Thread: Health Insurance Now Required for Long Stay Expats

Originally Posted by charleyboy

Fixed that for you.

Hasnt been implemented yet so how is it a scam ?

Right now all this is complete idle talk. There is nothing really to react to. Pull up a chair, have a drink, reeeeeeelaxx...

And for Gods sake, do not jump off any rooftops.....Its a bit premature....

Originally Posted by JPPR2

Right now all this is complete idle talk.

Is it?

Cabinet approves mandatory health insurance for long-stay visas

[COLOR=#6C757D !important]PHUKET: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced that Cabinet has approved mandatory health insurance as a new requirement for all foreigners staying in the country on one-year Non-Immigrant O-A “visas”, or “permits-to-stay” - better known simply as ’retirement visas’.[/COLOR]

healthimmigrationeconomics

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/cabine...gV1e0ZETcB1.99

Originally Posted by Fondles

Keep paying the Thai SS after you finish work and your covered, mine is 400b a month.

Was not sure I could continue to pay after leaving work, so nice to know.

However, I do wonder whether it will be counted as acceptable during the visa process given how literal the immigration officers can be sometimes.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Is it?

Well to me it is. Sure they have the proposed plan and they have it some what outlined. There is no implementation date. Until that happens with the new Thai executive order its just talk.

Originally Posted by nidhogg

Was not sure I could continue to pay after leaving work, so nice to know.

Yes it is convenient and good to know. Currently I pay in max for Thai SS.

What gets me are the people that think they have some sort of right to live here.


I'm 68.
Possibly a pervert.
On state benefits.
Can't afford health insurance, but want to come to your country to live, for no other reason than I want to.

Originally Posted by Luigi

I'm 68.
Possibly a pervert.
On state benefits.
Can't afford health insurance, but want to come to your country to live, for no other reason than I want to.
And I'll also incessantly bad your people and nation while I'm here...Likely whilst fondling a girl young enough to be my granddaughter

FTFY.

Originally Posted by Luigi

I'm 68.
Possibly a pervert.
On state benefits.
Can't afford health insurance, but want to come to your country to live, for no other reason than I want to.

Well, Lu, when the boys in brown show up at your door - you won't have to wonder why.

The secret's out.

Originally Posted by Luigi

What gets me are the people that think they have some sort of right to live here.


I'm 68.
Possibly a pervert.
On state benefits.
Can't afford health insurance, but want to come to your country to live, for no other reason than I want to.

Had you down as a bit younger to be honest Lu....

Anyway, for what its worth - from that "other" site:


The requirement for mandatory health insurance appears to only affect those applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa OA.

According to the announcement on the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) website, it does not affect anyone who stays in Thailand on an extension of stay based on retirement, which is often incorrectly referred to as a ‘retirement visa’.

Extensions of stay are not visas. Most retirees who stay in Thailand do so on an ‘extension of stay based on retirement’.

...^yep...much ado about nothing due to poor initial reporting in the local media: https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/110..._campaign=news

Originally Posted by bowie

Extensions of stay are not visas

Yes they are. Any entry in a passport giving permission to stay is called a 'visa'. So, sorry to disagree.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

So, sorry to disagree.

You're not disagreeing with me, TV's terminology

A bit more - First O-X's set to add O-A's - meeting again next week - see what happens on the 22nd



https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/thailand-set-to-deny-visas-to-retirees-without-insurance/


Thailand set to deny visas to retirees without insurance

By Teirra Kamolvattanavith
May. 15, 2019

Older foreigners living in Thailand will lose their visas without adequate health insurance under new rules still being written and yet to go into effect.

The Public Health Ministry and related agencies will meet again May 22 to discuss a proposal to mandate health insurance for all long-stay expats over 50 applying for one-year retirement visas.

Though one representative said fewer than half of the regs have been written, the broad outlines are clear: Retirement visa applicants must possess health insurance certificates for policies covering at least THB40,000 annually for outpatient treatment and no less than THB400,000 a year in inpatient costs.

Health officials believe the insurance mandate is justified by the increased health issues – and higher costs – of older expats, according to a representative from the ministry’s Bureau of International Health who asked not to be identified.

While the new rules were approved on April 2, the ministry has yet to finalize the details, said the representative, who said that not even half were written when the last meeting was convened in late April.

Failure to meet the new requirement will lead to the annulment or rejection of one’s visa.

=The new requirement would apply to foreigners 50 and up in the country on the O-A retirement visa. It is already mandated to obtain an O-X visa – another long-term visa introduced three years ago for those 50 and up that is good for five years.

Employment under either retirement visa type is strictly prohibited.

