800 K, and more on call in Oz.

I am still a resident for tax purposes. I don't think my health fund cares where I am, as long as I stump up the premiums.

[wwest5829]

44 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

that's..............strange.

 

certain people, depending on visa type, are required to have insurance coverage, allegedly to prevent thai hospitals getting stuck with the tab for the uninsured retirees.

 

except if they have (a) pre-existing condition(s), the carrier will issue the policy with an exclusion, and then the retiree can stay............without coverage for the condition that is likely to put them in the hospital.....in which case the thai hospital may get stuck with the tab.

 

priceless.

Nailed it. So, change to a Non IMM “o”  is a and take my pre-existing conditions with me ... The better solution would have been for Thailand to require short term tourists to have insurance such as in Schengen Visa countries and set a scheme for long term stayers to pay into the Thai healthcare system covering the deficits cited.

[wwest5829]

27 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

More than two bobs worth, a very good post.

I have stayed here for ten years with several pre-existing medical conditions on a retirement visa. I use my top level private health cover in Australia for six-monthly medical checks. As long as I keep 800K baht in a Thai bank , I don't think the Thai government will worry about me.

Thanks but my 800,000 baht is invested and earning me income helping support my retirement. Poor financial decision for me to park in a Thai bank.

[Pedrogaz]

1 hour ago, 4MyEgo said:

The long of the truth.

 

The video in my opinion is nothing short of trying to stir up the hornet's nest. It showed no options, therefore is implying that Thailand doesn't want farangs to retire here, which for those of us that live here know is a load of rubbish.

 

My take on this is simple if you think outside the square.

 

Could it be that Thailand wanted to strengthen a current loophole whereby it make it mandatory for those who do not have money in Thailand to have money in the bank to support themselves if hospitalisation was required ?

 

Making sure that those on the retirement visa otherwise known as an the non O visa have 800,000 baht in their Thai bank account for 2 months before they apply for their extension and 3 months after their extension, with 400,000 baht to remain in the account for the remainder of the year, i.e. making sure those on the O visa/extension based on retirement have at least 400,000 in their bank account, which in hindsight reduces the exposure to Thailand's hospitals from those farangs who have no money in their bank account to pay for any necessary treatment/s if and when in hospital.

 

By doing the above I believe that the Thai government has understood that doing things this way, it is not impacting on most farangs, as those farangs should have the required 800,000 baht in the bank anyway and as has always been the case, albeit they tweaked the law to make it so that the farangs have 400,000 baht or half of that 800,000 baht requirement in the account for the 12 months to assist those farangs for any such unforeseen events should they require hospitalisation as opposed to peein it up the wall and leaving it for the government to pay the hospitals, well someone has to pay the tab.

 

I call this good management and the Thai's being understanding of the fact that if they imposed mandatory insurance for farangs on the non O visa/extension, it would have a major impact on a lot of elderly farangs who couldn't get insurance over a certain age, perhaps they looked at the statistics and said, these guys have been here for years and xyz of them are in their 60's, 70's, 80's and would have to leave which would create a big mess for them and also impact on a lot of Thai's, although minimal, then you have those who have families and are not married to Thai's although have Thai partners that they support, get my drift, so I applaud the Thai government for shoring up the loophole, it's responsible and for not making it mandatory for the retirement and or marriage visa/extensions to take out mandatory health insurance, and do not see them making it mandatory in the future for the above reasons I have stated. If they do, we will all have to address it when and it arises, speculating will only cause us stress, and we are all here to enjoy ourselves, are we not ?

 

Those on the O/A visa don't require to have the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account and can enter and leave Thailand when they want, so it looks that perhaps they know more than what they are wanting to say, just my thoughts, i.e. maybe they have uncovered a system where those on the O/A could enter, get what they required from the hospital system and exit without paying, just my thought as paranoid as it sounds, and if true has left the Thai's with a loophole which costs the Thai taxpayer to foot the bill. If they don't want to take out the mandatory insurance, they can simply changed visas to an O based on retirement or even go for an elite visa, they have options, it's not a do or die scenario and has nothing to do with farangs not being welcome.

 

Whoever made this video simply cannot see past his own nose, because it's that big it's obscures his vision.

 

This is just shoring up the loophole, i.e. if you have a non O, then you are now required to have mandatory insurance before you depart your country, and it must be with a Thai health insurance company, which they can verify, unless it is one on the list that fits the criteria, like I said, they are shoring up the loophole, call me mad, I don't mind, but I like to think outside the square.

