Confused about Thai approved health insurance for yearly extension based on Non Imm O-A visa

[JimGant]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

Your presumption is not correct.  The premium stated is applicable for anyone within that age bracket. 

You being 75 years of age your annual premium will be 11.400 THB.

Read the information posted immediately below the chart numbers:

Quote

Remarks : -
1. Standard premium for each age band for the first policy year only.

Thus, the premium goes up every year: Subtracting 11,400 (age 71 premium) from 16,900 (age 76 premium) gives an annual increase of 1100; thus a premium of 15,800 at age 75. Actually, the annual increase is probably less at the earlier years, more at the latter -- but averaging out to 1100 per year.

 

Quote

But if you subscribed before 76 years of age, you can prolonge it every year (at the 16.900 THB annual premium).

Hardly. I doubt the annual increase averages 1100 up to age 100 -- it's certainly more. But, if 1100, your age 100 premium would be 43,300 -- not enough to pay for diapers and oxygen, let alone the intravenous food feedings. Which reminds me -- better make sure my Living Will is current.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, Langsuan Man said:

Sorry Peter, wrong highlighted chart, I am in the 71-75 (72) bracket at 11,400 THB per year from LMG

Hi Langsuan Man,

In that case, applying for an METV in your home-country would be the easiest and cheapest option.  And since you resent the thai IO-approved health-insurance scam (same goes for me) you would not be contributing to this racket, as an METV does not require any mandatory health-insurance.

[Peter Denis]

33 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Read the information posted immediately below the chart numbers:

Thus, the premium goes up every year: Subtracting 11,400 (age 71 premium) from 16,900 (age 76 premium) gives an annual increase of 1100; thus a premium of 15,800 at age 75. Actually, the annual increase is probably less at the earlier years, more at the latter -- but averaging out to 1100 per year.

 

Hardly. I doubt the annual increase averages 1100 up to age 100 -- it's certainly more. But, if 1100, your age 100 premium would be 43,300 -- not enough to pay for diapers and oxygen, let alone the intravenous food feedings. Which reminds me -- better make sure my Living Will is current.

Wow, you are really of the argumentative kind even if you are WRONG.

I know a Non Imm O-A Visa holder whose extension of stay was up for renewal, but with the borders being closed was not able to conduct his initial plan and switch to a Non Imm O Visa.

He followed my advice and subscribed to the LMG Insurance Plan 1 policy (with 200K deductable).  Since he was 67 years of age he fell in the 61 to 70 years age bracket, and he paid 7.700 THB for the policy, and then successfully applied for his 1-year O-A retirement extension at his local IO.

Yourself being 75 years of age will fall in the 71 to 75 years age bracket, and your annual premium for the Plan 1 (200K deductable) policy will be 11.400 THB.

Have a nice day!

 

 

[JimGant]

51 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Since he was 67 years of age he fell in the 61 to 70 years age bracket, and he paid 7.700 THB for the policy,

Ok, apparently you get the age 61 premium for the first year's policy if you fall anywhere in that age bracket. Thus, at age 75 I'd get the age 71 one year premium of of 11,400. My misinterpretation. Sorry. But, I'll only need LMG for one year, so that's a little serendipity in premium I hadn't accounted for.

But, it's when you go to renew that they've got you -- that one time good deal premium, if you're at the latter stage of bracket, evaporates when you go to renew (per para 7, below). Fortunately, I don't plan to renew (unless they move the insurance requirement to Non Imm O's..)

 

Quote

Remarks : -
1. Standard premium for each age band for the first policy year only.

7. Renewal year premium will be adjusted according to increasing age of each insured person. Each insured person may be
charged higher, up to 100 percent of standard premium, according to claims experiences (Loss Ratio) of the previous policy

Quote

But if you subscribed before 76 years of age, you can prolonge it every year (at the 16.900 THB annual premium).

Don't believe so, at least not according to para 7, above. Just hope I won't have to renew....

[Peter Denis]

12 minutes ago, JimGant said:

...

But, it's when you go to renew that they've got you -- that one time good deal premium, if you're at the latter stage of bracket, evaporates when you go to renew (per para 7, below). Fortunately, I don't plan to renew (unless they move the insurance requirement to Non Imm O's..)

...

