Travel Insurance for Thai National

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lee808
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Travel Insurance for Thai National

Post by lee808 »

Hi

My Thai girlfirend is coming over to the UK in 2 weeks for a couple of months on a tourist visa, can anyone please advise me on whether she needs travel insurance and do you know of any companies we could purchase this from ?

Regards

Lee
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kendo
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Post by kendo »

Hi Lee808
You dont have to have travel insurance, if you are in the U.K you are entitled to free health care regardless if you are on holiday or not, thats one thing we can pride ourselves on hospitals and doctors are not intrested in your status.

The terms and conditions of her visa will state that you are the sponsor and it's your obligation to support her stay while in the U.K.

I dont really think there is a need for insurance here, my wife has been in the U.K for nearly 3 years and we have not gone down that route, she is currently visiting family for a month in Surin and i have made sure she is well insured to go back home, :D :D :D

Lee it will be a wonderfull experiance, your lass coming to the U.K for both of you i have some great memories of that myself :D food will be very important you can get Thai products and produce from any Chinese supermarket or there are some good website's that you can order fresh produce on, my wife was so worried that she would not be able to eat good food it's very important mate. :clap:

:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
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Post by niggle »

If you want it to cover the actual journey / baggage etc, try Columbus
They will cover you wherever you live
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Post by niggle »

Kendo, apologies but not strictly true
Speaking as an ex NHS nurse - all nurses, doctors and administrators in the NHS are required to establish the nationality of all receiving care and their eligibility to receive "free" care . However on a point of principle, 90 % of NHS staff have refused to make these checks BUT I have known of patients who have been charged for non emergency care
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Post by lee808 »

Thanks for the replies.

Kendo, take your point regarding food, and am slightly worried the missus is gonna starve, ha ha !

Or maybe freeze to death !!!

Im am sure we will both have a good time whilst she is over, and she will enjoy the totally different way of the UK, but i dont think she'll want to stay long term, but thats fine, i dont want to be here long term either.

I reckon i'll be flying back with her at the end of December to try and find some employment in Thailand and start a new life over there, thats the plan !!!

Unless my girlfriend likes it over here so much she doesn't want to go home, if thats the case, she can take over my life, have my job, my house, the dull weather and food etc and i'll move to Thailand anyway.

LOL
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Post by kendo »

niggle wrote:Kendo, apologies but not strictly true
Speaking as an ex NHS nurse - all nurses, doctors and administrators in the NHS are required to establish the nationality of all receiving care and their eligibility to receive "free" care . However on a point of principle, 90 % of NHS staff have refused to make these checks BUT I have known of patients who have been charged for non emergency care
Hi Niggle i have specifically asked this Qestion to my G.P and to several nurses, because my wife came here on a fiancee visa she had to have a chest x ray in the airport and a full medical in my home city the chest xray is for TB screening, but if you come here on a tourist visa then you don't have to have one, i would not cut corners with my wife's health and safety i belive its not nessary to have insurance.

I work in the docks and when a crew member get's injured he gets the same level of care in Southampton genral than anyone else dose i have a good friend that is a catholic priest and works for a seamens mission, i offen ask him about injured crew men's welfair over a pint. :cheers:

If you don't mind me asking how long is it since you worked as a nurse.
:cheers:
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Post by kendo »

lee808 wrote:Thanks for the replies.

Kendo, take your point regarding food, and am slightly worried the missus is gonna starve, ha ha !

Or maybe freeze to death !!!

Im am sure we will both have a good time whilst she is over, and she will enjoy the totally different way of the UK, but i dont think she'll want to stay long term, but thats fine, i dont want to be here long term either.

I reckon i'll be flying back with her at the end of December to try and find some employment in Thailand and start a new life over there, thats the plan !!!

Unless my girlfriend likes it over here so much she doesn't want to go home, if thats the case, she can take over my life, have my job, my house, the dull weather and food etc and i'll move to Thailand anyway.

