Details of mandatory health insurance for Non-Imm O-A visas to be announced next week

[DaRoadrunner]

9 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I would have thought with the millions of tourists flooding Thailand that they would be more of a medical problem then a few hundred expats living here !

As usual, the Thai planning department had it's head so far up its own arse it could not see.

[Mango Bob]

2 minutes ago, Traubert said:

No they haven't.

 

They are considering extending an existing arrangement of a year long visa FEE waiver to 19 countries that includes China and India for short term tourists so can everyone please stop weeping over it.

 

I'm beginning to understand why so many people here have difficulty with immigration rules lately.

The visa is visa free for a 15 day stay for China and India.  The program would be for a year.   It has not be approved yet but goes to the Cabinet this week as I understand it.

[unamazedloso]

Scamming the last remaining foreigners to get the out so the government can get a better grip on the masses perhaps? Pesky foreigners ask too many questions!

I have an illness not fixed after paying millions here due to negligence. My life will be cut short and you dont hear me pissing and moaning. This insurance rubbish is just an other scam that thais are known for. I wont get coverage because of thai negligence so what the fk can i do. I wouldn't pay it anyway. I will move out and take my non scamming, educated, non xenophobic thai family with me.

The question does arise though. How in hell do you skip out on a hospital bill? Hospitals have all passport info right? How could they leave the country. I think this is absolute rubbish, fake news to scam foreigners. Always blaming foreigners!! 

This attitude has made a good majority of thais so dam racist and they believe this rubbish. And they wonder why tourism is dropping. Clearly, they dont care!!

[Searat7]

6 hours ago, brian2f2f said:

I'm with you and expecting them to add it for extensions as well and requiring proof at time of extension. I hope I am wrong but we shall know soon enough. 

They are just getting their feet wet by applying new insurance requirement to those seeking a new O-A visa. Sooner or later I feel this rule will apply to those seeking extensions as well. It would simply be too chaotic to apply this to extensions right away. Time will tell. 

[Traubert]

3 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

The visa is visa free for a 15 day stay for China and India.  The program would be for a year.   It has not be approved yet but goes to the Cabinet this week as I understand it.

Yes Bob, quite right. It started on 6th November 2018 and goes to Parliament for approval to extend for another year soon. It is however for 21 other countries, not only the TV favourite targets, India and China. Malta, San Marino and Vanuatu haven't felt the wrath of the TV pitchfork mob yet.

 

European Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

• Andorra (until 13 April 2019)
• Bulgaria
• Cyprus
• Georgia (from 14 April 2019)
• Latvia (until 13 April 2019)
• Lithuania (until 13 April 2019)
• Malta
• Romania
• San Marino (until 13 April 2019)
• Ukraine (until 13 April 2019)

Asian Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

• Bhutan
• China
• India
• Kazakhstan
• Maldives (until 13 April 2019)
• Saudi Arabia
• Taiwan
• Uzbekistan

American Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

• Mexico (from 14 April 2019)

African Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

• Ethiopia
• Mauritius (until 13 April 2019)

Oceania Countries Eligible for Visa on Arrival

• Fiji
• Papua New Guinea
• Vanuatu (from 14 April 2019)
• Nauru (from 14 April 2019)

[Traubert]

8 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Scamming the last remaining foreigners to get the out so the government can get a better grip on the masses perhaps? Pesky foreigners ask too many questions!

I have an illness not fixed after paying millions here due to negligence. My life will be cut short and you dont hear me pissing and moaning. This insurance rubbish is just an other scam that thais are known for. I wont get coverage because of thai negligence so what the fk can i do. I wouldn't pay it anyway. I will move out and take my non scamming, educated, non xenophobic thai family with me.

The question does arise though. How in hell do you skip out on a hospital bill? Hospitals have all passport info right? How could they leave the country. I think this is absolute rubbish, fake news to scam foreigners. Always blaming foreigners!! 

This attitude has made a good majority of thais so dam racist and they believe this rubbish. And they wonder why tourism is dropping. Clearly, they dont care!!

Hmmmmm.........

[KiChakayan]

1 hour ago, lclark0751 said:

And yes, you can change from an O-A Retirement visa to a Marriage visa if you're willing to jump through a lot more hoops and make your ability to live/stay in Thailand dependent on staying married to a Thai citizen.  With an O-A Retirement visa your ability to remain in the country is not dependent on anyone else, even though you may also be married to a Thai citizen.