 

I am all for mandatory health insurance in all countries, I mean why should someone else pick up the bill, in Australia where I come from, in the state of Melbourne last year if I recall correctly, the government had to pay $80,000,000 in costs to hospitals for visitors to Melbourne who had used the system, had no insurance and then left, I believe they had recouped 3/4's of it, but $20,000,000 or a 1/4 was ridden off, so why should Melbournian's have to foot the bill, for those that don't know, Australia has 7 states last time I checked, although I haven't been far south for a couple of days if you would excuse the pun. 

 

I have a pre-existing condition, I have health insurance, I am on the marriage extension, albeit it is expensive and it only covers me for emergency cover, and it will go up when I turn 60 this year, like it or lump it, I have to carry my own, rightfully so as I am a guest here in Thailand, although I can self insure as there is no mandatory requirement for me to have health insurance in Thailand, and I could self insure and pocket the annual expense, but like I said, I should carry my own and not rely on the Thai's to cover me or allow me to self insure because monitoring such I would imagine would be difficult unless they want to put a few farangs noses out of joint, like make it mandatory to have x amount of baht in the bank for 12 months of the year. 

 

I don't have the solution, but the video is all one sided and for those that can see through the propaganda, will stay on to enjoy Thailand with her warts and all.

 

If you don't have money in the bank albeit 400,000 baht to keep in the bank for a year at a time without touching it, you shouldn't be here, it's not a great deal of money, and if you drink that much, i.e. 12 Changs a day, you won't be on this planet much longer.

 

Just my two bobs worth. 

Thank you for this...it explains what seemed to be the inexplicable.

[Sheryl]

14 hours ago, Maestro said:

@AdamTheFarang

 

The fact that when an insurance is required and you have a pre-existing condition and the policy you buy from one of the listed companies does not cover this condition and you have no other insurance cover for this condition does not mean that you have to leave Thailand.

 

It simply means that if you incur medical expenses for this pre-existing condition, you have to pay it out of your pocket.

 

Correct.

 

Though insurers will sometimes refuse to give a policy altogether if there are significant pre-existing conditions; it really depends on what they are.  Sometimes you can get insured but with exclusion, sometimes you can't get insured at all. And companies will vary.

 

IF you are on an OA visa you are required to have insurance from one of 13 specified Thai companies in order to extend your stay under that visa. For the initial visa issuance only, you can use a foreign policy if your insurer signs the necessary form, or the Embassy involved agrees to issue based on a review of your policy documents.  You will be granted entry only until the date of policy expiration and from there on would have to have a Thai policy. Or start the process all over with a new OA visa issued in your home country.

 

IF you are on an OA visa and IF you cannot get a policy with one of the specified Thai companies, either due to pre-existing condition or due to age (they don't issue policies past age 75) then you cannot extend your stay under that visa. You can, however, leave the country to change your visa type to "O" and then extend as there is no insurance requirement for that. There are however requirements for funds in a Thai bank.

 

IF you are on an OA visa and obtain a policy from one of the specified companies but with exclusions, you can extend your stay under the OA visa.

[Sheryl]

53 minutes ago, oznomad said:

All of the acceptable OA insurance options?

 

Yes.

 

All Thai-issued insurance  policies. It is Thai insurance law.

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Thanks but my 800,000 baht is invested and earning me income helping support my retirement. Poor financial decision for me to park in a Thai bank.

Am I correct in assuming you are using the income method?

My understanding from posts on other threads is the income route is fraught with difficulty, because IO's pounce on the slightest mistake like piranhas. A delay in money transfer from one month to the next is enough to upset the applecart. One is dependent on their financial source and the transferor being punctual.

Your money, your choice. IMO the 800K method reduces the risk of rejection.

[Morty T]

I have 2 policies, a Thai one to satisfy the retirement requirements (which I cannot use because of diabetes) and my regular from Cigna which covers everything else. An expensive nuisance. 

[AAArdvark]

Has someone here gotten one of the required Thai insurance policies with a pre-existing condition?  My experience in the US, which could easily be irrelevant, was that pre Obama Care, ANY pre-existing condition precluded any insurance at all for individual insurance.  My wife had osteoporosis and was covered under my company's insurance.  However, when that was dropped, NO company would give her insurance even with a high price tag.  Regardless of what people thought of Obama Care, that was one great feature. 

