Changing B Visa to Medical visa

[Tom Vanderlay]

Hello

I am currently working and am on a B extension, have been for a while.  I have recently gotten diagnosed with a serious medical condition and will require surgery.  I will have to resign (or accept a severance package currently being offered) from my job due to this surgery and recovery time.  Can I get (or convert to) a medical visa if I am having this surgery in Thailand?  Thank you.    

[ubonjoe]

You cannot apply for a visa while in the country.

You can apply for a extension of stay for medical treatment when your current  extension is canceled. It can be issued up to 90 days per application for it.

General requirements for it is here at at number 25. https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=1890

[Tom Vanderlay]

23 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You cannot apply for a visa while in the country.

You can apply for a extension of stay for medical treatment when your current  extension is canceled. It can be issued up to 90 days per application for it.

General requirements for it is here at at number 25. https://www.immigration.go.th/en/?page_id=1890

Thanks Joe.  Just to clarify, I need to wait until the day it is cancelled, then go to immigration and submit the paperwork?   Can I have an agent do it?  Thanks.

 

[ubonjoe]

12 minutes ago, Tom Vanderlay said:

Thanks Joe.  Just to clarify, I need to wait until the day it is cancelled, then go to immigration and submit the paperwork?   Can I have an agent do it?  Thanks.

 

You would cancel your current extension a and apply for the extension for medical care on the same day.

I assume an agent could do it if they had all the supporting documents from you doctor and/or the hospital.

[RegularGuy77]

If someone applies dot extension due to medical reasons, wha is the maximum allowable time allowed? Can you get multiple medical extensions back to back?

 

[ubonjoe]

11 minutes ago, RegularGuy77 said:

If someone applies dot extension due to medical reasons, wha is the maximum allowable time allowed? Can you get multiple medical extensions back to back?

 

They can be issued up to 90 days each time a application is done. There is no limit for the number of them that can be issued as long as the supporting documents state it is needed.

[BritTim]

A word of warning: immigration offices tend to be very strict about giving medical  extensions. It might be prudent to discuss you plans with the local immigration office, and confirm that they will accept that you are unable to travel with your current medical issues, and that they will provide the medical extension. If you are aged over 50, consider trying for a retirement extension instead.

[DrJack54]

@Sheryl may have some advice. 

[RegularGuy77]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

They can be issued up to 90 days each time a application is done. There is no limit for the number of them that can be issued as long as the supporting documents state it is needed.

Thanks Ubon for the information 

[Sheryl]

As Ubon Joe has explained, you cannot get a medical visa (and these visas are cumbersome to obtain and confer no benefits vs tourist visas).

 

However you can get an extension of stay on medical grounds if you obtain a letter form the hospital treating you which provides details of your condition states you are unable to travel. Note that being so ill you cannot travel is the criteria, not merely having medical treatment here. Typically these extensions are for 90 days (3 months).

 

But before going that route you might reconsider resignation. Where do you work? (Thai company, foreign company, private school etc?) Under Thai labor laws employees are entitled to unlimited sick leave (though only 30 days a year of that are paid) provided of course they are still sick. In other words you cannot be required to resign, even though you are unable to work for an extended period of time.  This is clearly spelled out in the Labour Protection Act. If you are employed by a private school, they are exempt from that act, but their  contracts are supposed to provide benefits not less than those for teachers in government schools which would suggest that sick benefit should be the same, though this is nto explicit.

 

If you are covered under Thai Social Security, then whatever you decide make sure the health cover continues. (If you do resign you can continue it on a self pay basis).

[Tom Vanderlay]

50 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

As Ubon Joe has explained, you cannot get a medical visa (and these visas are cumbersome to obtain and confer no benefits vs tourist visas).

 

However you can get an extension of stay on medical grounds if you obtain a letter form the hospital treating you which provides details of your condition states you are unable to travel. Note that being so ill you cannot travel is the criteria, not merely having medical treatment here. Typically these extensions are for 90 days (3 months).

 

But before going that route you might reconsider resignation. Where do you work? (Thai company, foreign company, private school etc?) Under Thai labor laws employees are entitled to unlimited sick leave (though only 30 days a year of that are paid) provided of course they are still sick. In other words you cannot be required to resign, even though you are unable to work for an extended period of time.  This is clearly spelled out in the Labour Protection Act. If you are employed by a private school, they are exempt from that act, but their  contracts are supposed to provide benefits not less than those for teachers in government schools which would suggest that sick benefit should be the same, though this is nto explicit.

 

If you are covered under Thai Social Security, then whatever you decide make sure the health cover continues. (If you do resign you can continue it on a self pay basis).

Thank you for your reply.  I would be too ill to travel as I will have to have major surgery.  I would contemplate a retirement visa (i am over 50), but I am not sure I will have 800,000 left after paying for the surgery.  I believe I need to have this in a Thai bank when applying .

It is a foreign owned language school, and I'm not sure about their medical leave policy, I havent conferred with them yet.  But that is interesting about:

   "their  contracts are supposed to provide benefits not less than those for teachers in government schools which would suggest that sick benefit should be the same"

I wish I had a confidant to find out this information.  30 days might be enough for me to recover, though even at that I will probably need more time.  Sternum is probably getting cracked open.  

