Opinion Editorial: No, It Isn’t Time to Worry About RETIREMENT VISA Changes….Yet

[TigerandDog]

20 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Yeah and it would create more hassle for everybody currently on non o visas,  you should keep ideas like that to yourself

that reply makes you sound like one of those farangs that takes shortcuts and can't meet ALL the requirements to be here long term. Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas, and agents should be declared illegal.

[jerrymahoney]

32 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas,

As best I recall, the reason for the O-A health insurance requirement is that -- unlike the O based extensions -- the O-A requires no money in a Thai bank account.

[redwood1]

44 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

that reply makes you sound like one of those farangs that takes shortcuts and can't meet ALL the requirements to be here long term. Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas, and agents should be declared illegal.

 

Another visa freeloader here...Who wants to renew their visa almost for  free, with-out making a financial tribuite to the people in the immigration visa food chain..

[Bday Prang]

22 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

that reply makes you sound like one of those farangs that takes shortcuts and can't meet ALL the requirements to be here long term. Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas, and agents should be declared illegal.

You sound like one of those people I came here to get away from,  nobody was forced to obtain a "non o(a)" visa ,and I can't understand why anybody would (except through ignorance) There's nothing to be  gained for you by advocating for stricter regulations to be imposed on others, in my opinion,  people like you who behave like that should be banned off this forum

  You have no idea about my or anybody else's ability to fulfill any visa requirements and it is really absolutely none of your business, get your own affairs in order and leave any matters relating to the compliance of others to the immigration authorities, it's their responsibility not yours

Furthermore, referring to your fellow expats as "farang" just makes you sound ridiculous and more than a bit arrogant, rather like a retired teacher, have you applied to be a tourist police volunteer yet?

 

 

[Kwasaki]

51 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

that reply makes you sound like one of those farangs that takes shortcuts and can't meet ALL the requirements to be here long term. Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas, and agents should be declared illegal.

Envy is not a nice trait in a person if you don't like it, you know what to do.

[Bday Prang]

18 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

As best I recall, the reason for the O-A health insurance requirement is that -- unlike the O based extensions -- the O-A requires no money in a Thai bank account.

That's probably why he has one,  up to him none of my business, but he needs to keep his Ideas to himself, what sort of person advocates stricter regulations for those they feel superior to, when they personally will probably also suffer the consequences of whatever changes come into effect?  

[Bday Prang]

17 minutes ago, redwood1 said:

 

Another visa freeloader here...Who wants to renew their visa almost for  free, with-out making a financial tribuite to the people in the immigration visa food chain..

Its worse than that, he's obviously another one who wants Thailand to become more like the miserable country he chose to leave. I really cannot understand people with that mindset. they must feel like fish out of water, I can guarantee he would not be in favour of a requirement regarding a certain level of Thai language ability (both written and spoken) and he obviously struggles to understand how things are, and have always been, done here

[morrobay]

7 hours ago, redwood1 said:

20 years ago a baht bus in Pattaya was 10 baht, today its still 10 baht....So there has been no inflation in Thailand....

 

20 years ago I was paying around 50 baht for a beer in a cheap bar on soi Bukow today I am still paying around 50 baht...So there has been no inflation in Thailand....

 

The iced coffee cart near my condo charged 20 baht , 20 years ago but now has gotten greedy and charges 25 baht so a little inflation there...

 

[EVENKEEL]

48 minutes ago, jerrymahoney said:

As best I recall, the reason for the O-A health insurance requirement is that -- unlike the O based extensions -- the O-A requires no money in a Thai bank account.

That's if you go back to home country and renew the OA every 2 yrs, if you extend here in Thailand the money needs to be in Thai bank

[mokwit]

2 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas,

People on O visas are not receiving preferential treatment, they just did the smart thing and avoided a bad deal. It is not that they are getting  preferential treatment, rather it is YOU that selected a bad deal.

 

If you didn't do your research and went OA with all its requirements like lining up insurance cover dates with extension dates that's your problem. We all make mistakes. Act in haste repent at leisure as they say. Why on earth anyone would go for an OA let alone an OX eludes me.

 

As for mandatory health insurance I assume you have some kind of gold plated Govt gopher deal. Better have as the law of karma is a bitch. For most of us it ends at 70, Thai insurance companies have it all their way, outside Thailand private sector insurance you buy as an individual that covers a long illness is very expensive and you need to have been on it for a long time. There is no guarantee they will pay.

 

I have been paying my medical bills cash, but will go back home for end of life care as it will be free. So why would I buy the low limit "accident" insurance which the Thai insurance companies are really offering.

 

 

[mokwit]

4 hours ago, mokwit said:

In other news we have another murder of a foreigner by another foreigner.

 

No doubt Hapkarn will be checking out what visa the chef was on - it seems chef in Spain not here (at least not officially) so time to rein in VE/VOA and TR. These are "too easy" requiring as little as Bt20,000 and a return ticket - no checks, no nothing.

