If this is true, pack your bags

[kjun12]

New insurance requirement for Retirement Visa.

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1100302-health-insurance-mandatory-for-long-stay-foreigners-in-thailand/page/37/?tab=comments#comment-14137759

[Nirish guy]

Sounds fair enough if you ask me - either ask people staying in your country to have medical insurance or perhaps a documented proof of means to pay medical costs should they get sick whilst in your Country - all sounds fairly standard, common sense stuff and just good practice and sensible admin for any Government to insist on if you ask me to avoid the foreigner becoming a drain on the Country's limited resources - no ?

I'm just sorry the UK doesn't INSIST on something similar ( although I believe that hospitals here ARE really cracking down on health tourists now in quite a harsh way - which is GREAT and long overdue)

What I guess the Thai government could have done to ease the strain on more elderly farang who dont have / cant get insurance is to somehow allow them to pay into the Thai health system and cover them then for at least the basics perhaps, but I guess that still leaves the problem of the more serious cases when they arise - and the fact that I doubt the Thai Government actually want or give a shit about those staying in Thailand who can barely afford to be there perhaps in the first place ( medically speaking at least).

[bkkguy]

those who are applying for a Retirement Visa (NON O-A) are not currently in Thailand and the time for them to "pack their bags" will be when their visa is approved by their local embassy or consulate and depending on when the new requirements are actually implemented and enforced this may require health insurance as well as the current requirements for police report, health certificate and other requirements for this visa class

those of us that do not have a Retirement Visa but instead are doing retirement extensions of permission to stay based on our NON O visa while actually living in Thailand are not affected by this new requirement and will only need to "pack our bags" if we plan on going on a trip - and if going overseas don't forget your Re-entry Permit

[Gaybutton]

For the sake of discussion, suppose Thailand does start requiring those of us living in Thailand under the retirement visa to prove we carry at least the minimum health insurance under their rules.

How do we prove it? What would immigration want to actually see?

[bkkguy]

For the sake of discussion, suppose Thailand does start requiring those of us living in Thailand under the retirement visa to prove we carry at least the minimum health insurance under their rules.

How do we prove it? What would immigration want to actually see?

when RichLB asked for "informed guesses" on this on your own web site you replied "Would it help" - why do you think the informed, or more likely uninformed, responses here would be any more helpful?

after all we already have hundreds of useless posts on the gay forums and ThaiVisa from people who do not understand what they are talking about and it is all speculation because none of this has been finalized, and none of this yet affects the majority of us living in Thailand under retirement extensions of permission to stay based on a NON O visa

this insurance issue for long stay visa holders started a few years with an announcement of the new Non O-X visa applicants needing health insurance and everyone who didn't understand that they were doing retirement extensions of permission to stay based on a Non O visa not applying for or extending their retirement visa every year got their knickers in a twist

then in December last year some minor medical committee announced Non O-A (Retirement) visa applicants should (at some future time) also need health insurance and again everyone who didn't understand that they were doing retirement extensions of permission to stay based on a Non O visa not applying for or extending their retirement visa every year got their knickers in a twist

now this minor medical committee's recommendation for Non O-A (Retirement) visa applicants has been "approved" by the current (interim) cabinet and surprise surprise again everyone who didn't understand that they were doing retirement extensions of permission to stay based on a Non O visa not applying for or extending their retirement visa every year are getting their knickers in a twist

I am not denying it is a logical progression that health insurance could eventually be required for retirement extensions on Non O visas, but official discussions are just starting now on how this is going to work for new applicants for a Non O-A (Retirement) visa so until a formal announcement is made about this and further a formal announcement is made about extending this to cover retirement extensions of permission to stay based on Non O visas all this knicker-twisting is just a useless waste of time

well maybe not completely useless - it may help some people (cough GB) agree that correct use of visa terminology may help in these discussions and reduce the knicker-twisting but I m not holding my breath

[Gaybutton]

why do you think the informed, or more likely uninformed, responses here would be any more helpful?

Don't worry. If I'm looking for uninformed responses you'll be the first one I'll ask.

