Govt approves 10 year visas for foreigners over 50

[ozmeldo]

Yeab, the insurance thing is truly a Catch 22.

 

Needs insurance for visa

Thailand does not insure 60+ as a general rule and if so policy is toothless.

American? Medicare won't cover you here.

 

Where's the family visa!!

[anotheruser]

1 minute ago, louse1953 said:

Who needs to marry them when you can just fornicate,no ageism there,is there.

 

Unless you can't afford the new scheme and want to marry in place of the new requirements. See the point?  :)

[newnative]

My Thai partner read the Thai link that was posted and he thinks the 10 year visa is just an option and not a replacement.

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, ozmeldo said:

Yeab, the insurance thing is truly a Catch 22.

 

Needs insurance for visa

Thailand does not insure 60+ as a general rule and if so policy is toothless.

American? Medicare won't cover you here.

 

Where's the family visa!!

That's why Malaysia had or still has an exception that if you apply for insurance and can prove you're rejected, still OK. I think the idea of the Thai government offering an expat pool insurance plan is great though. Then they could require it with no catches. 

Also, IF it turns out the current annual extensions at the current levels will remain available, that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't include all people on retirement status with the 10 year medical insurance requirement. 

Edited November 22, 2016 by Jingthing

[anotheruser]

1 minute ago, ozmeldo said:

Yeab, the insurance thing is truly a Catch 22.

 

Needs insurance for visa

Thailand does not insure 60+ as a general rule and if so policy is toothless.

American? Medicare won't cover you here.

 

Where's the family visa!!

 

Indeed that is a problem. All I am saying is that it is not necessarily Thailand's problem. That's what I think they are afraid of happening.

[tj916]

16 minutes ago, Kabula said:

Not interested!

 

Way too much money required in a bank for too long, paying low interest rates; possibly none, combined with the same headache of 90 day reporting.

 

Not to mention Kasikorn Bank reps telling me last month, I can't wire money out without a work visa.  And, if I close my account even after being a good customer for over 10 years they will not open a new one without a work visa!

 

I'm 69, who is going to hire me?

 

Imagine wiring in 3 million THB only for a bank Mgr. a year later to tell you that you can't wire money out!

 

I had to argue with the bankers for 30 minutes and get approval from the home office to wire a sum, my money, under $10,000 to the U.S.

 

Even after they examined my recent, retirement extension stamp, clearing stating, retirement.

 

Immigration and the bankers need to get on the same page and be reasonable or the number of retirees will be retreating.

 

I love it here, but I can no longer recommend retiring here after the way bankers have been treating me this last year.  I have been a customer with three Thai banks for over 10 years.

Bingo, getting your money into Thailand is very very easy.

Getting it back to your home countries bank account where it came from... Not so sure.

As for the government guaranteeing deposits for Farangs..... Bit like housing developers and their 10% 'returns'.

Cynical? Yeah maybe, I could get much better interest in a Thai bank than I get back at home,  But would I bring three million baht over here to get a visa?

No way, many other options. As others have said, time to start developing an escape plan.

I hope that this huge thread is nothing more than crap,mis translated journalism trying to get hits to their site.

But hey TIT.

To the OP above, keep going at the bank. Spoke to others who have been in your position. Get their early, dress well, be polite request to see the manager.

They got it done but it took days.

 

Good luck.

 

[oldsailor35]

4 hours ago, aslimversgwm said:

Yes they are - most pensioners here aren't getting any where near that income a month. 

At least none of my friends - me included - are. 

We're not all living off inflation proofed superannuation's, or even still working.

What world do you inhabit? You're obviously not here because it's cheaper living here than say London or NY!

Yes you are correct. I have just returned from a trip to England and am sure that i would find it too expensive to live there although not  quite as expensive as my home country Australia.

[bubba1]

this is a really good chance to purge Thailand of the undesirables. 

Just wish they would have added mandatory HIV testing as well as part of the visa requirements. 

[dick dasterdly]

12 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

 

Yes, insurance is exactly the issue. How many older guys living with health problems that are uninsured are living in Thailand. We know there are quite a few. There has been a wave of people coming here for 20 years and many are getting up in the years.

 

Consider that the British embassy reports more British subjects die in Thailand than any other country year after year. There will be a crisis coming in the next decade or so if people in their 60s and 70s are allowed to remain with out insurance or savings.

 

It is actually kinder to force them to go home than it is to allow them to stay in some ways. Many Europeans can access health coverage back home as can people from other western countries. 

 

Just because many of these people have decided for themselves to hell with it and they will die here, it doesn't give them the right to. 