 

If the chef was on a WP then obviously need to bring in stricter requirements there.

According to the internet the alleged murderer was on an Elite Visa which requires a criminal record check, The analytical side of me deduces that criminal record checks won't prevent the type of people who murder others and cut up the body from staying here. QED

[Mike Teavee]

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

Also why should those on O, whether it be marriage or retirement, receive preferential treatment to those on O-A. The health insurance should be mandatory for ALL long term visas, and agents should be declared illegal.

Why should Agents be declared illegal?

I use them (for convenience) for all of my immigration needs despite keeping the 800K in the Bank. 

 

The next 10 days are going to be interesting as I need to 

1. Extend my Non-IMM O Visa 
2. Get a Multi Re-Entry Permit
3. Do a TM30 change of address
4. 90 Day Report (Despite doing a TM30 which obviously reports my address to immigration ) 

You can bet your bottom dollar that I will legally be using an Agent to do all of the above (8K for the extension, 4K for the Multi-Rentry Permit, unknown for the TM30 & they normally do a new 90 Day report for me as part of the Extension). 

 

 

 

PS. I also have Health Insurance (Visa Friendly Policy with Pacific Cross) which I got when they made it mandatory for Non-IMM OA holders as I thought there was a possibility that this would be extended to Non-IMM O holders but I wouldn't want to see this made mandatory as there are lots of guys that have lived her for decades who are too old to get it.

 

Make this kind of stuff mandatory for New Visas by all means, but retrospectively making changes for existing holders that they cannot meet is simply unfair. 

[mokwit]

8 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

You can bet your bottom dollar that I will legally be using an Agent to do all of the above

Strictly speaking your attendance is required in person for the first two. I'd be interested if this is at CW and all goes through OK.

[Mike Teavee]

19 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Strictly speaking your attendance is required in person for the first two. I'd be interested if this is at CW and all goes through OK.

No need to attend for Re-Entry Permits (even at CW) & strictly speaking your attendance is not required for your Extension as you sign an agreement with the Agent authorising them to do it on your behalf, however CW will only accept non-attendance for Medical Reasons so you would also need a note from your Dr. there.

 

I used to use an Agent in Bangkok & did have to attend with them for my extensions but not for the Re-entry permit I got to my initial 12 month Multi-Entry Visa before getting on the Extension treadmill, since moving to use Jomtien IO, attendance is not required. 

[mokwit]

10 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

No need to attend for Re-Entry Permits (even at CW) & strictly speaking your attendance is not required for your Extension as you sign an agreement with the Agent authorising them to do it on your behalf, however CW will only accept non-attendance for Medical Reasons so you would also need a note from your Dr. there.

 

I used to use an Agent in Bangkok & did have to attend with them for my extensions but not for the Single Re-entry permit I got to my 12 month Multi Entry Non-IMM O Visa before getting on the Extension treadmill, since moving to use Jomtien IO, attendance is not required. 

It says at the bottom of both forms "attendance is requited in person" They added the "unless incapacitated" shortly after someone was pushed 'round CW in a hospital bed complete with IV drip. It was surreal seeing that.

 

Jomtien I hear you can do both without attending.

 

I don't think you can do standard PoA on an extension other than for a handful of cases, or maybe just medical - presumably the agent submits some questionable paperwork. CW without attendance is long gone. PoA can be done for other things e.g. TM30.

 

Re entry permit attendance enforcement seems to have tightened up at CW - taking your photo now.

[John Drake]

1 hour ago, mokwit said:

According to the internet the alleged murderer was on an Elite Visa which requires a criminal record check,

555  Maybe he can have two of the young ladies from Thai Elite meet him at the courtroom door and escort him to prison in a Mercedes.

[mokwit]

4 minutes ago, John Drake said:

555  Maybe he can have two of the young ladies from Thai Elite meet him at the courtroom door and escort him to prison in a Mercedes.

Golf cart to the execution shed at Bang Kwang maybe.

[Mike Teavee]

48 minutes ago, mokwit said:

It says at the bottom of both forms "attendance is requited in person" They added the "unless incapacitated" shortly after someone was pushed 'round CW in a hospital bed complete with IV drip. It was surreal seeing that.

 

Jomtien I hear you can do both without attending.

 

I don't think you can do standard PoA on an extension other than for a handful of cases, or maybe just medical - presumably the agent submits some questionable paperwork. CW without attendance is long gone. PoA can be done for other things e.g. TM30.

 

Re entry permit attendance enforcement seems to have tightened up at CW - taking your photo now.

If it is/was mandatory to attend then I’d happily show up at Jomtien to go through the formalities. 
 

CW was a pain to get to (approx. 1.5 hours from On-Nut) but I found using an agent you were in & out quickly even before they introduced the appointment booking system as the Agents know the best times to attend. 

[mokwit]

1 minute ago, Mike Teavee said:

the Agents know the best times to attend. 

I think it might be that they have "earned" the right to jump the cue.