[wwest5829]

9 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Am I correct in assuming you are using the income method?

My understanding from posts on other threads is the income route is fraught with difficulty, because IO's pounce on the slightest mistake like piranhas. A delay in money transfer from one month to the next is enough to upset the applecart. One is dependent on their financial source and the transferor being punctual.

Your money, your choice. IMO the 800K method reduces the risk of rejection.

Yes, I am using the 65K a month income method. It has worked for 8 years now. Bit of a question on my last Extension of Stay in June 2019. But that passed my next challenge my O-A Visa as I cannot qualify for the health insurance due to pre-existing conditions and cost at age 73. So, switch Visa types but last choice is to leave if the Kingdom of Thailand does not want this retired History Professor. I am a free man and will not be held captive.

[wwest5829]

38 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Correct.

 

Though insurers will sometimes refuse to give a policy altogether if there are significant pre-existing conditions; it really depends on what they are.  Sometimes you can get insured but with exclusion, sometimes you can't get insured at all. And companies will vary.

 

IF you are on an OA visa you are required to have insurance from one of 13 specified Thai companies in order to extend your stay under that visa. For the initial visa issuance only, you can use a foreign policy if your insurer signs the necessary form, or the Embassy involved agrees to issue based on a review of your policy documents.  You will be granted entry only until the date of policy expiration and from there on would have to have a Thai policy. Or start the process all over with a new OA visa issued in your home country.

 

IF you are on an OA visa and IF you cannot get a policy with one of the specified Thai companies, either due to pre-existing condition or due to age (they don't issue policies past age 75) then you cannot extend your stay under that visa. You can, however, leave the country to change your visa type to "O" and then extend as there is no insurance requirement for that. There are however requirements for funds in a Thai bank.

 

IF you are on an OA visa and obtain a policy from one of the specified companies but with exclusions, you can extend your stay under the OA visa.

Are you saying that the monthly income method is not allowed under the NON IMM “O” Visa, Sheryl? 

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Yes, I am using the 65K a month income method. It has worked for 8 years now. Bit of a question on my last Extension of Stay in June 2019. But that passed my next challenge my O-A Visa as I cannot qualify for the health insurance due to pre-existing conditions and cost at age 73. So, switch Visa types but last choice is to leave if the Kingdom of Thailand does not want this retired History Professor. I am a free man and will not be held captive.

I don't understand your last sentence. How are you being held captive?

You're American, right? Your nom-de-plume is a bit of a giveaway.

What is it about Americans and their freedom obsession? As a retired History Professor, you should know there are 90-odd countries with democratically-elected governments. You are just one of them.

[wwest5829]

1 minute ago, Lacessit said:

I don't understand your last sentence. How are you being held captive?

You're American, right? Your nom-de-plume is a bit of a giveaway.

What is it about Americans and their freedom obsession? As a retired History Professor, you should know there are 90-odd countries with democratically-elected governments. You are just one of them.

Sorry if my last sentence was not clear. My meaning is that if the Kingdom of Thailand wants to make demands on my staying that strain my ability or willingness to meet the requirements, I am free to find a more welcoming country. The West name? English before coming to the US before the country was founded. I am not a Trumpette so you misjudge to think me ethnocentric.

[Lacessit]

4 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Sorry if my last sentence was not clear. My meaning is that if the Kingdom of Thailand wants to make demands on my staying that strain my ability or willingness to meet the requirements, I am free to find a more welcoming country. The West name? English before coming to the US before the country was founded. I am not a Trumpette so you misjudge to think me ethnocentric.

I don't know how Trump came into the conversation, so I'll leave it at that.

[wwest5829]

8 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I don't know how Trump came into the conversation, so I'll leave it at that.

There you are more likely to find right wing ethnocentric thinking. Far from my experience and education.

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

There you are more likely to find right wing ethnocentric thinking. Far from my experience and education.

Your first sentence is a masterpiece of understatement.

[bkk6060]

50 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

 

My understanding from posts on other threads is the income route is fraught with difficulty, because IO's pounce on the slightest mistake like piranhas. A delay in money transfer from one month to the next is enough to upset the applecart. One is dependent on their financial source and the transferor being punctual.

 

Why would it?

The money goes into your home country bank usually around the first of the month. Push the button on the 3rd or 4th of the month for the transfer.

