Tourist insurance scheme excludes expats
By Barry Kenyon
February 15, 2024
The Thai government’s 50 million baht coverage for foreign visitors applies specifically to “tourists” who have been admitted with a visa-exempt stamp or a 60 days tourist visa awarded by an embassy. The scheme does not cover holders of current non-immigrant visas or extensions or longstay permits.
Tourism and sports minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol said the government wanted to provide a safety net where tourists who die on vacation here might be covered for one million baht on a case by case basis. Accidents which cause permanent organ loss or blindness or permanent disability might merit 300,000 baht compensation plus 500,000 baht for medical treatment. However, carelessness or risky or illegal behaviour by the visitor will invalidate any claim.
The ministry is stressing that long stay and business travellers are not covered by the insurance programme which covers the year 2024 until August 31. Spokesman Mongkon Wimonrat said most group travel visitors buy pre-holiday insurance which is required by the tourism business and guide act of 2008. Independent travellers should make their own insurance arrangements.
Expats, who are exempted from the scheme, are not normally required to have insurance unless they hold an O/A retirement visa or extension of stay, originally issued by a Thai embassy abroad, or a 10-year Long Term Residence as well as foreigners working with an employment permit covered by other regulations. Embassies are continually warning uninsured foreign visitors and residents that inpatient costs in Thailand are very expensive, for example running into millions of baht following serious road accidents.
UK visa specialist Peter Clarke said, “The government insurance for tourists is designed to hand out cash after tragedies such as major traffic pileups or boats sinking. But 500,000 baht won’t cover most operations requiring significant surgery and excludes expats in any case.” He added that, while the scheme was useful in context, all foreigners in Thailand should purchase comprehensive medical insurance or self-insure with at least 3 million baht or US$100,000 in reserve.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ats-452588
By Barry Kenyon
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
20 million visitors in 2023, so coverage of 2.5 baht per visitor?
Even after removing all the ineligible ones, it's still naff all.
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
I agree and along with it being "naff all" it is also misleading and unreliable.
Folks, you're making a BIG mistake if you think this relieves you of the necessity for getting your own insurance - good insurance that's going to cover you with no ifs, ands, or buts, without any hassle if something happens during your trip to Thailand.
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
85 percent of tourists to Thailand now don’t need a visa
By Barry Kenyon
February 22, 2024
Within the past six months, the Thai government has made mammoth strides to ease the travel process for millions more foreign tourists. Previously, visa-exempt tourist travel was mainly restricted to the traditional or old markets such as the European Union, the UK, the US and Australia. But now holidaymakers from Russia receive 90 days, needing neither prior approval nor a visa on arrival, whilst Chinese and Indian citizens (and several smaller countries) are awarded 30 days without any bureaucracy in a mutually-agreed deal. Thai immigration authorities reckon that eight out of ten short-term visitors to Thailand no longer need formal approval for travel. The exceptions are largely nationals from Africa, parts of Asia and South America.
This is just the beginning according to Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin. He is encouraging preliminary talks with Australia and also the European Union, as well as others, for Thai citizens to travel to these countries visa-free in return for increased access to Thailand for their citizens. Another Thai initiative is to probe the possibility of a regional or unification visa in which a tourist’s entry to one Asean country, say Thailand or Cambodia or Vietnam, would automatically grant the right to access any other participating member. It’s not unthinkable. On the other side of the world, Mexico already grants automatic access to its shores to most foreigners who hold a valid US or Schengen visa.
Visa-free travel does not mean that security concerns have been abandoned. Individual details of passengers are still scanned by increasingly-sophisticated computers on arrival, to include details of any criminal offences or “wanted” notices by Thai courts or Interpol. Biometric and artificial intelligence are beginning to play a significant role via fingerprints, facial recognition and iris scans which actually strengthen border control and reduce identity fraud. Certainly, the Thai policy appears to be achieving the government’s aim to boost international travel and see an end to the covid legacy when barriers were raised everywhere and debt distress was universal.
