I screwed up bad.

[thailiketoo]

The disability income sounds like it comes from service related illness or injuries, thus ongoing. He can get a retirement visa with little difficulty with proof of regular income and does not require money in the bank. This is renewable annually with 90 day reporting (by post if not living close to immigration). Once settled and at a permanent address, get a Thai drivers licence as ID and letter of confirmation of address through immigration, most rural clinics and government hospitals will allow access to the 30 baht medical coverage.

I doubt 30 baht coverage. Long thread on this in the medical forum. The only reason I mention it is I think you are wrong and starting a rumor of free health care in Thailand is probably not a good idea.

[wym]

Just hastens the day they implement mandatory health cover

[mmh8]

why not seize the opportunity to live a bit, so some do gooder society in Chiangmai advises against it. Whats wrong with making use of lanna whatever nancy belogns to.l I expect nancy is paid off the back of tax payers from us citizens or some other country, sure this homeless bloke has paid taxes and lived in a country not really helping him

if its religeion then god loves a trier.

good on ya op, down with the bible bashers

[KuhnPaen]

I can assure you that the scorn of my previous post was reserved for the OP -- not the poor misguided man who is presumably coming here. At least the OP didn't make money from this poor man -- unlike the owners of those websites that sell services to help low-income people retire here. You know, the ones that tell you how you can have a good life in Thailand for less than $1000 a month. Yes, you can indeed live a nice life here for less than $1000 per month, but they neglect to mention the financial requirements for a retirement visa or the fact that you don't receive free medical care and should have a good nest egg set aside for a medical emergency.

If/when I encounter the man the OP "assisted", he will certainly be treated with respect and compassion. Yes, the OP thought he was trying to help, but he could have done a bit of research and emailed our group and I would have given him many, many leads for assistance for the man in Los Angleses.

To address some specific issues brought up by others:

• Banks, guesthouses, hospitals, etc may not care about your visa -- but they often note if you're on long-term overstay and can either refuse service or ask for substantial deposits ahead of providing service
• While the OP wasn't specifically encouraging the homeless man to break the law, he doesn't qualify for a long-term visa and will probably find it physically & mentally taxing to do visa runs -- not a good long term plan for someone with a disability. Going on overstay is a crime in Thailand.
• TerryLH -- I'll address the VA low income pension in another post. It's a little-known benefit that could help many here in Thailand
• VA hospital in Philippines -- admittedly there isn't a similar facility in Thailand, but there are many, many more in the U.S. Without knowing more about the man the OP "assisted" it's not evident if he is able to utilize a VA hospital for all his medical needs. But we do know he's on SSDI which means he gets to use Medicare for free medical care in the U.S. -- something he will no longer receive overseas.
• JohnC - what you said about the Korean vet getting his benefit halved because he's in Thailand and now his friends are looking for a free military flight to the U.S. doesn't make sense. I suspect the people trying to help him don't understand how the U.S. assistance programs work. If you'd like to send me a PM with the details of this poor man's situation, perhaps I can help. If he's in Chiang Mai, I can come by to talk with him and his friends.

I love the way this thread has already brought out people who are offering to help this man with ways to keep him here "100% legally". There's an entire industry of vultures that feed on people like this poor man, yet are nowhere to be found when the poor souls get into trouble.

Yes, it's entirely possible that everything could work out just fine for the man the OP "assisted", but I hope that he resists the urge to do it again in the future and instead learns a bit more about someone's situation and local resources available in his home country to help someone in need.

All I can say is I had a conversation with old man and gave him a life option. I didn't know all the details. HE pulled the trigger hinself and did his own research. I'm not his mom/babysitter/guardian angel...just a dude on the street, I gave him my contact info and if he emails me I will forward him your info. yeah, in hindsight I wish I would have held his hand more thru the process, but put it this way--if he dies in LOS with a smile on his face, it's better than in an LA gutter, Like I said --I screwed up. my bad,

[mmh8]

yeah that post above is the exact one I disagree with and disaprove with. nancyl this type of visitor is your bed and butter, taking your ngo or charity pay check and living it up while scoulding those who want to do the same. Shame on you for taking tax payers money to live your life of luxury, now get off the computer and do some work

[lovinglifeinthailand]

Good luck to the guy, everyone deserve a better life than living on the streets.

With the money he receives as long as he is sensible can lead a good life.

Also will be able to live in the mainstream population without people ignoring him

day after day, worried he is only after money and booze.

[simple1]

yeah that post above is the exact one I disagree with and disaprove with. nancyl this type of visitor is your bed and butter, taking your ngo or charity pay check and living it up while scoulding those who want to do the same. Shame on you for taking tax payers money to live your life of luxury, now get off the computer and do some work

Shame on you for attacking someone you have no knowlege of or how she supports her life in Thailand. Nancy and her organisation has an outstanding reputation with assisting those in need. Everything she has said in this topic is spot on.

[NancyL]

Let's clear up a few misconceptions:

Since the OP said the man is receiving SSDI, it means he worked long enough (and paid into the Social Security pension program long enough) that he was able to start his SS retirement early when he became disabled and was no longer able to work. A key benefit of SSDI is that the recipient also receives Medicare early, basically free medical care -- which is not available outside the U.S.

I doubt his disability is related to this military service, or else he'd be receiving a military disability and medical assistance thru the VA, not thru SSDI. Thus all the talk of him accessing medical care thru VA hospital overseas probably isn't an option.

Another interesting feature of the SSDI program is that a third party, like an attorney, can help someone apply for SSDI and be paid by the gov't if the application is successful. Thus, an entire industry has sprung up of attorneys who specialize in guiding people like the man the OP assisted thru the process of obtaining SSDI. There is no similar program to help someone apply for VA benefits overseas. I did mention in another post how the man could possibly obtain a VA low income pension to "top off" his SSDI income, but the most assistance he'll receive in applying overseas is from a VFW volunteer -- not a highly skilled attorney who is paid by the gov't if successful (like with the SSDI program) In the U.S. there are professional "veteran's advocates" at the VA offices to help people like the man, but not here. It would be much easier for the man to apply for this low income VA pension if he stayed in the U.S. and went into a VA office rather than trying to do it from overseas.

Also, with regard to obtaining a retirement visa -- there is no way someone with an income of $900 per month and no savings is going to meet the financial requirements for a retirement visa and anyone who offers to "assist" him is only suggesting something unethical (and I suspect you're charging a fee he can ill-afford, also). I hope you're around to help him if/when he gets into financial difficulty because he's living on the edge.

I admire the OP for coming back to the thread and saying all he did was have a conversation with the man and give him life options -- that the man did his own research. Yes he did and he undoubtedly found those "retire in Thailand on $1000 per month" websites run by vultures who make money selling services to folks like him. Obviously, the OP has doubts about the wisdom of what he did and it's good he posted so we could have a conversation about this issue. OP, please do pass along our contact information if the man contacts you again.

And as for mmh8 -- I suggest you take a few moments to Google "Lanna Care Net" before you attack something you don't understand.

Edited February 20, 2014 by NancyL

[wym]

darn ran oout of likes.

+1 Nancy!

[aveabeeror2]

darn ran oout of likes.

+1 Nancy!

Would that have to be your shortest post ever??? Tired fingers maby.