Yes, the sensible way is to switch to a Non Imm O - retirement Visa (as per my Guideline document).  But unfortunately that's not possible now with the borders closed and the unclarity about possible quarantine/insurance requirements once the borders open again.

So the LMG Insurance policy is an affordable way to make the best of the present situation, but once things are somewhat normalized again I would once again recommend Non Imm O-A Visa holders to convert to a Non imm O - retirement Visa and subsequent extensions, which do not impose that mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance.

[yamadajr]

May I ask if anyone that has applied for the LMG Insurance policy has been denied due to pre-existing conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancer, etc.)?  Just trying to get an idea of how strict their underwriters are as I will be helping a friend apply soon. Thanks.

[Peter Denis]

53 minutes ago, yamadajr said:

May I ask if anyone that has applied for the LMG Insurance policy has been denied due to pre-existing conditions (e.g. diabetes, cancer, etc.)?  Just trying to get an idea of how strict their underwriters are as I will be helping a friend apply soon. Thanks.

Most subscribers do NOT intend to make use of the LMG Insurance health-insurance (the coverage is very limited, and many exceptions for any claims you would file), and ONLY use it as the cheapest possible 'entry-ticket' that allows you to apply for the 1-year extension of stay of your Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

So in that case it is recommended NOT to tick any pre-existing conditions on their extensive application checklist (even if you have them).  There is no medical exam required, so your application for the LMG Insurance policy will then be approved without any questions.

Doing so can hardly be seen as 'fraud' since it is not your intention to ever make a claim, and even if you do so the pre-existing condition will only have your claim refused.

 

[JetsetBkk]

On 5/16/2020 at 1:42 PM, Peter Denis said:

And if you subscribe to a thai IO-approved health-insurance policy, you need to have the 1-year policy start on the same day that your new approved 1-year permission to stay commences as both of them need to be aligned.

Sorry to butt in to your thread, but I was searching for "same day" for another reason and found this post.

 

My "Thai IO-approved health-insurance policy" expires in March next year. I got it way too early as my extension expired in May this year. However, my new extension expires on the same date in May next year.

 

So Phuket Immigration clearly do not insist that the health insurance and permission to stay must be aligned.

 

Or maybe they didn't notice.

 

[Peter Denis]

6 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

...

My "Thai IO-approved health-insurance policy" expires in March next year. I got it way too early as my extension expired in May this year. However, my new extension expires on the same date in May next year.

 

So Phuket Immigration clearly do not insist that the health insurance and permission to stay must be aligned.

Or maybe they didn't notice.

Thanks for the report.

According to the Police Order the 1-year extension of stay will be capped to the expiry date of the mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance policy. 

But in your case, the reason that your 1-year extension was not capped is a different one.

Being that PHUKET IO does not enforce the mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance anymore when applying for a 1-year extension based on your Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

Afaik Phuket are the only IO nation-wide not requiring it anymore at least till October, after which they will evaluate their 'experiment'.

Probably a way of stopping the bleeding from Non O-A Visa holders applying for 1-year extensions for reason of marriage, or switching to a Non Imm O - retirement Visa. 

We can only hope that the sensible Phuket IO approach of not enforcing this mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance scam will be continued after October and taken over by other IOs nation-wide.

[JimGant]

20 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

So in that case it is recommended NOT to tick any pre-existing conditions on their extensive application checklist (even if you have them).   ....and even if you do so the [discovered] pre-existing condition will only have your claim refused.

Yeah, their policy is written so that you'll be denied coverage for any pre-existing condition that they get the slightest whiff of, and which you forgot to mention. It looks like this joke policy would only cover an accident, although they'd probably say you had a preexisting condition of nearsightedness, thus it's your fault you didn't see the oncoming truck. Anyway, I decided it would look a little suspicious if I didn't check any of the multiple preexisting condition boxes, so I've chosen a couple of tame ones, like arthritis successfully treated with nsaids.

 

My biggest question before I apply is: Has there been any resolution (or near resolution) on what dates the policy should cover? My extension expires 12 Sept -- should my LMG policy begin on 13 Sept, which would make sense, unless the policy's effective timedate is not 0001, but, say, 1600 of 13 Sept? (This scenario somehow sticks in my mind from a previous poster's report.). Or, maybe have the policy's effective date be 12 Aug, a month before expiration and thus allowing me a month ahead to go to Immigration -- no big deal that my new extension is a month shorter, since this still gives me plenty of time to subsequently go get my Non Imm O visa. But, isn't there a report that Immigration wouldn't back up the expiration date of the new extension, based on the insurance policy dates, but sent the applicant to LMG to re-write the policy to coincide with the existing cycle? Peter, any amplification on this? Thanx.

