New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

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Gaybutton
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

Post by Gaybutton »

I plead guilty to getting off topic, but let's get back on topic. Posts about money belong on a separate topic. If someone wants to start that topic, I will move these money posts to that topic. Otherwise let's get back to health insurance.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

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138 pages of discussion on this topic on ThaiVisa and still no reports of people with O-A visa's being asked, or not asked, for proof of health insurance.

This only tells me one thing: There are more people using agents then I expected.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

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Dodger wrote: Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:03 pm There are more people using agents then I expected.
Either that or immigration simply doesn't give a damn about bothering with it. If that is the case, what it tells me is the problem about huge numbers of foreigners skipping out on their medical bills never existed in the first place and was merely a bunch of made up nonsense.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

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Gaybutton wrote: Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:25 pm If that is the case, what it tells me is the problem about huge numbers of foreigners skipping out on their medical bills never existed in the first place and was merely a bunch of made up nonsense.
ABSOLUTELY!!!

The bulk of the money that was mysteriously missing from the hospitals piggy banks went to the same place that all "mysteriously missing money" goes in Thailand...to the top 1% of the population who control 90% of the wealth in the Kingdom...that's where.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

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Dodger wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:11 am The bulk of the money that was mysteriously missing from the hospitals piggy banks
I'm not so sure there ever was money missing. If there was, I doubt is was a devastating amount and I also doubt foreigners were the culprits.

If we're going to be accused, how about showing some proof that such a crime was ever even committed.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

Post by 2lz2p »

Gaybutton wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:00 am
Dodger wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:11 am The bulk of the money that was mysteriously missing from the hospitals piggy banks
I'm not so sure there ever was money missing. If there was, I doubt is was a devastating amount and I also doubt foreigners were the culprits.

If we're going to be accused, how about showing some proof that such a crime was ever even committed.
IMO the foreigners that obtained treatment in Gov't hospitals and did not pay their bills were most likely tourists, not long stay expats; especially not retirees.

When Min. of Public Health made the announcement early part of 2018 re their request (not Immigration's) to the cabinet to require health insurance for O-A Visa holders, they offered no data other than, as I recall, a gross figure. To my way of thinking a typical Thai 'knee jerk" reaction without real analysis as to the root of the perceived problem. Since the Cabinet approved it, Immigration (extensions) & Foreign Ministry (Visas) had no choice in implementing the Min of PH's "solution" to their percieved problem.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

Post by Dodger »

I agree with all being said:

Not data...no proof...just an action that started the flow of millions of baht into these so-called "Approved Thai Insurance Companies, which, ironically, are owned by some of the wealthiest and influential people in Thailand.

Again (similar to the TM28 fiasco), the foreign embassies had their phone lines set on fire, and now nobody, including immigration, knows what the fuck is going on. I think the shit hit the fan when expats started to get forced into purchasing polices from these "approved" companies, when, in fact, the health insurance policies they had from their home countries were far better. Too many eyes...too much media attention...flimsy justification (no data). We'll see where this one goes.
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Re: New Health Insurance Requirements Announced O-A

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Dodger wrote: Fri Feb 21, 2020 11:30 am an action that started the flow of millions of baht into these so-called "Approved Thai Insurance Companies
That's the part I have a problem with. I see nothing wrong with requiring foreigners to carry health insurance, but trying to dictate who the providers have to be - that is taking unfair advantage.

I wonder if we can guess who came up with the "approved" insurance companies idea - and who did the approving . . .

I still place much of the blame for this on the embassies. As far as I can tell, the embassies don't lift a finger to try to protect their own citizens from this sort of corruption.

Hey Trump - forget about looking for corruption in the Ukraine. If you ever decide to actually get serious about doing something about corruption, I can give you a few suggestions as to where else to look . . .
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