Thailand is retaining its prior visa for longstay expats, for example Elite and Long Term Residence, as well as annual extensions of stay for retirees, spouses and students. The bureaucracy for work permits is still intact and there are a growing number of tailor-made visas for specific functions, for example medical treatment or those wanting to qualify in martial arts. But here too we can expect advanced technology and artificial intelligence to create more routes to digital or e-visas to cater for the demand for efficient paperless processes. Further down the time line, maybe 10 or at most 15 years, people will likely travel without traditional passports and with digital versions of their travel details stored on their mobile phones. That should put an end to the tree-destroying photocopying at Thai immigration offices.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... isa-453255
By Barry Kenyon
February 22, 2024
Within the past six months, the Thai government has made mammoth strides to ease the travel process for millions more foreign tourists. Previously, visa-exempt tourist travel was mainly restricted to the traditional or old markets such as the European Union, the UK, the US and Australia. But now holidaymakers from Russia receive 90 days, needing neither prior approval nor a visa on arrival, whilst Chinese and Indian citizens (and several smaller countries) are awarded 30 days without any bureaucracy in a mutually-agreed deal. Thai immigration authorities reckon that eight out of ten short-term visitors to Thailand no longer need formal approval for travel. The exceptions are largely nationals from Africa, parts of Asia and South America.
This is just the beginning according to Thai prime minister Srettha Thavisin. He is encouraging preliminary talks with Australia and also the European Union, as well as others, for Thai citizens to travel to these countries visa-free in return for increased access to Thailand for their citizens. Another Thai initiative is to probe the possibility of a regional or unification visa in which a tourist’s entry to one Asean country, say Thailand or Cambodia or Vietnam, would automatically grant the right to access any other participating member. It’s not unthinkable. On the other side of the world, Mexico already grants automatic access to its shores to most foreigners who hold a valid US or Schengen visa.
Visa-free travel does not mean that security concerns have been abandoned. Individual details of passengers are still scanned by increasingly-sophisticated computers on arrival, to include details of any criminal offences or “wanted” notices by Thai courts or Interpol. Biometric and artificial intelligence are beginning to play a significant role via fingerprints, facial recognition and iris scans which actually strengthen border control and reduce identity fraud. Certainly, the Thai policy appears to be achieving the government’s aim to boost international travel and see an end to the covid legacy when barriers were raised everywhere and debt distress was universal.
Thailand is retaining its prior visa for longstay expats, for example Elite and Long Term Residence, as well as annual extensions of stay for retirees, spouses and students. The bureaucracy for work permits is still intact and there are a growing number of tailor-made visas for specific functions, for example medical treatment or those wanting to qualify in martial arts. But here too we can expect advanced technology and artificial intelligence to create more routes to digital or e-visas to cater for the demand for efficient paperless processes. Further down the time line, maybe 10 or at most 15 years, people will likely travel without traditional passports and with digital versions of their travel details stored on their mobile phones. That should put an end to the tree-destroying photocopying at Thai immigration offices.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... isa-453255
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
UK government claims benefit fraud discovered in overseas expat payments
By Barry Kenyon
February 25, 2024
Thailand-based British pensioners could have their British bank accounts inspected by the government under new powers being considered to thwart benefit irregularities. The plans, part of the data protection and digital information bill now being discussed by the House of Lords, could involve UK-based banks handing over customer data to the Department for Work and Pensions if it signals that a claimant may not meet the eligibility for a particular benefit.
The DWP claims that eight billion pounds annually are lost to benefit fraud of all types including means-tested Universal Credit. But millions of people, at home and abroad, receiving the state pension risk being swept up in the move. Around 500,000 British pensioners live abroad with frozen state pensions, but the DWP believes that overpayment to this group, which includes British pensioners living in Thailand, amounts to 100 million pounds.
The government notes that annually uprated state pensions are paid only to pensioners living in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland and countries with a social security agreement with Britain. In reality, most British expat pensioners – for example living in the United States and Australia – are denied annual increments. The claim of benefit abuse arises because some expats have not notified the government of their overseas abode or because of mixups at the DWP or the Inland Revenue.
Pensioner pressure groups have reacted angrily to the news of possible intervention by the government in personal bank account details. In Thailand, the Campaign to End Frozen UK Pensions, stresses that the common-sense and honest solution is to pay all pensioners overseas the annual increases no matter where they happen to live. Activists in many countries have lobbied the UK government to end financial discrimination against the majority of elderly expats and have won some parliamentary support. But the government says it has no intention of ending the cash discrimination and will pay the annual increments only when required by law to do so.
Tax accountants based in Thailand told Pattaya Mail that the British government’s proposed policy was unclear in detail and still under parliamentary debate. However, they noted that most British expats now had their bank accounts in the Isle of Man or the Channel Isles which, technically, are not part of the UK. Therefore, the DWP would not be able to access those offshore accounts in any case. In recent years, UK banks have been closing the mainland accounts of Brits who were no longer resident in Britain whilst offering them the chance to open new accounts offshore.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... nts-453429
By Barry Kenyon
February 25, 2024
Thailand-based British pensioners could have their British bank accounts inspected by the government under new powers being considered to thwart benefit irregularities. The plans, part of the data protection and digital information bill now being discussed by the House of Lords, could involve UK-based banks handing over customer data to the Department for Work and Pensions if it signals that a claimant may not meet the eligibility for a particular benefit.