 

How many foreigners are here uninsured and above 60? That would be an interesting question to have answered. If Thailand lets them stay and when the end comes near allows them to die with no help it is a PR nightmare for the country. 

 

Thailand can't afford to help either. 

Which is why it would be a good idea for Thailand to come up with a health insurance scheme for 'expats'?

 

Based on cost obviously - not a subsidised scheme.

[anotheruser]

The rich people pay more for the agent than the "poor" people that don't. Simple stuff really. The really rich use the phone and contact whoever they know directly. Also again not too hard to fathom. You can buy access to services with money in Thailand government or otherwise.

[Grubster]

5 hours ago, dotpoom said:

It said you still have to do your 90 days reporting. 

On line 90 day reporting.

[anotheruser]

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

Which is why it would be a good idea for Thailand to come up with a health insurance scheme for 'expats'?

 

Based on cost obviously - not a subsidised scheme.

 

Isn't the cost the reason people can't get insurance in the first place? 

[dick dasterdly]

16 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Send a proxy,email or snail mail.Technically reporting but not see the inside of IO.

Exactly, we either see them 4 times a year or not at all.  Hence my post querying the poster saying that it was only necessary to go to Immigration once a year.

[anotheruser]

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

Exactly, we either see them 4 times a year or not at all.  Hence my post querying the poster saying that it was only necessary to go to Immigration once a year.

 

Hmm not sure about that. I am on a TE visa. I can report remotely or have it done for me. However unless I leave the country I believe I would have to go in once a year to get my new stamp affixed for extension of permission to stay? 

 

Anyway it doesn't matter I would never be here a whole year at a time.

[dick dasterdly]

11 minutes ago, JamieM said:

Agreed I have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of people who act like they have way more money than they actually do here. Third world millionaires I call them if they had the money the act like they have they would be on the back of a yacht in Monaco :D 

And also people that you would assume aren't rich - but are actually incredibly wealthy!

[seancbk]

1 hour ago, DerringDo said:

1 million baht per person per bank is covered according to the thailawforum. Not the 15mil someone posted earlier.

 

I am prepared to be enlightened if there are other ways of protecting the full amount apart from splitting it over 3 banks.

 

Unfortunately great click bait with little solid info.

Or you could actually check the Thai Deposit Protection Agency and read the Royal Decree approved in April 2016 and published in the Royal Gazette effective Aug 11, 2016.

http://www.dpa.or.th/main.php?filename=index___EN

[tj916]

41 minutes ago, david555 said:

But you can TAKE the value up to 20000  USD in any currency except Thai baht (only 50000Bahy in  thai  bills )out Thailand when flying out .....

 

Thats a lot of trips David if your taking out 3 million baht.

Don't forget all major airports have dogs trained to sniff out drugs, explosives and money/currency.

You try telling the friendly Customs officer that the £70,000 that you have strapped to your waist was 'just for your Thai retirement visa'

Best of luck.???

 

 

 

[oldsailor35]

10 minutes ago, bubba1 said:

this is a really good chance to purge Thailand of the undesirables. 

Just wish they would have added mandatory HIV testing as well as part of the visa requirements. 

When i was back in Australia last year, applying for my O-A visa, one of the things i had to produce was a medical cert  guaranteeing that i did not have..........wait for it !     Third stage syphilis or leprosy. Nothing about HIV.  My doctor nearly fell on the deck with laughter

[louse1953]

33 minutes ago, Spellforce said:

Confirmed by my thai wife:

 

" โดยมีหลักเกณฑ์พิจารณาจากชาวต่างชาติที่มีอายุ 50 ปีขึ้นไป ที่ยื่นขอวีซ่าประเทศอยู่ชั่วคราวจากสถานกงสุลใหญ่ไทยในต่างประเทศ "

=

the criteria considered by foreigners aged 50 years and over who apply for a visa at the Consulate-General of Thailand temporarily abroad

 

VISA done in Paris, London, New York... not the 1 year VISA > 50 yo applied in BKK, Pattaya etc..

Well here we go again,it's all in the wording that some posters are correctly pedantic about.There is no 1 year visa for 50 year olds in Bangkok,ect.But it does sound promising.

[Grubster]

2 hours ago, free123 said:

3000000 for ten years = 300000 one year about 25000 a month and this is an amount I spend in a week when in bkk....come on if u cant cone up w. 25000 a month what do u want here...when i apply for the one y. they asked me to show 20000 EUROS that is 800000 Bhat a year that is roughly 67000 bhat a month so under the new rule it will be 25000 a month....so it gets cheaper  .... 

