Living & Ageing in Isan: Worries?

nongkhai wrote:Do they give you some kind of temporary extension on your visa while you're waiting for the approval from BKK?

Yes they normally request you to report in another 15 or 30 days each time until it comes through. The year starts at the date of expiry of the previous year or date of application if a first one .

Established 1996:
Immigration problems? Haven't had any. Don't know of any legit retiree having any problems either. Follow the rules, don't give them a hassle, and you get your visa. I think the biggest problem with immigration is the stress factor of not being sure what the 'real rules' are. Having immgration back in Udon, 5 days a week is a big plus. If you're over here on a shoestring, then you might have problems with immigration. Otherwise, no problem.

"Come on this ain't some communist regime" You're right! Laos and Vietnam probably provide more stability because they'd never allow some yahoos to close down their country's main airport. I don't keep a suitcase handy, but if I woke up tomorrow, turned on thai news, and thought it best to have to slip out, I wouldn't be surprised. What's that boy scout motto?
One last thought: I doubt there's anyone (willing to talk) who could accurately predict the outcome in the contingency scenario described by udonexpat. Will it be like Jan 21st every 4 years in the US, one president steps down, one steps up?

That 800k in the bank provides a nice emergency fund if the going gets tough. You can always use your embassy letter (if you have one) in case your funds go below 800k. If you have an atm card on your account, you can draw funds from outside the country (assuming the banks are in business).

I'd bet that Udon hospitals are the biggest concern of those concerned. They're good for most day-to-day problems, but you'd better have your stroke or major crisis in Bangkok/Khonkaen. Having said that, I've seen a fair share of ICU patients in AEK come out in good shape.

If I were of a business mind, I'd look into setting up some sort of assisted living/hospice care.......more along the lines of someone providing qualified care at your home. An 85 year old friend of ours in Udon: living apart from his much younger wife. Slipped and broke his leg. Wife found him on the floor 24 hours later. Recovery will take lots of loving care. I know lots of expats here who have been married for 30++ years....their wives aren't spring chickens anymore and they may need the sort of assisted care as well!

All said and done, Udon is a far better place than it was when we arrived....and it continues to get better.

All said and done, Udon is a far better place than it was when we arrived....and it continues to get better.

with the exception of above, hard to argue any of your points. but i loved it 9 years ago, i know longer want to be in the immediate area of udon, except for weekly shopping, and if i could find a rental on NPLP side of ngee soon, i don't think i would bother coming into udon except for lunch with the little one. too much of everything now, and not much that i actually utilize. before, just steve's bar, which is the same person that serves me my meat pie/cottage pie now. nobi's is a nice addition, though could live without, just too lazy to make at home. TJ's of course, but besides that, there is nothing new here, that wasn't here 9 years ago i really need or want, though a lot i don't want, too many people/pollution/congestion, and higher prices because of the popular growth. IMO

Udonexpat: Would you please post or PM to me the contact information of your dentist? How is her english?
I have heard that Bumrungrad is for the medical tourists and Bangkok Nursing Hospital (BNH) is for the Bangkok residents. Comments?
I was in BNH for an outpatient surgery. Have nothing to complain about; the facility was like that of a high-end hotel. By the way, I learned that if you plan to pay a significant amount by an U.S. issued credit card, you should inform the credit card company beforehand.
Is there any teaching hospital around? In the U.S. they would have best physicians on their staff though the places tend to be messier than the good private ones.

Yes you need to make sure you are well insured as if you make it past the cancers and coronary disease into old age, you can look forward to Alzheimer and degenerative old age problems. These will require lots of manpower and money to keep you alive every day. The figures for dementias are expected to explode in the coming years. If you get to suffer from incontinence this will require a lot of manpower to clean up the mess every day too. Nasty stuff to look forward to, especially when you have to do your visa application at some time in the future.

What happens if you become too ill to make the 90 day renewal in person? Say you have a serious illness, that keeps you virtually housebound, can the renewal take place without you personally attending? Or say physically you could be taken to the immigration centre, but mentally like with alzheimers, you've lost it, would the authorities allow you to stay in Thailand? Or would it be that you are booted back to blighty!?

PhilR wrote:What happens if you become too ill to make the 90 day renewal in person? Say you have a serious illness, that keeps you virtually housebound, can the renewal take place without you personally attending? Or say physically you could be taken to the immigration centre, but mentally like with alzheimers, you've lost it, would the authorities allow you to stay in Thailand? Or would it be that you are booted back to blighty!?

