Return to Europe ....or not?

[soi3eddie]

On 4/6/2020 at 8:27 AM, BillStrangeOgre said:

I was here in 'difficult' times (red and yellows) and never felt in anyway threatened...

I remember i was sitting outside a bar on Sukhumvit drinking a beer with friends and 'fully equipped' military vehicles were going  down the road! 

 

I was here too in Red shirt times and mingled with them at Siam and Rajprasong. Seems surreal now that it ever occurred. No threat to foreigners. Now the enemy is the state and they're blaming us farangs for Covid-19. Unfortunately *some* citizens have taken this attitude too. Since May 2014 the atmosphere has been changing against us. Keep close to local community and friends and you'll all be safe. There are enough Thais who know good from bad and will do the right thing.

[soi3eddie]

11 hours ago, zhounan said:

Yes. Here expat is continuously harassed, Better to live a quiet life in your own country or in a country based on justice and not on oppression. In Thailand it has become almost forbidden for a foreigner to even think about start a family, you're constantly harassed until your relationships explode. Not to mention the heavy air of false tolerance that one breathes everywhere.

That's a sad indictment. I suppose it may depend where you are from, how you fit in here and what attitude you have.

[soi3eddie]

10 hours ago, Max69xl said:

"hope that UK assist with flights out if things get dodgy"

Why would things get more dodgy here compared with the UK? There were 5000 dead late Sunday in the UK. I don't know where you're staying in Thailand but imo it's a lot safer here (except maybe for BKK) than back home. 

Governements like to control through fear. UK said "return home now", USA said same, ditto Australia and many others. Threats of no assistance if you didn't heed their warnings. So what? Stuck in Thailand? Would you rather be stuck in NYC, London, Rome or Paris right now? I know where I'd rather be.

[hugh mckee]

I'm in the UK but I'd rather be at my nice condo in Thailand.

 

maybe an ostrich but I'd rather be shielded from the horrible news every day at home, you go out once a day here and have too much time to watch news

 

Thailand has nowhere near the instances of infection and with it's temps and humidity is very unlikely too.

 

I'd sit tight enjoy the sunshine, in a month or two you'd be able to get home via a european country if not directly to the UK? if the situation arose

and you needed to go home? it's no fun here right now and extremely depressing, I'd rather be hiding from reality in Thailand, if Boris is to die? the

depressing situation here will get so much worse.

 

I personally had the choice to fly back to Thailand in early March but worries about Thailand becoming like Italy and getting stuck there made me chicken out,

a decision I now deeply regret.

 

stay, there's nothing here in the UK, you could come home and start regretting it immediately!

[Postmaster]

The Colonel.  Good and timely topic.  Like you my position is the same.  If there is no emergency at home in the UK with the kids (grown ups now) better sit it out here in Thailand. Whether my June month return ticket to the UK with the Luftwaffe will be any good I have no idea at this stage.

[Mulambana]

On 4/6/2020 at 3:22 AM, Tanoshi said:

You can get very cheap Insurance to cover Covid in Thailand. 850 baht covers 100,000 in medical bills and 1,000,000 in the event of death to a beneficiary.

Where do I get this insurance? I already have have an US insurance (HSA). 

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, Mulambana said:

Where do I get this insurance? I already have have an US insurance (HSA). 

https://www.roojai.com/en/covid/

[Tanoshi]

10 hours ago, rickudon said:

Just signed up. No email as yet. My wife had tried to get me this insurance from the banks, 3 times. Always hummed and haa-ed and said they would call her back. They didn't.

Should receive an automated email straight away.

Two possibilities;

1. Check your spam folder.

2. You entered an incorrect email addy.

[ubonjoe]

50 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Two possibilities;

Or the payment didn't go through.

[Tanoshi]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Or the payment didn't go through.

Yes a 3rd possibility, especially if using a Bangkok Bank Union Pay debit card.

Only Visa/Mastercard debit/credit cards acceptable.

Edited April 8, 2020 by Tanoshi

[sanuk711]

On 4/6/2020 at 1:19 PM, thecolonel said:

i spend 6 months of the year here (playing golf is why im here) and i have for the last 7 years.

