Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Anything and everything about Thailand

What do YOU want to do (expat or not)? Read below before voting. Post your comments

Poll ended at Thu Jun 23, 2022 9:46 am

1. I plan to leave Thailand
0
No votes
2. I plan to stay in Thailand
5
56%
3. I'm not an expat, but I plan to become one in Thailand
1
11%
4. I plan to stick to holidays in Thailand, but don't plan to live there
2
22%
5. Undecided
1
11%
6. Other (please specify)
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 9

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2lz2p
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by 2lz2p »

BKKDreamer wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:10 pm I have many more questions
Hello Martin, FYI the Pattaya City Expat Club has a section on their website devoted to Thai Immigration issues - https://pcec.club/page-18188 - hover over the topic at the top and you will see a drop down menu for the various sections - if there is a red dot next to the item, hover over it and you will get another drop down menu showing the subsection topics - click on the one that may answer your question(s). If it doesn't answer your question(s) or you need clarification, you can email them at [email protected] and they will get back to you.

Also, their section on "Living in Thailand" has information you might find useful re banking, driving license, health care, etc.
---------------------

NOW, back to the topic of this thread - I voted that I would stay in Thailand. Like GB, I plan to stay in Thailand until the grim reaper decides it is time for me to go. My primary purpose in retiring to Thailand was to be with my Thai partner - at that time, we already had a 10 year long distance relationship with me visiting on holiday twice a year. After I moved here, we had another wonderful 19 years together before he passed away from a serious illness last November.

At that time, I thought about returning to the USA, but decided not too.

When I moved here, my big concern was the quality of health care as I had a serious heart condition. I found the care here to be quite good and it has now as I've grown older taken care of me for both serious and not serious health issues including pulmonary embolism, ischemic stroke, prostate cancer, a life threatening lung infection, as well as some broken bones with the latest being a hip fracture.

As GB mentions, health insurance, especially for me, is a must. As a retired Federal employee, I was able to carry over my health insurance and it covers me here in Thailand. Bangkok Hospital Pattaya will even bill them direct. I use that feature for inpatient (covered 100%) or more expensive diagnostic tests (covered 85%). For my outpatient care and prescription medicines, I pay myself and file a claim for 85% of the cost.

My reason for deciding to stay here is I have made many friends, both Thai and Expat, but my primary reason is for the medical care here vs the USA. Here I don't have to wait several days or even weeks to get an appointment with a doctor as is the case in the USA. When I do have an appointment, the wait to see the doctor is not long whereas in USA it can be hours before you see the doctor OR in many cases you see don't even see the doctor, but a Nurse Practitioner. Here, the results of diagnostic tests are usually available to the doctor within an hour whereas in USA the doctor may have to wait a few days to receive them. Of course my experience here is with the International hospitals.
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by BKKDreamer »

Dear 2lz2p,

Many thanks for sharing the Pattaya City Expat Club information. I will definitely peruse their information and become a member once I settle in.

Your above response to GB regarding health care was also a BIG concern that I had. Your reply has helped to reduce that anxiety - and like many of you I will have ex-employer provided health care for life (CIGNA) as a retirement benefit, and it is good to know that it works well within the private Thailand health care system(s).
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by BKKDreamer »

Dear all,

One more question if I may.

In your opinion, will I encounter a problem if I buy a one way ticket for my flight in September?
As I will retire in Pattaya/Jomtien from September forward.

I read somewhere that either the airline and/or Thai immigration may ask where is my return ticket since I will be arriving as a tourist who requests visa on arrival - where later on I will use Mots Services to 1.) extend the 30 day visa for another 60 days, 2.) while I request the non-immigrant O visa.

Should I buy a cheap ticket that is 30 days from my arrival to like Singapore ? to avoid this potential problem?