[Ohyesuare]

3 minutes ago, Tom Vanderlay said:

Thank you for your reply.  I would be too ill to travel as I will have to have major surgery.  I would contemplate a retirement visa (i am over 50), but I am not sure I will have 800,000 left after paying for the surgery.  I believe I need to have this in a Thai bank when applying .

It is a foreign owned language school, and I'm not sure about their medical leave policy, I havent conferred with them yet.  But that is interesting about:

   "their  contracts are supposed to provide benefits not less than those for teachers in government schools which would suggest that sick benefit should be the same"

I wish I had a confidant to find out this information.  30 days might be enough for me to recover, though even at that I will probably need more time.  Sternum is probably getting cracked open.  

If you're going with an agent anyway for the medical extension, talk to them about the 800k requirement as well first.

Edited March 27, 2022 by Ohyesuare

[Sheryl]

5 minutes ago, Tom Vanderlay said:

Thank you for your reply.  I would be too ill to travel as I will have to have major surgery.  I would contemplate a retirement visa (i am over 50), but I am not sure I will have 800,000 left after paying for the surgery.  I believe I need to have this in a Thai bank when applying .

It is a foreign owned language school, and I'm not sure about their medical leave policy, I havent conferred with them yet.  But that is interesting about:

   "their  contracts are supposed to provide benefits not less than those for teachers in government schools which would suggest that sick benefit should be the same"

I wish I had a confidant to find out this information.  30 days might be enough for me to recover, though even at that I will probably need more time.  Sternum is probably getting cracked open.  

 

Yes, you would need either 800K in the bank or proof of monthly income of 65k a month to get an extension of stay for retirement.

 

What does your contract say regarding sick leave? How much accumukated sick leave do you have?

 

First step should be to discuss the situation with your employer.  Specifically, ask about  taking an unpaid leave of absence after whatever paid sick leave you have accumulated runs out.

 

That would be the first approach. If they are uncooperative/try to force you to resign I suggest you start a thread in the teaching forum for advice on how to appeal this. But first approach should be a mutual agreement.

 

With open heart surgery, some people are indeed able to resume non-physically strenuous work after 30 days but this can't be assumed, some need longer. Six weeks is about average.

 

Note that many types of cardiac problems, including valve disease and coronary artery disease, can be corrected through less invasive approaches these days. With correspondingly quicker recovery.

 

 

[Tom Vanderlay]

34 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

Yes, you would need either 800K in the bank or proof of monthly income of 65k a month to get an extension of stay for retirement.

 

What does your contract say regarding sick leave? How much accumukated sick leave do you have?

 

First step should be to discuss the situation with your employer.  Specifically, ask about  taking an unpaid leave of absence after whatever paid sick leave you have accumulated runs out.

 

That would be the first approach. If they are uncooperative/try to force you to resign I suggest you start a thread in the teaching forum for advice on how to appeal this. But first approach should be a mutual agreement.

 

With open heart surgery, some people are indeed able to resume non-physically strenuous work after 30 days but this can't be assumed, some need longer. Six weeks is about average.

 

Note that many types of cardiac problems, including valve disease and coronary artery disease, can be corrected through less invasive approaches these days. With correspondingly quicker recovery.

 

 

Many thanks for spending the time to write.  Just looked at my current contract and it mentions 
 

"Any other statutory leave which you are eligible for will be given as per the local law."

So then I guess they are following the 30 day policy as per Thailand?  Will have to make sure of this.

Yes, I'm looking into TAVI/TAVR.  I've only found 1 doctor so far who is not emphatically insisting "you're too young" (mid 50's), before I even finish saying it.  Age is only 1 factor, everything has to be taken into account.  

   

[DrJack54]

That goodness we have mods like ubonjoe and @Sheryl

[Dart12]

I am definitely not an expert at the visa laws in Thailand.  Actually, the more information I get, the more confused I become as all the info I get comes from reputable sources...or immigration themselves.

For example, It was required by the immigration office I used that I HAD to get a criminal background check to get an ED visa...saying all long term visas need them.  I am told that is the opposite by very trusted resources.  

However, it seems each independent immigration office makes their own rules.

That said, I came across several Agencies and immigration offices that will convert you to an education visa IN country, thru actual schools you could take classes, if you run up against a wall in other options.   

It was 25k for 3 months, and 40k for 9 months when I did mine. They cancelled my volunteer visa and issued an education.

I was even on overstay.  However, you should apply with about 30 days left on your current.  It is 3 to 4 week processing process. 

[Sheryl]

OP: to avoid cluttering this thread with health matters and since you may also still need to post on the visa issue I have split out the purely health related posts into this new topic  https://aseannow.com/topic/1254920-transcatheter-heart-valve-repair/#comment-17271400

 

[Tom Vanderlay]

8 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

OP: to avoid cluttering this thread with health matters and since you may also still need to post on the visa issue I have split out the purely health related posts into this new topic  https://aseannow.com/topic/1254920-transcatheter-heart-valve-repair/#comment-17271400

 

Understood