 

if someone is married and have kids here if i would be government i would ask a fluent level of thai languagge AND the proove of a job that pays 100000 bhat a month ( the falang work in thailand ) or a oversee pension that pays same ...than i give visa forever .... no speak thai at university level go home to learn it....see u in a year at the home embassy...where u make test before u enter

Thats a great idea split the family, Families are the biggest problem there is.

[dick dasterdly]

5 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

 

Isn't the cost the reason people can't get insurance in the first place? 

Plus the exclusion of pre-existing conditions.

 

Which is why it would be interesting to find out how much the Thai healthcare system 'pays out' for foreigners without insurance policies.

 

I suspect not that much as most pay for their own care or have insurance?  But it would be interesting to find out.

[Falcon]

My opinion on this one is very simple, why would a person over 50 have more visa benefits than those of us married to Thai's, some of us married for many years already??

 

it would be far better to give the spouse of a Thai a 10 year visa than a retiree with no connection to Thailand other than wanting to stay here.

[anotheruser]

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

Plus the exclusion of pre-existing conditions.

 

Which is why it would be interesting to find out how much the Thai healthcare system 'pays out' for foreigners without insurance policies.

 

I suspect not that much as most pay for their own care or have insurance?  But it would be interesting to find out.

 

Yeah, interesting for sure. What happens if a foreigner gets hit by a car and has no money? Do they just let him die? The common myth in the USa amongst foreigners is that if you aren't insured you are left to die. 

 

This isn't true they will at least patch you up. How does it work in Thailand?

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, Falcon said:

My opinion on this one is very simple, why would a person over 50 have more visa benefits than those of us married to Thai's, some of us married for many years already??

 

it would be far better to give the spouse of a Thai a 10 year visa than a retiree with no connection to Thailand other than wanting to stay here.

Oh good.  Yet another poster coming up with conditions that suit their own personal circumstances .

[anotheruser]

Just now, dick dasterdly said:

Oh good.  Yet another poster coming up with conditions that suit their own personal circumstances .

 

Well his theory is wrong anyway. If they were going to give concessions to people over marriage they should do it to entice them in. There is no need to give any added benefits once they have already bought a car, built a house, etc. 

[louse1953]

30 minutes ago, scavenger said:

Indeed, the Thai article seems to suggest an additional option rather than a "replacement." It also says there are 14 countries for whose citizens it will be available to (Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Sweden, France, Finland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, USA, UK, Japan, Canada -- the fourteenth country isn't specified...) Also, the wording seems to imply that it will be available for a maximum of ten years (twice five years.) 

 

With 50% of the deposit to remain in the account, and the money to be used within Thailand only, I would not recommend this visa as a sound financial strategy. 

55 just to make it more interesting,it is only for some" lucky" countries.For once i a glad i come from the unlucky country.

[Andrew65]

6 hours ago, Kerryd said:

3 mil in the bank for the first year (only ?) and health care coverage providing $10,000 US per year coverage ?

 

Still have to do 90 day reports (though there's a rumour that they may change that to once a year). Plus have to renew after 5 years ? Will you have to have another 3 mil in the bank for a year for the 2nd renewal as well ?

 

Of course this is all subject to change, amendment and/or cancellation so I guess we'll just have to wait until it's actually official.

$10,000 a year ain't that much for health insurance, even in Thailand. I have a few old friends who have had 1 million Baht + medical bills in recent years.

[Andrew65]

3 hours ago, Xircal said:

 

Yes, that last sentence is rather amusing. So in spite of bringing all this wealth into the country, Thailand will still treat you like a criminal and expect you to report your whereabouts every 90 days.

 

If you've got that kind of cash to splash around I can think of several countries with a pleasant climate who will welcome you without all the restrictions that Thailand imposes.

Even with the 5 year Thailand Elite visa, one still has to do the 90 day thing.

[dick dasterdly]

Just now, anotheruser said:

 

Well his theory is wrong anyway. If they were going to give concessions to people over marriage they should do it to entice them in. There is no need to give any added benefits once they have already bought a car, built a house, etc. 

My own theory is that only single people that rent houses from Thais/have lived here 10 years/have adopted soi dogs should be given leave to live here 5 years without having to report to immigration .

[wpcoe]

20 minutes ago, anotheruser said:

 

Isn't the cost the reason people can't get insurance in the first place? 

 

That's only one barrier.  As mentioned by others, excluding all pre-existing conditions makes a policy for an older person somewhat worthless, and many (most?) insurers here won't even issue new policies to folks over 70.