Not the Temples and the food then.....................................

[ubonjoe]

16 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

Only Visa/Mastercard debit/credit cards acceptable.

I have had problems using both of those lately. I think the banks system has been having problems or is getting overloaded.

[Tanoshi]

12 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

I have had problems using both of those lately. I think the banks system has been having problems or is getting overloaded.

I think it's a general internet/server overload issue.

Quite a few are reporting slow internet connections or error messages.

Fortunately I've had no such problems.

 

I changed my Bangkok Bank 'Union Pay' debit card to their 'Mastercard' version for online transaction purposes. 

[ubonjoe]

13 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

I changed my Bangkok Bank 'Union Pay' debit card to their 'Mastercard' version for online transaction purposes. 

I have all 3 of them. My daughter uses the Union Pay for a ATM.

I have the visa and mastercard. The Visa card is dead for ATMs but still works most of the time for online purchases same for the Mastercard. Sometimes one will not work online but the other one will.

No problem with my internet service.

[hugh mckee]

2 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

https://www.roojai.com/en/covid/

on reading their T & C's

you are only covered by this insurance if you reside in Thailand for at least 6 months or have a work permit, this has never been the case for me

and I'm sure for many others, 2, 3, 4 month trips or less being the norm'

 

anyone know of covid insurance for long stay holidays?

[Tanoshi]

5 minutes ago, hugh mckee said:

on reading their T & C's

you are only covered by this insurance if you reside in Thailand for at least 6 months or have a work permit, this has never been the case for me

and I'm sure for many others, 2, 3, 4 month trips or less being the norm'

 

anyone know of covid insurance for long stay holidays?

Anyone with any ounce of sense would have purchased suitable travel Insurance if visiting for short periods. I assume a suitable policy to cover medical expenses.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, hugh mckee said:

you are only covered by this insurance if you reside in Thailand for at least 6 months or have a work permit, this has never been the case for me

and I'm sure for many others, 2, 3, 4 month trips or less being the norm'

You would have to ask them how the figure the 6 months. It could be a total over a period of time spent here (a year maybe).

[damascase]

7 hours ago, Postmaster said:

The Colonel.  Good and timely topic.  Like you my position is the same.  If there is no emergency at home in the UK with the kids (grown ups now) better sit it out here in Thailand. Whether my June month return ticket to the UK with the Luftwaffe will be any good I have no idea at this stage.

More or less the same here. I arrived in the first week of February and have a return ticket to Europe for the end of June. My Embassy keeps sending messages urging me to go home. Must admit that I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I even lost some sleep worrying. To be physically closer to my son and his family would be the only reason, but under lockdown and/or isolation of older people I most probably wouldn’t be able to see them anyway. I do have comfortable and - if I wish so - permanent accommodation here, I can still go out on my long distance cycling trips so I’m keeping fit.

So I have decided to sit it out here till the end of June at least. My original planning was to return here late October to spend the whole of the European winter in TH, I do hope that that will be possible.

Edited April 8, 2020 by damascase
Typo

[hugh mckee]

5 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Anyone with any ounce of sense would have purchased suitable travel Insurance if visiting for short periods. I assume a suitable policy to cover medical expenses.

personally I've never went anywhere without travel insurance, not really sure what a smart guy like you Tanoshi means by posting about "anyone with an ounce of sense"?

 

this topic is about being in Thailand as opposed to being back at home, if you are in Thailand and stay longer and your insurance runs out then you're going to have

to be insured against covid if you can?

 

my insurance company who I take out yearly insurance with sent me a letter 6 weeks ago telling me future policies won't cover for covid 19, I'm sure they are not the only one's.

 

covid 19 medical insurance is needed for people overstaying and also will be the "new norm'" for future travelers.

[rickudon]

12 hours ago, Tanoshi said:

Should receive an automated email straight away.

Two possibilities;

1. Check your spam folder.

2. You entered an incorrect email addy.

Yeah, in the junk mail. So were several emails from my banks, never had an issue with that before. Microsoft messing about with their algorithms i suppose.

