Health insurance now mandatory for long-stay foreigners

[PET]

For those that bother to read the earlier posts on this thread, it’s quite simple, health insurance is required if your original visa was a Non-Immigrant O-A. It is not required, currently, if your original visa was a Non-Immigrant O. The health insurance is required for annual extensions if your original visa was Non-Immigrant O-A and even if you’ve been successfully renewing for many years. If your original visa was Non-Immigrant O-A you now need to buy Thai health insurance from one of the 14 approved insurance companies, even if you have comparable or better foreign insurance. By the way, the financial requirements are identical for both the Non-immigrant O and Non-immigrant O-A. The only difference that I can see between the 2 visas (besides one requiring health insurance and the other does not) is that when you activate a Non-immigrant O-A you are permitted to stay for 1 year, whereas when you activate a Non-immigrant O visa you are permitted to stay 90 days. 45 days prior to expiration of either visa (O-A or O) you can renew for an additional 1 year permission-to-stay.

Yes but as MUSUNGU said with the O-A you are not required to evidence any cash into Thailand - hence the need to have insurance to pay hospital bills ( which many have according to govt) not paid in the past!

[caller]

Yes but as MUSUNGU said with the O-A you are not required to evidence any cash into Thailand

I wish someone would tell immigration that. As since the British Embassy (in my case), stopped notification of my pension, that's exactly what they require. And the regs confirming the same have already been posted on this thread. When I extended my visa, that is all they wanted. They didn't ask to see my pension statements or anything else, just evidence from the bank of 65k coming in monthly from abroad.

[Scout]

Yes but as MUSUNGU said with the O-A you are not required to evidence any cash into Thailand - hence the need to have insurance to pay hospital bills ( which many have according to govt) not paid in the past!

I saw MUSUNGU’s post but I think it’s either mistaken or maybe I misunderstand the point being made in the post. I applied for my Visa and it was granted just before I moved here from the USA. I had to prove I had at least 800,000 baht worth of USD in my American bank account or my Visa would not have been granted. I didn’t ask for a Non-immigrant O-A visa, but that’s what I received from the Thai consulate in Los Angelos. One year after activating my O-A visa by entering Thailand I had to apply for my annual extension and show I had 800,000 baht IN A THAI BANK. The financial requirement has been the same at each of the last 7 annual extensions, either prove 800,000 bt in Thai bank or prove monthly pension transfers of 65,000 bt or more TO A THAI BANK. I’ve just successfully assisted 2 other people get Non-immigrant O visas, the financial requirements were identical to those of the O-A visa.

So if trying to figure out why health insurance is required for a O-A but not an O visa, you’ll probably need to keep figuring because it isn’t because the financial requirements are more for one type of visa over another. Here’s another head scratcher for you, the stated reason for requiring health insurance with minimum 400,000 bt of in-patient coverage is to protect hospitals from visa holders skipping out on hospital bills. So that’s what I bought, a policy with in-patient coverage of 400,000 bt. But to obtain a 50% reduction in the premium I accepted a high deductible of 300,000 bt. Since I have to pay the first 300,000 bt of each claim before the insurance policy starts paying, I suppose I can rack up several medical claims of 300,000 bt each, skip out on paying my deductible and stick the hospitals with the same unpaid bills as if I wasn’t forced to buy Thai health insurance

[Dannie Boy]

Yes but as MUSUNGU said with the O-A you are not required to evidence any cash into Thailand - hence the need to have insurance to pay hospital bills ( which many have according to govt) not paid in the past!

I saw MUSUNGU’s post but I think it’s either mistaken or maybe I misunderstand the point being made in the post. I applied for my Visa and it was granted just before I moved here from the USA. I had to prove I had at least 800,000 baht worth of USD in my American bank account or my Visa would not have been granted. I didn’t ask for a Non-immigrant O-A visa, but that’s what I received from the Thai consulate in Los Angelos. One year after activating my O-A visa by entering Thailand I had to apply for my annual extension and show I had 800,000 baht IN A THAI BANK. The financial requirement has been the same at each of the last 7 annual extensions, either prove 800,000 bt in Thai bank or prove monthly pension transfers of 65,000 bt or more TO A THAI BANK. I’ve just successfully assisted 2 other people get Non-immigrant O visas, the financial requirements were identical to those of the O-A visa.

