HerewardtheWake

No, it is not a financial issue to keep both the $100,000 deposit AND a health insurance policy. That is what I will do as a measure of safety in case BoI changes their policies. A policy with 300,000 Baht deductible costs only a premium of 42,000 Baht, so it is not a big deal. Yes, for many IOs, an LTR is a rare bird sighting. At least in the sticks- submitting a TM90 at Krabi Immigration caused a bit of confusion among the staff because they have never seen LTR before. May be as LTR numbers increase, IOs will become familiar with it. Thanks for all comments.

US$100,000 deposit in lieu of Health Insurance- Visit to Chamchuri Square BoI office I wanted to discontinue my Pacific Cross LTR visa health insurance and use the 100,000 deposit method. I went to the BoI office with: 1. Balance Letter of Charles Schwab bank checking account which says my average balance for the last 12 months was over $100,00; 2. Account statements for the last 12 months each of which showed over $100,000 each month. A soft spoken young man with a pleasant manner met me. I showed him the Balance Letter and the monthly statement. He had a cursory look at the Balance Letter but did not examine the monthly statements. I explained to him that each time I arrive on my LTR visa, Immigration asks me for proof of health insurance. Since I now I want to change to the $100,000 deposit method, can BoI give me a statement that they have approved my bank deposit method and exempted me from having to carry insurance? Or, at least a notation on the LTR visa passport page to that effect? He went back and forth to consult with his supervisor. The final word was that BoI has no policy of giving such a statement. Because it is superfluous and not necessary, according to BoI. He said Immigration is not supposed to ask for health insurance proof for LTR visas. If it happens again, he said, ask them to call BoI. But he agreed with me that such a call would be impractical and went back to the supervisor. He then gave a Thai version and English translation of the LTR Qualifications, Conditions, Criteria, and Conditions for LTR. He underlined Section 2.2.3 which states that: --- a deposit balance of at least USD 100,000 in a bank account in Thailand or abroad retained for least 12 months as of the date of application. If Immigration asks me for proof of health insurance, show them the document, he said. That was the best BoI could do. My dilemma is: at over 75, if I discontinue my Pacific Cross policy , and if at some point BoI changes the LTR health insurance rules, I will not be able to get health insurance. So, is it best to continue carrying the health insurance policy?

Question about Going to the LTR visa people at Chimichurri Plaza, Bangkok: I want to take the US$100,000 deposit option for maintaining my LTR visa. I have the relevant account statements for the last 12 months. Can I just drop by at the Chimichurri building? Or do I need to get an appointment? Contacting them on the phone has been a futile effort and email messages get a canned irrelevant response.

PIB's points are quite important. I am sure BoI will insist on an LTR visa holder's having met the requirements during all the time the visa has been valid.

Tom, Misty, Thailand, thank you for such useful replies and information. You have addressed my questions precisely. I will talk with my insurance agent and see if I can lower my premium, albeit for another useless deductible schedule. US$100,000 will generate interest slightly exceeding the policy premium, so Tom's idea is very relevant.

Frits, thank you. Yes, I am aware of the requirements, but I am trying to find out how to register the US100,000 deposit with the LTR organization, so that I can cancel my Pacific Cross health insurance.

Background: I had an O-A visa for which I had the required health insurance. I used the same policy for meeting the LTR visa requirement in 2023 April. The Pacific Cross insurance expensive (at over 100,000 Baht premium) and is useless because it has a 300,000 Baht deductible. I would like to use the self-insurance route of having a US$100,000 bank deposit. I have been trying in vain to contact LTR visa service in Bangkok. A written message to them gave me a an irrelevant canned answer without addressing my question. Phone calls get me a response to contact by email. How does one go about getting LTR approval of the self-insurance? I got an account Balance Letter from my Charles Schwab bank and attached it as a file to my profile on the LTR website, but got no acknowledgment from LTR. Would it be better to make a visit to the LTR office in Bangkok? Does one need an appointment? Would a Balance Letter be sufficient to meet the LTR requirement? If anybody has had any experience with this, please comment.

OK, so Zenni ships to Thailand? They said last March that they cannot ship to Thailand. Their policy has changed?

Thanks, Tim.

My LTR visa was granted in April and the existing O-A visa was cancelled. I know I have to submit a TM-90 form or something like that once a year. However, during the the LTR visa validity period, do I have to leave the country once a year and then return to keep the LTR visa valid? Or can I just stay put for the five years and keep the LTR visa valid without incurring any overstay penalties? Thanks for any insights.

Jim, does this sentence mean that no health insurance policy is needed once you get the LTR visa? Thanks.

1. I often see older foreigners being guided by Thais, mostly women, in banks and other public utilities. For want of a correct term, I will call them personal assistants. They seem to help the clients communicate with staff at these utilities. Obviously they have some facility with English. Does anybody know if such assistants are paid by the hour and what is an average, fair rate of compensation? 2. If one were to hire a live-in personal assistant (absolutely nothing salacious; room and board provided) to help with daily life and drive the customer around when necessary, in his car , what would be a fair compensation? Thanks for any replies.

Could anybody please recommend a visa agent or legal firm in Krabi which can file 90-day and TM-30 reports in Krabi? Thanks.

Just moved from Chiang Mai to a house I have bought in Krabi. I am on a non-imm O-A visa. Do I need to file a TM-30 at the local Immigration office? If so, what documents would I need to submit?Thanks.

The LTR requires an annual report at the local Immigration office, akin to the 90-day report. At the time of this required annual report, what documents are needed to be provided? Thanks.