Mandatory health insurance for foreigners aged over 50 in Thailand - why it may not affect you

[RotBenz8888 8,629]

51 minutes ago, Mike Teavee said:

Sorry but It's myopic or naive to believe that the mandatory health insurance won't be applied to (almost?) everybody who's over 50 & is on a long term (1 year) visa  

 

Think about it... the (Perceived) "Problem" is long term stayers over 50 running up unpaid medical bills, so what difference does it make whether they're on a Non-OA or extension of it or extension of a Non-O (>50 or Retirement) or even on a Thai Elite visa?

 

The only exception I can see that makes sense is for people who use the money in the bank method, why would you need to be able to prove you have 400k/40k of Insurance coverage when you show that you have that in the Bank 

 

However it's not always the immigration rules makes sense....

[brewsterbudgen 8,382]

Sorry but It's myopic or naive to believe that the mandatory health insurance won't be applied to (almost?) everybody who's over 50 & is on a long term (1 year) visa  
 
Think about it... the (Perceived) "Problem" is long term stayers over 50 running up unpaid medical bills, so what difference does it make whether they're on a Non-OA or extension of it or extension of a Non-O (>50 or Retirement) or even on a Thai Elite visa?
 
The only exception I can see that makes sense is for people who use the money in the bank method, why would you need to be able to prove you have 400k/40k of Insurance coverage when you show that you have that in the Bank 
 

Maybe it will. But that's not what is being proposed by the Cabinet. Let's see what the official Police Order says when it is published.

When the law was changed to make insurance mandatory for OX visas, many speculated that it would affect Extensions and other visas as well. It didn't. Now OA visas are being affected. Who knows what will happen down the line? It's all just speculation.

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[wimpy 153]

I'd prefer to put an additional 400k on deposit, rather than wasting 40k a year on a crappy insurance policy.

[Peterw42 9,963]

12 minutes ago, brewsterbudgen said:

Maybe it will. But that's not what is being proposed by the Cabinet. Let's see what the official Police Order says when it is published.

When the law was changed to make insurance mandatory for OX visas, many speculated that it would affect Extensions and other visas as well. It didn't. Now OA visas are being affected. Who knows what will happen down the line? It's all just speculation.

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There wont be a police order, OA visa are nothing to do with immigration, they dont issue them, renew them or extend them. Immigration does extensions of stay for after the visa is finished and the police orders have already been written for that.

[Peterw42 9,963]

I dont know how many times this has to be said before it sinks in

 

IMMIGRATION DOES NOT ISSUE, EXTEND OR RENEW VISA'S

(exception being a temp O visa, to generate a stay that can then be extended)

 

Immigration issues 2 things, permission to stay stamps and extension of stay stamps.

 

Once you enter Thailand using a visa issued (by the Ministry of foreign affairs), outside Thailand, you are not hitting the bars and beaches with a visa in your back pocket, you are hitting the bars and beaches with a permission to stay stamp in your back pocket. When that runs out you are hitting the bars and beaches with an extension of stay in your back pocket.

 

The visa you entered the country with is irrelevant to the separate extension of stay.

 

[Searat7 925]

I think this is being done in steps...first step is requiring insurance for O-A visas issued outside Thailand but a year down the road I can see this required for extensions of stay issued in Thailand. Looking back at all the changes made in the last year this is a no brainer. 

[tingtongtourist 1,504]

14 hours ago, ianezy0 said:

Thanks for the reply.

i already had a Thai bank AC from when I was working over here so I transferred the 800k before my application. I printed off an online statement which was then signed by a JP in Cairns. 

I have put 800k into a FD account thinking I would need to show this when it came to renew. But, as you inform me, I will not be able to extend or renew the OA visa in Thailand. Do I understand you correctly? Cheers

I did think you can exit just before the O-A expires and come back in to get a second year, but after the second year you cannot do again, and must get another O-A from your own country again.

my opinion, others might clarify

[brewsterbudgen 8,382]

There wont be a police order, OA visa are nothing to do with immigration, they dont issue them, renew them or extend them. Immigration does extensions of stay for after the visa is finished and the police orders have already been written for that.

Thanks I didn't know that. What is the next stage in this Cabinet decision becoming law? A Royal decree?

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[luckyluke 1,585]

13 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

There wont be a police order,

We don't want to believe bad news, 

we have doubts about the veracity of good news,

we hate to be kept in the dark.

[Valentine 2,345]

A little confused. If currently on a single retirement extension of stay can ot be converted to extension based on marriage without leaving the country & will this require health insurance which I already have

[Primo D 3]

As an expat we all want to abide by the laws of the land.

But is difficult to conform/comply when the laws are constantly in flux.

Simplification, clarification and continuity would help both immigration officials and visa holders.

[Ricebarnandrooms 26]

10 hours ago, AYJAYDEE said:

how will that guy guarantee to the thai immigration that he in fact has the money in the bank and that it will be there at a moments notice if required?

If he is on a retirement visa he has 800000 in the bank if he is married visa then he has 400000 in the bank. Enough said.

[Ricebarnandrooms 26]

12 minutes ago, Valentine said:

A little confused. If currently on a single retirement extension of stay can ot be converted to extension based on marriage without leaving the country & will this require health insurance which I already have

I believe that you can simply go to immigration and change your retirement visa to married.  Your visa will continue as an extention.

Unlike retirement one stop service, a married visa requires investigation and checks. Dont be afraid to go to immigration and ask how to do it. Dont sit at home or search the internet. Get it right first time.

[Ricebarnandrooms 26]

37 minutes ago, tingtongtourist said:

I did think you can exit just before the O-A expires and come back in to get a second year, but after the second year you cannot do again, and must get another O-A from your own country again.

my opinion, others might clarify

Why dont you just apply for a non o visa from the Thai embassy, reason retirement. When you arrive you go to immigration within  a month, with letters from the bank. That way you are not getting a O-A but a normal one.

[zydeco 8,339]

1 hour ago, tingtongtourist said:

As i understand, the O-A applicant must show equal to 800k in bank account in his own country.

many would probably be more cashed up than TV guys screaming about having to keep 400k in the bank a few months

The 400K is kept permanently, not just a few months. And if your 800K equivalent is not in a Thai bank, then maybe they want that money in a Thai bank. That's what happened with the letters of income. Income did not have to be deposited in a Thai bank. Now, it does.