What if you're too ill?

KhaoYai · April 21, 2022

Just looking at possibilities for the future.

What happens if you are too ill to renew an extension of stay or do a 90 day report? What if the problem is mental health rather than physical? Would attempts be made to deport you or can you nominate someone, possibly your wife to do these things for you? I can imagine problems proving income etc.

None of us are going to live forever and many linger for months once they become ill. In the event of the problem being a mental one such as Alzheimer's disease you may be incapacitated for years. I remember my mother's last few years - no way could she have applied for an extension of stay for example. So what happens? Do Immigration show some understanding in such cases?

ubonjoe · April 21, 2022

If unable to travel to immigration you can designate somebody to the extension with proof you cannot attend in person.

Anybody can do your 90 day reports for you. You can also do your 90 day reports online if unable to do it somebody could do it for your.

KhaoYai · April 21, 2022

Thanks Joe.

KhaoYai · April 21, 2022

@DrJack54

Why the confused Icon? You don't feel its a legitimate question or do you think nobody ever gets ill?

mackayae · April 21, 2022

I did an extension based on retirement for a friend who was in the hospital.

Gave IM his passport, fee and showed a photo of him in the ICU. It was one of the easiest renewals in memory.

scubascuba3 · April 21, 2022

I'd use an agent if it was me.

If you couldn't even do that then it's likely you'd die before they found out you were on overstay

KhaoYai · April 21, 2022

Many questions are asked time after time. I don't use the search option here because it rarely finds what I'm looking for. Using Google - maybe but your wording is probably not the same as I or others would use.

Also, rules and regulations change - nothing wrong with keeping up to date.

In my opinion, my question is completely legitimate - if you have nothing to add, you're not forced to reply.

CharlieH · April 21, 2022

Reported post and replies removed.

verticalift · April 22, 2022

Retain a reputable Int’l Law Firm and grant them “Power of Attorney” for such issues.

I have an American neighbor from Hawaii who sadly came down with Parkinson’s Disease about 10 years ago. He remains inside his home, unable to leave, except for occasional trips to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. He has “Care Givers” looking after him 24/7.

All Immigration / legal issues are taken care of for him by the lawyers in the Law Firm he retained.

Be aware that granting the same rights to friends, or wives could be dangerous for both you and your assets. Trust no one….

brianthainess · April 22, 2022

33 minutes ago, verticalift said:

Retain a reputable Int’l Law Firm and grant them “Power of Attorney” for such issues.

I have an American neighbor from Hawaii who sadly came down with Parkinson’s Disease about 10 years ago. He remains inside his home, unable to leave, except for occasional trips to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. He has “Care Givers” looking after him 24/7.

All Immigration / legal issues are taken care of for him by the lawyers in the Law Firm he retained.

Be aware that granting the same rights to friends, or wives could be dangerous for both you and your assets. Trust no one….

I have a friend who has Motor Neurone Disease (MND) he stays home and can't even use his arms, can barely walk or sit upright, He has a full time carer, Luckily we have an Agent nearby. Every month I have to use the ATM for him to take out cash, His Thai Wife, took every Baht he had and left him alone to fend for his self, I drove 8hrs to rescue him and found accommodation and a carer 3min from me. Yep Trust No One.

ubonjoe · April 22, 2022

1 hour ago, verticalift said:

Retain a reputable Int’l Law Firm and grant them “Power of Attorney” for such issues.

Thai is not required to apply for a extension at immigration that this topic is about.

smutcakes · April 22, 2022

Not sure about extension of stay, but for 90 day report anyone can do it for you, even without a power of attorney. The expats in our office used to just send motorbike taxis or company motorbike delivery guys.

FriendlyFarang · April 22, 2022

I think there is no official regulation to make it easier for ill people.

You have to apply for the extension in person and if you don't do it you are on overstay.

Maybe with a doctors note that you are bedridden or so you can avoid going to immigration yourself.

