Yellow House Books

Post by **Frankie 1** » July 29, 2013, 4:25 pm

Brian Davis wrote:...and provide details of my parents, these documents have to be rubber-stamped by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Whether there’s a need to go through the British Embassy first, rather like the affirmation of freedom to marry form, I’ve no idea.

Bring your birth certificate. If you are married then you already have the proper legalization stamps on it. Make a couple of copies and sign the copies.

Don't make it more difficult than it is.

Post by **Frankie 1** » July 29, 2013, 4:34 pm

Frankie 1 wrote:3. I'm not sure, but I''ve been told that one can get free (30 baht) medical treatment after having a yellow book for 5 years.

Correction, (what I've been told...) free medical treatment (30 baht) in government hospitals when you are married for longer than 5 years and have a yellow book.

Post by **semperfiguy** » July 29, 2013, 5:41 pm

Frankie 1 wrote:1. You can get a yellow book (registration of address) when you rent or just stay at somebody's house (of course you need the approval of the house owner).

2. The yellow book is only a formal registration of address. In Thailand it's not necessary to live at the place where one is registered. Many Thais live in Bangkok, but are registered in another province, hence the huge traffic jams when people have to vote (they vote where they are registered, which is not necissarily where they live).
Therefore immigration doesn't look at the yellow book (registered address), but at the place where you actually stay at the moment, which doesn't have to be the same address.

3. I'm not sure, but I''ve been told that one can get free (30 baht) medical treatment after having a yellow book for 5 years.

4. When you get a yellow book, you also get a Thai social security number.

I do wish that one of our more resourceful, connected and concerned English/Thai speaking members of the forum would take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of this issue with the Yellow Book and free medical care and let the rest of us know so we can put this matter to bed once and for all. I'm afraid that with my inability to speak Thai I wouldn't get very far if I tried to get an answer.

I use the Military Hospital quite often since my wife is a retired teacher and gets mostly free care there. I pay 50 baht for a doctor's visit and then the medication and other services is charged at the same rate as a Thai who would have to pay for the use of the facilities if not qualified to receive free care.

I know of one American who recently had shoulder surgery at the Udon General Hospital, and since his wife was well connected he was able to get free "everything".

And yes, with the issuance of a Yellow Book there is a number assigned to you which is similar to a Thai national's ID number.

Post by **Quanteen** » July 29, 2013, 5:58 pm

Correction, (what I've been told...) free medical treatment (30 baht) in government hospitals when you are married for longer than 5 years and have a yellow book.

I've been married a dozen years and about a year after I got a yellow book, my wife inquired at the hospital and was told to take a hike. There are other farangs who live nearby who have the Thai medical card. I don't know if their wives are of the privileged class.

Thanks for proving my point.

Post by **WhoUrDaddy** » July 29, 2013, 8:04 pm

Maybe they work for gov't, teachers or po po. I know a few entitled to full thai bennies because of their wives.

Don't take it personal, I know Thais on the 30 baht plan and gold plan that have been told to go home and die, when treatment was available. They don't want to waste their time and not get paid.

Post by **Frankie 1** » July 29, 2013, 10:21 pm

WhoUrDaddy wrote:Maybe they work for gov't, teachers or po po. I know a few entitled to full thai bennies because of their wives.

No, I've got the info from a couple of people who are not married to "important" people.

I've just posted the info for others. I'm married to a government official, so for me it doesn't matter. I'm just the messenger.

WhoUrDaddy wrote:Don't take it personal, I know Thais on the 30 baht plan and gold plan that have been told to go home and die, when treatment was available. They don't want to waste their time and not get paid.

Never heard of or seen problems like that.

Post by **camps** » July 30, 2013, 11:56 am

Frankie 1,
I was issued with my "thai" green medical card from Udon General Hospital just after I received my yellow book.(about 4 yrs ago) I attend regular clinic appointments with a specialist and full blood checks and have never been charged a satang. Also I have not been married 5 years and not over 65,

Post by **semperfiguy** » July 30, 2013, 1:11 pm

camps wrote:Frankie 1,
I was issued with my "thai" green medical card from Udon General Hospital just after I received my yellow book.(about 4 yrs ago) I attend regular clinic appointments with a specialist and full blood checks and have never been charged a satang. Also I have not been married 5 years and not over 65,

So, Franie1, perhaps you could share with the rest of us the secret to getting the Thai green medical card, unless of course you are afraid that they might eventually renege on your benefits if a crowd of farangs showed up looking for a similar card.

I think it would be most admirable of you if you could tell us the exact process that you followed.

Post by **jimboLV** » July 30, 2013, 1:37 pm

Soon after I received my Yellow Book I inquired at the local government hospital (Amnat Charoen) and was told that no, I still had to pay the going rate. Not a rigorous search, but that's what I found out. My long haired translator was present. I remember a discussion on this topic on Thai Visa forum and the consensus seemed to be that , as usual, some government hospitals do and some don't. Just another example of "selective enforcement" so rampant here in the LOS.

Post by **Frankie 1** » July 30, 2013, 3:08 pm

semperfiguy wrote:
camps wrote:Frankie 1,
I was issued with my "thai" green medical card from Udon General Hospital just after I received my yellow book.(about 4 yrs ago) I attend regular clinic appointments with a specialist and full blood checks and have never been charged a satang. Also I have not been married 5 years and not over 65,
So, Franie1, perhaps you could share with the rest of us the secret to getting the Thai green medical card, unless of course you are afraid that they might eventually renege on your benefits if a crowd of farangs showed up looking for a similar card.

