jackdd Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 41 minutes ago, Maestro said: I wonder what the handwritten Thai text above the handwritten "Retirement" on the visa sticker says. Presumably, this text was also added by the IO. It says เพื่อใช้ชีวิตในบั้นปลาย which means "retirement" in Thai immigration lingo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre47 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 2 minutes ago, jackdd said: It says เพื่อใช้ชีวิตในบั้นปลาย which means "retirement" in Thai immigration lingo. Somebody with a "O-A" visa with marriage extension should ask his immigration officer. Then we will know.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackdd Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 4 minutes ago, andre47 said: Somebody with a "O-A" visa with marriage extension should ask his immigration officer. Then we will know.... Then we know what? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chazar Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 (edited) On 11/13/2019 at 12:16 PM, Expattaff1308 said: I have found a company (office in Bangkok) whose cover is exactly what is required 400k / 40k and their premium is at least a third or even a half in some cases cheaper than those companies listed. would you care to mention it? ok Regency thanks Edited November 17, 2019 by Chazar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeCross Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 9 hours ago, AussieBob18 said: I first decided that when they demanded I leave 800K in a Thai Bank - and since then the TM30 and now the health insurance - and there is more coming ok baited.. whats coming? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 1 hour ago, jackdd said: It says เพื่อใช้ชีวิตในบั้นปลาย which means "retirement" in Thai immigration lingo. Thank you very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 58 minutes ago, jackdd said: Then we know what? Yes, this is the fundamental question. Then we know how a particular immigration official (rank and name needed) at a particular immigration office (location needed) interpreted the applicability of the health insurance requirement to extensions of stay at that particular point in time (date and time required, moon phase optional) This, regrettably, is how complicated and unpredictable the implementation of immigration policies has become. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre47 Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 14 minutes ago, Maestro said: Yes, this is the fundamental question. Then we know how a particular immigration official (rank and name needed) at a particular immigration office (location needed) interpreted the applicability of the health insurance requirement to extensions of stay at that particular point in time (date and time required, moon phase optional) This, regrettably, is how complicated and unpredictable the implementation of immigration policies has become. Perhaps you are right, but what shall we do? We have to live with this and try to make the best out of it. Lamentation does not help us to answer our questions. Only talking with the officers in our immigration offices can help us to know about their rules and interpretations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 Just now, andre47 said: Perhaps you are right, but what shall we do? We have to live with this and try to make the best out of it. Lamentation does not help us to answer our questions. Only talking with the officers in our immigration offices can help us to know about their rules and interpretations. You are right. What shall we do? Grin and bear it, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimHuaHin Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 I must admit that this is all becoming rather annoying and stressful. Before I left Australia 7 years ago, I took out a 1 year travel insurance policy, which included comprehensive health insurance. Just before that policy ran out, I searched for a comprehensive health insurance policy. I found all the various policies offerred by Thai companies to be somewhat expensive, comared to what I had to pay in Australia. I then looked at various overseas companies which offered overseas coverage. Eventually I found a US-based company which offered global health coverage, in all but 10 advanced expensive countries. This was encouraging as I planned to travel overseas during my Thai retirement, and this company would cover me during such travels, while Thai-based companies would not. The other greart thing about this company's policy was that it provided more coverage at a cheaper price that the Thai-based companies I consulted. So, I took out a policy, which I have maintained for the past 6 years. I sent US-based company the required "Overseas Insurance Certificate" a few weeks ago, but am still waiting for the signed certificate to be returned, although the company has acknowledged receipt of my communication!! The other problem is that your health insurance coverage and the retirement visa must align in their covergae dates. So unless you pay your insurance a few months in advance, and you can get all the required documents from the insurance company within a few weeks of the time your have to renew your visa, you have problem. I have no objections to having health insurance in Thailand; but the new requirements seem to make life much more difficult for many of us living peacefully in Thailand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gk10002000 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 (edited) On 11/16/2019 at 5:32 PM, bbi1 said: Yep, an Elite visa seems to be the best option these days. I remember recently on a Non-OA said an Elite visa works out to be the same cost as an over-50s visa anyway. Probably not the same cost, even not counting insurance requirements. Even the Elite visa holders have to pay the 1900 baht yearly fee for an extension of stay Edited November 18, 2019 by gk10002000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 16 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said: I must admit that this is all becoming rather annoying and stressful. Before I left Australia 7 years ago, I took out a 1 year travel insurance policy, which included comprehensive health insurance. Just before that policy ran out, I searched for a comprehensive health insurance policy. I found all the various policies offerred by Thai companies to be somewhat expensive, comared to what I had to pay in Australia. I then looked at various overseas companies which offered overseas coverage. Eventually I found a US-based company which offered global health coverage, in all but 10 advanced expensive countries. This was encouraging as I planned to travel overseas during my Thai retirement, and this company would cover me during such travels, while Thai-based companies would not. The other greart thing about this company's policy was that it provided more coverage at a cheaper price that the Thai-based companies I consulted. So, I took out a policy, which I have maintained for the past 6 years. I sent US-based company the required "Overseas Insurance Certificate" a few weeks ago, but am still waiting for the signed certificate to be returned, although the company has acknowledged receipt of my communication!! The other problem is that your health insurance coverage and the retirement visa must align in their covergae dates. So unless you pay your insurance a few months in advance, and you can get all the required