Confused about Non-Immigrant O visa

[JoeLondon]

12 minutes ago, Faz said:

Welcome to the forum Joe.
Your meaning the Non O applied for at the Thai Embassy London, yes.

Only the 1 year multi entry Non Imm O-A Visa has any Insurance requirements.

The Non Imm O single entry Visa has no Insurance requirements.

Hi Faz. I applied just a few days ago for 3mth non O and they wrote back asking for bank statement showing £20k and "your health insurance showing your name, duration of cover and and coverage of  $100k medical expenses". 

[JoeLondon]

Just now, JoeLondon said:

Hi Faz. I applied just a few days ago for 3mth non O and they wrote back asking for bank statement showing £20k and "your health insurance showing your name, duration of cover and and coverage of  $100k medical expenses". 

It is well confusing as visa is for entry within 90 days for 90 days. So what period would that need?

For 1 year - it would need to be for more than 1 year and not many companies do that! 

 

[Faz]

53 minutes ago, JoeLondon said:

Hi Faz. I applied just a few days ago for 3mth non O and they wrote back asking for bank statement showing £20k and "your health insurance showing your name, duration of cover and and coverage of  $100k medical expenses". 

From their website;
Non-Immigrant visas - Royal Thai Embassy, London

• Non-Immigrant Type O (Retirement (pensioner aged 50 or above with a state pension who wants to stay in Thailand for no longer than 90 days) - single entry only)
•  
• Financial evidence e.g. A copy of pension statement if the applicant is a pensioner, or a copy of 1-month bank statement showing your income from pension, or 3-month bank statement of at least £10,000
• Confirmation of legal residence in the UK or Ireland. Copy of health insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses, both inpatient and outpatient, no less than 100,000 USD for the whole period of your stay in Thailand.

If your in receipt of the state pension a copy of your DWP state pension statement, or £10K for 3 months.
The 100,000 USD Medical Insurance requirement is out of date as this was reduced to 50,000 USD some time ago and it's just been announced it's being further reduced to 20,000 USD.

Thailand News Today | Day 5 PCR test scrapped & Covid insurance reduced! | Thaiger (thethaiger.com)

Quote

In addition to the revised requirements, the mandatory Covid insurance for Test & Go travellers has also been reduced to coverage of $US20,000.

Sounds as though someone at the Thai Embassy London is confused.

The Non O-A Visa requires £20,000, not the Non Imm O as you can view for yourself on their website.
They are also confusing the Insurance requirements on their site.

You originally stated 'Health Insurance' which is only required for the Non Imm O-A Visa which should now be 3 million baht. The 'Medical Health' Insurance policy is now only 20,000 USD and is required by everyone entering Thailand.

Is it your intention to visit Thailand for 90 days, or to retire long term in Thailand???

 

[Faz]

1 hour ago, JoeLondon said:

It is well confusing as visa is for entry within 90 days for 90 days. So what period would that need?

 

Visa validity is different from the period of stay.

Visa validity is the period during which a visa can be used to enter Thailand. The validity of a visa is granted with discretion by the Royal Thai Embassy or Royal Thai Consulate-General and is displayed on the visa sticker. 
The period of stay is granted by an immigration officer upon arrival at the port of entry and in accordance with the type of visa. The period of stay granted by the immigration officer is displayed on the arrival stamp. Travellers who wish to stay longer than such period may apply for extensions of stay at offices of the Immigration Bureau located in the provinces. 
Visa or Extension of stay. - > Visas, Long Stay, Extensions, Re-entry Permit - Thaiger Talk (thethaiger.com)

 

[JoeLondon]

Thanks Faz. It's odd that *both* the embassy and Test & Go ask for covid insurance. 

If I apply today for 1 year Non O A retirement at London Embassy, they will give me visa valid for 12 mths from the date of entry (and each entry is max 90 days) . So what period insurance details I should give them if my exact travel date is not yet decided?

Example: I apply on 1 march, may be they grant on 10th valid for 1 year. I dont leave UK till 1 April or 1 May. 

What period insurance they are looking for? 

 

[Faz]

1 hour ago, JoeLondon said:

Thanks Faz. It's odd that *both* the embassy and Test & Go ask for covid insurance. 

If I apply today for 1 year Non O A retirement at London Embassy, they will give me visa valid for 12 mths from the date of entry (and each entry is max 90 days) . So what period insurance details I should give them if my exact travel date is not yet decided?

Example: I apply on 1 march, may be they grant on 10th valid for 1 year. I dont leave UK till 1 April or 1 May. 

What period insurance they are looking for? 

No Joe, your getting the Visas types completely confused with each other.
Is it your intention to visit Thailand or retire in Thailand.???

I'll send you a PM.

