TB Immigration Info Letter 107/19 – Immigration – General – Non-Immigrant OA Visa – Insurance
Message: Jackie
Subject: Immigration – General
BIG GOOD NEWS? I had contact with an agency that carries out the work for Visa Annual Extensions. The question regarding a mandatory health care policy for all Visa OA has been answered by them. This requirement has been waived/withdrawn by Immigration for existing Visa OA Retirement and applies only to newly applied for Visa OA.
I do not have more information, I am assuming for the time being that those who have an existing Visa OA retirement will not only run into a policy requirement at the next annual renewal, but also not in the following years, so anyone who has a Visa OA from before 31-10-2019 has nothing to do with a health care policy requirement for the future.
” We can handle it, the insurance only applies to new applicants and NOT existing retirees based on OA visa Immigration abandoned it on Thursday ( 24-10-2019 ) “.
Immigration quickly came to the conclusion that this was not possible, the rules of the game change during the match. I hope that the message from this office is correct, I still have some reservations until confirmation.
Ronny, have you also seen this information?
Reaction RonnyLatYa
No, didn't read anything and that would already be from October 24? Not surprising that immigration would withdraw an order and that this has not been made public. Anyway. Of course you can.
But maybe only locally, like in Jomtien. And such a visa agency mainly works locally. As I have repeated ad nauseam, it will depend on how the various immigration offices will interpret that text and apply it locally. It has not been withdrawn or cancelled. They just put their own interpretation on it.
That is why I would indeed build in a reserve before writing that it applies to "everyone" and that they have nothing to do with health insurance in the future
But I hope so for you.
By the end of this year, it will become clear which path has been taken in the various immigration offices. That is the only real rule that will apply to "everyone" in their local immigration office.
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Regards,
RonnyLatYa
I want to add to my above post.
I am careful with the reaction of this agency, I have asked them whether they also have a police order or other official document of the allegation that states what they are saying.
I also asked them whether the cancellation applies to the whole of Thailand or whether it applies to Jomtien, for example. As soon as I know more I'll let you know.
Sjaakie.
That visa office is just as reliable as my sister's brother-in-law and her neighbor.
Yes John, completely clear, you need it from your family, we are waiting to see if anything is delivered that I asked for, perhaps something will come that gives certainty, not shooting is always wrong.
Best is to check with your local Immigration Office. I'm still waiting for the stampede ( ? ) there, after that people everywhere will be aware of the changes and how to deal with them, then we will ask questions.
At our office we have already received the first reactions from customers.
As mentioned above, it will take some time before all immigration offices are on the same page, but customers who have entered with a NON OA in the past and have received Extensions of stay on the basis of this, are indeed required to have this health insurance at some immigration offices . The motivation behind this is that the extensions of stay are based on the NON OA visa.
I would therefore strongly advise anyone who has ever entered a NON OA and is not 100% sure whether it has subsequently been converted into a NON O to check with immigration (well in time).
Just read an article in the Pattaya Mail newspaper. I summarize briefly. The health insurance concerns new OA visa applications as well as OX applications.
Whether this should also apply to extensions is still not clear how or what this should really work. In practice, for example, there would also be problems for older people who can no longer connect.
It is therefore doubtful that many long-stayers already have some form of insurance from their home country or via long-term travel insurance policies that cover all urgent medical assistance.
One also wonders whether the suds will still be worth the cabbage if those people are still obliged to join a Thai insurance policy that is often useless in their case.
There is also the question of whether it will eventually cost Thailand more if many wealthy old people who are now spending their pensions here would pack up. Those sums seem to be considerably more than what that minority of uninsured costs
Furthermore, people ask themselves what is the point of insurance with a cover of 400.000 Baht if you consider that 1 common knee meniscus operation already costs 300.000 Baht?
For example, one would now think of devising a system that, for those elderly people who have been staying on an extension for many years, cannot be checked during their extension whether they still have outstanding debts with hospitals and then set this as a condition for resuming a new extension. to get.
And furthermore, people seem to have strong doubts about the figures that are doing the rounds. Inquiries with many insurance companies show that the big gluttons are mainly the young holiday tourists .... most of the costs that hospitals have to pay are for that group and not for the usually much quieter living elderly. The greatest risks seem to be people under 30 .
The hordes of Chinese and Indians also almost never seem to have insurance and they too have to be admitted to hospitals from time to time.
According to the article, it is not yet clear how or what.
Maybe ask Hillary the question 😉
Men dit, Men dat……….who are those 'men' in the above? It makes quite a difference whether it is the Thai government or the writer of the article in the newspaper.
Well, I had understood – from discussions about this earlier on Thailand blog about the different visa forms – that NON OA visas are considered “golden” visas. Mainly intended for applicants who had more than sufficient income and/or assets. In other words, those who “had everything well organized”.
This is in contrast to those who have NON O visas. It was even said by 1 of the responders that it was “Schorriemorrie” and people who would have something to hide usually went for this type of visa (NON O).
I really wonder why Immigration now suddenly imposes this additional requirement on this apparently highly regarded group of NON OA visa holders/applicants. The reason was – as I understood – that Thai hospitals were left with unpaid bills. So apparently this group is not well organized in all areas. Because you would expect that the lower-classed NON O visa holders (not having everything together, having things to hide, etc.) would be the first group to have their turn. That turns out not to be the case so far. But apparently the Thai authorities see reasons to be the first to tackle NON OA visa holders/applicants.
Personally, I believe that by living in Thailand without health insurance, you are acting very irresponsibly. Unless, of course, you have such a large pension and/or assets that you can easily pay cash for any treatment, no matter how expensive and how long. But I think those are just a few.
One of the important differences between an O and an OA is that in order to obtain an OA visa, one must be able to present a clean criminal record. There is no such requirement for a NON O.
It is therefore logical that people with something to their credit do not see a blank criminal record will opt for a NON O and not for a NON OA.
This does not mean that all people who go for a NON O have something to hide or that all people who go for a NON OA are saints.
Non OA : A certificate of good conduct (scanned/electronic version is not accepted) + 1 copy
Well Fred, then I have news for you: at the time (10 years ago) I had to provide a statement of good conduct. But this item is about the question why NON O visa holders do not (yet) have to show health insurance and Non OA do.
There must be a reason for that, I think.
And again, if NON OA visa holders cannot show health insurance, in most cases that is irresponsible behavior.
My permanent residence in Thailand and residence is based on entry with Non-O visa and Re-entry and annual renewal of residence permit for 20 years.
I am now 74 and have no need for expensive health insurance with exclusions. Paid for a radical prostatectomy ad ฿7.- 324,000 years ago.
Now no longer need (= refusal of) costly intensive hospital admissions.
In case of serious illness, simply die at home and perform a simple ceremony. Furthermore, normal self-affordable out-patient treatments in the state hospital. "Confident"
If I refuse unaffordable admission, then they can't force me to take out unnecessary insurance, can they?
Nowadays, a fixed amount must be permanently deposited in a bank account in order to be eligible for the annual renewal of a residence permit. (And then I also have a good amount in a 6% interest account.)
khunang,
Very informative to know that your financial position is apparently sufficient for medical costs. However, if the Thai government decides that Non O visa holders also have health insurance, they cannot force you to do so, but “they” can refuse your extension of stay in that scenario.
For your sake, I hope that those around you know exactly in which scenario they do not want “costly intensive hospitalization” for you. Even if you are not approachable at that moment.
That prostatectomy was that in a state or private hospital?
And 6% interest, where do you get that?