The DWP claims that eight billion pounds annually are lost to benefit fraud of all types including means-tested Universal Credit. But millions of people, at home and abroad, receiving the state pension risk being swept up in the move. Around 500,000 British pensioners live abroad with frozen state pensions, but the DWP believes that overpayment to this group, which includes British pensioners living in Thailand, amounts to 100 million pounds.
The government notes that annually uprated state pensions are paid only to pensioners living in the European Economic Area, Gibraltar, Switzerland and countries with a social security agreement with Britain. In reality, most British expat pensioners – for example living in the United States and Australia – are denied annual increments. The claim of benefit abuse arises because some expats have not notified the government of their overseas abode or because of mixups at the DWP or the Inland Revenue.
Pensioner pressure groups have reacted angrily to the news of possible intervention by the government in personal bank account details. In Thailand, the Campaign to End Frozen UK Pensions, stresses that the common-sense and honest solution is to pay all pensioners overseas the annual increases no matter where they happen to live. Activists in many countries have lobbied the UK government to end financial discrimination against the majority of elderly expats and have won some parliamentary support. But the government says it has no intention of ending the cash discrimination and will pay the annual increments only when required by law to do so.
Tax accountants based in Thailand told Pattaya Mail that the British government’s proposed policy was unclear in detail and still under parliamentary debate. However, they noted that most British expats now had their bank accounts in the Isle of Man or the Channel Isles which, technically, are not part of the UK. Therefore, the DWP would not be able to access those offshore accounts in any case. In recent years, UK banks have been closing the mainland accounts of Brits who were no longer resident in Britain whilst offering them the chance to open new accounts offshore.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... nts-453429
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Jomtien immigration soi now one way
By Barry Kenyon
March 3, 2024
Jomtien Soi 5, where the headquarters of Chonburi immigration are located, is now closed to traffic from beach road but can still be accessed from Jomtien two road. Nearby soi 7 is also one way but in the opposite direction.
These and other soi restrictions are the consequence of Jomtien beach road being made one way from Dongtan police station to soi Chaiyapreuk about 3.5 kms distant. The major scheme, designed to end flooding issues and beautify beach road, is expected to take 19 months.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... way-454072
By Barry Kenyon
March 3, 2024
Jomtien Soi 5, where the headquarters of Chonburi immigration are located, is now closed to traffic from beach road but can still be accessed from Jomtien two road. Nearby soi 7 is also one way but in the opposite direction.
These and other soi restrictions are the consequence of Jomtien beach road being made one way from Dongtan police station to soi Chaiyapreuk about 3.5 kms distant. The major scheme, designed to end flooding issues and beautify beach road, is expected to take 19 months.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... way-454072
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
Pattaya not the fun it was once says nightlife guru
By Barry Kenyon
March 10, 2024
Stickman Bangkok, the leading bar and club commentator since 1998, claims boldly that Pattaya has shaken off its seedy reputation. In his weekly online article, for March 10, he argues Pattaya is moving rapidly towards diversification and respectability. What was once a playground for middle-aged white men is now very much a family holiday destination.
For Stickman, Peak Pattaya was from 1998 to 2010 when the resort had transformed from something of a backwater beach destination to a developed (but not over-developed) resort which managed to maintain the old vibes but with more choices of places to go, shop and sleep. It was still a place dominated by middle-aged white men. Today, Stickman concludes, Pattaya is bland by comparison and not anymore off-beat or risque.
Most old timers in Pattaya are going to agree with Stickman who, like Martin Luther at the time of the Reformation, said aloud what lots of people were thinking anyhow. Today’s Pattaya is a concrete jungle, as everyone sees on arrival, and is no longer a bargain for the economy tourist. The sex-dominated districts, such as Soi Six and Soi Buakhao, are fewer in number and probably less fun than they once were. Mobile phones have replaced furtive glances as you pass by.
The Walking Street has changed beyond all recognition, more upmarket and with a future likely dominated by Indian dance clubs and bars essentially catering for Asian travellers. Stickman does not mention the gay scene centered on Jomtien Complex and Boyztown – he usually claims his readers wouldn’t be interested – but the changes there are significant too. Pickup bars and gogo joints have largely been superseded by businesses offering entertaining drag shows, which even your grandmother might enjoy, and relaxing venues where social rather than sexual intercourse seems to be the dominant conversation. Still, they are busy most nights.