[Peter Denis]

53 minutes ago, JimGant said:

1 - Yeah, their policy is written so that you'll be denied coverage for any pre-existing condition that they get the slightest whiff of, and which you forgot to mention. It looks like this joke policy would only cover an accident, although they'd probably say you had a preexisting condition of nearsightedness, thus it's your fault you didn't see the oncoming truck. Anyway, I decided it would look a little suspicious if I didn't check any of the multiple preexisting condition boxes, so I've chosen a couple of tame ones, like arthritis successfully treated with nsaids.

 

2 - My biggest question before I apply is: Has there been any resolution (or near resolution) on what dates the policy should cover? My extension expires 12 Sept -- should my LMG policy begin on 13 Sept, which would make sense, unless the policy's effective timedate is not 0001, but, say, 1600 of 13 Sept? (This scenario somehow sticks in my mind from a previous poster's report.). Or, maybe have the policy's effective date be 12 Aug, a month before expiration and thus allowing me a month ahead to go to Immigration -- no big deal that my new extension is a month shorter, since this still gives me plenty of time to subsequently go get my Non Imm O visa. But, isn't there a report that Immigration wouldn't back up the expiration date of the new extension, based on the insurance policy dates, but sent the applicant to LMG to re-write the policy to coincide with the existing cycle? Peter, any amplification on this? Thanx.

1 - Indeed, the LMG Insurance Plan 1 (deductable 200K) policy is worthless coverage-wise.

But that should not be any problem, as it should not be looked at as a substitute for a REAL health-insurance policy that covers your actual health-care needs.

It is only meant as an 'entry-ticket' to meet the thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement, and doing so in the cheapest possible way.

2 - To be sure you need to ask your local IO what they require/accept. 

I did see a report of an O-A Visa holder that opted for an early start of the policy (while his current permission to stay was still running), and his IO did issue his renewed 1-year extension of stay capped to the health-insurance policy expiry date (so he lost 3 weeks).

I also did see a report of an O-A Visa holder where his IO made him change the start date of the insurance policy so that it was aligned with his renewed 1-year permission to stay.

>> My recommendation would be to have the insurer letting the policy start on the day after your current permission to stay expires. 

And that you apply for your 1-year extension of stay 2 or 3 days before your current permission to stay expires.  If your IO handles your permission to stay, the better.  If they want you to return on the last day of your current permission to stay, that would also be OK because they would already have checked the rest of your documentation so that 2nd visit would be a quickie.

But in that case also ask whether they expect you to update your bank-documents for that 2nd visit (reason I would do the application 2-3 days before, which would probably make such an update redundant).

 

[JimGant]

Yeah, guess I'll have to query both the local (CM) LMG folks, plus the agent I've used the last few years to hold my hand, to see which way to go. You'd think between the two of them I'd end up with a valid plan of attack.... We'll see.

[JetsetBkk]

18 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Being that PHUKET IO does not enforce the mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance anymore when applying for a 1-year extension based on your Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

Afaik Phuket are the only IO nation-wide not requiring it anymore at least till October, after which they will evaluate their 'experiment'.

Have you got a link to any official pronouncement about this "October experiment"?

[Peter Denis]

22 minutes ago, JetsetBkk said:

Have you got a link to any official pronouncement about this "October experiment"?

No I don't, and I doubt Phuket IO will officially issue it as it goes against the PoliceOrder re the Non Imm O-A mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement when applying for 1 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement.

But I have 2 other confirmed reports of Non Imm O-A Visa holders applying for a 1-year extension for reason of retirement that were NOT required to provide any evidence of having health-insurance.  So this 'experiment' is ongoing at the moment, and Phuket Volunteers confirmed that it will be evaluated in October, but that till that time there is no need for a health-insurance policy when applying at the Phuket IO for a 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O=A Visa for reason of retirement.

[Martyp]

40 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

No I don't, and I doubt Phuket IO will officially issue it as it goes against the PoliceOrder re the Non Imm O-A mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement when applying for 1 1-year extension of stay for reason of retirement.

