Ok, before anyone shoots at me, i completely admit this is speculative, but it just might be reasonable - relating to this story on TV about ex-pats being a big burden on Thai public hospitals - http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/900767-uninsured-foreigners-burdens-thai-public-hospitals/?utm_source=newsletter-20160307-1509&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news

- a good friend very recently had a conversation with a senior Immigration Officer, who mentioned an important meeting of IO's on March 18th which 'Could be bad news for falangs'. Anyone else think that these two connect - are we about to get compulsory medical insurance required as a condition of any entry to Thailand ?

So what happens to all the 1000s that reside long term already who have no insurance,many with wives and family's,do these people just get rounded up and deported.

It's all speculative of course just like the OP.

Pure rumor and speculation.

There is often bad news from immigration.

No evidence this is related to the health cover issue.

The thread should be closed for pure fear mongering.

Making health insurance compulsory for visa extensions has been bandied about for a long time. And there are newspaper articles about hospitals losing money on uninsured expats at least once a year. It is a long-standing problem and one worsening because the average age of resident expats is rising.

It will no doubt come to pass, in some form.Just don't know when and in what form.

But it is not necessarily what your friend was referring to. The timing of the meeting - 2 days before the new overstay penalties go into effect - suggest maybe more to do with that.

Indeed this subject has come up for years already.

No evidence anything is about to happen now.

Again, pure rumor based on NOTHING.

The OP is indulging in rumour and speculation.

Time to move on.

I think that many countries that are popular with foreigners for retirement do impose some sort of insurance rule, so it would not surprise me at all if it was introduced here.

I think that many countries that are popular with foreigners for retirement do impose some sort of insurance rule, so it would not surprise me at all if it was introduced here.

Most don't actually, some do. but some do offer a way to BUY IN to national programs. Which Thailand should do or more practically offer a higher end expat program that covers the basics for foreigners to buy into at a higher price.

Pure rumor and speculation.

There is often bad news from immigration.

No evidence this is related to the health cover issue.

The thread should be closed for pure fear mongering.

Close it then.

You people kill me. Telling me it is 'speculation' when i already said it was that in the OP ! As for 'fear-mongering', get a grip, it is a perfectly calm question about a coincidence of two events that might be connected. Mods : take it down - i won't follow it that's for sure.

You people kill me. Telling me it is 'speculation' when i already said it was that in the OP ! As for 'fear-mongering', get a grip, it is a perfectly calm question about a coincidence of two events that might be connected. Mods : take it down - i won't follow it that's for sure.

Fact is there was a news article some time back about about the possibility of new rules which would require medical insurance and this came from immigration, no different from other countries who require the same thing for non citizens or legal residents...

"an important meeting of IO's on March 18th which 'Could be bad news for falangs'."

This is highly likely due to the introduction on the 20th of the new overstay rules and "Good Guys in, Bad Guys Out" policy. Getting the IOs up to date and advance preparation for that time. Will close this topic as I don't see a relationship between the two issues other than coincidence.

//Closed//

Note: from 2013, which never took place: Thailand to require foreign tourists to buy health insurance