Phuket Immigration in the dark over new ‘10-year’ visa

[wealthychef]

1 hour ago, farcanell said:

from checking thru links. One assumed ( oh dear, the ass word) that similar spending restrictions will be required for both options

 

 

Very cool. Can you provide the link to this?  who is speaking and are they talking about an extension or first application?  

[mcfish]

You've posted about your report about 10 times already now, right?

We heard you.

It's a clue. It's not the end all. It doesn't even answer all the questions we have, for example, does this replace the current O-A visa.

How can anyone have all the final answers on a policy that isn't even fully baked yet? 

Like it or not, this is a WAIT AND SEE situation and the full consequences may not be clear for quite some time. 

Yes but at least I made a report. And sometimes it's how it's said that's just as important as to what Is said.

She rattled off the answers instantly, didn't hesitate or ask her Co workers. The new visa WILL NOT replace retirement extension. It was definative and that's what 90 % of us only care about

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[wealthychef]

46 minutes ago, mcfish said:

Details get lost in poor translation all the time in articles released in Thailand . I spoke to jomtien immigration and she confirmed that the new VISA WILL NOT replace retirement extension but the scare mongers who probably don't even live here are having a ball!

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Does it replace the first-time applicant visa?  I'm going for my first visa, converting a 60 day tourist visa to a non-immigrant "O" visa.  I guess I'll find out, but since this takes effect this Thursday, I'll go in on Wed if it saves me a bunch of headaches.  

[mcfish]

Does it replace the first-time applicant visa?  I'm going for my first visa, converting a 60 day tourist visa to a non-immigrant "O" visa.  I guess I'll find out, but since this takes effect this Thursday, I'll go in on Wed if it saves me a bunch of headaches.  

I don't know about that but let us all know the results

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[bamukloy]

2 hours ago, iancnx said:

 Lol.  Funny as hell.  This is for medical tourists.  Hmmm. So how do such tourists open a bank account to deposit baht 3m before applying for this visa?  Can the apply with a visa exempt on arrival 30 day stamp? Do they hand carry the cash and? And? 

 

Ok, so it is really aimed at expats already here....... Hmmmm shame most of us in the know realise routine expat medical insurance is extortionate in this country, and out of reach for many pensioners for a variety of reasons, let alone the commitment involved in depositing baht 3m given the difficulties of repatriation of funds.  As someone mentioned on another thread if I get so sick that Requires major expenditure (by that I mean over baht 1m) I will take my chances with a one way to LHR.  I would simply declare my permanent return to UK and claim resident status.

 

I have long suspected the retirement visa rules might be 'amended' in some way, this appears to be the start of something....... Such perceived changes forthcoming are exactly why I have refused the kind invitation to become 'retired' each year when I apply for my annual marriage extension.  

 

I accept they they may well attempt to make it harder for us married folk..... Time will tell, and planning for that is stressful, but a necessary process nonetheless.

 

I presume when in your own country you satisfy the paperwork and show the money in your home bank.

They give you the paperwork and   some temporary visa and allowance to open bank acc.

 

When in Thailand, you go to immigrations and get changed over to the new visa

[Grubster]

Sounds good to me so far but the details could change that, I haven't seen an insurance policy that would cover only $10,000 or 350,000 baht but I'm sure the insurers will come up with that.  Hopefully they will make some medical savings accounts that you could keep $11,000  in as self insured to that amount.  They could make that money only available for medical use. You could draw it out if you cancel or let your ten year extension expire,  or if you died it could pay funeral expenses.  Insurance companies wouldn't like that but the banks would.

[Grubster]

I think it is just typical of Thai laws and regulations changes being leaked to the press the first day they start working on it. Maybe they are monitoring the expat reaction to get ideas. Wishful thinking on my part probably.

[LivinginKata]

13 minutes ago, Grubster said:

Sounds good to me so far but the details could change that, I haven't seen an insurance policy that would cover only $10,000 or 350,000 baht but I'm sure the insurers will come up with that.  Hopefully they will make some medical savings accounts that you could keep $11,000  in as self insured to that amount.  They could make that money only available for medical use. You could draw it out if you cancel or let your ten year extension expire,  or if you died it could pay funeral expenses.  Insurance companies wouldn't like that but the banks would.

 

It's not 350,000 baht .... it's 3.5 million baht

[farcanell]

50 minutes ago, wealthychef said:

 

Very cool. Can you provide the link to this?  who is speaking and are they talking about an extension or first application?  

 From the TV post "Thailand's visa meets mixed reaction"

 

its about paragraph 15 of the link at the bottom of the article

 

 

[Grubster]

1 minute ago, LivinginKata said:

 

It's not 350,000 baht .... it's 3.5 million baht

I sure wish $10,000 was 3.5 million baht.

