What is the best health insurance for a 79-year-old on a Non-O Retirement Visa in Thailand?

Wr Iife

@Robby ***********

could you share some details or is this just a tease

@Joseph ******

Which is why he wrote “talk to her” and “many people”… I’m sure you can read that. 😉

It's funny how we peck at each other instead of focusing on the areas we agree.

I also recommend prioritising living with family over health insurance worries.

Our differences lie in the cost that is to be expected. Geratric care, if taken seriously is very expensive, in any country. Imagine

@Ra**

has to sell her car to pay for some cardiac procedure or a hip replacement. I think it's stupid to do that, because she has her life ahead of her and if selling the car means she has to ride a motorcycle which is way more deadly, nobody wins.

You may be correct that government hospitals may not even suggest certain procedures for a 79 year old patient. But that doesn't mean they could not be performed in a state of the art private hospital with a reasonable chance of prolonging life a few months or even years.

That's why I recommend having a sincere conversation with your mom before she comes here without insurance, not to feel guilty about a potential lack of funds for some possibly life-prolonging treatment later on.

You cannot use 2006's prices with today's exchange rate and assume that's what it's going to cost now.

It'll probably go for at around 10k USD, assuming no complications - which could easily happen if your patient is 79. For some people 10k is already "a lot of money". So maybe she could only afford injections against the pain or some other less expensive treatment and be okay with that.

I did not make a specific statement about thai healthcare or thai public hospitals. It's just common sense that certain health procedures don't come for cheap in Thailand. If you don't have insurance or are prepared to pay out of pocket, you should be aware that you won't get the best possible healthcare.

@Joseph ******

agents search for the best plan ovwr many insurance companies so no individual insurance company. I recommended a public hospital as King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital Friends bought me back from the dead. This hospital is the largest here in Thailand. I am self insured as have a terminal lung desease.

@Raki *******

bring thia to your country

@Raki *******

much easier to apply for non-o in your home country. There are some catch 22's doing it I in country forcing you to use an agent and then being at their mercy for future extensions....

Most likely will not be able to get insurance in Thailand for a 79yr old. If you can find it, it will be exhorbently expensive.

If your intention is NOT for her to stay long term then best to get travel insurance from your home country and then arrive for 60 day visa exempt. You can extend it another 30 days when you're heading the end of your 60.

@Raki *******

at 79 years old there are no insurance companies in Thailand that will insure her. Get her insurance before you come here, if you can find any company that will insure her.

@Janin *****

It will be a nice daytime job trying to find new health insurance at that age…

@Janin *****

Once you get past eighty years, if your healthy and lucky enough to get to that age, if you got seriously ill with say cancer or CardioVascular disease no amount of medical intervention is going to be much use, only prolong your suffering. Live happy and die happy.

@Janin *****

Im not giving any advice, just explaining the formal requirements and difference for two visa types.

@Janin *****

Quite right. The two are often confused in this group - what is mandatory for immigration purposes vs what is a sensible and responsible way to cover yourself in a foreign country.

Likewise, the antivax brigade are happy to tell you that no vaccines are required ….

@Raki *******

What’s your mother’s nationality and passport nation?