General Reports

[Franciscass]

. Health insurance is not a big ticket item in the the scheme of things. Why chance it?

Actually BB it can be, depending on age and how long it's for.

[LittleBigMan]

Pfizer has not accepted money from US but they have signed an agreement to provide vaccine when it becomes available.

It has been reported that CVS and Walgreens have no idea how the distribution process would work and that needs to be solved.

I guess it is how you what to look at it? From what I read you are right but the USA Has made a contract for 1. 95 Billion to them for 100 million doses I guess that contract would keep Pfizer ability to obtain loans to continue to develop the vaccine. Then you got the CDC given the assignment of outlining the distribution and CVS and Walgreen has already applied for the distribution and been approved that approval of course requires them to follow the outlines of the CDC for distribution.

[PedroMorales]

Under no circumstances will I take a c19 vaccine. If that means no more travel, so be it. Friends whose opinion I value are of the same mind. Others just March blindly along, like unthinking sheep. There are countless posts here on "the vaccine. " There is no silver bullet and posting uninformed messages on obscure web sites like this does not change it.

I sent messages to Thai hookers on various sites. Their replies are much more informed and relevant than repetitive, uninformed, syntax-free posts on "the vaccine".

[Nounce]

It has been a while where I read it but I believe the USA Also dump billions into helping Pfizer it wasn't just in the production. I also feel any imports from China should have additions added to compensate the countries around the world for their pandemic! Like most world events they never step up and put in their fair share!

Pfizer has not accepted money from US but they have signed an agreement to provide vaccine when it becomes available.

Get it right and look it up yourself!

It is reported that Pfizer with German partner BioNTech, has made the first Emergency request to put out the Vaccine with the FDA, Moderna the second leader will be following suit. Both vaccines are rated effective 994% effective, the final review of data of testing started in July will be done by mid-December if approved the vaccine will be provided to the front line and senior home care facilities already authorized is CVS and Walgreens the USA And it will be free. Both companies have also applied to other countries like Canada, Australia, Britain, Japan, and the list is growing for their approval, I believe and more hopeful than any visa program Thailand government comes out with if successful to slow it down and application requested with Thailand is approved and Thailand like to follow and this is what they have been waiting for while coming with all these visa ideas to make it look like they are actually doing something? We might have something to celebrate about?

It has been reported that CVS and Walgreens have no idea how the distribution process would work and that needs to be solved.

[LittleBigMan]

Get it right and look it up yourself!

It is reported that Pfizer with German partner BioNTech, has made the first Emergency request to put out the Vaccine with the FDA, Moderna the second leader will be following suit. Both vaccines are rated effective 994% effective, the final review of data of testing started in July will be done by mid-December if approved the vaccine will be provided to the front line and senior home care facilities already authorized is CVS and Walgreens the USA And it will be free. Both companies have also applied to other countries like Canada, Australia, Britain, Japan, and the list is growing for their approval, I believe and more hopeful than any visa program Thailand government comes out with if successful to slow it down and application requested with Thailand is approved and Thailand like to follow and this is what they have been waiting for while coming with all these visa ideas to make it look like they are actually doing something? We might have something to celebrate about?

[Banana Boi]

Personally if I am applying for an OA Visa or even traveling to Thailand I would be purchasing the Thai insurance approved to satisfy Immigration rules. After you're in then work around getting insurance from your home country. The last thing I would want is to think I had everything lined up only to be turned back at Immigration because an IO doesn't understand what exactly is required. You may be 100% certain you have met all the requirements but the wrong IO will make you purchase the next available flight home and once you get home you likely have to look for a place to rent as you have rented your house for a year. Health insurance is not a big ticket item in the the scheme of things. Why chance it?

[LittleBigMan]

Probably very few. But that's not how health insurance works. Usually the coverage extends to all professional medical treatment that's "reasonably necessary" or some similar definition. There are an infinite number of maladies that can require professional medical treatment. And COVID shows that new sicknesses are being discovered every day. There is no way the insurer could list them all in the insurance contract. To the contrary, the contracts typically contain a list of "exclusions" to make it clear what is *not* covered. For example, experimental treatment, cosmetic treatments and treatments from people who aren't professional health care providers. (There are also requirements to get advance approval for certain expensive treatments and tests, but let's set those aside.)

As Mr. Up cogently notes, the fact that COVID is not specifically mentioned in health insurance documents gives Thai consular officials an easy way to force visa applicants to buy insurance from a Thai company through the official online portal. Sounds like some determined applicants have been able to get their health insurer to supplement the standard documents with a written statement emphasizing that they are, in fact, covered if they come down with COVID while in Thailand. At that point, it seems to me, it's up to the consular officer to decide whether the COVID insurance requirement is met. Those officers who interpret the requirement in a way that protects the Thai health care system from sick falang who run up big bills they can't pay will probably call it good. Those officers who interpret the requirement in a way that lines the pockets of Thai insurance companies selling expensive single-purpose policies to rich falang will probably take a different view.

One thing Insurance here in Thailand isn't like in the West it is what I consider Ala Carte the same insurance you would buy for a dog exists here for humans! " similar definition " if it isn't mentioned one can construe it can also be covered but I learn from experience here what are you going to do " nothing " " fight " go to a rights lawyer class action like in the West? Insurance companies here know the chances are slim and none the reason if you ever read the fine print on a policy it is clear they want the money and not to cover you at all. My Thai son policy 1. 5 million compared to what I use to have with the same company included lots of things that wouldn't cover for me just based on from I was from. His policy no mentioned of Virus when I call is covered just like the flu normal but now all of a sudden for foreigners policies it isn't and you need to get extra coverage? It is a joke call it what you want but many things here are just laced with discrimination and prejudice it has been in their thinking for centuries and it isn't going to change not in my lifetime.

