I found the following info on another forum.

Hope they don't mind me copying it, but thought it would be of interest.


More disturbing is what is happening to my elderly german neighbor. he is 81 years old retired neuro surgeon and in poor health , he has lived here 19 years . He receives a pension of 5100 euro per month more than 300000 baht.and has large offshore investments so financially he is well off.
Immigration say he will not be allowed to renew his visa as he is too old and infirm to remain in Thailand.
Lawyers have been consulted and it appears that a retirment visa entitles you to retire here but not die here and that immigration are vetting each case on its merits.They can supoena medical records and order proper medical checks ,by their approved doctors to support an expulsion case. He has been given 60 days to leave the country , he has lodged an appeal but The German embassy reckons that he will lose as this not the first case they have seen.


Makes worrying reading to me. For us Brits we cannot go back and use the NHS. Stuffed all ways.

Comments anyone?

Gary.

This is really sad news.

I wonder if he lives alone or has a wife to take care of him? If he has a wife then I can't see the problem of living here. However if he lives alone he still has enough money to receive 24hr care from any private hospital so I can

surley he can't be a liability if he is paying for the service's of medical treatment or 24 hr care, and when he die's i don't know but would guess he would want to be cremated in thailand with all cost's payed.
or if he had family in his home country i would thought they would take care of bringing him home after he die's.
i am sure he would have planned something.

immigration are vetting each case on its merits

Nong Khai immigration allowed a US Vietnam vet to die here and while bedridden renewed his visa even though he could not get to immigration.So each case is different.His illness was 100 per cent terminal so maybe that was the difference.Maybe nationality is a factor.

Good reason to go to a clinic for your health certificate,not a hospital.Most ,not all,just take your passport,ask if you are ok,and fill out the form.No problem.No matter how sick I am at the time,I don't think it is a problem to buy a certificate or anything else I need in Thailand!

Another good reason to be concerned about only getting a visa one year at a time. Obviously this man can afford a funeral here and will burden no one.

There have been many Vets die here in Udon, I have never heard of one being deported because he was ill, but it certainly could happen.

When we renew our annual retirement visas, they do require a medical certificate saying we don't have any diseases and are well.

I guess if we have a disease which might require significant hospital treatment or is contagious, they can simply not renew our visa and it's goodbye, then.

arjay wrote:When we renew our annual retirement visas, they do require a medical certificate saying we don't have any diseases and are well.

I guess if we have a disease which might require significant hospital treatment or is contagious, they can simply not renew our visa and it's goodbye, then.

Arjay,you can get a med. cert.w/o an exam very easy in Thailand

I had a friend who retired to Jomtien in October 02.. He had terminal emphysema and passed away in Summer 03. He had a Retirement Visa and went to Immigration carrying his Oxygen with him.. He was obviously not well and they gave him the Visa.. So, different cases, different treatments..

So what would happen if he didn't go to renew his visa (shame on him LOL)
What will they do IF and When they ever found out ? send him back home ? who pays ?
I am sure that at 81 he really doesn't care too much about what they do to him !
He was only trying to the right and legal thing - even at his age !

I suppose it's another indication that they want our money, but not us.

Good Question what would have happened would they have immediately been on the door step demanding his bags be packed, probably not. How long would have been before they actually checked his residence anyone got an idea.

I know for a fact farrangs have been issued visas with only the wife present because hubby was in the hospital. Maybe he didn't have a wife to run this little errand for him, post doesn't say. There have been a number of VFW membewrs die essentially of old age here in the past four years, never heard anything about visa problems.

Maybe this is just bad timing, with the other visa changes going on, but this is abolutley the first time I have ever heard of anything like this. For us long term people here I would suggest that this might deserve some watching. Myself I would hate to wait until I was in fact to ill to relocate.

Just out of curiousty how many of the long term residents could comfortably go home in this situatuion. I couldn't, things are so expensive in the states that a nursing home would be beyond my means. My medical insurance is here and more then adequate for here, but a mere drop in the bucket in the states. I could get my coverage back there if it hit in an open enrollment period, if not , I would be on my own very quickly. Move in with my kids and ruin thier lives I don't think so.

Even if you could work all those contacts that you had would more then likely be gone to you.

This scenario is the exact scenario, that has lurked in the back of mind for all these years here. Here this guy is as was pointed out tried to do the right thing. has the money to provide for any medical treatment he may need here, money for funeral expenses. Had made a life here and is now out on his ear, when he needs it most. One of the biggest reasons I choose to retire in Thailand was the availablity of reasonable health care at affordable prices

It says make a life here at your own risk. I truly hope this is not the way thailand is going. However, if it is I would rather know it now while I do have my health and I can still make a move to friendlier country.

Not exactly fair to my wife either she to has built a life that could be in ruins, if this is the intent, there is no way I would stay.

Now guys I'm just thinking out loud, what if questions, nothing seems to etched in stone at this juncture. We know nothing else of this individual other then what has been posted. I truly hope it is not a clear cut as it appears, additional I hope this is not the future of Thailand in my experience it is not the Thailand of the past.

Galle what forum did you find this on I wish to follow this one and I'm sure many others would as well. ?

It's a strange story as a lot of the hospital chains are actively encouraging "health" tourism,opening branches in the Far East to attract people to come here for the much cheap healthcare.If they arrive and their condition gets worse are they then going to then kick them out.Very odd.

He could have said something ''inappropiate'' to an official,therefore sealing his fate!I have seen some westerners cause themselves bigger problems by being confrontational with Gov't employees!We are a type of guest,insult the host,there's the door!
It would be interesting to have more facts about this particular case.Is it an isolated case,or a change in attitude towards us!