Health insurance now mandatory for long-stay foreigners

[Ratsima]

As we all know, Thai law is whatever the official you’re dealing with thinks it is. What Siam-Legal or any other law office thinks is irrelevant.

[caller]

Furthermore, this type of visa grants the holder the option to convert to a 1-Year Non-Immigrant visa stay (i.e. work visa, marriage visa, retirement etc) which can be processed and obtained inside Thailand

I think the above is the key sentence.

It seems evident that Thai Embassies have their rules for allowing long stay entry into Thailand, as posted by Ratsima, which seems pretty universal when applying from outside Thailand - it's basically O or OA.

However much we are off-topic, I think this has been very helpful, to me at least, as I for one, am now aware of another option for staying here long term -so Many thanks to both Nereus and latterly Ratsima - it's appreciated.

To be honest, I don't really have an issue with the OA, it's basically nice and simple, especially in Hua Hin, but the insurance requirement is a worry, especially as you get older. Cost wise, converting to O is a good option, even if insurance is eventually added as a requirement. My worry is if many then take this option, whether immigration would close it?

Ah well, I have a few months to think about it and see how things pan out, I may well seek some legal advice sooner than later!

[Big Boy]

Maybe a complete red herring/scam, but I have been receiving unsolicited e-mails offering to convert my O-A visa (which I don't have) to an O visa.

[dundrillin]

I wonder if the requirement to use only a Thai company when taking out mandatory health insurance is a breach of WTO rules? Just a thought.

[HHTel]

Although they push it, I don't think it's a requirement to use a Thai company. If a foreign company then there's a BS form which needs filling out by your foreign insurance company.

[dundrillin]

Thanks for that, I sure some members who have had insurance for some time may have developed other conditions which would be classified as pre existing with a new company.

[Scout]

Ok, here is the current reality at Hua Hin Immigration.

I entered Thailand in January 2013 on a Non-Immigrant O-A visa. I have renewed my 1 year permission to stay every year since then. Today I tried to renew it again for the 7th year. After reviewing my renewal package, the Officer informed me about the new health insurance requirements for O-A visa holders and informed me I needed to purchase health insurance from 1 of the 14 approved Thai insurance companies. I informed her I already had a (Cadillac Star Wars Ninja 5 Star) insurance policy through my American company, Blue Cross Blue Shield and that I have read (here in this forum I think) that I can meet the insurance requirement by having my insurance company complete and sign the Thai Immigration form. She consulted with other Immigration Officers then advised me that is NOT true, that I must purchase the policy from one of the 14 pre-approved Thai insurance companies. She said that my other option is to cancel my O-A visa by leaving the country and coming back in on a 30 day tourist exemption, then immediately applying for a Non-Immigrant O visa, for which there is currently no requirement for insurance. My wife also came in on a Non-immigrant O-A visa the same time as me, in 2013, and has renewed her permission to stay the same as I have. This year we had planned on me renewing my visa, then converting hers to be based on marriage and have her visa “follow” mine. I explained this to the Officer and she again consulted with other Officers then confirmed that if I met the insurance requirement and had my permission to stay (visa) extended, my wife could renew hers to “follow” mine and she would NOT need health insurance. After leaving Hua Hin Immigration, I visited Matt at AA Insurance and explained my situation, told him I wanted to purchase the cheapest possible policy. That priced out at just under 38,000 baht, but by accepting a higher deductible (300,000 bt) I would get a 50% discount, around 18,000 total. So that’s where I am, my application for health insurance is being processed and I anticipate being able to go back to Immigration with insurance certificate in hand the middle of next week.

[Dannie Boy]

Ok, here is the current reality at Hua Hin Immigration.