Funny statement, obviously coming from someone who seems to believe that one get married to a Thai in order to get a visa (or extension), and not the other way around.

If I lost my family here I'd be out, as there is absolutely nothing else to keep me here.

[DNPBC0]

6 hours ago, sawadee1947 said:

No, that is wrong and seems to be only an pathetic excuse. 

Indeed you can get a health insurance at any age. Same with travel insurance. ????????

Great.  Name the companies,

[wgdanson]

4 hours ago, Rocket Hawks said:

Anything serious like cancer and I’m flying back to the US anyways where I have health insurance.

And for a stroke or a cardiac arrest?

[steve73]

 

  1 hour ago, bikerbri said:

Expats with 800,000/ 400,000 deposits in Thai banks already have insurance. Why would they need more?.

•  

  1 hour ago, Jumbo1968 said:

  Not if they used an Agent to procure their Extension of Stay/Retirement Visa.

   

I'm sure the agents will be able to provide "evidence of" suitable insurance for those requiring it... ;-))

 

Sorry about the formatting..

[wgdanson]

1 minute ago, DNPBC0 said:

Great.  Name the companies,

I just did Cigna Close Care, 71 years old, Bht 12M cover, £3131 premium = 125,000 Bht. Coronary or stroke covered.

[dallen52]

So 4 government departments are required to agree to a 30 baht scheme for non O.

Yes this is Thailand.. crazy...

 

Why not just extend the 30 baht existing Thailand coverage to everyone?

All tourists pay 30 baht.

All non 0 pay 30 baht. 

 

I find it unbelievable that 1 billion baht is unpaid by farangs..

 

Its a bargain at that price. 

And maybe it will pull the private hospitals into line and stop the gouging ways they currently have. 

[essox essox]

10 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

I still find this extremely hard to believe as the hospital will never let you leave until paid in full. How do you rack up a bill and then walk away?

 

All we can do is wait and see what comes out and how it is written. Not going to speculate, but I have my feeling there is more to it than that..

when I was in hospital (covered by holiday travel insurance) bkk patts WOULD not let me leave (it was a Sunday) or give me my passport back until the Insurance company (AXA) PAID.....

[gearbox]

2 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

I just did Cigna Close Care, 71 years old, Bht 12M cover, £3131 premium = 125,000 Bht. Coronary or stroke covered.

There will be always some company willing to insure you at any age, at a cost. And if you are loaded, you couldn't be bothered at all. Do you think Rupert Murdoch shops for a travel insurance when travelling around ????

 

[Badrabbit]

9 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Yes, but many expats can't get an insurance because of their age.

Thailand does not deserve foreigners, corruption at every turn! Let's all leave and watch Thailand descend into oblivion!!

[fforest1]

7 minutes ago, steve73 said:

 

  1 hour ago, bikerbri said:

Expats with 800,000/ 400,000 deposits in Thai banks already have insurance. Why would they need more?.

•  

   

I'm sure the agents will be able to provide "evidence of" suitable insurance for those requiring it... ;-))

 

Sorry about the formatting..

My insurance agent on Khao San road will give heath insurance for any amount I want.....Any age....For 300 baht a year... 

[Baerboxer]

10 hours ago, holy cow cm said:

In all the hospitals I have been in, there was no chance to just walk out. One is chaperoned to the cashier. Although on a couple instances they did leave while I waited to be called to the window which could have been a chance to do a runner. But that never entered my mind. 

 

Normally, IME, all patients, Thai or foreign are escorted to the cashier, where you wait to pay when your number is called. Only after paying do you proceed to the pharmacy to collect prescribed medication. Thais and foreigners requiring stays in hospital, operations and treatment that's expensive and therefore running up a bill are usually also asked to make interim payments. 

 

Whilst it's sensible to have insurance, the amount of coverage and the outpatients inclusion suggests insurance companies are involved in the thinking. Again an over specification and over bureaucratic solution to a different problem to the one trying to be solved! I would suggest that most unpaid bills involving foreigners are by tourists who travel out of country. Not expats who probably want on-going care when required and therefore unlikely to do a runner without paying. But, it will be what it is. No discussion and certainly not listening to foreigners opinions.

[ianf]

So those of us who have been refused health insurance will just get kicked out? Is that the plan?

