I agree. But as I said earlier. how are they going to do this? How do they cope with all the new queuing at the airport? One to check which tourists have valid insurance and which do not. Another checking detail of existing policies probably written in a variety of different languages. Another for cash to pay for the policy. Another to receive of the policies . . . It will lead to chaos at airports unless it is a single payment in a variety of currencies paid by everyone other than Thais and those on long-stay visas. In other words, a general tourist tax.
Mandatory health insurance
Re: Mandatory health insurance
- Gaybutton
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Re: Mandatory health insurance
Maybe they will add the cost to the price of the ticket regardless of whether people have their own insurance. That's how they did it with their departure tax. I just hope whatever they do, it won't force people into those zoo government hospitals.
If there is money to be made, they'll figure out a way.
Re: Mandatory health insurance
Good question.fountainhall wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2019 8:28 amHow do they cope with all the new queuing at the airport?
For those who visit Thailand for less than 30 days a Tourist Visa in not required so I guess the insurance would have to be verified by Customs at the airport For those visiting for more than 30 days they need to obtain a Tourist Visa before coming to Thailand. In this case, I imagine the consular who issues the Visa at their country of residence would be verifying insurance. Just a dart toss.
One thing that does actually make sense to me is the fact that tourists were found to be the leading cause of unpaid hospital bills - and to start to require retirees to have insurance and not include tourists would be more than a head scratch.
- Undaunted
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Re: Mandatory health insurance
Obviously, they will have little green men in silver metallic suits assistingfountainhall wrote: ↑Sat Jun 08, 2019 8:28 am How do they cope with all the new queuing at the airport?
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Re: Mandatory health insurance
From what I have read on Thai Visa, it does seem that the casual tourists were the ones who were incurring medical bills. A number of the older expats that I know of, simply dropped dead or died quickly. It would be good to know the actual facts.
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Re: Mandatory health insurance
More of the same maybe?
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Re: Mandatory health insurance
The significant thing said on this video is that "Those who are already retired in Thailand on Extensions of Stay will not be required to show proof of insurance".
If this is true, then there isn't a single person I know, including myself, who has to have health insurance. Current retiree's are in fact "grandfathered".
If they would have said from the beginning that THIS NEW MANDATE IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE APPLYING FOR O-A VISA'S AND FOR PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND THEN RE-APPLY FOR ANOTHER O-A VISA AND NOT INTENDED FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY RETIRED HERE WHO ARE RECEIVING ANNUAL EXTENSIONS OF STAY...there would be no confusion.
It's clear (to me anyway) that they didn't make this clear from the beginning for the mere fact that they weren't sure what the policy was going to be and decided to use "weasel words" instead. Who know's what the end result will be.
Thank you Undaunted for your lightening-fast reporting and continued research on this topic.
If this is true, then there isn't a single person I know, including myself, who has to have health insurance. Current retiree's are in fact "grandfathered".
If they would have said from the beginning that THIS NEW MANDATE IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE APPLYING FOR O-A VISA'S AND FOR PEOPLE WHO LEAVE THE COUNTRY AND THEN RE-APPLY FOR ANOTHER O-A VISA AND NOT INTENDED FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALREADY RETIRED HERE WHO ARE RECEIVING ANNUAL EXTENSIONS OF STAY...there would be no confusion.
It's clear (to me anyway) that they didn't make this clear from the beginning for the mere fact that they weren't sure what the policy was going to be and decided to use "weasel words" instead. Who know's what the end result will be.
Thank you Undaunted for your lightening-fast reporting and continued research on this topic.
- Gaybutton
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Re: Mandatory health insurance
That's the whole point. The significant word is 'if'. I don't believe anyone actually knows just yet.
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Re: Mandatory health insurance
The only way that anything that has been posted on this topic will be verified is when people begin to post their experiences at immigration from July 1 onward.
"In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king"
Re: Mandatory health insurance
More of the same? Certainly! And more confusion!
This guy is crashingly boring and frequently does not have to hand what he is trying to put across. To complicate matters, he states at the outset
So why is he making a video about it which only makes the confusion worse? He even adds to the confusion by saying.”It’s so confusing, even for me!”
So it's merely one man's deduction! He then goes on to talk about changes to “retirement visas” and states this is from an official website. Yet during the entirety of this extended ramble he refers exclusively to O-A visas. These are “long-stay” visas. They are not specific O “retirement” visas. And he wants us to believe he is trying to make everything clear for his viewers!“Nothing is concrete. Nothing is in place. But from what I can deduce . . .”