Thanks,

Martin
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by 2lz2p »

BKKDreamer wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 5:28 pm Should I buy a cheap ticket that is 30 days from my arrival to like Singapore ? to avoid this potential problem?
My advice is to purchase a cheap throw away ticket to show departure from Thailand within the 30 days that a Visa Exempt arrival will provide. It is very doubtful that you would have a problem with Thai Immigration as they rarely if ever check for an onward ticket.

But, it technically is a requirement and most likely the Airline you are using will refuse a boarding pass if you don't have an onward ticket as the requirement will be shown in their system if you do not have a Visa -- this because the airline is liable in the event you are denied entry and they have no way of knowing it is not enforced.
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by Gaybutton »

2lz2p is correct. With a one-way ticket you won't have a problem with immigration, but you definitely will have a problem with the airline. You will need something to show you have an outbound ticket to leave Thailand, and to the best of my knowledge it has to be an airline ticket, not a ticket for some other mode of transportation. So, find the cheapest international ticket you can, outbound from Thailand, and you are unlikely to encounter a problem. Even if immigration actually asks, ok fine - you'll have an outbound ticket.

I actually had that happen to me. When I retired and was ready to move to Thailand permanently, I bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok. I didn't even know that I would need an outbound from Thailand ticket. At first the airline - American Airlines - was refusing to let me board. They called the supervisor to the gate, who asked why I don't have a return ticket. I tried to explain that I don't have a return ticket because I'm not returning. We spent about 15 minutes going back and forth about it until I finally told her to just sell me a ticket to Singapore or something. I was very lucky. She finally gave in and told the gate agent to let me go - and I didn't have to buy another ticket.

And, by the way, on arrival at Bangkok, immigration never asked about an outbound ticket. And with all the trips to Thailand I had made before finally retiring, immigration never asked about it.

It is definitely best to buy an outbound ticket to avoid this kind of problem. Try to get one that is refundable. If you can get one, you'll get your money back - unless of course you decide to use it anyway for a side trip.

Don't forget, once you have the retirement visa, if you ever do leave Thailand, make sure you go to immigration and buy a reentry permit. Without one, you won't have any trouble getting back into Thailand, but your retirement visa becomes null and void and you're back on the 30-day privilege. So, if you're going to set foot outside of Thailand, first get the reentry permit. Your retirement visa remains valid.
Jun

Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by Jun »

Even in the cases where I didn't have an outbound ticket with the same airline, I don't recall ever being asked for one. Including cases flying into Thailand from KL and Phnom Penh. In the KL case, I was asked for a ticket out of KL when flying from Cebu to KL with the same airline, but not going into Thailand.

I've also flown to Thailand with a 60 day visa and an outbound flight more than 60 days later, which was not queried.

So I would say it's risk, rather than definitely a problem.

I'd still want a back up plan.
The alternative to buying a ticket is to know who is offering cheap tickets, so you can buy one on your phone at the airport, should the need arise.
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by gerefan »

In the middle of a 3 month stay in Thailand I went to New Zealand for a few weeks.

On departing NZ to return to Bangkok I was asked to show my onward ticket out of Thailand. (Thai Airways).

I had one but it was safely locked away in my room in Pattaya. There was a lot of arguing before they eventually let me board. Only by showing a confirming email did they let me go.

Days before electric tickets.

Never been asked at Immigration.
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by Gaybutton »

gerefan wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:01 pm In the middle of a 3 month stay in Thailand I went to New Zealand for a few weeks.
Did anyone ask for an onward ticket out of New Zealand before letting you board a flight to New Zealand?
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by BKKDreamer »

Dear all,

Many thanks for all of your valuable guidance and suggestions.
I will do as you all suggest - one less potential problem to deal with.
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Re: Expat farang - do they want to leave or do they want to stay in Thailand?

Post by gerefan »

Gaybutton wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:46 pm
gerefan wrote: Tue Jun 21, 2022 9:01 pm In the middle of a 3 month stay in Thailand I went to New Zealand for a few weeks.
Did anyone ask for an onward ticket out of New Zealand before letting you board a flight to New Zealand?
Nope, of course not!
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