O/A visa and insurance experience today

[Peter Denis 735]

13 minutes ago, Exploring Thailand said:

I have a new OA so I have the option of doing a border run at the end of the year (and probably having to buy Thai insurance beforehand). As I have no idea what the immigration regulations or baht exchange-rate will be in a year's time, I'm trying to keep open as many options as possible.

If you are on a 'new OA' I presume that its validity date has not expired yet.  Exiting and re-entering Thailand  before the OA validity date expires provides you again with a 1 year permission to stay, allowing you to squeeze almost 2 years out of your OA Visa. 

E.g. an OA Visa issued July 2019, will when - timed right - allow you to stay in Thailand till July 2021.

And it's only when your extension of stay is due, that the health-insurance requirement will kick in.

So time enough to consider your options.

[Martyp 513]

12 minutes ago, kingofthemountain said:

It's just from your view

you can't find it in any official text.

The most shared idea was it was the amount of money

necessary for 1 farang for live 1 year in Thailand and cover all the spends.

But now 400 000 are frozen in a Thai bank all year long and 800 000 for 5 months

so in reality it's just one selection criterion and a forced loan to the Thai bank system

I've heard both theories about the 800k. That it is for living in Thailand and that it is for medical expenses. It can only be used for living in Thailand if you plan on leaving. You can use it to wrap up your affairs, buy a plane ticket and go.

 

It would be interesting if the Thai government allowed medical savings accounts. Put some money in the bank and allow it to be used for medical expenses only. If you use it you have to top it back up within some short period of time. If they  implemented medical savings accounts then they could scrap the outpatient part of the insurance requirement.

[Exploring Thailand 177]

13 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

If you are on a 'new OA' I presume that its validity date has not expired yet.  Exiting and re-entering Thailand  before the OA validity date expires provides you again with a 1 year permission to stay, allowing you to squeeze almost 2 years out of your OA Visa. 

E.g. an OA Visa issued July 2019, will when - timed right - allow you to stay in Thailand till July 2021.

Exactly, which is why I went the OA route this time. The pound-baht exchange rate was a 10-year low when I had to make the decision, so I went for on OA, thus avoiding the need to bring in another 800k.

 

Quote

And it's only when your extension of stay is due, that the health-insurance requirement will kick in.

If that's the case, then great. I thought I'd read of mixed-results when people either tried to re-enter on a still-valid OA, or asked Immigration what would happen if they tried to re-enter. I could be wrong though. It's difficult to keep track of all of the reports and reports of reports.

Edited November 21 by Exploring Thailand

[kingofthemountain 1,277]

2 minutes ago, Martyp said:

It would be interesting if the Thai government allowed medical savings accounts. Put some money in the bank and allow it to be used for medical expenses only. If you use it you have to top it back up within some short period of time. If they  implemented medical savings accounts then they could scrap the outpatient part of the insurance requirement.

This option has been mentioned by the health minister at the begining of this fiasco

the idea was to allow the uninsurables (For age and\or pre existing conditions) to cover

their medical spends. Unfortunately since it's the insurance thai lobby who has been put in charge

to elaborate the text, this option was no longer on the table.

[Peter Denis 735]

6 minutes ago, Exploring Thailand said:

If that's the case, then great. I thought I'd read of mixed-results when people either tried to re-enter on a still-valid OA, or asked Immigration what would happen if they tried to re-enter. I could be wrong though, it's difficult to keep track of all of the reports and reports of reports.

Since the Nov 7 IO Big Boss meeting clarifying that entering Thailand with

- a non-expired pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa

does NOT require health-insurance, there has been not 1 single report of entrants being denied the 1 year permission of stay they are entitled to.

Indeed, some 'toothing problems' have been reported of seemingly insecure Immigration officials still asking for health-insurance, but if you do not have it - as it is not required -, after some deliberation with their IO colleagues, those queried have all been stamped in for the full year they are entitled to.

So presently (we are day 22 of the implementation!) it is safe to say that it is NOT required on entry.

[Exploring Thailand 177]

8 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Since the Nov 7 IO Big Boss meeting clarifying that entering Thailand with

- a non-expired pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa

does NOT require health-insurance, there has been not 1 single report of entrants being denied the 1 year permission of stay they are entitled to.

Indeed, some 'toothing problems' have been reported of seemingly insecure Immigration officials still asking for health-insurance, but if you do not have it - as it is not required -, after some deliberation with their IO colleagues, those queried have all been stamped in for the full year they are entitled to.

So presently (we are day 22 of the implementation!) it is safe to say that it is NOT required on entry.

That's excellent news.  I think the toothing problem reports were the ones I'd seen, especially the recent one in which the guy was asked for insurance, showed some travel insurance, and was then allowed in. 