Putting the sex back in Pattaya, as you might say, isn’t an option. The Thai government is currently busy offering visa free travel to the diverse mega-markets of Russia, China and India amongst others. As Thailand’s birth rate continues to decline, largely because of the expense of raising families, young Thais have better options than selling their bodies. Pattaya’s successful MICE market (meetings and conventions etc.), the expanding five-star accommodation options, the much misunderstood Eastern Economic Corridor, the diversification of entertainment facilities catering for families (amongst lots of other factors) all point to a future very different from 15 years ago.
Nostalgia for the past, of course, is a privilege of advancing years. Stickman acknowledges that, recalling some of the great characters of the past such as Glitterman who rode a beautifully decorated bicycle around Pattaya, or the guy with the parrot which he even took into the immigration bureau to renew his visa, or the lady who covered herself with tarantulas to shock first time visitors. All gone. Perhaps too sex in Pattaya will wither on the vine. Check out Stickman’s article on https://www.stickmanbangkok.com and decide for yourself.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... uru-454713
By Barry Kenyon
March 10, 2024
Stickman Bangkok, the leading bar and club commentator since 1998, claims boldly that Pattaya has shaken off its seedy reputation. In his weekly online article, for March 10, he argues Pattaya is moving rapidly towards diversification and respectability. What was once a playground for middle-aged white men is now very much a family holiday destination.
For Stickman, Peak Pattaya was from 1998 to 2010 when the resort had transformed from something of a backwater beach destination to a developed (but not over-developed) resort which managed to maintain the old vibes but with more choices of places to go, shop and sleep. It was still a place dominated by middle-aged white men. Today, Stickman concludes, Pattaya is bland by comparison and not anymore off-beat or risque.
Most old timers in Pattaya are going to agree with Stickman who, like Martin Luther at the time of the Reformation, said aloud what lots of people were thinking anyhow. Today’s Pattaya is a concrete jungle, as everyone sees on arrival, and is no longer a bargain for the economy tourist. The sex-dominated districts, such as Soi Six and Soi Buakhao, are fewer in number and probably less fun than they once were. Mobile phones have replaced furtive glances as you pass by.
The Walking Street has changed beyond all recognition, more upmarket and with a future likely dominated by Indian dance clubs and bars essentially catering for Asian travellers. Stickman does not mention the gay scene centered on Jomtien Complex and Boyztown – he usually claims his readers wouldn’t be interested – but the changes there are significant too. Pickup bars and gogo joints have largely been superseded by businesses offering entertaining drag shows, which even your grandmother might enjoy, and relaxing venues where social rather than sexual intercourse seems to be the dominant conversation. Still, they are busy most nights.
Putting the sex back in Pattaya, as you might say, isn’t an option. The Thai government is currently busy offering visa free travel to the diverse mega-markets of Russia, China and India amongst others. As Thailand’s birth rate continues to decline, largely because of the expense of raising families, young Thais have better options than selling their bodies. Pattaya’s successful MICE market (meetings and conventions etc.), the expanding five-star accommodation options, the much misunderstood Eastern Economic Corridor, the diversification of entertainment facilities catering for families (amongst lots of other factors) all point to a future very different from 15 years ago.
Nostalgia for the past, of course, is a privilege of advancing years. Stickman acknowledges that, recalling some of the great characters of the past such as Glitterman who rode a beautifully decorated bicycle around Pattaya, or the guy with the parrot which he even took into the immigration bureau to renew his visa, or the lady who covered herself with tarantulas to shock first time visitors. All gone. Perhaps too sex in Pattaya will wither on the vine. Check out Stickman’s article on https://www.stickmanbangkok.com and decide for yourself.
https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... uru-454713
Re: By Barry Kenyon
There are now also a lot of middle aged men from places like India and the middle East. I was having lunch in one Indian restaurant when an Indian tour group arrives.Barry Kenyon wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:29 pm. It was still a place dominated by middle-aged white men.
All male.
All middle aged or over.
95% of them were overweight.
From what I understand, bouncers steer Indian customers to bars for Indians, as they didn't go along with the convention of buying drinks in a gogo bar.
Pattaya still has more gay bars than anywhere else I know, so I think we just need to adapt and enjoy what is available.
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Gaybutton
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Re: By Barry Kenyon
The Thai dream to have visa-exempt travel to Europe is a likely scenario
By Barry Kenyon
March 16, 2024
Thai premier Srettha Thavisin’s determination for Thais to visit Schengen countries without visa approval has woken up sleepy diplomats. On a recent visit to French prime minister Emmanuel Macron, Srettha was promised full support for the idea following the 2024 European Parliament elections. On a subsequent meeting in Berlin with the German president, visa-free travel for Thais was noted as a possibility worthy of further discussion.
