O/A visa and insurance experience today

[Peter Denis 821]

11 minutes ago, brianj1964 said:

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

After Oct 31, 2020 ALL the previously issued health-insurance exempted OA Visas will have expired.

But those that exited and re-entered Thailand before their pre Oct 31 issued OA Visa validity expired, will have been stamped in for a fresh 1 year permission to stay (without need for health-insurance). 

And later on they will also NOT be required to show health-insurance on re-entry with a re-entry permit for the remaining period of their permission to stay.

 

But when now applying for a new OA Visa health-insurance is a definite requirement.

And when applying for an extension of stay of your OA Visa based on retirement, it looks now that the current practice is to require thai-approved health-insurance (but a diplomatic battle is still going on to pressure Thai authorities to reconsider, and grandfather all pre Oct 31 issued OA Visas).

[Momofarang 749]

2 hours ago, Thaidream said:

Ruropean council

It is true that in its early days the European council was mostly concerned with agricultural matters but this was a long time ago.

[LivinLOS 4,936]

10 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

But when now applying for a new OA Visa health-insurance is a definite requirement.

And when applying for an extension of stay of your OA Visa based on retirement, it looks now that the current practice is to require thai-approved health-insurance (but a diplomatic battle is still going on to pressure Thai authorities to reconsider, and grandfather all pre Oct 31 issued OA Visas).

And in the last few decades, can anyone think of a single time that any diplomatic pressure has changed anything in Thai visa law ?? 

[Peter Denis 821]

3 minutes ago, LivinLOS said:

And in the last few decades, can anyone think of a single time that any diplomatic pressure has changed anything in Thai visa law ?? 

Yes, and very recently > Nov 7, 2019

Also it does not require a change in thai Visa law, simply changing or amending the Police Order would do the trick.

[LivinLOS 4,936]

25 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Yes, and very recently > Nov 7, 2019

Also it does not require a change in thai Visa law, simply changing or amending the Police Order would do the trick.

And what was that on Nov 7th that diplomatic pressure from embassies and consuls fixed ?? 

 

Surely your not concluding the arrival insurance (something thats debatable if its even put to bed yet) came from embassy pressure are you ?? 

[el jefe 431]

3 hours ago, MeePeeMai said:

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 ....

Agreed. it seems odd that someone who got their O-A in December 2017 now needs insurance when renewing while someone like me who got their visa in Sept 2019 won't need the insurance for 22 more months.
But no more odd than NOT requiring insurance of anyone who is using a retirement extension based on an original O visa.

[el jefe 431]

4 hours ago, Martyp said:

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.

That's the perfect solution. Setting up an escrow type account for the 440,000 baht. It can only be accessed by authorizing the hospital or doctor to draw from it, or going to Immigration to cancel your visa/extension. If authorized to be used by a medical facility it has to be topped up by 60 days before visa/extension renewal.

Of course, the main problem with this is that the Thai insurance companies will lose a fortune in premiums.

[Sheryl 20,863]

6 hours ago, Martyp said:

One of the many mysteries considering you aren’t allowed to spend it.

 

400k of it. Yes, they pulled a fast one with that effectively making it 1.2 million while the Immigration law still says 800. Personally I think that was overreach, TI does not have authority to change Imm law only enforce it,  and by decreeing that half the 800K has to remain unspent they in effect changed the income requirement. At least for those of us who genuinely live on around 800K a year.

[OJAS 2,359]

1 hour ago, LivinLOS said:

And in the last few decades, can anyone think of a single time that any diplomatic pressure has changed anything in Thai visa law ?? 

As I recall, the Immigration Bureau directive issued in 2013 prescribing a maximum validity period of 6 months for Embassy income confirmations was as a direct result of representations made to them by the American Embassy in connection with a previous proposal for a maximum validity period of only 1 month.

 

Much good may that do to Americans (as well as to Aussies and Brits) these days, though!

Edited November 21 by OJAS

[OJAS 2,359]

On 11/20/2019 at 12:48 PM, Exploring Thailand said:

Could you expand on this "including home country currency debits"? I read in another thread that some offices won't accept a transfer from your own account in your own country. I'm trying to understand what they actually want to see. I'm in Bangkok, but all information is helpful.

 

http://www.pcecnews.com/permNL/Example-BankLetter-Monthly-Deposits.pdf

 

[OJAS 2,359]

On 11/20/2019 at 1:41 PM, Max69xl said:

And forget "including home country currency debits". I don't know where he got that from. 

 

http://www.pcecnews.com/permNL/Example-BankLetter-Monthly-Deposits.pdf

 

[Max69xl 975]

15 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

http://www.pcecnews.com/permNL/Example-BankLetter-Monthly-Deposits.pdf

 

This is Bangkok Banks bank letter showing foreign transfers up to 12 months. They came up with this on their own after January 1, and showed it to immigration 80 meters away, and they approved it. Other banks branches can only issue 6 months transfers, and have to order a 12 months bank letter from the head office in BKK (or wherever the head office is located). It can take up to 1 week to get it. This bank letter is in your hand in 15-20 min. Cost, maybe 200 baht. 

"home country currency debits"??  Did you come up with that name yourself? 

[Martyp 524]

1 hour ago, el jefe said:

That's the perfect solution. Setting up an escrow type account for the 440,000 baht. It can only be accessed by authorizing the hospital or doctor to draw from it, or going to Immigration to cancel your visa/extension. If authorized to be used by a medical facility it has to be topped up by 60 days before visa/extension renewal.

Of course, the main problem with this is that the Thai insurance companies will lose a fortune in premiums.

The insurance companies would rather sell their better policies for better coverage. There isn't a lot to be made from the few O-A's buying the minimum amount of insurance. Just covering the outpatient part of the requirement shouldn't effect them much either. My US insurance didn't cover me here in Thailand long term and I bought a Thai 10,000,000 baht policy for less than my US insurance. A medical insurance account would also be for those people too old to acquire traditional insurance. Also not a big population.

[Exploring Thailand 177]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

 

http://www.pcecnews.com/permNL/Example-BankLetter-Monthly-Deposits.pdf

 

That's fine. It wouldn't be problem for me. I thought you were talking about showing them documentation from your home country.

[Thaidream 9,317]

2 hours ago, LivinLOS said:

And what was that on Nov 7th that diplomatic pressure from embassies and consuls fixed ?? 

 

Surely your not concluding the arrival insurance (something thats debatable if its even put to bed yet) came from embassy pressure are you ?? 

Don't know and neither do you.  I do know for a fact that the US Embassy and the European Embassies  have sent a Diplomatic Note requesting an explanation of what the police order actually says and means.

 

As far as past actions- the OP who indicated that the US Embassy asked for  Embassy letter validity up to 6 months is accurate.

 

I also remember a court case won by an American on an investment extension that was initially denied by Immigration. He got his extension.

 

The simpl,e fact that what they are doing is illogical; not well  executed and most likely discriminatory should get the attention of a few powerful people in the Thai Government. It sure got the attention of the foreign diplomatic community and they got more pull than you or I.  If social media  gets ahold of this internationally-pressure  comes to bear. Remember the case of the Saudi woman trying to be deported by Thai immigration back to Saudi.  It didn't happen due to international pressure.

 

You may  dismiss everything  I say with a laugh but it isn't over-that is for sure.