My recommendation to all friends who visit me in Thailand is to not drive anything on your first trip. You will be too distracted by all the new sights, sounds, smells, traffic “plan”, or traffic “rules”. Tragically, more than 20,000 people die on the roads and one million are injured.
Purchasing travel insurance is highly advised and mandatory for some visas. Their home nation’s insurance provider should offer a package for the trip. Every high season there are multitudes of walking wounded, bandaged up, and being pushed around by friends who also lose out on the vacation of a lifetime. Make smart choices.
Those of us who have been gifted the opportunity to live here by the Kingdom should also be prepared for accident and injury with coverage. Private healthcare here is of good quality. Extended stay is expensive but general services, testing, and prescriptions are inexpensive.
The feedback loop can be challenging, but that is near an industry standard. Test results are fast, but follow-up appointments can be booked far in advance. That is how things are in Thailand, 100% perfect, 80% of the time.
Finding expat insurance with pre existing conditions is easy due to the reasonable cost of healthcare. Coverage is coverage; how the providers deliver services, communication, and rapid funding when needed make the difference. Protect your life, family, and property with comprehensive coverage.
As news stories flash in front of people, experts are born. There is no question that online research gives full access to maximum information. The work investment is in filtering the facts out. Various articles and research contradict each other and can be confusing.
Concerning your health, do not become an online medical specialist overnight. If you have concerns, schedule a proper interview and testing. It is up to you to take those results and follow the doctor’s advice or seek other remedies and recommendations. That being said, you can become a medical assistant via online training and receive certification.
I mentioned that some visas require expat health insurance as a qualifying criterion. Your visa agent will know, but I do not use one anymore. Being informed will save you time, headaches, and money. Follow this link for a retirement renewal documents list. As always, do your research to protect your permission to remain here.
I find the visa system much more user-friendly than ten years ago. My last renewal took 20 minutes of my time, and 2000b. Plan your visa renewal for a mid-week day. Do not go the day before or two days after an immigration closure holiday, if possible. Always arrive 30 minutes before they open with the few documents you need in hand, and walk out quickly to enjoy another year in the Kingdom.
We have been around long enough to know we will experience challenging times. Being prepared for them allows true peace of mind. See you on the beach.