[louse1953]

So if the 1 year is replaced and your extension is due on Dec 1 and you don't pull 100k/month,then you are expected to pull another 2.2 million baht together before then and get insurance,Also you know how some of us have to bank shop before we get one,maybe 3 million will help with that but how to get a bank account before you even get here.I'd hate to go through any immi door on Dec 1 looking for an extension for being retired.That to be considered stamp is gunna get a work out,maybe they need a new one with a ? included.

[Jingthing]

Based on what I now know, which may change, it's a pretty good deal for those making the 100K baht per month income, except for insurance part which is kind of strange with the outpatient requirement, simply because you don't need to do ANNUAL extensions.

 

The bank account method for the new thing seems quite a bad deal unless you're a new expat and haven't purchased housing yet. So you put in 3 million and later you can take out half of that for only limited things like buying housing or medical care. What if you want to use the money in the first six months? Too bad. What if you need to pay for medical care in the first six months? Too bad. What about the 1.5 million that just sits there? Too bad for you, very good for Thailand (natch). After 5 years, you need to top up again.

 

Seems like a HORRIBLE deal just to avoid annual extensions, but less horrible if you haven't bought housing yet.

 

There doesn't seem to be a COMBO method option for this new visa as there is for the current system. 

 

This is ASSUMING retirement extensions at the current levels will still be available for those CURRENTLY in system and the other question is about people STARTING in the system after the new thing goes into effect. Will they still be able to START at the current levels? If not, they'll have no choice but to use the new thing at the higher levels, which of course will screen out a significant number of potential new retired expats. 

[LivinginKata]

2 minutes ago, Grubster said:

I sure wish $10,000 was 3.5 million baht.

 

I stand corrected - too many zeros in my mental arithmetic.  It's only 350,000 baht.

[louse1953]

1 hour ago, wealthychef said:

 

Is this a voluntary program?  There seems to be confusion also on that score.  That is, can people continue to use the old 1 year system if they like it better? The word "replace" was used in one article I saw.  

Keep up mate,that was worked through days ago by people who can read Thai,both farang and Thai.Replaced was not used in the Thai article only in the English translation.This confusion is all on TVF,but hey they don't care as this is a bonanza for them.Credability is everything in the news caper.

[Jingthing]

Just now, louse1953 said:

Keep up mate,that was worked through days ago by people who can read Thai,both farang and Thai.Replaced was not used in the Thai article only in the English translation.This confusion is all on TVF,but hey they don't care as this is a bonanza for them.Credability is everything in the news caper.

Perhaps so, but sorry, we still need to know some things. 

The details of the thing don't seem finished.

The details of how you get this new thing -- home nations for the limited nation list / in Thailand / EITHER.

The medical insurance thing --- what if insurance companies reject you

The O-A visa thing  -- does it replace the O-A visa class from home nations or will this be called something different than O-A. Doesn't seem like you can have two O-As.

100 percent confirmation needed that those currently in the system can still get extensions at CURRENT levels.

What about people starting NEW that don't like the new visa? Can they get an "old style" O-A or single O in neighboring nation or in Thailand based on the CURRENT levels to start again in the extension system at the CURRENT levels?

This is also important to people who may be "grandfathering" already in the system. Many times for various reasons people BREAK THE CHAIN of continuous extensions even after many many years. Those people must start all over. They need to know can they start over at CURRENT levels OR is this new higher level going to apply to all people starting NEW in the system.

I'm sure there are more questions, but people that say this has all been answered and resolved ... NO, it has not. 

[Krataiboy]

Don't panic! Don't panic!

[Jingthing]

Just now, Krataiboy said:

Don't panic! Don't panic!

True, don't panic, but instead wait for the needed answers and don't make PREMATURE assumptions about what the answers to all those questions are going to be. 

[louse1953]

54 minutes ago, bamukloy said:

 

I presume when in your own country you satisfy the paperwork and show the money in your home bank.

They give you the paperwork and   some temporary visa and allowance to open bank acc.

 

When in Thailand, you go to immigrations and get changed over to the new visa

That 6 month visa stretched for another 3 months is looking good.Hang out in other SEA countries for a few months.Quick trip back to Oz for a week or two,rinse and repeat.

[louse1953]

2 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

 

And you are assuming that the existing one year will no longer be available. There has been no official announcement that is the case.... as yet. But I grant you that "with a stoke of a pen in Bangkok, they can change the visa requirements, and inject foreign capital into Thai banks, virtually overnight". 

 

 

If people take up the generous offer.Going by the posts over the last few days i can't see farangs busting down the doors of their banks.

