Well I guess we will find out December 1 the supposed day of Induction

bumper wrote:We are all in different situations I've been doing the minimum requirements for years now. I do things on a monthly basis. (0 days is easy getting Embassy letters is getting more expensive these days.

So for me easy. at 70 I'm paying major medical with extensive coverage roughly $ 1125 quarterly. It's the big one that concerns me. I can easily absorb Dr's visits

PS it's not bUpA

actually it seems aimed specifically at 50 year olds, Bumper , with already paying out $4500 annually how much do you expect that to climb over the next few years ?.and if your too old with a medical condition perhaps like me it will become either way too expensive or impossible to find cover enough. actually I does state that coverage must be $10000. and the bit I don't get is 3,000,000 in the bank, so why would you need 350,000 baht medical coverage when you already have nearly x10 of that as cash. and if you suddenly get sick after 70, and insurance pays out , but then declines to re insure you next year. well that would be the end of the visa too. too many 'IF's' in this visa ,unless your 50,fit,and loaded

Ok I'm 70 now, 80 I would expect around $9K a year. I don't expect to j have any bills I could pay that much now if need be. I got mine with only one exclusion,. But, I also got it two years ago. I had BUPA before however it really didn't cover what most older people croak of. Cancer or heart problems, my current one does. I developed diabetes this year, if I were to try to change now I'm sure there would be an exclusion

A friends wife in the states under the Obama plan at 64 pay over a thousand a month, so that is not as much as you would think, in comparison.

The other aspect 3 mil. I agree.

blimy bumper that's getting to serious money for healthcare, it does seem strange that the medical insurance they insist on is only 10,000$ coverage, when it comes to heart/cancer that amount isn't even near enough. even double that is still short. if you don't mind me asking how much are you currently covered for ?

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease has become the leading cause of death in England and Wales for the first time.
so no need to worry about heart/cancer issues anymore, losing your marbles would be scary in Thailand.
apparently dementia care in Thailand runs at 3,000$ a month. I wonder if there is any medical coverage that covers that ?
found this on the net
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25438325

I have PTSD and that is what is excluded

I got PTSD from running a business in Thailand

Any word as to when this will be implemented?? or if it will in its present form??????

Not that I know of. One thing I try to keep in mind his is the first time I have seen the Thai Government bend on this issue. Not all of us ma be able use it. But, some will. The impression I have is the one year option still exists

I have never wanted to be self insured. But, that is just me.

The Thai government has approved the extension of long-stay visas for senior tourists from one year to ten years.
The new visa will cost 10,000 Baht. The Ministry of Public Health reported to the Cabinet on 22 November 2016 that the number of foreign senior citizens seeking to stay in Thailand for a long period is on the rise. As Thailand aims to develop itself as a Medical and Wellness Tourism Center, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports in their joint meeting agreed to create a new long-stay visa of 10 years.
The extension will be offered for tourists from 14 countries, namely Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Extension of the Duration of Stay for Non-Immigrant Visa (Long Stay Visa)

The criteria are as following:

1.1 The age of applicants must be at least 50 years of age and are required to apply for the O-A visa at the Thai Consulate in their respected countries, or if a tourist traveling with a different visa wishes to change their visa type to O-A they are able to but they will be issued a multiple entry O-A visa for a duration of 5 years and are able to apply for another 5 year renewal of the O-A visa.

1.2 The fee for the O-A visa is 10,000 THB

1.3 The applicant must submit their bank statement with a minimum balance of 3 million THB or evidence of a minimum monthly income of 100,000 THB. When renewing the O-A visa, the applicant must again submit their bank statement with the balance no less than the previous submission for the visa, and also evidence of a minimum monthly income of 100,000 THB.
Though within the first year of the 5 year period, the applicant must maintain the balance of 3 million THB or minimum monthly income of 100,000 THB, after which the applicant must not withdraw more than 50% of that sum. The applicant must also submit their withdraw statements for payments in Thailand.