But I have 2 other confirmed reports of Non Imm O-A Visa holders applying for a 1-year extension for reason of retirement that were NOT required to provide any evidence of having health-insurance.  So this 'experiment' is ongoing at the moment, and Phuket Volunteers confirmed that it will be evaluated in October, but that till that time there is no need for a health-insurance policy when applying at the Phuket IO for a 1-year extension of stay based on your Non Imm O=A Visa for reason of retirement.

I wonder what it is they are trying to determine with this "experiment". I can only imagine that they want to see if the National Government will tell them to stop experimenting. Otherwise, all they are doing is what they were doing for many years before the insurance requirement was imposed. There is nothing new to learn about that.

[Peter Denis]

28 minutes ago, Martyp said:

I wonder what it is they are trying to determine with this "experiment". I can only imagine that they want to see if the National Government will tell them to stop experimenting. Otherwise, all they are doing is what they were doing for many years before the insurance requirement was imposed. There is nothing new to learn about that.

Phuket IO most probably realized that the mandatory thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement which is applied ONLY to Non Imm O-A Visa holder extensions for reason of retirement, led to many of those O-A Visa holder retirees applying for other category/type Visa that did not had that mandatory requirement.

So instead of imposing that $%^& thai IO-approved health-insurance scam on O-A retirees and creating more work for themselves having to check that requirement and the processing of other category/type Visa from those 'escaping' that requirement, it is far easier for everybody including IO not to enforce it.

The only ones that will not be happy will be the thai TGIA insurers, but their monopoly scheme did not provide the Big Bucks they expected anyway so an IO not enforcing it anymore will make little difference. 

 

[DrDweeb]

Wow, that took a while to read.

 

My O-A expired 2 weeks ago and I am currently stranded outside of Thailand in my home country, not my country of residence.

Due to my regular global travel, I have always re-applied for my O-A in my country of residence after the year has expired, rather than an in-country extension. Further, I have never stayed in Thailand for > 90 days in a row, so I have never had to do a 90 day report and thus I am not in any IO database ????

I cannot see any option for an "O" Visa for me on the Thai Embassy website as I have no dependents or spouse. Am I missing something? So I think not an option for me at this moment, so O-A or 30 day tourist are my options.

 

1. I could buy some real insurance because I am outside Thailand, but it seems getting a non-Thai insurer to sign off on Covid19 coverage is problematic, so this probably does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage entry issue.
2. I would opt for the cheap and cheerful 7200THB "insurance" and apply to the Thai Embassy here for another O-A using this. This would solve my Thailand stay issue but does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage entry issue.
3. I could enter Thailand using my annual travel insurance, however due to having been stranded several months, the 60 day trip travel limit has expired and I have no idea whether Covid19 is covered in any case. This probably does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage issue - I am checking.
4. I could buy "Insurance Scam" insurance and apply to the Thai Embassy here for another O-A using this. This would solve my Thailand stay issue. Do these policies solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage issue? How do they even work logistically when purchasing from outside Thailand?

 

Did I miss any options or issues?

What a clusterf*k

Dweeb

 

 

[JetsetBkk]

25 minutes ago, DrDweeb said:

Covid19 400/40 coverage issue

I have no idea what the above is.

[DrDweeb]

1 hour ago, DrDweeb said:

Wow, that took a while to read.

 

My O-A expired 2 weeks ago and I am currently stranded outside of Thailand in my home country, not my country of residence.

Due to my regular global travel, I have always re-applied for my O-A in my country of residence after the year has expired, rather than an in-country extension. Further, I have never stayed in Thailand for > 90 days in a row, so I have never had to do a 90 day report and thus I am not in any IO database ????

I cannot see any option for an "O" Visa for me on the Thai Embassy website as I have no dependents or spouse. Am I missing something? So I think not an option for me at this moment, so O-A or 30 day tourist are my options.