[bamukloy]

6 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

That 6 month visa stretched for another 3 months is looking good.Hang out in other SEA countries for a few months.Quick trip back to Oz for a week or two,rinse and repeat.

 

Yes, sounds good. Since that visa only new they probably wont have a crackdown for a few years yet.

 

I dont know about Australia though?

By the time you arrange visa in Aus, airfares, accom, food etc.

If you do that many times

Probably cheaper for elite visa.

[cyberfarang]

Unless the insurance companies are going to liaise with immigration to introduce practical affordable health insurance policies that will accommodate all expats then this 10 year visa scheme cannot work. Otherwise it`s going to mean expats that already have or contract later on long term health problems and reach certain ages will not be able to remain in Thailand on this scheme. 

 

I believe that many of these I don`t know, not sure, could be, reports are deliberately made vague by the media to make people panic and prolonging the agony of waiting to see how this concludes. My own thoughts on this, is to not read too much into this.

[55Jay]

Would of made SOME sense without the 50 y/o rider.  Might get a few punters but IMO, this thing is DOA.

[louse1953]

16 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Perhaps so, but sorry, we still need to know some things. 

The details of the thing don't seem finished.

The details of how you get this new thing -- home nations for the limited nation list / in Thailand / EITHER.

The medical insurance thing --- what if insurance companies reject you

The O-A visa thing  -- does it replace the O-A visa class from home nations or will this be called something different than O-A. Doesn't seem like you can have two O-As.

100 percent confirmation needed that those currently in the system can still get extensions at CURRENT levels.

What about people starting NEW that don't like the new visa? Can they get an "old style" O-A or single O in neighboring nation or in Thailand based on the CURRENT levels to start again in the extension system at the CURRENT levels?

This is also important to people who may be "grandfathering" already in the system. Many times for various reasons people BREAK THE CHAIN of continuous extensions even after many many years. Those people must start all over. They need to know can they start over at CURRENT levels OR is this new higher level going to apply to all people starting NEW in the system.

I'm sure there are more questions, but people that say this has all been answered and resolved ... NO, it has not. 

All valid points JT.I have a AO since 2009 but in a couple of year i have to go back to Oz and do penance for 2 years to make my pension portable.Then i was going to get another AO and come back.I will be back but using what visa is unclear.For a forum that calls itself Thai Visa they sure are quiet on this one.You would think they would have somebody on the inside.I have skimmed quite a bit of this as it has been going around in circles but has Ubon Joe commented yet.If not,it would be unusual.

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, cyberfarang said:

Unless the insurance companies are going to liaise with immigration to introduce practical affordable health insurance policies that will accommodate all expats then this 10 year visa scheme cannot work. Otherwise it`s going to mean expats that already have or contract later on long term health problems and reach certain ages will not be able to remain in Thailand on this scheme. 

 

I believe that many of these I don`t know, not sure, could be, reports are deliberately made vague by the media to make people panic and prolonging the agony of waiting to see how this concludes. My own thoughts on this, is to not read too much into this.

Yeah, the insurance detail seems difficult even for those genuinely attracted to this new visa. They could fix by offering a government option for those that can't buy it privately or an exception if you can prove you have been rejected.

[louse1953]

14 minutes ago, bamukloy said:

 

Yes, sounds good. Since that visa only new they probably wont have a crackdown for a few years yet.

 

I dont know about Australia though?

By the time you arrange visa in Aus, airfares, accom, food etc.

If you do that many times

Probably cheaper for elite visa.

Ps,not if you are an Ozzy.

[louse1953]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, the insurance detail seems difficult even for those genuinely attracted to this new visa. They could fix by offering a government option for those that can't buy it privately or an exception if you can prove you have been rejected.

Just like Malaysia!!!!!!

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, louse1953 said:

Just like Malaysia!!!!!!

Yes, but this new thing isn't baked to that more advanced level. Will it be? We don't know yet.

[iancnx]

I feel sorry for any poor buggahs who are having sleepless nights over this; I suspect there are a good few seemingly without options.  Shameful way to treat folk.

[cyberfarang]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, the insurance detail seems difficult even for those genuinely attracted to this new visa. They could fix by offering a government option for those that can't buy it privately or an exception if you can prove you have been rejected.

The only way this could work that if people have been rejected by insurance companies for health coverage for whatever reasons, then they have to prove they have enough funds put by to cover themselves for medical emergencies and long term illnesses. All seems far too complicated to me and why I cannot see this 10 year scheme being implemented.

[bamukloy]

10 minutes ago, louse1953 said:

Ps,not if you are an Ozzy.

 

Yes lucky you.

 

Maybe you can do some air b&b  for the rest of us at your place.

 

Knowing the grumpy p####s on here id understand if you dont like that idea tho

555