I entered Thailand in January 2013 on a Non-Immigrant O-A visa. I have renewed my 1 year permission to stay every year since then. Today I tried to renew it again for the 7th year. After reviewing my renewal package, the Officer informed me about the new health insurance requirements for O-A visa holders and informed me I needed to purchase health insurance from 1 of the 14 approved Thai insurance companies. I informed her I already had a (Cadillac Star Wars Ninja 5 Star) insurance policy through my American company, Blue Cross Blue Shield and that I have read (here in this forum I think) that I can meet the insurance requirement by having my insurance company complete and sign the Thai Immigration form. She consulted with other Immigration Officers then advised me that is NOT true, that I must purchase the policy from one of the 14 pre-approved Thai insurance companies. She said that my other option is to cancel my O-A visa by leaving the country and coming back in on a 30 day tourist exemption, then immediately applying for a Non-Immigrant O visa, for which there is currently no requirement for insurance. My wife also came in on a Non-immigrant O-A visa the same time as me, in 2013, and has renewed her permission to stay the same as I have. This year we had planned on me renewing my visa, then converting hers to be based on marriage and have her visa “follow” mine. I explained this to the Officer and she again consulted with other Officers then confirmed that if I met the insurance requirement and had my permission to stay (visa) extended, my wife could renew hers to “follow” mine and she would NOT need health insurance. After leaving Hua Hin Immigration, I visited Matt at AA Insurance and explained my situation, told him I wanted to purchase the cheapest possible policy. That priced out at just under 38,000 baht, but by accepting a higher deductible (300,000 bt) I would get a 50% discount, around 18,000 total. So that’s where I am, my application for health insurance is being processed and I anticipate being able to go back to Immigration with insurance certificate in hand the middle of next week.

Do you think the IO was inferring that this might change in the near future?

[Nereus]

Anything is of course possible with these *******'s, but what I may not have made clear in my post about it being about money is this:

An "0-A" visa requires the same funds in value as an "0" visa, BUT for the "0-A" the funds or means, are NOT required to be in Thailand. It is a "long-stay" visa where you have to prove that you have the means to exist to get it, but do not have to have those means in Thailand. You are also permitted to come and go in Thailand for 1 year without any further need to prove your means.

To obtain an "0" visa(apart from caller ),you can get it for the same cost as a tourist visa. BUT, it is only good for 90 days. IF you wish to stay for 1 year, then before that 90 day visa expires you have to apply for a 1 year "extension" for which you then have to prove either money in a THAI BANK, or certified income into a THAI BANK from abroad.

So my view is that Thai Logic dictates that as you have proven income an "0" visa means money must therefore
be in Thailand, so no health insurance is required.

The same logic is saying all those entering, or extending, on an "0-A" visa, having NO proven funds in Thailand, must therefore be very suspect individuals so we had better make sure they can at least pay for medical treatment by making them have health insurance.

Take it however you please, it is just my opinion!

[Dannie Boy]

But people holding an O-A visa still have to show that they have The relevant funds in a Thai bank (or income) on an annual basis.

[Nereus]

But people holding an O-A visa still have to show that they have The relevant funds in a Thai bank (or income) on an annual basis.

For an extension, yes. But now they will not get an initial entry without insurance.

edit: Also I believe, if they happen to be here before this insurance requirement, and then made an exit, they would not be allowed re-entry without insurance.

[caller]

edit: Also I believe, if they happen to be here before this insurance requirement, and then made an exit, they would not be allowed re-entry without insurance.

I asked this very question when doing my 90 day report and I was specifically told that is not the case. You have to have insurance in place before you next extend your stay, that's it. That is also quite clear in some of the official docs that have been posted here.

[lomuamart]

OK.

So, five years ago, Fred Blogs comes over here from the UK. He decided that an OA visa was best for him as that visa would give him one or maybe two years here, visa hassle free, and he didn't have to move money over before he made the decision about being permanent.

That seems a reasonable decision for Fred to make.

He decides to stay here and extends his OA visa for many years on the basis of overseas income or money in a Thai bank.

So, that's it as far as he's concerned until now. So, what difference does the original OA Fred have make to my O visa? Both have expired a million years ago and we're both on extensions?

I just can't grasp the need for any difference in this insurance thing when we're both on extensions. The visas are expired. We're on the same planet now.

[lomuamart]

BTW, I should have said that Fred now has his 800K in a bank account or has overseas income. How is he different to me?

[REEM]

How is he different to me?

Only those with a masters degree in the vagaries of Thai logical reasoning can answer that.