[TigerandDog]

4 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

As best I recall, the reason for the O-A health insurance requirement is that -- unlike the O based extensions -- the O-A requires no money in a Thai bank account.

not true. Those of us on O-A must also have either the 800k in the bank or the 65k per month. The O visa actually discriminates against those on O-A and should be abolished going forward.

[mokwit]

2 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

The O visa actually discriminates against those on O-A and should be abolished going forward.

Huh? How are those on OA  "discriminated" against? they made the choice to make a poor visa choice.

 

If anything the OA should be abolished as it is doing Thailand a disservice as it is making staying in Thailand appear more complicated than it is - you actually have people choosing this visa because they don't know better and then it appears they get really bitter about their poor, uninformed choice..

[TigerandDog]

4 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

You sound like one of those people I came here to get away from,  nobody was forced to obtain a "non o(a)" visa ,and I can't understand why anybody would (except through ignorance) There's nothing to be  gained for you by advocating for stricter regulations to be imposed on others, in my opinion,  people like you who behave like that should be banned off this forum

  You have no idea about my or anybody else's ability to fulfill any visa requirements and it is really absolutely none of your business, get your own affairs in order and leave any matters relating to the compliance of others to the immigration authorities, it's their responsibility not yours

Furthermore, referring to your fellow expats as "farang" just makes you sound ridiculous and more than a bit arrogant, rather like a retired teacher, have you applied to be a tourist police volunteer yet?

 

 

actually I was forced to get an O-A. When I moved here O was not available in my home country, nor was there any mention of it as an alternative on the Thai Embassy web site in my home country. Perhaps if you read everything I've posted on this topic you might actually give an answer that makes sense.  You have yet to explain why those on a Non O should get preferential treatment over those on an O-A, viz no mandatory health insurance for O and mandatory health insurance for O-A. and no police checks for an O as against police check in home country before O-A will be issued, and you still sound like, and please note I said sound like, someone who takes shortcuts because you can't/don't meet the requirements.

[mokwit]

3 minutes ago, TigerandDog said:

When I moved here O was not available in my home country,

You didn't do your research. You could have come on a VE or TR and converted to O in country. HTH.

 

 

[Mike Teavee]

18 minutes ago, mokwit said:

I think it might be that they have "earned" the right to jump the cue.

TBH I think they had somebody who spends the day at CW that would get you a Queue number before you arrived… No need nowadays with the appointment booking system. 

[TigerandDog]

4 minutes ago, mokwit said:

Huh? How are those on OA  "discriminated" against? they made the choice to make a poor visa choice.

 

If anything the OA should be abolished as it is doing Thailand a disservice as it is making staying in Thailand appear more complicated than it is - you actually have people choosing this visa because they don't know better and then it appears they get really bitter about their poor, uninformed choice..

WRONG. The Thai Embassy web site in my home country makes no mention of O as being an option or how to obtain one. The ONLY retirement visa on offer was an O-A. As for discrimination, why do those on an O not need the mandatory health insurance or a police check from their home country. That's where the discrimination lies. otherwise both are identical. So not a poor visa choice as O-A was the ONLY choice available to me in my home country for retirement purposes, and even then I would have still chosen O-A as I had health insurance anyway and just swapped it over when it became mandatory here for O-A. Most of teh other long term visas require health insurance, so please explain why O holders should receive preferential treatment.

[TigerandDog]

1 minute ago, mokwit said:

You didn't do your research. You could have come on a VE or TR and converted to O in country. HTH.

 

 

I did do my research and was was by the Thai Consulate that O was no longer available. So please cease with your useless uneducated replies.

[Mike Teavee]

1 minute ago, mokwit said:

You didn't do your research. You could have come on a VE or TR and converted to O in country. HTH.

 

 

Non-IMM O wasn’t available for me in the UK as it requires you to be receiving State Pension (eVisa website still says you need this) so I got mine in Penang as I was working in Singapore at the time & didn’t have the time to spend 2 weeks in-country doing the conversion.
 

[Bday Prang]

1 hour ago, Mike Teavee said:

You can bet your bottom dollar that I will legally be using an Agent

                   You have no need to explain yourself to him, or any of the other busibodies on here that consider themselves entitled to criticise others  regarding visa matters, its none of their business.   What sort of person is he anyway, who decides to move here and then calls for established practices regarding immigration matters to be made illegal? Especially when they have no bearing at all on his own circumstances (as he obviously does not use them) but will make life more difficult for others,? A spiteful, sanctimonious type perhaps?

                  

[mokwit]

Just now, TigerandDog said:

please explain why O holders should receive preferential treatment.

We don't receive preferential treatment, we just opted for a better visa/extension type. You could have had an O just like us if you had come on a VE or TR and converted in country. I find it hard to believe your country offers OA but not O, as OA is much more recent.

[mokwit]

2 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

I was working in Singapore at the time & didn’t have the time to spend 2 weeks in-country doing the conversion.

In fairness Mike that's your personal circumstances affecting visa your visa choice. Take your point about UK O.