Foreigners will be able to buy insurance from participating companies – including Thaivivat Insurance Public Health Co. Ltd., Pacific Cross Health Insurance Co. Ltd and Bangkok Insurance Public Co. Ltd. – via the Thai General Insurance Association. Premiums and the cost of the insurance depends on the company and specific plans chosen.

Applicants must contact authorized insurance companies directly to obtain a policy. Questions about the application can be directed to the insurance companies.

Any foreigner wishing to use health insurance purchased overseas must ensure it meets the minimum coverage requirements. Details regarding overseas policies are still being hashed out.

For more information about the visa and the documents required to apply, visit the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s online consular services.

Originally Posted by Norton

When in doubt ask your local office. Not rocket science

No, and the officers in there aren't rocket scientists. I once did like you Mr Norton. I got an answer and followed it through on my next visit. On my next visit the twat who answered my question denied saying it.

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

No, and the officers in there aren't rocket scientists. I once did like you Mr Norton. I got an answer and followed it through on my next visit. On my next visit the twat who answered my question denied saying it.

There are without doubt offices and officers who pull crap such as above. I have never run across it. 30 years here dealing with 4 different offices. Yes there have been misunderstandings but none that could not be sorted in short order.

Re, the OP, extension to stay does not require health insurance.

Thread closed as far as my interest is concerned.

Originally Posted by Norton

Re, the OP, extension to stay does not require health insurance.

At this time that appears correct. My wife and I talked last night about this and she called her friend at the Immigration office. Her understanding is it will apply for applicants requesting a NEW long stay visa. The extension to stay is not a "New" visa request or application for hence why you do not do a medical background check and all the other info. One thing she did say FWIIW, that there is still uncertainty that the new VISA rule would apply to O-A marriage applicants or if it is just aimed at retirees over 50.

Disclaimer: Above is based on one person's comment and interpretation in my province. Your mileage will vary....

Originally Posted by Luigi

What gets me are the people that think they have some sort of right to live here.


I'm 68.
Possibly a pervert.
On state benefits.
Can't afford health insurance, but want to come to your country to live, for no other reason than I want to.

But of course if you marry a Thai woman we will let you settle and buy a condo in her name after you file a document declaring that your money was not used in the purchase and then we will force you to transfer stupidly high amounts of dosh every year even if you do not need half that fucking amount to live in your own fucking property which of course is not your fucking property even though you fucking paid for it and then we are going to stiff you for a glorified exorbitant immigration fee dressed up as a fucking uselessly overpriced medical insurance policy which will only cover you for a fucking ingrown toenail removal and if you are 70 years old then because you are fucking uninsurable anyway we will force you to transfer even more money every year on the basis of a fucking whim.

Thainess.

Originally Posted by Seekingasylum

But of course if you marry a Thai woman we will let you settle and buy a condo in her name after you file a document declaring that your money was not used in the purchase and then we will force you to transfer stupidly high amounts of dosh every year even if you do not need half that fucking amount to live in your own fucking property which of course is not your fucking property even though you fucking paid for it and then we are going to stiff you for a glorified exorbitant immigration fee dressed up as a fucking uselessly overpriced medical insurance policy which will only cover you for a fucking ingrown toenail removal and if you are 70 years old then because you are fucking uninsurable anyway we will force you to transfer even more money every year on the basis of a fucking whim.

Thainess.

So eloquently stated....

Except for why not just buy the condo in your own name... *rant nipped in the bud*

aww, come on SA...

naught more than economically challenged Thailand sucking on the tit of us benevolent Falang -

victims of their own birthright - imagine being born in the slums of Bangkok, just, how would you crawl outta that sewer?

It is clear that the mandatory health insurance requirement will be required of everyone over 50 legally resident in the Kingdom, either on an annual O-A visa or extension. If it is right that an inability to submit evidence of a qualifying insurance policy will ensure failure of any application to remain or will nullify an existing extension then I should imagine that after implementation of the new requirement the thousands currently benefiting from existing extensions will be asked to produce evidence of a qualifying policy when they next attend for their 90 day report.
The thing is, as I have already alluded in earlier comments, the suggested medical cover is in fact useless to most farang but it is extremely bad value in offering insurance to the value of a a limited sum only a mere ten times the premium. The only institution I have found who will offer a policy meeting immigration requirements is the Kasikorn Bank - 30,000 baht premium for cover limited to 500,000 baht. That is appalling value. The problem of course is that over-60s are subject to so many exclusions, limitations and caveats that a decent policy offering any sort of cover acceptable in the real world would ensure a minimum premium of around 150,000 - 200,000 baht. After you hit 70 then you are pretty much uninsurable.

This is the thin end of the wedge for most retirees who must now consider that to settle here it will more than likely entail a bond deposit of around 2 million baht in addition to evidence of income covering the ordinary daily living expenses. That in practice is the way things are going.