But from a practicial point of view:

Afaik immigration doesn't check their records for who is on overstay and tries to catch these people. They only catch people who somehow end up in trouble and have contact with police or similar.

So an ill person who only stays at home and plans to die in Thailand has nearly zero chance to be caught on overstay.

ubonjoe · April 22, 2022

10 minutes ago, FriendlyFarang said:

I think there is no official regulation to make it easier for ill people.

You have to apply for the extension in person and if you don't do it you are on overstay.

There is certainly a rule that allows for somebody to do the extension application and it is mentioned on the TM7 form for them.

Grusa · April 22, 2022

I took my wifes' late godfather to immigration to renew his extension. He was not late at the time, simply old and frail.

He was fast-tracked to the head of the queue, and done in five minutes. "Don't ever bring him back", they said, "just bring a photo".

To be fair, he did reduce the place to chaos with his Zimmer whilst he was there!

Sure enough, the next year a photo did the job.

murraynz · April 22, 2022

3 hours ago, verticalift said:

Retain a reputable Int’l Law Firm and grant them “Power of Attorney” for such issues.

I have an American neighbor from Hawaii who sadly came down with Parkinson’s Disease about 10 years ago. He remains inside his home, unable to leave, except for occasional trips to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. He has “Care Givers” looking after him 24/7.

All Immigration / legal issues are taken care of for him by the lawyers in the Law Firm he retained.

Be aware that granting the same rights to friends, or wives could be dangerous for both you and your assets. Trust no one….

ivor bigun · April 22, 2022

3 hours ago, brianthainess said:

I have a friend who has Motor Neurone Disease (MND) he stays home and can't even use his arms, can barely walk or sit upright, He has a full time carer, Luckily we have an Agent nearby. Every month I have to use the ATM for him to take out cash, His Thai Wife, took every Baht he had and left him alone to fend for his self, I drove 8hrs to rescue him and found accommodation and a carer 3min from me. Yep Trust No One.

You cant say trust no one,when i was very ill my wife and son did everything for me ,almost lived in the hospital ,my daughter in the UK said when her half brother rang to tell her he was in tears and he is in his 20s , i trust my family here and in the UK .

Eff1n2ret · April 22, 2022

1 hour ago, FriendlyFarang said:

So an ill person who only stays at home and plans to die in Thailand has nearly zero chance to be caught on overstay.

That is pretty much the reality. Perhaps no-one plans where they will die, but if someone is too ill to be moved, Immigration would prefer not to know. I had a pal who had a massive stroke, his wife forgot to renew his extension on time and went along several months late They took one look at a photo of the poor chap, bedridden with a gruesome hole in his skull, and told her not to come back. There he remained until he died 3 or 4 years later.

Surasak · April 22, 2022

Immigration is not always the oga it is made out to be. As in all walks of life, in any country, there are good, bad and indifferent. There also people who will give you the runaround just because they can. Those are the kind to treat with the contempt they so obviously deserve.

StayinThailand2much · April 22, 2022

4 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

There is certainly a rule that allows for somebody to do the extension application and it is mentioned on the TM7 form for them.

That reads like 'physically' disabled only.

StayinThailand2much · April 22, 2022

21 minutes ago, Surasak said:

Immigration is not always the oga it is made out to be. As in all walks of life, in any country, there are good, bad and indifferent. There also people who will give you the runaround just because they can. Those are the kind to treat with the contempt they so obviously deserve.

There is a lot of illegal and questionable things going on at Immigration (offices) in Thailand. I always found one office to be a pleasant exception; the Chaengwattana branch.

Edited April 22, 2022 by StayinThailand2much

Chris.B · April 22, 2022

21 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

I'd use an agent if it was me.

If you couldn't even do that then it's likely you'd die before they found out you were on overstay

There are no agents upcountry.

Chris.B · April 22, 2022

7 hours ago, verticalift said:

Retain a reputable Int’l Law Firm and grant them “Power of Attorney” for such issues.