 

1. I could buy some real insurance because I am outside Thailand, but it seems getting a non-Thai insurer to sign off on Covid19 coverage is problematic, so this probably does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage entry issue.
2. I would opt for the cheap and cheerful 7200THB "insurance" and apply to the Thai Embassy here for another O-A using this. This would solve my Thailand stay issue but does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage entry issue.
3. I could enter Thailand using my annual travel insurance, however due to having been stranded several months, the 60 day trip travel limit has expired and I have no idea whether Covid19 is covered in any case. This probably does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage issue - I am checking.
4. I could buy "Insurance Scam" insurance and apply to the Thai Embassy here for another O-A using this. This would solve my Thailand stay issue. Do these policies solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage issue? How do they even work logistically when purchasing from outside Thailand?

 

Did I miss any options or issues?

What a clusterf*k

Dweeb

 

 

Sorry, brain fade there. The "400/40 coverage" should have read US$100,00 coverage" and I don't seem to able to edit my post.

[Martyp]

19 hours ago, DrDweeb said:

I cannot see any option for an "O" Visa for me on the Thai Embassy website as I have no dependents or spouse. Am I missing something? So I think not an option for me at this moment, so O-A or 30 day tourist are my options.

 

1. I could buy some real insurance because I am outside Thailand, but it seems getting a non-Thai insurer to sign off on Covid19 coverage is problematic, so this probably does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage entry issue.
2. I would opt for the cheap and cheerful 7200THB "insurance" and apply to the Thai Embassy here for another O-A using this. This would solve my Thailand stay issue but does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage entry issue.
3. I could enter Thailand using my annual travel insurance, however due to having been stranded several months, the 60 day trip travel limit has expired and I have no idea whether Covid19 is covered in any case. This probably does not solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage issue - I am checking.
4. I could buy "Insurance Scam" insurance and apply to the Thai Embassy here for another O-A using this. This would solve my Thailand stay issue. Do these policies solve my Covid19 400/40 coverage issue? How do they even work logistically when purchasing from outside Thailand?

 

Did I miss any options or issues?

What a clusterf*k

Dweeb

 

 

 

The Covid19 insurance was something that went into effect for a short time before they closed the borders for all travelers. I'm not sure that still applies when they closed the borders to foreigners. You will probably have to wait to see what the new requirements are for foreigners to enter the country sometime after July 1.

 

Edited May 22, 2020 by Martyp

[DrDweeb]

20 hours ago, Martyp said:

 

The Covid19 insurance was something that went into effect for a short time before they closed the borders for all travelers. I'm not sure that still applies when they closed the borders to foreigners. You will probably have to wait to see what the new requirements are for foreigners to enter the country sometime after July 1.

 

Indeed, but as they used to say in the Soviet, "There is nothing as permanent as a temporary solution". So from a planning perspective, solving the present insurance directive seems prudent.

 

[oznomad]

Anyone with experience of applying for OA (in their home country of course) and trying to line up the LMG insurance dates with it?

[Martyp]

16 hours ago, oznomad said:

Anyone with experience of applying for OA (in their home country of course) and trying to line up the LMG insurance dates with it?

I suggest you not worry about losing a couple of weeks. You get another year stamped in when you leave and re-enter during the first year. Re-align with your insurance company when you renew your policy.

 

To be honest, come here on a non-O and then you don’t have to worry about any connection between your visa and extensions and your insurance policy.

Edited June 3, 2020 by Martyp

[Peter Denis]

16 hours ago, oznomad said:

Anyone with experience of applying for OA (in their home country of course) and trying to line up the LMG insurance dates with it?

 

12 minutes ago, Martyp said:

I suggest you not worry about losing a couple of weeks. You get another year stamped in when you leave and re-enter during the first year. Re-align with your insurance company when you renew your policy.r

 

To be honest, come here on a non-O and then you don’t have to worry about any connection between your visa and extensions and your insurance policy.

Good advice by @Martyp  and if you cannot apply for a Non Imm O retirement Visa in your home-country, you can simply enter Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa and apply for the Non Imm O retirement Visa at your local IO.

However doing so does not have the obvious benefits of a Non Imm O-A Visa, so subscribing to the LMG Insurance Plan 1 (200 K deductible) which does not require a medical exam, is worthwhile to consider as their annual premiums for that thai IO-approved policy are approx 3 to 5 times cheaper than other thai IO-approved health-insurance policies (LMG annual premium amounts to 6.000 THB to 11.400 THB in the age-bracket of 51 to 75 years).