1.4 The applicant must submit their Medical Insurance with 1 year validity and covering the following amount; inpatient, minimum of 10,000 USD, outpatient minimum of 1,000 USD per year.

1.5 Report to the Immigration Bureau once every 90 days.

1.6 Applicants are able to bring over their spouse and children, in the case of the spouse being at least 50 years of age, they are also able to apply for an O-A visa and also have to submit their bank statement. If the spouse is less than 50 years of age then they will receive an O visa, for children under the age of 21, are able to accompany their family to Thailand for education and will receive a non-immigrant visa type (ED).
They are able to purchase vehicles, condominiums in Thailand (with reference to the Condominium Act of 1981) with the cash being transferred from their native bank to the Thai bank account. Also, the Thai bank must issue a letter certifying the said transfer.

PLEASE NOTE: A 1 year O-A visa is still available for those who do not meet the criteria for 10 year O-A visas.

COMMENT UPDATE on 15 December 2017: The new retirement visa is an initiative between the Ministries of Public Health & Tourism.
It has been passed by the Cabinet & is now with the Ministry of Interior.
There are no confirmed details yet about what it will include.
It will take at least three more months to finish.
The above information was sent to me by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Some details may change.

Source: Foreign Office, The Government Public Relations and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports

So does this mean that someone who is currently on a non-immigrant "O" visa based on retirement and gets a one year extension every year, will be able to maintain that status with no change in the requirements?

Seems like it a Grandfather clause it would appear
OR I should say

I hope

Reading the information supplied by pgthai it would appear that this is, infact, a new OA Visa.
It also plainly says that the current OA Visa also remains available.

That would appear to suggest that it has nothing to do with how most Falang stay long term in Thailand. That is by way of yearly extensions of permissions to stay to O Visas for reason of marriage or retirement.
There is no indication that the current situation via the local Immigration Office will change in any way.

But, as always in Thailand, it is almost impossible to predict what will happen tomorrow..

If you are over 70 and do not have Medical Insurance it is almost impossible to obtain in Thailand. $10,000. USD is over 350.000 Baht.

Yep the younger you are the easier it is to g. One thing to keep in mind if you get it when your younger more then likely you would pay the same as someone who is 70. Might want to contact Matt in Hua Hin and see if he has some answers. ( sponsor I believe)

!0k may be enough if you go to the Government. Hospital. But, not AEK or Bangkok Hospital.

To cover the outpatient aspect would drive the premiums up, much more then the actual cists you would normally pay through a year.

I don' know if they have a breakdown for out patient of 1 K a year.

Still lots of things that need answers I'm hoping

Just a note. It is a bit silly when they talk about a tourist visa for five or ten years. If you live here for that time, you are not a tourist.

As far as I can tell they are not talking about a tourist visa. The only advantage I can But, a big one to me. Is not having to do the paper chase every year.

I will turn in next year the same thing I turned in 13 years ago, down to the address. Just new year and more money.

bumper wrote:As far as I can tell they are not talking about a tourist visa. The only advantage I can But, a big one to me. Is not having to do the paper chase every year.

I will turn in next year the same thing I turned in 13 years ago, down to the address. Just new year and more money.

but that's the bit I don't get, you'll still have to do a yearly paper chase anyway, they will still want to see bank books as after the first year you still prove annually that your maintaining at least 1.5m or still getting 100,000b a month, you'll also have to show health insurance, and of course while your there you'll still have to prove address .
surely maintaining 800,000b in a bank and not having compulsory insurance is easier than maintaining 1.500,000b in the bank and having to get expensive insurance, and I bet they will be asking for medical certificates too.
maybe more information of what the yearly process will be after. other than that it just sounds like getting a different stamp

I will stick with the yearly extension which I can support with out any problems as single guy at 70 years of age why would I want a 10 year visa.

If it turns out you till gig to jump through the hopes each year. Simply not worth the bother. We may see the a ctual finished product someday or may not