Can you imagine having insurance in the USA Being diagnosed with Lyme Disease and they tell you " oh it isn't covered " they would be doing the policyholder a favor $$ just like when I'm home I make sure to take public transit hoping it messes me over before I even get on my departure flight the City would be calling and telling me " don't leave we are sending you a check ".

[Bunky]

A lot of health insurance policies may cover Covid19 as it is not excluded. But unless the policy specifically states that Covid19 is covered to the level of $100 k or more this may not be acceptable to the consular officials. How many health insurers have updated their wordings to specifically state that the condition is covered?

Probably very few. But that's not how health insurance works. Usually the coverage extends to all professional medical treatment that's "reasonably necessary" or some similar definition. There are an infinite number of maladies that can require professional medical treatment. And COVID shows that new sicknesses are being discovered every day. There is no way the insurer could list them all in the insurance contract. To the contrary, the contracts typically contain a list of "exclusions" to make it clear what is *not* covered. For example, experimental treatment, cosmetic treatments and treatments from people who aren't professional health care providers. (There are also requirements to get advance approval for certain expensive treatments and tests, but let's set those aside.)

As Mr. Up cogently notes, the fact that COVID is not specifically mentioned in health insurance documents gives Thai consular officials an easy way to force visa applicants to buy insurance from a Thai company through the official online portal. Sounds like some determined applicants have been able to get their health insurer to supplement the standard documents with a written statement emphasizing that they are, in fact, covered if they come down with COVID while in Thailand. At that point, it seems to me, it's up to the consular officer to decide whether the COVID insurance requirement is met. Those officers who interpret the requirement in a way that protects the Thai health care system from sick falang who run up big bills they can't pay will probably call it good. Those officers who interpret the requirement in a way that lines the pockets of Thai insurance companies selling expensive single-purpose policies to rich falang will probably take a different view.

[Horatio]

That seems common sense but is not necessarily true. That's why I posted it. It's similar to asymptomatic spreading of disease. No symptoms but still able to spread covid.

If you don't get sick, you cannot spread the virus. The virus is spread by human to human close proximity, either by direct contact or breathing in the virus from a sick person. Therefore, a person who is vaccinated cannot get sick and cannot spread the virus. That is the whole purpose of vaccination, stopping the spread of the disease.

[Rodwint2]

It is possible that the vaccine might prevent us from getting sick from covid but still allow us to spread the disease. If that is the case Thailand would need to be widely vaccinated across country before they open up. Guy on rogan said about effects of vaccine.

If you don't get sick, you cannot spread the virus. The virus is spread by human to human close proximity, either by direct contact or breathing in the virus from a sick person. Therefore, a person who is vaccinated cannot get sick and cannot spread the virus. That is the whole purpose of vaccination, stopping the spread of the disease.

[LittleBigMan]

Banana Boi,

The list on the Royal Thai Embassy DC (https://thaiembdc.org/covid-19inthailand/) appears to be the same.

They also provide a list of repatriation flights and allowable flights operating on a "semi-commercial" basis (their phrase, whatever it means), although the latter would probably mean connecting either in Europe or the Middle East (Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai). Be careful on connections. I think if you're anything more than in transit in places like London you will be required to self-isolate for 14 days whilst there.

One additional thing - there is some uncertainty as to whether the 60 day tourist visa can be "flipped" onto another visa type once in-country. As so often there are agents trying to say that they can do it (for a hefty fee) but whether this is strictly kosher or involves a brown envelope and the back door of the immigration office is open to debate.

All other requirements (pre-flight rt-PCR test, fit-to-fly cert, $100k insurance and 14 day quarantine remain in place). I have read of people having difficulty with their existing Health Insurance including Covid19 cover but it not being accepted by Embassies. There is a Thai General Insurance Association portal where the cover is on offer (https://covid19.tgia.org/).

The problem isn't the list, which is in fact the same. The problem is each Thai Embassy seems to have a different interruption of what is listed. This is consistent in Thailand every immigration has a different requirement for example when they started enforcement of the TM-30 every province had their own rule this is why the reference of left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing!

[GettingFedUp]

It doesn't surprise me that some Thai consular officials cast a gimlet eye upon health insurance that wasn't purchased through the government-approved portal. That would require them to interpret the coverage and make a decision on whether it met the COVID coverage rule. Far easier to verify the visa applicant purchased coverage through the portal. And, I might add, far more profitable for the Thai insurance companies.

Bunky,

The issue, from what I have gathered, is that a lot of health insurance policies may cover Covid19 as it is not excluded but unless the policy specifically states that Covid19 is covered to the level of $100 k or more this may not be acceptable to the consular officials. How many health insurers have updated their wordings to specifically state that the condition is covered?

I have heard anecdotal evidence of some officials accepting letters from insurers to confirm it is covered, others insisting if the policy itself does not specifically state the Covid19 cover exists they cannot accept this. This apparent discrepancy is even quoted as happening with two officials from the same Embassy.

[HorseTrader]

Yes, it is possible. That topic was briefly discussed on tonight's edition of the PBS news hour.

I want to clarify my response. It is possible in a sense that it is unknown. Not in a sense that scientists know that it will happen some or all of the time.

[HorseTrader]

It is possible that the vaccine might prevent us from getting sick from covid but still allow us to spread the disease. If that is the case Thailand would need to be widely vaccinated across country before they open up. Guy on rogan said about effects of vaccine.

Yes, it is possible. That topic was briefly discussed on tonight's edition of the PBS news hour.

[Horatio]

It is possible that the vaccine might prevent us from getting sick from covid but still allow us to spread the disease. If that is the case Thailand would need to be widely vaccinated across country before they open up. Guy on rogan said about effects of vaccine.