Once you secured your 2nd year with that Non Imm O-A Visa, you could then switch to the Non Imm O - retirement Visa which does not required thai IO-approved health insurance (or apply for the 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O - retirement Visa at the thai consulate in Savannakhet).  Or alternatively you could re-apply for the Non Imm O-A Visa when in your home-country.

>> @oznomadI have PM-ed you a comprehensive guideline document on how to apply for the Non Imm O - retirement Visa, also addressing the Non Imm O-A Visa option (and associated health-insurance options).

To access your PM-messages just click the letter-icon next to your profile when logged in to the Forum.

[JackThompson]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Good advice by @Martyp  and if you cannot apply for a Non Imm O retirement Visa in your home-country, you can simply enter Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa and apply for the Non Imm O retirement Visa at your local IO.

That is not as easy as it sounds at some offices.  The alternative is a Non-O somewhere like Penang or Savannakhet - though some offices do not follow the rules if using income (insist on 12 mo of xfers instead of what the rules say).   The only sure way to avoid this is 800K in the bank, and apply for both steps in Bangkok.

The alternative is to be prepared for a 15K to 20K Baht agent-fee for a "change of visa type" from tourist - and similar fee for the 1-year.  In some areas, like Jomtien, there is a "package" rate of 25K for both steps from multiple agents.

 

In any case, one can avoid buying the raw-deal insurance from ANY company by switching to Non-O (no "A"), which is the only long-term fix.

Edited June 3, 2020 by JackThompson

[Keith5588]

A bit off topic but a heads up for 90 day reporting ONLINE

 

Peter Denis - Thank you again for sending me the 90 day online reporting guide. In it Peter suggested using a different browser if have a problem.

 

I submitted my 90 day report yesterday afternoon.

 

I first used Chrome browser, I did have to change then re-enter the captcha. At the last page it did not show any of my details and would not complete.

I started again but this time I used Microsoft Edge browser.

All was good and submitted  successfully!

 

Unfortunately I cannot be certain why it did not work the first time as it could have been either:-

1. Because I used Chrome browser

2. Because I was very slow finding and entering the correct data.

 

In 3 months time I will use Chrome again and make sure I enter information quickly, hopefully I will conclude if the Browser or taking a long time was the problem.

 

I have just had a look and it has been approved so I have saved the 2 pdf files (The next appointment date and the completed TM47).

 

Because of the amnesty I know that I actually did not need to do the 90 day report but it was a good time to practice.

 

Concerning my 1 year extension of stay I will visit the Khon Kaen LMG office in 2-3 weeks from now then go to Immigration.

Cheers

Keith

[Keith5588]

Yippee! …………. I have just successfully renewed my 1 year extension of Stay based on retirement!

Now I can forget about immigration for nearly a year, apart from doing the 90 day report online.

Also to do more important things like planning a holiday within Thailand.

 

My experience:-

 

15June

I decided to start the process of buying the LMG health insurance for a cost of 7,700 baht.

I live in Khon Kaen and there is an LMG office about 3 km from where I live, in fact there are 2 LMG offices marked on Google Maps, one being totally fake. I know it is easy to inform Google Maps of the error but I did inform the real LMG office so they should do it.

Obviously I went to the fake office that didn’t exist, from there telephoned the real office but my gf was told the lady that spoke English was out of the office and to contact them the next day.

 

16 June

We telephoned and twice was put through to the lady that speaks English ……. Who actually didn’t speak any English at all. It was strange. The tipping point came when the lady said to my girlfriend that LMG cannot offer health insurance to anyone over 60, enough is enough!

 

I started contact with LMG in Bangkok.

I also telephoned Khon Kaen Immigration and the lady said that it would be OK to have the health insurance start 24th June and for me to visit them 25th June. I said that my current extension ends 1 July, can she tell me when my new extension will finish. She said that if approved they would renew my extension for 1 year. Sounds good but you can never be sure until it happens.

 

19 June.

Application approved and my transfer of 7,700 confirmed.

All went reasonable smoothly with LMG Bangkok. The application form was in pdf format and I could not easily write to it. No big problem I printed the application form at a nearby copy shop. Filled it in. I selected to have the certificate emailed to me (not by mail). I selected to start the insurance 24 June.

I took photos of each page and emailed them to LMG.

 

22 June

I received the certificate as an email attachment …….. I now have everything needed to visit on the 25th. The email stated that the full policy will be mailed to my address.

