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Given latest (apparently) squeeze on OA extensions I'm reviewing options


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4 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

it is a complete misunderstanding that the 400K is there for medical expenses. Use it as such and your permission to stay is voided..

Says you.  It is a reasonable assumption to make in the absence of any other reason for leaving 400,000THB in an account. Oh, there is a very good reason, Immigration want to screw with people’s budgets, if you believe that then you belong to the brigade who feel that we don’t deserve to be in this country. 

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15 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

it is a complete misunderstanding that the 400K is there for medical expenses. Use it as such and your permission to stay is voided.

 

If the insurance provision applies to you, money in the bank -- no matter how large an amount --  is not at this time an acceptable substitute. Which is a big problem for anyone over 75 since there are no Immigration approved  policies available for them.

I learn something everyday, thanks Sheryl.

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6 minutes ago, tgeezer said:

Says you.  It is a reasonable assumption to make in the absence of any other reason for leaving 400,000THB in an account. Oh, there is a very good reason, Immigration want to screw with people’s budgets, if you believe that then you belong to the brigade who feel that we don’t deserve to be in this country. 

Well you're free to spend it but your next extension will be ruined. Add to that the recent theory that NEW O visas for retirement are being phased out, that would mean either leaving Thailand or going back to your home country to apply for an O-A visa with required insurance. 

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15 hours ago, saengd said:

You missed the point, I am in a position to self finance my health care, I don't want to be insured and have no need to be so, all my medical bills will be fully paid. I can get a policy with Pacific Cross that will exclude most things and effectively be worthless, but it will allow me to extend my visa.

Are you expecting Thailand to then adapt it's requirements to fit your circumstances and objection to getting yourself insured? The only option is to insist you keep the money tied up in a local bank account ready to cover any hospital bills...or get insurance. It appears Thailand would prefer to support its own insurance industry. 

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2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Are you expecting Thailand to then adapt it's requirements to fit your circumstances and objection to getting yourself insured? The only option is to insist you keep the money tied up in a local bank account ready to cover any hospital bills...or get insurance. It appears Thailand would prefer to support its own insurance industry. 

They don't have to insist, I do that voluntarily. If they said I could do without the need for health insurance if I kept 3 mill. in the bank, I'd say that's just fine with me. BTW I do have health insurance with an overseas insurer but it doesn't meet their requirements, it's catastrophic illness coverage.

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3 minutes ago, saengd said:

They don't have to insist, I do that voluntarily. If they said I could do without the need for health insurance if I kept 3 mill. in the bank, I'd say that's just fine with me. BTW I do have health insurance with an overseas insurer but it doesn't meet their requirements, it's catastrophic illness coverage.

Yes they do, this is not a place where people are trusted to their word and given voluntary options! The option of self insurance, based on cash, I agree should be there, but it would involve tying up that 3 million. Perhaps in an escrow account. I believe not many would go for that.

It should be simple to meet a 400,000/40,000 insurance requirement, what sticks in the craw is it having to be a select group of Thai insurers.

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2 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes they do, this is not a place where people are trusted to their word and given voluntary options! The option of self insurance, based on cash, I agree should be there, but it would involve tying up that 3 million. Perhaps in an escrow account. I believe not many would go for that.

It should be simple to meet a 400,000/40,000 insurance requirement, what sticks in the craw is it having to be a select group of Thai insurers.

Surely it sould involve 400k being tied up....not on trust but proof reqd at next extension...or better still a credit card with proof of credit limit above 400k...both these options are actually better at guaranteeing 400k available for hospital treatment as the policies you are required to buy may not payout depending on preconditions 

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5 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Yes they do, this is not a place where people are trusted to their word and given voluntary options! The option of self insurance, based on cash, I agree should be there, but it would involve tying up that 3 million. Perhaps in an escrow account. I believe not many would go for that.

It should be simple to meet a 400,000/40,000 insurance requirement, what sticks in the craw is it having to be a select group of Thai insurers.

I would happily show Immi. proof every year that my word was good.

 

"this is not a place where people are trusted to their word", which is why they insist of Thai insurers, that prevents visa applicants from using bogus counterfeit insurance certificates which we all know would happen, khao San Road would be jumping!

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5 minutes ago, saengd said:

I would happily show Immi. proof every year that my word was good.

 

"this is not a place where people are trusted to their word", which is why they insist of Thai insurers, that prevents visa applicants from using bogus counterfeit insurance certificates which we all know would happen, khao San Road would be jumping!

Funnily enough I was thinking the same thing...bogus certificates for those staying here illegitimatly...is immigration going to ring the relevant insurance company to check every applicant...would the insurance company even be allowed to disclose info under privacy laws.

Or would they buy a policy on monthly payments, go through process and then cancel policy  ...as usual it's the honest stayer who gets wacked. 

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1 minute ago, gavlar said:

Funnily enough I was thinking the same thing...bogus certificates for those staying here illegitimatly...is immigration going to ring the relevant insurance company to check every applicant...would the insurance company even be allowed to disclose info under privacy laws.

