They have been giving free vaccination for a while now in Bangkok, even walk-in.

If you've been here for 2 years then you wasted a lot of time getting easily vaccinated.

Start getting your first shot today.

1) April is still a "long time" , nobody knows what the rules will be by then.

2) If I were in your case, I wouldn't risk to have gf come stay together on that 5th day. Because if you would test positive, she could be in trouble because she was in high risk close contact.

If you test positive and she doesn't stay with you that day, she can just do some ATK self testing and self isolate if necessary instead of risking being held hostage by the hotel/ hospital and paying too much for whatever forced quarantaine and unnecessary medicines.

Jody Dayton Peace

@Peter ******

That doesn't mean that you can drive with an expired DL, only that you still have time to renew.

@Steven *********

that's why you have to buy the right insurance from the right agent

@Steven *********

you changed your story. First you say that "you have to pay first", then you admit that this is not always the case.

That's the whole point : it depends on the insurance and possible misunderstandings or mistakes in some cases.

@Steven *********

I'm not saying there are never problems (depending on wrong insurance or other problems), but it is definitely possible to have direct billing if you have the right insurance.

In my view :

First of all, choose the right insurance.

Second : make sure you know the right steps and the correct communication channels before you need it, write it down on your insurance paper. Be prepared. So you don't lose time and avoid miscommunication problems at the moment you are too sick to deal with anything.

Third : get your insurance through a good local agent. When there is a problem, the help of your agent will maken a huge difference clearing up any mess.

Learned from experience.

@Steven *********

If they have the right insurance, then people traveling on holiday don't have to pay first and then claim after from the insurance if they have to stay in a hospital. Hospital will bill directly with the insurance.

If you have had other experiences, I believe you. But that means you had a different insurance.

@Bernard ****

I can confirm this from personal experience. Yearly extension of stay based on retirement non-o visa I have never needed health insurance. It was never a requirement. Not needed to apply and get the yearly extension. BUT it is needed to (re-)enter Thailand (to get the Thailand Pass).

4

Per month method is minimum baht each month. Can not be a bit less some months because you have a bit more other months.

If you did the 0 baht deposit method, then you can use this deposit for all the coming years without worrying about the monthly deposits. (there are specific rules on when and how much your bank account can or can not go under the 0 baht - be careful and I'd advise a dedicated account for this deposit.)

OR you can do a combination of the 2 methods : for instance per month and a 0 deposit.