documents from the insurance company within a few weeks of the time your have to renew your visa, you have problem. I have no objections to having health insurance in Thailand; but the new requirements seem to make life much more difficult for many of us living peacefully in Thailand. Unfortunately at present even with signed certificate, foreign coverage is allowed only for the first year. So this may not solve your problem if you are required to show proof of insurance for extension of stay. Note that people whose original visa was O rather than OA have no insurance requirement and there is still debate around those with OA issued some years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre47 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 5 minutes ago, JimHuaHin said: I have no objections to having health insurance in Thailand; but the new requirements seem to make life much more difficult for many of us living peacefully in Thailand. Yes, it is getting difficult to retire in Thailand. On one side I understand the Thai government because some naive farang come here with insufficient financial preparation. But the new regulation for the health insurance is not well planed. Many farang have already a good insurance but they cannot comply with the new regulations. The easiest way would be if we could make a fix bank deposit to ensure our expenses. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lampangguy Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 On 11/17/2019 at 9:18 AM, Peterw42 said: Lampangguy says his visa expired in 2016. And it did. He has been on an extension of stay since then, not an extension of visa. When you are on an extension of stay you get a re-entry permit to re-enter the country because you no longer have a valid visa. Nobody in the history of the universe has ever extended a Thai Visa, its impossible. A visa is an entry document that has an expriy date, a Visa generates a "permission to stay" in Thailand, you can extend this permission to stay long after the original visa has expired. You extend a stay, not a visa. Okay, I am on an extension of stay, not an extension of visa...but in any case my visa expired in 2016, way way way before October 30 2019....I have not left the country since I came in on that visa in 2016. By the wording on that sign, insurance not required. It seems straightforward...maybe I am missing something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 (edited) The reasonable way to fix this is to require all foreign longer term residents to buy into a basic Thai national health care plan priced reasonably and then leave additional private insurance as an option. It would be a compromise of sorts as the coverage wouldn't be that great, but neither are these 40K/400k plans. Another advantage of the require for all would be a much wider pool of ages and health conditions which is how insurance is supposed to work. They could streamline the compliance with an online monthly payment and automated reports to immigration of anyone out of coverage, so no absurd bother with synching your annual certificate with extension or entry dates (a major flaw in this O-A new system). I know. A pipe dream for Thailand though there are some South American countries that have systems for foreigners similar to this idea. Edited November 18, 2019 by Jingthing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andre47 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 7 minutes ago, lampangguy said: Okay, I am on an extension of stay, not an extension of visa...but in any case my visa expired in 2016, way way way before October 30 2019....I have not left the country since I came in on that visa in 2016. By the wording on that sign, insurance not required. It seems straightforward...maybe I am missing something. If you have a visa cat "O-A" you will need an insurance the next time when you will apply for an extension of stay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterw42 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 9 minutes ago, lampangguy said: Okay, I am on an extension of stay, not an extension of visa...but in any case my visa expired in 2016, way way way before October 30 2019....I have not left the country since I came in on that visa in 2016. By the wording on that sign, insurance not required. It seems straightforward...maybe I am missing something. I think it depends who you ask at this stage, people are reporting yes, no, maybe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 7 minutes ago, gk10002000 said: Probably not the same cost, even not counting insurance requirements. Even the Elite visa holders have to pay the 1900 baht yearly fee for an extension of stay Often same cost or less when insurance taken into account depending on age and whether comparing 5 or 20 year Elite option. I think a big consideration is whether one already has insurance (and thus the required insurance cost is a complete waste) or not (if not then, although overpriced, you may get at least something out of it). The other concern is the possibility of insurance requirement coming in for Elite as well. As Elite is a type of tourist visa I THINK any future insurance requirement would be linked to whatever is done for TVs and I THINK however they decide to do it for TVs it will not entail buying a local policy. "Think" not know of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momofarang Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 On 11/17/2019 at 8:32 AM, bbi1 said: Yep, an Elite visa seems to be the best option these days. I remember recently on a Non-OA said an Elite visa works out to be the same cost as an over-50s visa anyway. B.S. HIvsThaiElite.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheryl Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 23 minutes ago, lampangguy said: Okay, I am on an extension of stay, not an extension of visa...but in any case my visa expired in 2016, way way way before October 30 2019....I have not left the country since I came in on that visa in 2016. By the wording on that sign, insurance not required. It seems straightforward...maybe I am missing something. I think where this sign says "visa expiry" they mean permission of stay. It would make no sense to single out people with OA visas with visa expiry after Oct 31. Those would be visas issued in Oct 2018. Either one thinks the new rules apply only to OA visas issued after 31 Oct 2019, or to any new permission of stay or extension of stay deriving from an OA after 31 Oct 2019...but by no logic would it apply only to OA visas issued after Oct 2018. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AussieBob18 Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 17 hours ago, GeorgeCross said: ok baited.. whats coming? I wasn't hinting I knew exactly what - sorry about that. I meant that I do not see them slowing down on their impositions against Expats living in Thailand. Hey maybe they have finished and the health insurance scam for O-As was the last of it. But I am very sure it is not and that there is more to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momofarang Posted November 18, 2019 Share Posted November 18, 2019 18 hours ago, jackdd said: It says เพื่อใช้ชีวิตในบั้นปลาย which means "retirement" in Thai immigration lingo. Judging from the length of the Thai text it looks like some paraphrase. Is it "Lizzard getting money for doing nothing"? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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