I have an American neighbor from Hawaii who sadly came down with Parkinson’s Disease about 10 years ago. He remains inside his home, unable to leave, except for occasional trips to the hospital in the back of an ambulance. He has “Care Givers” looking after him 24/7.

All Immigration / legal issues are taken care of for him by the lawyers in the Law Firm he retained.

Be aware that granting the same rights to friends, or wives could be dangerous for both you and your assets. Trust no one….

What are "Care Givers" ?

ubonjoe · April 22, 2022

10 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

What are "Care Givers" ?

https://www.google.com/search?q=Care+Givers&rlz=1C1SQJL_enTH791TH791&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Chris.B · April 22, 2022

26 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

https://www.google.com/search?q=Care+Givers&rlz=1C1SQJL_enTH791TH791&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

I know what a care giver is.

The post referred to a "Care Givers" as if it was a company in Thailand?

ubonjoe · April 22, 2022

7 minutes ago, Chris.B said:

I know what a care giver is.

The post referred to a "Care Givers" as if it was a company in Thailand?

I assumed it meant more than one caregiver.

scubascuba3 · April 22, 2022

1 hour ago, Chris.B said:

There are no agents upcountry.

I think agents elsewhere can arrange things

StevieAus · April 22, 2022

22 hours ago, KhaoYai said:

Many questions are asked time after time. I don't use the search option here because it rarely finds what I'm looking for. Using Google - maybe but your wording is probably not the same as I or others would use.

Also, rules and regulations change - nothing wrong with keeping up to date.

In my opinion, my question is completely legitimate - if you have nothing to add, you're not forced to reply.

I wouldn’t worry too much, I was taught at an early age that if you don’t know, ask, has always kept me in good stead over the years.

Unfortunately on this site there are some people who always seem to be negative on any topic and of course if you dare to say anything positive about Thailand you are a Thai apologist.
I often wonder why they live here.

caughtintheact · April 22, 2022

About 2 years ago at CW, I asked what happens if one is too ill to go in person for an extension of stay based on retirement. I was told by the IO that someone could represent me with some kind of medical document. No specifics were mentioned, but the IO probably meant a Bai Rap Rong Pat ใบรับรองแพทย์ (medical certificate)), but my status would change to something like "Sick", and if, for example, I happened to be grandfathered (in Thailand continuously since before Oct 1998), I would lose that status and if I recovered, I would have to start all over again under current rules as if I had entered the country for the first time. That would mean I would have to bring in B65K/month or put 800K in the bank, instead of 20K/month or 200K in the bank under the grandfather clause. I did not ask for any more specifics at the time and the above is all I remember. It is also possible that the medical certificate must be a certified copy issued from a government hospital. My only advice would be to ask your local Immigration Office before you get too sick to report in person. Item 25 on this page has more information:

https://bangkok.immigration.go.th/en/visa-extension/#1610937669254-c6462860-6f05

25. Visa Extension - In the case of receiving medical treatment, attending rehabilitation, or taking care of a patient

In the case of receiving medical treatment, attending rehabilitation, or taking care of a patient:

Criteria for Consideration

Must have been confirmed and requested by a physician of the hospital providing said treatment with full explanation about the illness, period of treatment, and the physician’s opinion that the illness is an impediment to travel.

In the case of taking care of a patient, the applicant must have been confirmed and requested by a physician of the hospital providing the examination and treatment or by an embassy or consulate.

In the case of caretakers who are not the parents, spouse, children, adopted children, or spouse’s children, permission shall be granted for no more than one person.

Documents to be submitted

Application form

Copy of applicant’s passport

Letter of confirmation and request for a temporary stay issued by a physician of the hospital providing said treatment

In the case of taking care of a patient, the applicant must attach a letter of confirmation and request for a temporary stay issued by a physician of the hospital providing said treatment and documents stating relationship (in the case that the caretaker is a member of the family), such as a marriage certificate, a birth certificate, registration of child legitimization, child adoption registration certificate, or confirmation letter from the embassy or consulate.