Seems dumb to have direct deposits into a Thai bank. Lack of control and potential hassles down the line.

 

[Lacessit]

3 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Why would it?

The money goes into your home country bank usually around the first of the month. Push the button on the 3rd or 4th of the month for the transfer.

Seems dumb to have direct deposits into a Thai bank. Lack of control and potential hassles down the line.

 

I am totally confused by your post. Where else is the home country bank money heading for, apart from a Thai bank? If that is not a direct deposit, what is?

The other problem with the income method is the exchange rate, which means safety limits have to be built in.

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

My post may have been misleading, my apologies. I fly back to Australia every six months for the medical checks, and self-insure in Thailand. 500K baht set aside for any medical emergency here, apart from the 800 K, and more on call in Oz.

I am still a resident for tax purposes. I don't think my health fund cares where I am, as long as I stump up the premiums.

All and good, understand now, I also go back annually and pay out of pocket and Medicare reimburses me something, better something than nothing, although I shouldn't be getting reimbursed as I am a non-resident for tax purposes.

 

The above said, as long as we keep renewing our Medicare card and don't allow it to lapse after the 5 year period, we can keep using it from my understanding, although technically non-residents don't pay tax, that said, as I do earn an income from within Australia, e.g. consultancy work, one job on average per week, I do have to pay 32.5c in the $ which I do, so for the thousands of dollars that I pay tax to the ATO, I see it as if I am entitled to get something back from Medicare, even though I don't pay the 2% Medicare levy, that said, I don't have a tax threshold, so I will get my 2% worth when I visit my Dr, Cardiologist, Urologist, and get my meds on the PBS.

 

I do pay thousand here for emergency private cover which also covers a pre-existing condition, as for any blood test or private hospital visits here, I pay them out of pocket, although they are rare, but I have no faith in the local government hospitals in my area of Isaan, just last night I heard a Thai guy went into one of the local hospitals complaining about chest pain, don't know the full story, but some say he was complaining of a chest infection, others chest pain, ends up he dies in the hospital the day he was to be released from a heart attack, he was 36, just saying, he leaves a wife and two kids behind, that said, I have been to both the private and the government, and it's as clear as daylight to me where I would want to be treated in an emergency situation in my area, albeit the private hospital is an hours drive as opposed to the government hospitals being 15 minutes drive either side of me.

 

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by 4MyEgo

[Lacessit]

5 minutes ago, 4MyEgo said:

All and good, understand now, I also go back annually and pay out of pocket and Medicare reimburses me something, better something than nothing, although I shouldn't be getting reimbursed as I am a non-resident for tax purposes.

 

The above said, as long as we keep renewing our Medicare card and don't allow it to lapse after the 5 year period, we can keep using it from my understanding, although technically non-residents don't pay tax, that said, as I do earn an income from within Australia, e.g. consultancy work, one job on average per week, I do have to pay 32.5c in the $ which I do, so for the thousands of dollars that I pay tax to the ATO, I see it as if I am entitled to get something back from Medicare, even though I don't pay the 2% Medicare levy, that said, I don't have a tax threshold, so I will get my 2% worth when I visit my Dr, Cardiologist, Urologist, and get my meds on the PBS.

 

I do pay thousand here for emergency private cover which also covers a pre-existing condition, as for any blood test or private hospital visits here, I pay them out of pocket, although they are rare, but I have no faith in the local government hospitals in my area of Isaan, just last night I heard a Thai guy went into one of the local hospitals complaining about chest pain, don't know the full story, but some say he was complaining of a chest infection, others chest pain, ends up he dies in the hospital the day he was to be released from a heart attack, he was 36, just saying, he leaves a wife and two kids behind, that said, I have been to both the private and the government, and it's as clear as daylight to me where I would want to be treated in an emergency situation in my area, albeit the private hospital is an hours drive as opposed to the government hospitals being 15 minutes drive either side of me.

 

 

Government hospitals have extended waiting times, can be up to 8 hours before a doctor sees you, if at all.

The private hospital I go to is 2200 baht per day for a private bed. Round it up to 2500 baht per day, that's 200 days in there before my self-insured funds run out. I'll either have got out or carked it well before then.

[Sheryl]

51 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Are you saying that the monthly income method is not allowed under the NON IMM “O” Visa, Sheryl? 

No. Of course it is allowed. But under it you must bring money into the country into a Thai bank (unless you are from a country that still issues income letters).