LOL
Lee i would not edge your bets on that my wife loves living in the U.K has made many friends and she earns O.K money, but to her she feels rich and works very hard, and is very proud of herself.
We all love Thailand but the wages are dreadfull, even for a Thai my wife used to work in hotel receptions, she can speak 6 langage's and is very clever but the most she has ever earnt is 10 k baht a month here in the U.k she earns that in 4 days working in a large food pub as assistant manageress.
:cheers:
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Post by lee808 »

Really ?

I may be pleasantly surprised then !!!! fingers crossed !

I had great hassle arranging the visa, so maybe it will all become worth it.

Thanks Kendo.

P.S Are you the guy that sent me some pics of the house you have built, a while ago ?
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Post by kendo »

Yeah thats me mate, anything i can help you with just Pm me no worrie's if you want to have a beer no probs my wife speaks fluent english and is very funny she is very expressive and makes everyone laugh, allways happy and very popular.
:cheers:
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Post by niggle »

It is 2 years since I last worked as a nurse in UK
As I said before, the only people LEGALLY entitled to 'free care' under the NHS are members of the European Union ( and this is for emergency care only).
Now, as I stated, very few people in the NHS will check eligibility status as this is a request for NHS staff to do - not a requremtnt.
If you attend an A&E department, all departments are required to ask you if you are entitleed to 'free NHS care' by virtue of their check on contry of residence. Note that I say ' to ask you'. It is not the job of NHS staff to police this. SO the point I am making is about an assumption that free care will be given which is incorrect.
If a person is married to a UK national the is a presumption that the peron is entitled to the care in a similar manner to the UK spouse,
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Post by kendo »

niggle wrote:It is 2 years since I last worked as a nurse in UK
As I said before, the only people LEGALLY entitled to 'free care' under the NHS are members of the European Union ( and this is for emergency care only).
Now, as I stated, very few people in the NHS will check eligibility status as this is a request for NHS staff to do - not a requremtnt.
If you attend an A&E department, all departments are required to ask you if you are entitleed to 'free NHS care' by virtue of their check on contry of residence. Note that I say ' to ask you'. It is not the job of NHS staff to police this. SO the point I am making is about an assumption that free care will be given which is incorrect.
If a person is married to a UK national the is a presumption that the peron is entitled to the care in a similar manner to the UK spouse,
I asked these specific qestions because on a fiance visa and a two year resident permit it states that "no recorse to public funds and no work", this only changes with indefinate leave to remain, that my wife know has, it maybe NHS protocol to ask but thats not the information i have been told by health care professionals.
:cheers:
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Post by dtaai-maai »

This is the way
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Post by Governor »

Just be aware that if your wife, or anybody else reading this thread, intends to take a side trip to France the travel insurance is a prerequisite, and you will need to provide proof before a Schengen Visa is issued.
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Post by caller »

Lee,

Not sure where you are from, but Thai food and provisions are widely available. My wifes first day here was spent (as planned) buying such stuff. Of course it helps if you are in a larger town.

Don't bank on your missus wanting to return - the UK is the land of opportunity and although we will do the return journey at some stage, sadly my missues sees her future in one place only.

I don't know the rules for a visit visa, thought we wouldn't qualify, but if on a a SV up, free NHS treatment is an entitlememt. I would expect that for my spouse!
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Post by Big Boy »

Lee,

Coming to the UK on a visitors visa your girlfriend should have adequate medical insurance. As good as the NHS is, she will only be entitled to free emergency treatment. However, I do know of people getting around it by lying about their identity in walk-in centres.

I assume your girlfriend is currently fit and healthy, so think logically - what is likely to happen in 3 months that is not an emergency, or couldn't be treated by your local pharmacist? :wink: Do you really need it?

Kendo's experience of his girlfriend (now wife I think) travelling on her fiancee visa is completely different.

Regarding food, take a walk down to your local Chinese or Indian takeaway or restaurant, and ask them where they buy their raw products.
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