And why not? Three members of ASEAN – Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia – already have the cherished right, whilst the Gulf states are confident of visa-free Schengen travel for their nationals later this year. There are 23 EU countries subscribing to the Schengen visa-free arrangements plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. One or two EU members, including Ireland, maintain their own visa policies, whilst the UK is now obviously an irrelevance in this context.
The Schengen policy allows foreigners in permitted countries (currently 61) a 90 days seamless travel window throughout most of Europe in any 180 day period. On arrival at the first Schengen country, new arrivals need show only a valid passport. However, immigration staff are empowered to ask for extra evidence such as onward travel tickets, accommodation booking, sufficient funds. Working without a work visa is illegal. Once inside the country, visitors can travel within the entire zone without formal immigration control.
The obvious downsides for the host countries are overstayers, unfounded asylum seekers and criminals taking advantage of the flexibility. However, the European Parliament has found less evidence of nefarious activities in recent years than critics maintain. Advanced computer systems, in use at entry points across Europe, can flag unwelcome visitors who have had legal problems on previous visits or are wanted by the courts or are suspected of serious crimes by Interpol. EU ambassadors point out that Schengen discretion towards any particular country can be shelved or terminated if and when abuses run rampant.
In return, Srettha is promoting the idea of a mini-Schengen in Asia whereby EU citizens could enter Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia provided they had entry clearance to just one. This issue will need careful discussion since ASEAN countries are far from unified on visa issues. For example, Thailand allows most international tourists to enter for free, whereas Cambodia charges almost everyone US$30. There is presently no regional agreement for extensions of stay or residence with each ASEAN country having its own regulations.
None the less, the travel world is now witnessing the collapse of the international visa system, at any rate for holiday makers, and the trend is likely to grow. Critics may scoff at Srettha’s bold and imaginative proposals, but his confidence may well turn up trumps for Thai travellers.
https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/the- ... rio-455231
By Barry Kenyon
March 16, 2024
Thai premier Srettha Thavisin’s determination for Thais to visit Schengen countries without visa approval has woken up sleepy diplomats. On a recent visit to French prime minister Emmanuel Macron, Srettha was promised full support for the idea following the 2024 European Parliament elections. On a subsequent meeting in Berlin with the German president, visa-free travel for Thais was noted as a possibility worthy of further discussion.
And why not? Three members of ASEAN – Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia – already have the cherished right, whilst the Gulf states are confident of visa-free Schengen travel for their nationals later this year. There are 23 EU countries subscribing to the Schengen visa-free arrangements plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. One or two EU members, including Ireland, maintain their own visa policies, whilst the UK is now obviously an irrelevance in this context.
The Schengen policy allows foreigners in permitted countries (currently 61) a 90 days seamless travel window throughout most of Europe in any 180 day period. On arrival at the first Schengen country, new arrivals need show only a valid passport. However, immigration staff are empowered to ask for extra evidence such as onward travel tickets, accommodation booking, sufficient funds. Working without a work visa is illegal. Once inside the country, visitors can travel within the entire zone without formal immigration control.
The obvious downsides for the host countries are overstayers, unfounded asylum seekers and criminals taking advantage of the flexibility. However, the European Parliament has found less evidence of nefarious activities in recent years than critics maintain. Advanced computer systems, in use at entry points across Europe, can flag unwelcome visitors who have had legal problems on previous visits or are wanted by the courts or are suspected of serious crimes by Interpol. EU ambassadors point out that Schengen discretion towards any particular country can be shelved or terminated if and when abuses run rampant.
In return, Srettha is promoting the idea of a mini-Schengen in Asia whereby EU citizens could enter Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia provided they had entry clearance to just one. This issue will need careful discussion since ASEAN countries are far from unified on visa issues. For example, Thailand allows most international tourists to enter for free, whereas Cambodia charges almost everyone US$30. There is presently no regional agreement for extensions of stay or residence with each ASEAN country having its own regulations.
None the less, the travel world is now witnessing the collapse of the international visa system, at any rate for holiday makers, and the trend is likely to grow. Critics may scoff at Srettha’s bold and imaginative proposals, but his confidence may well turn up trumps for Thai travellers.
https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/the- ... rio-455231
Re: By Barry Kenyon
Judging by the number of gay Cambodian, Laos and Vietnamese overstayers I have come across in Pattaya, a very valid point.Barry Kenyon wrote: ↑Sat Mar 16, 2024 5:32 pm The obvious downsides for the host countries are overstayers,
One I know voluntarily says he has been on overstay for 7 years and another one I suspect has been there much, much longer.