Visa for Surgery

[HeijoshinCool]

I've been back in the States for 6 years and am now working towards returning to Thailand permanently. I have a doctor who is willing to sign-off on and perform rotator cuff surgery, something that, where I live, is not being performed at the moment because of Covid. Regardless of pain, it is considered non-essential.

 

Problem is, the Washington D.C. Thai Embassy website seems to preclude using an ASQ. Rather it states the 14 days must be spent in the hospital where the surgery is performed, and the hospital is not able to offer that.

 

Questions:

 

1) Anyone know a work-around? Anyone used an ASQ for quarantine with a "medical" visa? Here is the link for requirements, : https://thaiembdc.org/2020/07/11/visa_coe_medicaltreatment/.     see # 5 at the very bottom. 

 

5. If granted entry, a traveler must go through 14 days of Hospital Quarantine (even if medical treatment finishes before 14 days) at their own expense

 

2) What is the visa issued? Non-immigrant-O? Here is the link with the options: http://thaiembdc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Visa-Form-2015.pdf

 

3) Recovery  (two shoulders, one at a time) is longer than 90 days. Will I be able to apply for an extension based on retirement and stay? I meet all the retirement requirements, which is what I had for seven years. Or when the doctor clears me for travel, will I be required to leave?

 

4) Is this likely to be a cluster you-know-what? I do not anticipate Thailand opening up anytime in the next year, so if there's a decent chance I can get in, I'll move forward.

 

Thanks.

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1. Some hospitals have their own quarantine facility. Your hospital must be on the list of approved ones.

2. It would be a single entry non-o visa that allows a 90 day entry and then if your treatment is not finished you could apply for a extension of  up to 90 days.

3. No need leave after the treatment is completed. You should be able to a for a extension of stay of the 90 day entry from the non-o visa.

4. It will not be easy to get arranged.

 

Are you aware that you can now apply for a OA visa and enter the country. That may be better option for you instead of for medical care. See: https://thaiembdc.org/2020/09/30/nonimmigrantoaox/

 

[JerseytoBKK]

As of 3 months ago there were only letting people in from just a few countries - China, Cambodia and Myanmar. Contact hospitals in Bangkok that have the authority to start the process and to get the latest info. I contacted 6 before I got the info posted below.

 

More info here: 

 

[natway09]

Many hospitals are increasingly shying away from being used as quarantine stations 

as they do not want their premises to be infected along with many of them do not have enough isolation rooms which are very expensive to build as need filtered extract mechanical ventilation

& isolated air cons with  double door entry & variable lower pressure rooms.

You may need to do your 14 days first

[HeijoshinCool]

Thanks for the replies.

 

It's Chulbhorn Hospital and I've been told they do not have a quarantine facility. But apparently I cannot use an ASQ either. So that's it for the medical visa.

[ubonjoe]

51 minutes ago, HeijoshinCool said:

Thanks for the replies.

 

It's Chulbhorn Hospital and I've been told they do not have a quarantine facility. But apparently I cannot use an ASQ either. So that's it for the medical visa.

As I wrote before a OA visa may be your best option to get a certificate of entry. It would allow a one year stay when you enter the country. Requirements are here: See: https://thaiembdc.org/2020/09/30/nonimmigrantoaox/

 

 

[Pib]

As ubonjoe pointed out going for an OA Visa is your best route....it would be easier and kill two birds with one stone....get you into Thailand for your surgeries where you could pick and choose among many hospitals to include the timing versus trying to find one to support a specific 14 day combined quarantine and shoulder surgery....and you get a one year period of stay when setting foot in Thailand.   

 

Of course this also probably means you need to be ready to make the "total" move from the US to Thailand...that is, you are moving for long term versus just moving for a few weeks/months to undergo medical treatment.   Most people who get a OA are intending to move long term/permanently to Thailand....or at least stay around a half year....maybe be like a snowbird.   
 

But getting an OA just for short stay or long stay is totally up to you.

Edited October 24, 2020 by Pib

[Sheryl]

Chulabhorn is a government hospital. I do not know of any government hospitals apprioved for hospital quarantine and able to handle the paperwork,  but many private hospitals are & do.

 

There is no working around the requirement for 14 days quarantine in  the hospital if you come on a medical visa. However the 14 days is inclusive of treatment time i.e. you do not have to wait until 14 days are over to start treatment. Also, some hospitals may have arrangements with hotels or a hotel-like facility attached to the hospital where you can spend part of the time. 

 

If you can afford it, Bumrungrad Hospital would be the best choice for this as they have the best shoulder specialist in Thailand

https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/doctors/Mason-Porramatikul

 

But if course the treatment will cost much more there than at Chulabhorn

 

It is no longer necessary for the care to be unavailable in your own country and entry for medical care is nto limited by nationality. There is however a lot of paperwork involved.  The process has to be initiated by the hospital.

 

Contact Bumrungrad international services if interested https://www.bumrungrad.com/en/contact-us/inquiry

Specify you want the surgery done by Prof. Mason

 

Otherwise, best to come in as a retiree on an O-A visa if you can meet those qualifications. But this also will not be cheap as you will have to pay for 14 days Alternative quarantine in a hotel.

[HeijoshinCool]

Thanks!