[Lacessit]

10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

No. Of course it is allowed. But under it you must bring money into the country into a Thai bank (unless you are from a country that still issues income letters).

I understand the Thai bank's notation for the deposit must also be FTT, or Immigration will refuse it.

[4MyEgo]

12 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Government hospitals have extended waiting times, can be up to 8 hours before a doctor sees you, if at all.

The private hospital I go to is 2200 baht per day for a private bed. Round it up to 2500 baht per day, that's 200 days in there before my self-insured funds run out. I'll either have got out or carked it well before then.

Exactly, I went to get a blood test at the local once, was fasting for 8 hours, got to the hospital at 8am after we dropped the kids off, that was 12 hours with nothing in my stomach, was told had to see doctor to refer me up to the blood test section, what !!!, there are hundreds of people here, waited an hour and a half, still hundreds of people, so we hunted around and found a place an hours drive, don't have to wait more than 5 minutes and come back in an hour for the results.

 

They charged half the price of the public hospital and I would have to go back to the hospital in a week for the results, but not before seeing the doctor, yeh right, things are hard here, but till you get your head around it, it can be smooth sailing.

[AdamTheFarang]

14 hours ago, UKresonant said:

Also the Thai insurance T&Cs require you to be in Thailand more than 6 months in 12. If someone were looking to come here, or were not here all year round. 

Thats why I anticipate that the O-Visa is not at risk, for this poorly concieved arrgt, but extensions could be in future.

The logic would be if you can have 800,000 in the bank, for most medical conditions you would be able to pay. Option 1) Place the insurance on all visas and many leave and the economy is hard hit. 2) A small amount of expensive operations are needed for people on retirement visas, of which some money is collected. Option 2) sounds logical.

[AdamTheFarang]

4 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

The long of the truth.

 

The video in my opinion is nothing short of trying to stir up the hornet's nest. It showed no options, therefore is implying that Thailand doesn't want farangs to retire here, which for those of us that live here know is a load of rubbish.

 

My take on this is simple if you think outside the square.

 

Could it be that Thailand wanted to strengthen a current loophole whereby it make it mandatory for those who do not have money in Thailand to have money in the bank to support themselves if hospitalisation was required ?

 

Making sure that those on the retirement visa otherwise known as an the non O visa have 800,000 baht in their Thai bank account for 2 months before they apply for their extension and 3 months after their extension, with 400,000 baht to remain in the account for the remainder of the year, i.e. making sure those on the O visa/extension based on retirement have at least 400,000 in their bank account, which in hindsight reduces the exposure to Thailand's hospitals from those farangs who have no money in their bank account to pay for any necessary treatment/s if and when in hospital.

 

By doing the above I believe that the Thai government has understood that doing things this way, it is not impacting on most farangs, as those farangs should have the required 800,000 baht in the bank anyway and as has always been the case, albeit they tweaked the law to make it so that the farangs have 400,000 baht or half of that 800,000 baht requirement in the account for the 12 months to assist those farangs for any such unforeseen events should they require hospitalisation as opposed to peein it up the wall and leaving it for the government to pay the hospitals, well someone has to pay the tab.

 

I call this good management and the Thai's being understanding of the fact that if they imposed mandatory insurance for farangs on the non O visa/extension, it would have a major impact on a lot of elderly farangs who couldn't get insurance over a certain age, perhaps they looked at the statistics and said, these guys have been here for years and xyz of them are in their 60's, 70's, 80's and would have to leave which would create a big mess for them and also impact on a lot of Thai's, although minimal, then you have those who have families and are not married to Thai's although have Thai partners that they support, get my drift, so I applaud the Thai government for shoring up the loophole, it's responsible and for not making it mandatory for the retirement and or marriage visa/extensions to take out mandatory health insurance, and do not see them making it mandatory in the future for the above reasons I have stated. If they do, we will all have to address it when and it arises, speculating will only cause us stress, and we are all here to enjoy ourselves, are we not ?

 

Those on the O/A visa don't require to have the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account and can enter and leave Thailand when they want, so it looks that perhaps they know more than what they are wanting to say, just my thoughts, i.e. maybe they have uncovered a system where those on the O/A could enter, get what they required from the hospital system and exit without paying, just my thought as paranoid as it sounds, and if true has left the Thai's with a loophole which costs the Thai taxpayer to foot the bill. If they don't want to take out the mandatory insurance, they can simply changed visas to an O based on retirement or even go for an elite visa, they have options, it's not a do or die scenario and has nothing to do with farangs not being welcome.