I think it would be most admirable of you if you could tell us the exact process that you followed.

I think it would be more admirable if you read a little better before you reply. Maybe you can ask forum member "camps" and some others this question.

Like I said, I know of several people who live in Thailand who do get the medical benefits, because they are married and have the yellow book.

For me, it doesn't matter if I have the yellow book or not, I get free medical treatment anyway, because I'm married to a government official. Therefore, don't ask me. Like I wrote, I'm only the messenger.

Post by **semperfiguy** » July 30, 2013, 3:43 pm

camps wrote:I was issued with my "thai" green medical card from Udon General Hospital just after I received my yellow book.(about 4 yrs ago) I attend regular clinic appointments with a specialist and full blood checks and have never been charged a satang. Also I have not been married 5 years and not over 65,

So, Camps, perhaps you could share with the rest of us the secret to getting the Thai green medical card, unless of course you are afraid that they might eventually renege on your benefits if a crowd of farangs showed up looking for a similar card.

I think it would be most admirable of you if you could tell us the exact process that you followed.

Post by **Brian Davis** » July 30, 2013, 4:24 pm

It sounds like the usual muddle depending where you live, who you speak to, which hospital you go to etc.

Just to reiterate, although nothing I'd swear to, my understanding was that any free medical treatment gained by holding a yellow book was soon to be stopped - so Phen Hospital told my wife. Green/gold cards, free treatment because you meet some other criteria, I know nothing!

Post by **Jello** » July 30, 2013, 4:35 pm

jimboLV wrote:I remember a discussion on this topic on Thai Visa forum and the consensus seemed to be that , as usual, some government hospitals do and some don't. Just another example of "selective enforcement" so rampant here in the LOS.

SFG,
I think thats about as close to a uniform answer as you can get here!

I think your best answer will come from trying it yourself. Take your missus down to the hospital and ask. If they say no, ask someone else, if they say no try calling and asking at a hospital in another city.

I was under the impression that you could only get free health care if you have residency status. Maybe those that got the medical card got it from a official that didn't know the difference between a yellow book and residency? Just a guess.

Sounds like you already have the best deal going (short of free) with your wife's Military hospital coverage.
If you find out anything, let the rest of us know!

Post by **Stantheman** » July 30, 2013, 8:50 pm

This might throw a wrench (spanner) into the discussion on free medical care with yellow house book, but I wonder if the free medical care might be based on permission to stay, Retirement versus Marrriage.

Post by **frenchFARANGbkk** » August 13, 2013, 8:21 am

Many say that it is a perfectly useless document because it is not requested by any administration and has no value.

Can you get it for a condo ? Or only for house ?

Thank you.

Post by **rickfarang** » August 13, 2013, 10:55 am

Both the Land Transportation Department and the Udon Immigration Bureau have asked me for the book.

One of my friends who lives in his condo on Bangkok has a yellow book, but that was Bangkok years ago.

Post by **Perra** » August 13, 2013, 11:39 am

Stantheman wrote:This might throw a wrench (spanner) into the discussion on free medical care with yellow house book, but I wonder if the free medical care might be based on permission to stay, Retirement versus Marrriage.

As I was informed the other day; the free or subsidized health care by the Thai government is only applicable for Thai citizens, in other words you need to have a Thai ID-card end "SSN"

But tit so I guess that more then one have succeed to achive free care...

Post by **kubotatim** » August 13, 2013, 11:40 am

Absolute rubbish, I have a friend over 65 with a yellow book and he gets everything free and he's not even married to a Thai.

Post by **Perra** » August 13, 2013, 11:44 am

kubotatim wrote:Absolute rubbish, I have a friend over 65 with a yellow book and he gets everything free and he's not even married to a Thai.

... As I also said in my last line...

Post by **tamada** » December 24, 2013, 9:36 am

Frankie 1 wrote:1. You can get a yellow book (registration of address) when you rent or just stay at somebody's house (of course you need the approval of the house owner).

2. The yellow book is only a formal registration of address. In Thailand it's not necessary to live at the place where one is registered. Many Thais live in Bangkok, but are registered in another province, hence the huge traffic jams when people have to vote (they vote where they are registered, which is not necissarily where they live).
Therefore immigration doesn't look at the yellow book (registered address), but at the place where you actually stay at the moment, which doesn't have to be the same address.

3. I'm not sure, but I''ve been told that one can get free (30 baht) medical treatment after having a yellow book for 5 years.

4. When you get a yellow book, you also get a Thai social security number.

Has anyone here managed to change the address in their yellow book if they move to another area?

I have a yellow book that I got from Amphur Meuang Udon Thani about 5 years ago. I have relocated to Nongplalai which falls under Amphur Banglamung, near Pattaya. Indirect enquiries indicates that the new Amphur is yellow book friendly for qualified foreigners.

Assuming (?) one cannot legally have two yellow books; is there a procedure for transferring the existing book through endorsement first here and re-endorsement there? Or do they cancel one and the whole application process repeated at the new place?

Thanks,
tam