[oldcpu]

Return to Europe or not to Europe?  

 

My view is this varies dependent on the person and their circumstances.   Some (what I think are) obvious aspect to consider are:

(1) Health Insurance? - Having good health coverage either in Thailand or your home country is mandatory.  Which has better hospitals and in which do you have better coverage?   If one has good health insurance, then the Thailand private hospitals are nominally fairly good.  In my case, my Health Insurance is excellent, so Thailand is a good choice.

(2) Visa and permission to stay in Thailand? - yes Thailand is extending the permission to stay, but it is doing such piecemeal, and if one does not have a long term permission to stay associated with their Visa, then this will be a constant irritant and uncertainty with staying in Thailand.  Does one want that?  In my case, my permission to stay is until Feb-2021, so Thailand is currently a good choice.

(3) Accommodation in Thailand and accommodation in one's home country?  Which is better and more comfortable?  In my case, I could not afford accommodation in my home country that would match what I have in Thailand.  So Thailand is a good choice.

(4) Family/friends? - Where is ones closest family/friend connections? In Thailand or in one's home country?   In my case, my wife is Thai, so Thailand is a good choice.

(5) Safety?  - Which place is safer, Thailand or one's home country?   In my case, both are about the same.

(6) COVID-19 restrictions?  Which place is more comfortable given the restrictions?  In my case, both are about the same.

 

Clearly for me, its Thailand.  But if I did not have (1) excellent health insurance, nor (2) a good permission to stay, nor (3) good accommodations, nor (4) family/friends in Thailand .... If I did not have those, I would have headed back home weeks ago.

.

[thecolonel]

4 hours ago, hugh mckee said:

personally I've never went anywhere without travel insurance, not really sure what a smart guy like you Tanoshi means by posting about "anyone with an ounce of sense"?

 

this topic is about being in Thailand as opposed to being back at home, if you are in Thailand and stay longer and your insurance runs out then you're going to have

to be insured against covid if you can?

 

my insurance company who I take out yearly insurance with sent me a letter 6 weeks ago telling me future policies won't cover for covid 19, I'm sure they are not the only one's.

 

covid 19 medical insurance is needed for people overstaying and also will be the "new norm'" for future travelers.

yes Hugh, just because you had Travel Ins doesnt mean you have Covid cover now or will have it next week or whatever.

 

I think Tanoshi is missing that point. ( but his info on Roojai is helpful and informative, even though there remains some ?? over eligibilty for many )

 

Plus as you say due overstaying many travel ins policies will not extend due max period, regardless of covid 

 

we could really do with a thread on covid 19 insurance! I might start one tonight 555

[jacko45k]

On 4/8/2020 at 9:07 AM, ubonjoe said:

No problem with my internet service.

I have felt there is no issue within the country, but am having issues to other countries when downloading, streaming etc. Speed-tests to UK come back very slow. Apparently a lot of video streaming and gaming going on back there. 

[chainarong]

You've convinced me that you want to stay in Thai , look at all the negatives you gave getting back to England. 

[Kalasin Jo]

On 4/7/2020 at 8:45 PM, rickudon said:

Just signed up. No email as yet. My wife had tried to get me this insurance from the banks, 3 times. Always hummed and haa-ed and said they would call her back. They didn't.

Roojai age limit 99! But have to be healthy,  have been in Thailand at least 6 months. No good for non 0 multi visa holders. You might be able to buy this but if you try to use it and haven't met these and other policy terms and conditions it will be useless.

[treetops]

3 minutes ago, Kalasin Jo said:

. . . . have been in Thailand at least 6 months . . .

Haven't looked closely myself, but it was mentioned elsewhere that it was 6 months in the last year.  Are you reading it as the last 6 months?

[Cashboy]

I think the riskiest time would be the travelling back to the UK; in the airplane and terminals.

 

UK is in lockdown also and appears worse as you have to cue up to go to the supermarket while in Thailand the super markets are accessible and most markets are still open.

You would still have a 14 day self quarantine in the UK also.

 

If as you say you have nothing to do also in the UK and a choice; I would therefore prefer to stay in Thailand in these times.