[Jumbo1968]

I expect we will a dramatic drop in the money in the near future owed to hospitals because of the introduction of mandatory Health Insurance ??

 

[tomartoh]

8 hours ago, DLock said:

Walking out of a hospital is not a criminal offense. It is civil. Police and immigration can do very little, although I have no doubt they will try to use intimidation to recover funds.

 

Hospitals can also not retain your passport legally. A call to your Embassy will solve that very quickly.

 

Most of the issues that we hear about are tourists who skip out on medical bills. Why don't they have a mandatory insurance scheme on arrival - say 500 or 1000 baht. 30million tourists is a lot of mandatory insurance money.

 

With my credit cards I get insurance cover far in excess of what they want - I wonder if that will suffice or by having a certain amount of money in the bank will suffice.

 

 

Hospitals notify immigration who stop you leaving the country.  If you dont have the money then you have to make some financial arrangement. 

[rabas]

20 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

I just did Cigna Close Care, 71 years old, Bht 12M cover, £3131 premium = 125,000 Bht. Coronary or stroke covered.

Have you had prior coronary or atherosclerosis problems?

[wgdanson]

5 minutes ago, rabas said:

Have you had prior coronary or atherosclerosis problems?

No.

 

[wgdanson]

22 minutes ago, gearbox said:

And if you are loaded,

Piss off, I am on a UK Pension, but do not want to die in a Thai Govt Hospital.

[wgdanson]

21 minutes ago, Badrabbit said:

Thailand does not deserve foreigners, corruption at every turn! Let's all leave and watch Thailand descend into oblivion!!

This is nothing to do with Thailand, old fogies like me cannot get Health Insurance at a reasonable premium whereve they are.

[gearbox]

19 minutes ago, ianf said:

So those of us who have been refused health insurance will just get kicked out? Is that the plan?

Nobody is kicking you out yet. If you are on O-A visa you may need to change it to retirement extension, or whatever is called.

[Tropposurfer]

10 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

I thought that the plan was to increase the airport PSC from 700 baht to 800 baht as of 1 October 2019, and that the resulting 3.8 BILLION baht generated annually would go to the MoH to cover the ~ 200 million baht unrecovered annual medical expenses incurred by foreigners, with a tidy 3.6 BILLION baht left over for, well, stuff.

 

https://morning-news.bectero.com/economy/24-May-2019/144181

 

 

 

That would cover a hell of a lot your right. Wasn't the skipped med-bills amount a tad over 300 million last year not 200 ? It's interesting that resident foreigners are being forced to pay, and by far the bulk of bill skippers are tourists and are not mandated to have insurance. More Thai govt. poor management, lack of insight, and bungling?

[wgdanson]

2 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Nobody is kicking you out yet. If you are on O-A visa you may need to change it to retirement extension, or whatever is called.

But you will still be better off with Health Insurance of some kind.

 

[Parsve]

"Open your eyes and read the first post in which is says it only apply to O/A visa not extension of stays.  But I still want Thaivisa to explain what is the source for there information here.  They come out with this just to get people to post here but can not provide the source".  

 

My eyes are wide open, can you please tell me where it says that it is only for those new arrivals on OA, because I can not find it.

•  

[ttrd]

11 hours ago, tracker1 said:

I would have thought with the millions of tourists flooding Thailand that they would be more of a medical problem then a few hundred expats living here !

First of all -  its not a few hundred expats - but 10 of thousands - a small, but significant difference ...

 

For the 2-nd, the majority of the millions of short time vacation tourists are insured (45 days) through their credit card when they make the payment for the trip, but not against their own stupidity i.e driving under the influence of alcohol, drive a vehicle you are not licensed to drive, perform Extreme sports they are not trained in etc.

 

With other words, no insurance cover such things so no need to ridicule measures that have a real value for both Thailand and for the individual guest …. 

[gearbox]

10 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

But you will still be better off with Health Insurance of some kind.

 

It depends. My GF offered to pay a health insurance for me, she can easily afford it, but I refused. Travel insurance is what works best for me. If I have a serious accident here, I want to be repatriated to the Australian health care system. A Thai health insurance won't do this. This is what the travel insurers do, in order to minimise their costs. Once they bring you back to the country, they don't care anymore. If I happen also to die, the travel insurer will bring me back home, not that I would care much at that time. For any minor treatments and tests I can pay out of pocket here.