Had My O/A extension Retirement Extended for 12 months Chiang Mai. I Cannot get health Insurance aged 81 and had a Cancer operation six years ago. I was told they view applications Case by Case. So I was given the extension .

Edited June 17, 20206 yr by sirwilly

Immigration using common sense, I hope the New Normal

did you do the extension yourself Sir or use an agent ?

regards Worgeordie

 

No Agent , Never used one I have a Thai Partner who came with me .

Heartening news. Let us hope a similar humane attitude is displayed by immigration offices across the rest of the Kingdom.

 

Just one question: Were you asked to provide proof of having sufficient funds in a Thai bank to cover the cost of a medical emergency or other expensive treatment? 

 

Good luck - enjoy many more twilight years!

 

 

Edited June 18, 20206 yr by Krataiboy

No Just the usual 800,000 Baht which i leave in year by year, 

49 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Heartening news. Let us hope a similar humane attitude is displayed by immigration offices across the rest of the Kingdom.

Phuket have also recently been reported on here as having waived the mandatory health insurance requirement for retirement extensions based on OA visas:-

 

 

Wow, wonderful news. Gives me hope for a bit further down the road...

9 minutes ago, Scott Tracy said:

Wow, wonderful news. Gives me hope for a bit further down the road...

Yes for sure, however I'm now 73 but you do worry for the future, I've been last week to IO, and have non-O, with 800,000 on a account.....I'm happy, I can stay one year again.

Hi

I'm in a similar situation but with

non Imm O Married extension.

with Re Entry Permit valid until 20 April as due to return to Thailand

30 March but was prevented by Covid19.

Fit and Healthy but age 83 finding it impossible to get Health Insurance.

My Wife is in Thailand having had to make Urgent visit due to Sister being killed in traffic accident.

I have Yellow House Book in my name for our property, and funds permanently in Thailand Bank for 

"Married Visa "

Can anyone help

thank you

FGPG

 

10 hours ago, FGPG said:

non Imm O Married extension.

with Re Entry Permit valid until 20 April as due to return to Thailand

30 March but was prevented by Covid19.

Fit and Healthy but age 83 finding it impossible to get Health Insurance.

You best option is to apply for single entry non-o visa based upon at a embassy or consulate so you can apply for new extension when your are able to return.

I suggest you contact the Thai embassy about getting cleared for a flight to here. Even better might be for you wife to contact them about it.

Insurance is not required to apply for your extension. But you may need covid 19 insurance coverage of $100,000 US to enter here.

12 hours ago, FGPG said:

Hi

I'm in a similar situation but with

non Imm O Married extension.

with Re Entry Permit valid until 20 April as due to return to Thailand

30 March but was prevented by Covid19.

Your re-enter permit was only valid for the duration of your extension, meaning your extension has expired.

As UJ stated, you could apply for a Non O Visa to enter Thailand, then apply for a new extension within the last 30 days of the 90 day entry from the Non Imm O Visa.

No health Insurance is required for the Non O Visa or subsequent extensions from it.

 

The other alternative is to enter Visa exempt, then apply for a conversion to a Non O, then extension at your local Immigration office.

 

The above is subject to being able to return to Thailand in the first instance and any conditions imposed for entry.

22 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

As UJ stated, you could apply for a Non O Visa to enter Thailand, then apply for a new extension within the last 30 days of the 90 day entry from the Non Imm O Visa.

Haave to wait now till they allow foreigners with Thai family to enter. May be July/Aug will be my guess.

@sirwilly

I think it's not because you have medical problems and elderly, the Phuket case proved that isn't the case.

 

It's because immigration have relaxed the rule for those who got the OA visa prior to a certain date. Health insurance still applies to new applicants.

On 6/20/2020 at 8:24 AM, EricTh said:

It's because immigration have relaxed the rule for those who got the OA visa prior to a certain date. Health insurance still applies to new applicants.

iMHO it's more a case of a couple of immigration offices (as things currently stand) now applying the rule correctly, with the mandatory health insurance requirement being restricted to those who have obtained OA visas since last November. 

Edited June 22, 20206 yr by OJAS

On 6/17/2020 at 1:33 PM, sirwilly said:

No Agent , Never used one I have a Thai Partner who came with me .

If one is married to a Thai woman, I have read one does not need the Thai Insurance for a  1-year Marriage extension on a permission to stay associated with a Type-OA visa. 

 

I've also read/been told the paperwork for the 'marriage extension' greatly exceeds the 'retirement extension' paperwork.  Nobody (?) likes too much paperwork.

 

Given you have a Thai partner, and since you meet the higher financial requirements for the 'retirement' extension, possibly the Immigration decided rather than fight the extra paperwork (for an extension based on 'marriage'), to simply grant you the 1-year extension based on retirement.   ...  It makes sense to me (to reduce paperwork - when ultimately you likely did qualify for a 1-year extension).    Glad to read it worked for you.

25 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

If one is married to a Thai woman, I have read one does not need the Thai Insurance for a  1-year Marriage extension on a permission to stay associated with a Type-OA visa.

You are correct. No insurance required to extend non O-A if extension based on marriage.

Interestingly, on the Immigration Bureau website which has seemingly just been revamped, there appears to be no dicky-bird mention of the mandatory health insurance requirement for retirement extensions based on original OA visas!

 

https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=1890 then scroll down to 22

 

Likely that this omission was accidental, though, I think.????

Edited June 28, 20206 yr by OJAS

46 minutes ago, OJAS said:

Interestingly, on the Immigration Bureau website which has seemingly just been revamped, there appears to be no dicky-bird mention of the mandatory health insurance requirement for retirement extensions based on original OA visas!

They have not changed the requirements on their website for a long time. Did you notice that it has not been changed to show the change done in March of last year (800k 2 months before and 3 months after and etc).