[MeePeeMai 1,200]

8 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Since the Nov 7 IO Big Boss meeting clarifying that entering Thailand with

- a non-expired pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa

does NOT require health-insurance, there has been not 1 single report of entrants being denied the 1 year permission of stay they are entitled to.

Indeed, some 'toothing problems' have been reported of seemingly insecure Immigration officials still asking for health-insurance, but if you do not have it - as it is not required -, after some deliberation with their IO colleagues, those queried have all been stamped in for the full year they are entitled to.

So presently (we are day 22 of the implementation!) it is safe to say that it is NOT required on entry.

Odd then that they would require Thai health insurance for an extension on an O-A Visa which was obtained prior to Oct. 31

 

Just saying ....

[lamyai3 5,965]

3 hours ago, deej said:

The 800ks was put in place

to cover unforseen Medical costs etc etc

Please be free to correct me if i am mistaken

Nothing to do with the current insurance issue or medical costs. The 800k was the revised deposit amount which came in after the collapse in the baht in 1998 - prior to that it had been 200k (people on unbroken extension history pre '98 are still grandfathered in at this amount).

[Thaidream 9,301]

14 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

They do tho dont they..

No- they don't.  

 

The Us Embassy is well aware of what is happening and has sent a Diplomatic Note asking for an explanation to their Thai counterparts.

 

In asddition- the Ruropean council has met on the insurance issue and asking for an explanation from the Thai Government.

 

This is not the same reaction that Embassies had to the embassy letter issue and verification of income. There were no Diplomatic notes or detailed answers back to their citizens.

 

IMO the Embassies know that  the insurance issue was poorly planned; patently unfair and want an explanation.

 

Thailand could ignore the issue but  if they do- there are always consequences. Countries have long memories-one hand washes the other.

 

The smart thing  to do (and also the ethical and fair way) is to grandfather everyone on an O-A.  If they do this- the chaos stops; the Embassy queries stop. It's so simple......

 

 

 

 

[lamyai3 5,965]

1 hour ago, Exploring Thailand said:

Exactly, which is why I went the OA route this time. The pound-baht exchange rate was a 10-year low when I had to make the decision, so I went for on OA, thus avoiding the need to bring in another 800k.

2019 has been a horrible year to bring in this money. In fact it's more like a 25 year low for the pound - 10 years ago rates were in the high 40's, but ever since May this year it's been high 30's. When it dropped below 37 in September, it was at it's lowest rate since 1992.

[brianj1964 244]

2 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Since the Nov 7 IO Big Boss meeting clarifying that entering Thailand with

- a non-expired pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa

does NOT require health-insurance, there has been not 1 single report of entrants being denied the 1 year permission of stay they are entitled to.

Indeed, some 'toothing problems' have been reported of seemingly insecure Immigration officials still asking for health-insurance, but if you do not have it - as it is not required -, after some deliberation with their IO colleagues, those queried have all been stamped in for the full year they are entitled to.

So presently (we are day 22 of the implementation!) it is safe to say that it is NOT required on entry.

I'm pretty sure but could be wrong there were reports of people leaving Thailand recently to try and get their second year from the O/A being asked to show insurance, or they had enquirers about it

[Peter Denis 735]

5 minutes ago, brianj1964 said:

I'm pretty sure but could be wrong there were reports of people leaving Thailand recently to try and get their second year from the O/A being asked to show insurance, or they had enquirers about it

Yes, but these are the 'toothing issues' I was referring to.  All those that were queried for health-insurance when entering or re-entering on a non-expired pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa, were eventually stamped in for the full year they were entitled to.

 

[brianj1964 244]

3 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Yes, but these are the 'toothing issues' I was referring to.  All those that were queried for health-insurance when entering or re-entering on a non-expired pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa, were eventually stamped in for the full year they were entitled to.

 

I hope that is still the case in 12 months time, or will things change further down the line, I'll ask and if they say I need insurance I'll get a tourist one and move to an O on marriage

[jacko45k 11,683]

On 11/20/2019 at 9:11 AM, OJAS said:

Jomtien enhancing their credentials as a rogue office these days when it comes to retirement extensions, I think

Considering the past it doesn't appear they get (or seek) much guidance from above, so do their own thing... but I do see some 'reference' to the police orders. 

Edited November 21 by jacko45k

[Momofarang 730]

2 hours ago, Thaidream said:

The smart thing  to do (and also the ethical and fair way) is to grandfather everyone on an O-A.  If they do this- the chaos stops; the Embassy queries stop. It's so simple......

Nope, the only smart thing will be accept any insurance that meets to 40k/400k requirement, and maybe later change this to 0/2000k.