 

Whoever made this video simply cannot see past his own nose, because it's that big it's obscures his vision.

 

This is just shoring up the loophole, i.e. if you have a non O, then you are now required to have mandatory insurance before you depart your country, and it must be with a Thai health insurance company, which they can verify, unless it is one on the list that fits the criteria, like I said, they are shoring up the loophole, call me mad, I don't mind, but I like to think outside the square.

 

I am all for mandatory health insurance in all countries, I mean why should someone else pick up the bill, in Australia where I come from, in the state of Melbourne last year if I recall correctly, the government had to pay $80,000,000 in costs to hospitals for visitors to Melbourne who had used the system, had no insurance and then left, I believe they had recouped 3/4's of it, but $20,000,000 or a 1/4 was ridden off, so why should Melbournian's have to foot the bill, for those that don't know, Australia has 7 states last time I checked, although I haven't been far south for a couple of days if you would excuse the pun. 

 

I have a pre-existing condition, I have health insurance, I am on the marriage extension, albeit it is expensive and it only covers me for emergency cover, and it will go up when I turn 60 this year, like it or lump it, I have to carry my own, rightfully so as I am a guest here in Thailand, although I can self insure as there is no mandatory requirement for me to have health insurance in Thailand, and I could self insure and pocket the annual expense, but like I said, I should carry my own and not rely on the Thai's to cover me or allow me to self insure because monitoring such I would imagine would be difficult unless they want to put a few farangs noses out of joint, like make it mandatory to have x amount of baht in the bank for 12 months of the year. 

 

I don't have the solution, but the video is all one sided and for those that can see through the propaganda, will stay on to enjoy Thailand with her warts and all.

 

If you don't have money in the bank albeit 400,000 baht to keep in the bank for a year at a time without touching it, you shouldn't be here, it's not a great deal of money, and if you drink that much, i.e. 12 Changs a day, you won't be on this planet much longer.

 

Just my two bobs worth. 

More like two Quids worth!

[4MyEgo]

9 hours ago, AdamTheFarang said:

More like two Quids worth!

I would have thought as long as it is, it has a lot of truth and positives in it as opposed to the video that was posted, which is nothing short of scare mongering in my opinion, and lacks substance, no offence ????

[Chazar]

On 1/9/2020 at 4:11 AM, Maestro said:

@AdamTheFarang

 

The fact that when an insurance is required and you have a pre-existing condition and the policy you buy from one of the listed companies does not cover this condition and you have no other insurance cover for this condition does not mean that you have to leave Thailand.

 

It simply means that if you incur medical expenses for this pre-existing condition, you have to pay it out of your pocket.

or  run from the hospital making the whole saga useless  really

[Momofarang]

15 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

The long of the truth.

 

The video in my opinion is nothing short of trying to stir up the hornet's nest. It showed no options, therefore is implying that Thailand doesn't want farangs to retire here, which for those of us that live here know is a load of rubbish.

 

My take on this is simple if you think outside the square.

 

Could it be that Thailand wanted to strengthen a current loophole whereby it make it mandatory for those who do not have money in Thailand to have money in the bank to support themselves if hospitalisation was required ?

 

Making sure that those on the retirement visa otherwise known as an the non O visa have 800,000 baht in their Thai bank account for 2 months before they apply for their extension and 3 months after their extension, with 400,000 baht to remain in the account for the remainder of the year, i.e. making sure those on the O visa/extension based on retirement have at least 400,000 in their bank account, which in hindsight reduces the exposure to Thailand's hospitals from those farangs who have no money in their bank account to pay for any necessary treatment/s if and when in hospital.

 

By doing the above I believe that the Thai government has understood that doing things this way, it is not impacting on most farangs, as those farangs should have the required 800,000 baht in the bank anyway and as has always been the case, albeit they tweaked the law to make it so that the farangs have 400,000 baht or half of that 800,000 baht requirement in the account for the 12 months to assist those farangs for any such unforeseen events should they require hospitalisation as opposed to peein it up the wall and leaving it for the government to pay the hospitals, well someone has to pay the tab.