As far as I am aware there is no medical requirement for obtaining a visa renewal. The 90 day could of course be made by post. As for mental awareness. No idea , but would guess from some specimens seen around, especially Pattaya, no problem .
There is a list of communicable diseases you have to have a medical check for on first application.

PhilR wrote:What happens if you become too ill to make the 90 day renewal in person? Say you have a serious illness, that keeps you virtually housebound, can the renewal take place without you personally attending?

There is no 90 day renewal.
I assume you are referring to the 90 day report which notifies immigration of your 'current' address and is done within 90 days from your last 'report' or 90 days from your last entry into the country.

It does not have to be done in person and has a 7 days period either side so you can go one week before or one week after due date

There are some offices which will allow you to make postal 90 day reports.

There was a rule being reinforced about a year ago that you must use the immigration office nearest to your province.
You cannot use a neighbouring immigration office just because the staff are more pleasant (if thats possible).

I believe that a yearly extension has to be made in person and any waver of this would have to be discussed with the immigration office concerned. Bear in mind that there are no 'rules' for visa extensions - just 'guidelines' so at the end of the day they can (and frequently do) make it up as they go along and ask to see virtually anything to 'support' your application.

Not sure if the following rule (or Immigration Act) still applies, copied from Chapter 2 of Order of the Royal Thai Police Headquarters No. 606/2549.

http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en ... p?page=act



7.24 In the case of medical
treatment or
convalescence or to
look after a patient:
Permission will be
granted for a period of
not more than 90 days
at a time.

(1) Confirmation and request has
been made by a physician
responsible for the treatment.
(2) In the case of looking after a
patient, confirmation and
request has been made by the
physician responsible for the
treatment or by an embassy or
consulate.
(3) For non-family members of the
patient, permission shall be
granted to not more than one
person.

1. Application form
2. Copy of the applicant's passport
3. Confirmation letter and request
from the physician responsible
for the treatment
4. Only in the case of looking after
a patient, confirmation letter and
request from the physician
responsible for the treatment or
from the embassy/consulate
must be provided.

I've known 2 cases of people who were bedridden and didn't renew visas for a few years before they died. No one came knocking on their door.

Another thing I love about Thailand: Virtually no calls from "authorities", nor knocks on the door. To me, a feeling of isara (freedom).

Further comments on:

IMMIGRATION:
When I started getting annual visa extensions I was pressured to get a retirement extension. I resisted by insisting that I wanted a marriage extension and said I may want to teach English or do some other work. It's possible to get a work permit with a marriage extension, but not with a retirement extension.

The first year they jerked me around for a couple of months requesting additional documents, etc. Each time they gave me a temporary 30 day extension to get the requested info together. Eventually, they gave me the year long extension based on marriage after sending it off to Bangkok for approval.

For some reason they don't have the authority to approve marriage extensions. The marriage extension also requires extra work on their part by filling out an interview with your wife that has a couple of pages of questions. So, I guess they just don't like the extra work. And perhaps, they don't like a higher authority overseeing their work.

Subsequent years have also brought pressure to get a retirement extension, but no real problem when I bring up the work idea.

This last extension they kept my income letter from the US Embassy. On the next income letter I will state a lower income that will not be high enough to qualify for a retirement extension. Hopefully, that will resolve the pressure to get a retirement extension.

MEDICAL CARE:
When I first started going to Bumrungrad Hospital 7 years ago it was the only JCI accredited hospital in the country. I have been mostly satisfied with the care I've received there, so have continued to go there. I see people from all over the world there as patients, and it is a destination hospital many elective procedures.

There are now other JCI accredited hopitals in Bangkok where the care may be comparable.

The nearest teaching hospital is at Khon Kean University and my experience there was positive when I was referred there by AEK Udon for a urology problem. I never had so many pretty young students so interested in my privates before. Unfortunately, the interest was professional. Oh, well. It's a public hospital so it's overcrowded and slow, but the teaching doctor who oversaw my care was first rate.

Were you really considering possibly working, so wanted the M Visa?

Or are there other advantages or benefits to having an M instead of an R Visa?

For me, it's hard to say No when they offer me the R. The option is to go through the hassle, and possibly not be 100% certain, when insisting on the M...

Funny business, this.