Can I purchase covid insurance in Thailand for a visa extension?

[Travelo]

Hi,

I'm just wondering if its possible to purchase or extend Covid insurance while  I'm in Thailand? Reason I'm asking is I may extend my 30 day visa  to another 30 days, so just wondering if this is possible?

Any help would be  most appreciated. Cheers!

Edited January 26, 2022 by Travelo
extra info

[BlueSphinx]

Hi Travelo.

There is no such thing as a 30-day Visa.  You probably entered Thailand Visa Exempt and on entering border-immigration provided you with a 30-day permission to stay stamp in your passport. 

Such permission to stay can be extended ONCE for another 30-days at ANY Immigration Office in Thailand.  Like any extension application the cost is 1.900,- THB and in your particular case (having entered Visa Exempt) you only need your passport with the current permission to stay, the TM-6 entry-/departure card you filled in and received on entry (often stapled by border Immigration in your passport), one or two photographs and a TM-30 form demonstrating that you stayed in the province where you are filing the application.  For getting that TM-30 form it is just a matter of staying the night before you apply at a Hotel in the province of the Imm Office, and asking reception for a copy of the TM-30 that they are required by Thai law to keep of all foreigners staying at their Hotel or Guesthouse.

And there is NO need for any insurance when applying for such extension of stay.

Do let me know if you intend to stay longer than those 30+30 days, as there are several options for doing that.

Cheers and success!

[Travelo]

Thanks for the info. So yes visa exempt is what I'm talking about :-). I was just wondering whether they required proof of covid insurance for the extension.

OK, so I would like to hear my options to stay longer for sure!

I know i can apply for STV visa before I leave but I'm due to arrive in Thailand next Saturday so would have to delay for another month to get this sorted out..

I'm from Perth so they are not opening the border next week anymore, I'm afraid I'll be stuck in Thailand for months...but not sure how I could stay for more then 60 days without applying for a longer visa before I leave. Perth is so crazy..for me to return to Australia I have to fly back to Sydney and wait there to get approval to go back to Perth, and then quarantine for 2weeks. I would rather just stay in Thailand for 3-6 months for when Perth does open. 

If you could let me know how I can arrive on a visa exempt then extend  this out beyond 60 days, like 3-6months that would be great.

My situation is complicated now as I'm from Perth in Australia and I have not seen my partner in Thailand for 2 years. I'm not even sure what Thai immigration would say if they see I am from Perth and know its not easier for me to return. I was think I book a flight from Bangkok to Sydney to show i can get back.

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

 

Cheers

[BlueSphinx]

There is no need to apply for an STV or longer-term Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in Australia.  Actually your choice to enter Thailand Visa Exempt is by far the easiest as well as cheapest AND it provides several options for longer stay after you have extended the 30-day permission to stay you will receive on arrival with an additional 30 days (see my earlier response).

Before I provide insight on those options, there is one more thing you need to be aware of.  In order to board your plane to Thailand, the airline carrier will require that you show that you have an outbound-ticket on a date PRIOR to the 30 days permission to stay expiry date that you will receive on arrival.  It is best to enquire whether the airline carrier where you plan to do your booking accepts an outbound flight-ticket (to any international destination) or whether they actually want that you to have a return-ticket for a date prior to the 30-days expiry permit you will receive on arrival.  Since you obviously intend to stay longer than those 30 days, you would in that case need to book a flexible ticket of which you would then change the return date once you are in Thailand.  And in case they only require an outbound flight-ticket, you can buy a cheap on-line 'throw-away' ticket with return date before your 30-day arrival expiry permit (e.g. one-way Bangkok to HoChiMinh city, or HuaHin to Kualu Lumpur), which previously you could buy for approx 1.000 THB, but will undoubtedly be somewhat more expensive now, but still peanuts. 

Now what are your options when having extended your 30-day permission to stay for another 30-days? 

#1 - The easiest would be to apply 1 to 2 weeks before that 30-day extension expiry for a 60-day COVID-19 extension.  You can dot this at ANY provincial Thai Immigration Office, and normally the requirements are very simple (but just like for your 30-day extension you need a TM-30, and cost of that extension application is 1.900 THB).   Be aware that some provincial Imm Offices are requiring additional documents, so it is best to enquire beforehand (e.g. raising the question on the Forum) what is needed for such 60-day covid-19 extension at the Imm Office where you plan to apply.  And if that Office poses some difficult additional requirements, you can then simply apply at a more accomodating provincial Imm Office.

Note: It is as good as certain that these 60-day COVID-19 extensions will remain available until border-restrictions are lifted.  So in case Thai Immigration stops issuing them to 'stranded tourists', that would mean crossing the border would be possible again.  And then it is a simple matter of doing a 'border-hop' (can be done same day)  and re-entering Thailand Visa Exempt which will once again provide you with a 30 day permission to stay which can be once again extended for another 30 days.  And at the end of those 60 + 60 days, you can once again do the same.  After that it can become tricky, as Thai border immigration doesn't want 'eternal tourists' without the appropriate Visa, but you can surely do it for 180 days.

#2 - If you intend to stay really long-term in Thailand, you could also apply in-country for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement.  You need to be +50 years to apply for such Visa, and it has to be done when you still have at least 15 days left on your permission to stay.  It also requires that you have +800.000 THB on a personal Thai bank-account at the moment of application with proof that the funds were transferred from abroad.  And at the end of the 90-days permission to stay from that Non Imm O Visa, you can then apply for a 1-year extension of stay. 

As it is clear from your original post that you currently do not intend to stay for more than a year in Thailand, I will refrain from going into further detail.  But you could of course follow the route as outlined in option #1 and when you decide that you want to stay for +1 year, then apply for that Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement. 

>> Cheers and success!

[Travelo]

Hi, really appreciate the insight into visa options, really good info!

I have a return ticket already before the 30 day expiry date so should be OK with the airline. 

When you write about "border hops",  do you mean that this will be possible when they stop issuing 60 day extensions, then a hop might then be possible?  (not currently an option to Cambodia\Malaysia etc due to restrictions)

 

Really appreciate the info

 

[BlueSphinx]

33 minutes ago, Travelo said:

Hi, really appreciate the insight into visa options, really good info!

I have a return ticket already before the 30 day expiry date so should be OK with the airline. 

When you write about "border hops",  do you mean that this will be possible when they stop issuing 60 day extensions, then a hop might then be possible?  (not currently an option to Cambodia\Malaysia etc due to restrictions)

Really appreciate the info

Yes, if you have a return ticket with a return before the 30-day expiry date of the permission to stay date you will receive on entry by Thai border-immigration, you will have no issues boarding the plane.  But of course you should remember to change the return-date once you are in Thailand in case you want to stay longer.

Yes, it is good as certain that Thai Immigration will keep on issuing the 60-day COVID-19 extensions as long as border restrictions are in place.  So when these border restrictions are lifted they will normally stop issuing them (as it is an 'emergency' temporary scheme for those stranded in Thailand - but you can make use of it even if there are flights back to your country).  

Once border-restrictions are lifted you should be able to do a border-hop, that can be by crossing a land-border and returning or by flying out and back.  And obviously it depends on where you are staying in Thailand to determine where it would be easiest to do a border-hop. 

[Travelo]

Thanks once again