So if trying to figure out why health insurance is required for a O-A but not an O visa, you’ll probably need to keep figuring because it isn’t because the financial requirements are more for one type of visa over another. Here’s another head scratcher for you, the stated reason for requiring health insurance with minimum 400,000 bt of in-patient coverage is to protect hospitals from visa holders skipping out on hospital bills. So that’s what I bought, a policy with in-patient coverage of 400,000 bt. But to obtain a 50% reduction in the premium I accepted a high deductible of 300,000 bt. Since I have to pay the first 300,000 bt of each claim before the insurance policy starts paying, I suppose I can rack up several medical claims of 300,000 bt each, skip out on paying my deductible and stick the hospitals with the same unpaid bills as if I wasn’t forced to buy Thai health insurance

I can confirm the same regarding the financials for an O-A visa, I’ve had to show that I have the 800k in a Thai bank for the past 8 years. The worrying thing is that there is no real justification for requiring medical insurance for an O-A visa but not an O visa - could only be a matter of time before they make it necessary for any type of long-term visa.

[Dannie Boy]

I had to do my 90 day report and as I wanted to ask a question regarding obtaining an “O” visa to replace my “O-A” visa, decided to visit the Tha Yang IO this morning. The woman on the desk as you go in, is normally very knowledgeable and helpful, but today when asking her about me leaving Thailand and returning as a 30 day tourist and converting to an O Visa within 30 days, she was extremely vague and wouldn’t say much more than “Yes you can, but it’s very complicated and has to be sent to Bangkok”. I got the distinct impression that she has been given instructions not to be too helpful on this subject so that many of us will shrug our shoulders and go and get the medical insurance!!

[Scout]

I can confirm that applications submitted to Hua Hin Immigration for obtaining Non-Immigrant O Visa is sent to Bangkok for processing. I believe that is why they require you have at least 15 days remaining on your current visa or tourist exemption, to allow time for Bangkok processing.

[Dannie Boy]

Although I will continue to watch the Forum for updates, unless anything specifically negative on this subject, I intend to let my OA visa lapse and return on a 30 day visa exemption and then immediately apply for the O visa.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Scout]

I’m considering doing this also, but I plan to wait as long as possible so I can see if they will start requiring insurance for Non-Immigrant O visas. I wouldn’t want to go to the time, effort and expense of changing, only to learn the insurance requirement is being added to the Non-Immigrant O visa requirement.

[Ratsima]

A couple of questions:

• How's it working out for those of you who switched visa types to avoid the health insurance requirement?

• For those who have purchased acceptable health insurance, about how much does it cost?

[migrant]

I purchased a health insurance plan through the forum sponsor AA insurance. At 63 it was around 2,400 usd per year for pretty extensive coverage. I was hospitalized for 6 days with an infection a month after purchasing it and the insurance covered 100% of the bill which was around 4,500 usd

[Ratsima]

I'd love to be able to avoid this. I already have excellent health insurance from Blue Cross. It has no limit and very reasonable co-insurance and co-pay. Buying additional insurance is just a huge waste of money for me.

[Dannie Boy]

I'd love to be able to avoid this. I already have excellent health insurance from Blue Cross. It has no limit and very reasonable co-insurance and co-pay. Buying additional insurance is just a huge waste of money for me.

If all you want is to comply with the immigration rules, contact Matt at AA insurance. The cheapest policy I got From him was 7700 Baht at age 68, obviously it’s cheaper if you’re younger and more expensive if older.

[Ratsima]

Thank you so much for that information.

[edit] I don't see them as one of the advertisers here. Does anyone have their website or email?

Is it this one: https://www.aainsure.net/index.html

[Dannie Boy]

Thank you so much for that information.

[edit] I don't see them as one of the advertisers here. Does anyone have their website or email?

Is it this one: https://www.aainsure.net/index.html

Yes - they are good


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Big Boy]

They have an advertorial thread viewtopic.php?f=9&t=15249