@Tomasz *******

I have Pacific Cross. Their website is very good for showing their range of plans and deductibles and estimated costs. They have great customer service but I’ve never made a claim so I can’t comment on that.

I’m aware that there are international insurance plans out there because there are plenty of people that have worked internationally all their lives.

One thing for sure is that whenever a particular company is mentioned you will hear from people that like that company or hate that company. Insurance is a triggering topic for many people.

Look for a policy with a large(ish) deductible. This will lower the cost. Pay for routine care out of pocket. Get enough coverage for a catastrophic event.

I’ve been here 7 years. My policy has a 40,000 baht deductible. The highest medical bill I ever had was 20,000 baht and that was once earlier this year.

@David *************

I came on an OA in 2017. They added a health insurance requirement to this visa in 2019 so most people avoid it these days. Once you start doing 1 year extensions it is no different than the O visa except for the insurance requirement.

@Roger ******

Medicare cannot be used overseas. I didn’t even sign up for Part B.

I have Thai health insurance and savings to use for any medical expenses not covered by my insurance (pre-existing conditions). Also healthcare here is very good and very inexpensive so some degree of self insurance makes sense here when it doesn’t make sense in the US.

@Roger ******

Once every year or two US Social Security sends me a letter to verify my address and ask if my eligibility has changed. Social Security has my address as being my Thai address but my SS benefit is deposited to a US bank. I don’t know it they do this to SS recipients in the US. If you don’t return the letter then they will suspend your SS benefit deposits to your bank. You can reinstate your benefits but you have to contact Social Security and the process could take months.

I had moved from Bangkok to Sisaket province two years ago. When I got the letter it said that it was their second attempt to contact me. I returned the form using Express Mail Service and never saw an interruption of my benefits.

@Paul ******

On the flip side, I become a tax resident by living in Thailand more than 180 days. It didn’t matter before but this year it does due to some new interpretations of the tax rules. The US and Thailand have a tax treaty the prevents double taxation but exactly how this is going to play out is still not known.

So you are over 50, retired, possibly a wife?, and you’ve been here before

I suggest you get a non-immigrant O vise while still in the US. Once here get a bank account in the first month. You may possibly need an agent to do this these days. Find a place to live if you haven’t already done so. Those are going to be the essentials.

You are going to need money in a Thai bank for your 1 year extension of the O visa. Make you have the money available in your US bank.

I suggest that you not cut all your ties with the US immediately. Maintain a US address using a family member or friend. Keep a US bank and make sure you can send money by wire transfer to Thailand. Have two banks and two credit cards. Keep your US phone numbers and make sure it is a phone number that your bank will accept for 2 factor authorization.

For your passport, US drivers license, and credit cards make sure your expiration dates are as far out as you can make them.

@Joann *******************

You cannot get a one year extension with a 60 day visa exempt entry. You have to start with an O or OA visa.

@Paul ******

Not at all. You do not have to pay taxes in a state you do not live in. That is true if you move from one state to another in the US. You only pay where you are a tax resident. You may be a tax resident in two states during the first year transition or if you maintain a business, property, or certain other ties to your previous state. There are tax residency criteria but if you don't meet those criteria and no longer live in the state then you don't pay taxes there. That is true if you move abroad as well. I do pay federal taxes and I vote by mail through my previous CA voting office.

Earlier this year I got a letter from the CA Franchise Tax Board saying that they noticed that I didn't file a tax return in 2019, my first year of not filing CA taxes. They said I owed $6,000. I sent them a copy of my passport showing that I hadn't been in the US more than a couple of weeks for the past 4 years. I also sent them copies of my Thai drivers license and Thai government pink ID card. They responded that I was no longer a tax resident and could disregard the earlier notice. (Note - they sent the notice to my address in rural Thailand)

@David *****

62 is the age you can begin to collect US Social Security. You can claim between 62-70.