 

I call this good management and the Thai's being understanding of the fact that if they imposed mandatory insurance for farangs on the non O visa/extension, it would have a major impact on a lot of elderly farangs who couldn't get insurance over a certain age, perhaps they looked at the statistics and said, these guys have been here for years and xyz of them are in their 60's, 70's, 80's and would have to leave which would create a big mess for them and also impact on a lot of Thai's, although minimal, then you have those who have families and are not married to Thai's although have Thai partners that they support, get my drift, so I applaud the Thai government for shoring up the loophole, it's responsible and for not making it mandatory for the retirement and or marriage visa/extensions to take out mandatory health insurance, and do not see them making it mandatory in the future for the above reasons I have stated. If they do, we will all have to address it when and it arises, speculating will only cause us stress, and we are all here to enjoy ourselves, are we not ?

 

Those on the O/A visa don't require to have the 800,000 baht in a Thai bank account and can enter and leave Thailand when they want, so it looks that perhaps they know more than what they are wanting to say, just my thoughts, i.e. maybe they have uncovered a system where those on the O/A could enter, get what they required from the hospital system and exit without paying, just my thought as paranoid as it sounds, and if true has left the Thai's with a loophole which costs the Thai taxpayer to foot the bill. If they don't want to take out the mandatory insurance, they can simply changed visas to an O based on retirement or even go for an elite visa, they have options, it's not a do or die scenario and has nothing to do with farangs not being welcome.

 

Whoever made this video simply cannot see past his own nose, because it's that big it's obscures his vision.

 

This is just shoring up the loophole, i.e. if you have a non O, then you are now required to have mandatory insurance before you depart your country, and it must be with a Thai health insurance company, which they can verify, unless it is one on the list that fits the criteria, like I said, they are shoring up the loophole, call me mad, I don't mind, but I like to think outside the square.

 

I am all for mandatory health insurance in all countries, I mean why should someone else pick up the bill, in Australia where I come from, in the state of Melbourne last year if I recall correctly, the government had to pay $80,000,000 in costs to hospitals for visitors to Melbourne who had used the system, had no insurance and then left, I believe they had recouped 3/4's of it, but $20,000,000 or a 1/4 was ridden off, so why should Melbournian's have to foot the bill, for those that don't know, Australia has 7 states last time I checked, although I haven't been far south for a couple of days if you would excuse the pun. 

 

I have a pre-existing condition, I have health insurance, I am on the marriage extension, albeit it is expensive and it only covers me for emergency cover, and it will go up when I turn 60 this year, like it or lump it, I have to carry my own, rightfully so as I am a guest here in Thailand, although I can self insure as there is no mandatory requirement for me to have health insurance in Thailand, and I could self insure and pocket the annual expense, but like I said, I should carry my own and not rely on the Thai's to cover me or allow me to self insure because monitoring such I would imagine would be difficult unless they want to put a few farangs noses out of joint, like make it mandatory to have x amount of baht in the bank for 12 months of the year. 

 

I don't have the solution, but the video is all one sided and for those that can see through the propaganda, will stay on to enjoy Thailand with her warts and all.

 

If you don't have money in the bank albeit 400,000 baht to keep in the bank for a year at a time without touching it, you shouldn't be here, it's not a great deal of money, and if you drink that much, i.e. 12 Changs a day, you won't be on this planet much longer.

 

Just my two bobs worth. 

This "lengthy" post simply falls flat on its face for two deliberate false assumptions:

 

a) It is wrong to say that people on OA don't have to hold 800000 in a Thai bank as they have to do so when they apply for an extension of stay based on retirement.

b) people on O visa don't have to hold 800000 when applying for an extension of stay since they can use the monthly income justification.

 

And I want to add that the OP is right to the point, if this wasn't a xenophobic and corrupt attempt to get rid of us they would have made provisions for those who've had foreign coverage for years, and for people over 75 with or without preexisting conditions.

[Momofarang]

2 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

I would have thought as long as it is, it has a lot of truth and positives in it as opposed to the video that was posted, which is nothing short of scare mongering in my opinion, and lacks substance, no offence ????

And is essentially based on falsehoods..

[tgeezer]

13 hours ago, wwest5829 said:

Thanks but my 800,000 baht is invested and earning me income helping support my retirement. Poor financial decision for me to park in a Thai bank.

I couldn’t justify not bringing the 800,000THB to Thailand on these grounds.  The difference in interest between banks in Thailand and banks in UK is negligible.