I emailed straight back asking for the policy to be emailed to me. I prefer to keep everything as computer files and not paper. 

I received a reply that it had already been posted. I did mention that I am posting in a forum and would like to know if everything could be sent via email. I just received that they usually include other things like a care card which is why they print it out.

 

25 June

Visit to immigration went smoothly. The IO actually commented that all my paperwork was perfect …… nice lady!

Note

My original extension of stay finished 1 July 2020.

My new extension of stay finishes 24 June 2021 which is when my health insurance finishes.

Also she paper clipped the notice that I need to do a 90 day report on the 22 Sept 2020.

She had done another 90 day report today.

I did an online 90 day report at home on the 2nd of this month that gave me 30 Aug as my next 90 date report date.

So she could not see or missed my online 90 day report and did another one ……. No problem.

She confirmed I can do it online again next time, now I am not sure whether to do it on 30 Aug or 22 Sept, not really a big problem.

I also asked if I need to visit immigration in 3 months to confirm my bank balance, she definitely said no (I asked twice).

 

So no more visits to immigration for nearly 1 year ……….. I’m happy.

 

When I arrived home I had the LMG mail. It was a package, you know the cardboard wallet thing that I hate because it is bigger than A4 size.  It contained other information as well as the policy so I can see a bit why they send it by mail but I would still prefer everything in computer files.

 

As I think I wrote earlier I decided 3 years ago to self insure so I did not want to buy insurance. So for me not having any other health insurance it does have a little value, included was a nice plastic card to put in my phone case.

 

For me hopefully rules will change before June next year or I will do a boarder run and change my visa to type O.

 

Good luck to everyone

Keith

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, Keith5588 said:

...

25 June

Visit to immigration went smoothly. The IO actually commented that all my paperwork was perfect …… nice lady!

Note

My original extension of stay finished 1 July 2020.

My new extension of stay finishes 24 June 2021 which is when my health insurance finishes.

Also she paper clipped the notice that I need to do a 90 day report on the 22 Sept 2020.

She had done another 90 day report today.

I did an online 90 day report at home on the 2nd of this month that gave me 30 Aug as my next 90 date report date.

So she could not see or missed my online 90 day report and did another one ……. No problem.

She confirmed I can do it online again next time, now I am not sure whether to do it on 30 Aug or 22 Sept, not really a big problem.

I also asked if I need to visit immigration in 3 months to confirm my bank balance, she definitely said no (I asked twice).

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Thanks for the report and glad to hear everything went smoothly (as it should).

Three comments:

> There was no need to let the health-insurance policy start earlier than your permission to stay expiry date.  If you had opted to let it start the day after permission to stay expiry date, you would have gotten the full 1-year permission to stay which is now capped till expiry date of your annual health-insurance policy.

> Some IOs (like yours) make use of the occasion when you apply for the 1-year extension of stay to file a new 90-day report.  A nice practice and kudos to those offices that do this.  So 22 september is now your next 90-day reporting due date.

> Luckily your Khon Kaen office does not follow the practice of some rogue offices that insist on yourreporting back after 3 months to check whether your bank-balance has not slipped under the 800K tresshold when using the money-in-bank method for your retirement extension.

[Keith5588]

Thanks Peter,

 

Concerning your first point I’m still not 100% clear on what is best to do. I thought in the past I had read that the IO checks to see that you have current health insurance and that it is on the TGIA database. If I had the insurance start on the 2 July do you think the IO would have issued me with the extension today? 

I really would not want to have to go to immigration on the very last day i.e. 1 July, if there is a delay or something goes wrong then I would be on overstay.

I know it does not apply this year because of the amnesty.

 

A year ago the KK office did say I should visit to show them my bank account. Maybe things have changed a bit or relaxed because of the virus? Or maybe just a different IO?

I have been told I do not need to so I am not, however I always just keep the money in that bank account untouched.

 

Cheers

Keith

[DrJack54]

11 minutes ago, Keith5588 said:

If I had the insurance start on the 2 July do you think the IO would have issued me with the extension today?

I could have this wrong. I was thinking your insurance needs to start prior to you applying for your extension. Some strange issue about the insurance commencing late afternoon (4.30pm ?). Hence extension would need to be applied for minimum 1 day post your insurance. Your extension would lose the number of days you went post your policy.