[frequent]

Don't worry. If I'm looking for uninformed responses you'll be the first one I'll ask.bkkguy is correct in his surmise IMHO. Immigration are “dipping their toes in the water” of compulsory health insurance for all by restricting this second tranche (OX visas were the first tranche) to OA visas. But they’ll be coming to get all long-termers over time. There’s also been a lot of argument about whether it applies to those seeking to renew their “extension of permission to stay”. My opinion is that it makes no sense to force an applicant to get insurance when they apply for a visa but then drop the requirement when they extend their permission to stay, but This Is Thailand

One travel agents’ information site speculates that the big issue for Immigration is figuring out how to verify whether those who already have medical insurance through, in particular, their US retirement fund eg. CalPERS, are already adequately covered

It took a couple of years for them to shake out any wrinkles in OX and they’re starting now on the next smallest group OA. How long before they get to bkkguy’s scenario?

[ceejay]

One travel agents’ information site speculates that the big issue for Immigration is figuring out how to verify whether those who already have medical insurance through, in particular, their US retirement fund eg. CalPERS, are already adequately covered


Well, if they ask for an embassy letter confirming the legitimacy and adequacy of foreign insurance policies, the Americans(and the British) are f****d aren't they?

[kjun12]

Don't worry. If I'm looking for uninformed responses you'll be the first one I'll ask.

You remain your kind and lovable self.(vomit) Often wrong, but never in doubt.

[2lz2p]

Extracts from the latest article I have seen:
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369468


Approved by the Cabinet last month, the new regulation will require expats on the long-stay non-immigrant O-A visa to have health insurance that offers Bt40,000 coverage for outpatient treatment and Bt400,000 for inpatient.

“We will ask the Immigration Bureau, the Foreign Ministry and the Insurance Department for additional details and implementation guidelines next week,” Saowapa Jongkittipong, who leads the Health Service Support Department’s International Health Division, said yesterday.

She said that once the rule is implemented, applicants for the non-immigrant O-A visa, which is valid for one year from the date of issue, would be required to buy health insurance.

“Current holders of this visa will have to produce proof of their health insurance for visa renewal,” she said.


Again, this article as the previous one causing the uproar specifically mentions the O-A Visa and renewal of it. Since it mentions Immigration involvement, it appears that it will likely apply to those that entered Thailand on the O-A Visa if they apply for an extension of their permitted stay under the O-A Visa.

As noted, there is additional coordination to be done before actual implementation. Also, will Immigration stick to the "letter of the cabinet approval" and only apply the health insurance requirement to those extending their stay that entered on an O-A Visa or will it be applied to all retirement extensions regardless of the Visa category upon which the extensions are based?

So until that gets sorted, any opinions including mine will be pure speculation/conjecture.

Regardless, as mentioned, one of the big issues will be what "proof" will be needed if a person has health insurance from a non-Thai insurance company that covers them in Thailand. In my case, I have such a policy - a very good one, But an unanswered question for me if it does come to pass, is will they accept the fact my health insurance covers only 85% of my outpatient costs (they cover 100% of inpatient). Likewise, what if any "money on deposit" requirement will be imposed if they decide to require it in the event a person cannot get health insurance coverage - or they can, but certain pre-existing conditions are excluded from coverage.

A very complex question, which maybe will forestall imposition of the new rule as the "committees" of the various ministries work it out -- one can only hope. :rolleyes:

[frequent]

Basically they're moving in the direction of Malaysia's M2MH 10-year visa where medical insurance is compulsory unless you are over a certain age and declare you will self-insure. As their visas last much longer and there's none of the annual extension (let alone 90-day report nonsense) it basically means you buy a policy at the beginning and then for all practical purposes it's "up to you" - as far as I understand their programme

A couple of my friends who have O-A visas/permission to stay extensions but who only winter in Thailand had already decided to give them up and use a Multiple Entry Tourist Visa for future trips. With judicious timing it allows 2 x 3-month stays in Thailand and they only have to show 200,000 baht equivalent in their home country bank account

[frequent]

As I suggested in post #7, the Thai authorities have now clarified that it is not only for new OA visas but also for those on renewals/extensions where the original visa was an OA, and probably takes effect from July - http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30369468