Or would they buy a policy on monthly payments, go through process and then cancel policy  ...as usual it's the honest stayer who gets wacked. 

I believe there is a database of insured people that only the insurance companies can update but that Immi. can inspect. Of course that begets the next question, when will rogue elements of the insurance industry start to go freelance.

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On 11/10/2019 at 5:47 PM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

Pacific Cross is one of the better Thai insurers in that they'll write new policies up to age 75, and then guarantee renewals (albeit at very high prices) into your 90s.

 

The last time I looked, it seemed Pacific Cross only wrote new policies up to age 75 for the three NonOA-approved plans, not for their standard plans (which have deductibles).  I'll check again.  I think I remember they only wrote their various standard, premier, maxima, etc. plans up to age 65.  I'll check again....

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8 minutes ago, gavlar said:

Like you I have a plan B (change to non o) and a plan C (given only stay in Thailand 6 mths a year try tourist visas and D (resettlement to UK including selling house, land etc) and fortunately don't have to act on any of my 3 options until things become clearer and even then not until mid February.

If things get clarified fairly quickly, the main point of my post above is that I am sure a fairly low % of those on OA -and possibly even O in the future- have an option except to move on....that in my view is desperately unfair for those with family connections 

Well done and totally agree with the above.

 

I believe I am also on the O (marriage visa) and as said before have private cover for myself and the family which costs me around 62,500 baht per annum and 45,500 per annum for the family, that said, I am up for renewal in June and the family in January, with the AUD dropping and no doubt the policies increasing, I am looking at reverting back to self insuring, e.g. family renewal being scrapped first, and then mine in June, however will have to monitor things with mine as we go forward because for someone with a pre-existing and turning 60 next birthday, and being in good health, touchwood, I know if immigration extends its O-A requirement to the O, finding insurance cover again with a pre-existing would be trying to say the least and being over 60 adding to the stresses, so might scrap the families and keep mine, and put the amount saved for the families policy to the side.

 

Sure hope they don't extend it to other extensions/visa's and come up with some kind of alternative, like proof at time of extension funds to cover hospital costs in the some of XZY. 

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3 hours ago, gavlar said:

Funnily enough I was thinking the same thing...bogus certificates for those staying here illegitimatly...is immigration going to ring the relevant insurance company to check every applicant...would the insurance company even be allowed to disclose info under privacy laws.

Or would they buy a policy on monthly payments, go through process and then cancel policy  ...as usual it's the honest stayer who gets wacked. 

This is why they have a database of all the approved local companies that immigration can check. 

 

So its fair to assume thats why the overseas insurers are acceptable 'for the first year only' so you use them to get your visa, arrive, get stamped to the end date of the insurance (evidence shows they are stamping 12 months, against the orders instructions) and then for extension incountry, they will be checking you have approved insurance from the longstay website, which is linked to a database they have verification access to. 

 

 

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3 hours ago, JTXR said:

The last time I looked, it seemed Pacific Cross only wrote new policies up to age 75 for the three NonOA-approved plans, not for their standard plans (which have deductibles).  I'll check again.  I think I remember they only wrote their various standard, premier, maxima, etc. plans up to age 65.  I'll check again....

 

Nope, PC will write new policies, including their general public policies, up to and including age 75. The trigger at age 65 and above is a requirement for a medical exam, which isn't typically required for their new policies under age 65.

 

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On 11/12/2019 at 12:52 PM, 4MyEgo said:

Well done and totally agree with the above.

 

I believe I am also on the O (marriage visa) and as said before have private cover for myself and the family which costs me around 62,500 baht per annum and 45,500 per annum for the family, that said, I am up for renewal in June and the family in January, with the AUD dropping and no doubt the policies increasing, I am looking at reverting back to self insuring, e.g. family renewal being scrapped first, and then mine in June, however will have to monitor things with mine as we go forward because for someone with a pre-existing and turning 60 next birthday, and being in good health, touchwood, I know if immigration extends its O-A requirement to the O, finding insurance cover again with a pre-existing would be trying to say the least and being over 60 adding to the stresses, so might scrap the families and keep mine, and put the amount saved for the families policy to the side.

 

Sure hope they don't extend it to other extensions/visa's and come up with some kind of alternative, like proof at time of extension funds to cover hospital costs in the some of XZY. 

Before you scrap your insurance, if it's a Thai company, check as per Sheryls posts if it is underwritten by one of the accepted companies in the Thai scheme. That way, assuming your original visa was an "O" and this new order rolls out to include "O,s" it will be accepted. In fact if your on an OA originally it would be accepted for that as well.

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1 hour ago, gavlar said:

Before you scrap your insurance, if it's a Thai company, check as per Sheryls posts if it is underwritten by one of the accepted companies in the Thai scheme. That way, assuming your original visa was an "O" and this new order rolls out to include "O,s" it will be accepted. In fact if your on an OA originally it would be accepted for that as well.

Thanks, its an overseas company

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