[KevinRayong]

The period of insurance must cover the start to end period of your visa. In my opinion I would apply for multi entry visa (90 day) and then convert / extend to Non O based on retirement.  You cannot get Non Imm O retirement visa outside of Thailand I don't think. Non O-a requires obligatory health insurance 400000 inpatient 40000 outpatient. The 90 days you refer to is a report to immigration office for both Non Imm O and Non Imm O-A

Edited February 23, 2022 by KevinRayong
Added info

[Faz]

4 minutes ago, KevinRayong said:

The period of insurance must cover the start to end period of your visa.

Incorrect, it must cover the period of your permission of stay granted on entry.

4 minutes ago, KevinRayong said:

I would apply for multi entry visa (90 day) and then convert / extend to Non O based on retirement. 

That would be the Non Imm O ME Visa, which is no longer available.

5 minutes ago, KevinRayong said:

You cannot get Non Imm O retirement visa outside of Thailand I don't think.

There is no such thing as a '.Retirement Visa'.
You can apply for the Non Imm O 90 day single entry, or the Non Imm O-A multiple entry Visa based on the purpose of retirement.

[KevinRayong]

For Non O-A you need a Police Record check and health check. Not required for Non Imm O

[KevinRayong]

Ok splitting hairs the Non O or OA are visas based on reason of retirement or for O marriage or supporting a Thai national or being a dependent or spouse of a resident of Thailand. Right?

[Faz]

3 minutes ago, KevinRayong said:

Ok splitting hairs the Non O or OA are visas based on reason of retirement or for O marriage or supporting a Thai national or being a dependent or spouse of a resident of Thailand. Right?

Not a case of splitting hairs, there are distinct differences between the Visas types.
Non Imm O can also be applied for on the basis of married to a Thai national (not resident) or Thai family.

No such thing as a 'dependant' Visa or extension.

Common Visa Types explained. - > Visas, Long Stay, Extensions, Re-entry Permit - Thaiger Talk (thethaiger.com)

Visa or Extension of stay. - > Visas, Long Stay, Extensions, Re-entry Permit - Thaiger Talk (thethaiger.com)

 

[riclag]

13 minutes ago, Faz said:

Incorrect, it must cover the period of your permission of stay granted on entry.

That would be the Non Imm O ME Visa, which is no longer available.

There is no such thing as a '.Retirement Visa'.
You can apply for the Non Imm O 90 day single entry, or the Non Imm O-A multiple entry Visa based on the purpose of retirement.

Correct me if Im wrong (I may have the wording incorrect). Coming here on a Single entry tourist visa(SETV) and then applying  for a Non O based on being married to a Thai is still a option ,right

[KevinRayong]

@FazDoesn't the period of permitted stay amount to the same thing as your visa period ? Granted it must cover date of entry to date of departure but a non Imm O-A requires a full year insurance. Insurance that falls short of the year will also shorten the expiry date of the visa. I actually experienced that.

[KevinRayong]

So if a non thai spouse has a work permit here is their spouse not eligible for Non Imm O?

Edited February 23, 2022 by KevinRayong

[Faz]

4 minutes ago, riclag said:

Correct me if Im wrong (I may have the wording incorrect). Coming here on a Single entry tourist visa(SETV) and then applying  for a Non O based on being married to a Thai is still a option ,right

Yes it is, as a prelude to applying for a 1 year extension of stay based on Thai spouse.

The first step is apply for a change of status from Tourist to Non Immigrant and obtain the required Non O stamp. That procedure and the requirements are here:  VE-TV to Non O Spouse.pdf 

You must have at least 15 days permission of stay left from your entry (23 days at certain Immigration offices). You also have the option to apply for a standard 30 day extension and a further 60 day extension to visit Thai spouse if your permission of stay is running down.

[Faz]

27 minutes ago, KevinRayong said:

@FazDoesn't the period of permitted stay amount to the same thing as your visa period ?

No.
The validity of your Visa is totally independent from your period of stay.
Example a Non Imm O SE Visa is valid for 90 days from the date of issue to enter Thailand.
If the Visa was issued on Jan 1st and valid until March 31st, you could enter on the last day of the Visa validity, March 31st and on entry you'd be granted a stay of 90 days.

Similarly with a Non Imm O-A Visa which has a 1 year validity to enter Thailand.
If the Visa was issued on Jan 1st and expired Dec 31st, you could enter on the last day of the Visa validity, Dec 31st and on entry you'd be granted a stay of 1 year.

Used to it's full potential you can stay in Thailand almost 2 years with the Non O-A Visa.
How - The Non Imm O-A Visa ..odt 

[Faz]

27 minutes ago, KevinRayong said:

So if a non thai spouse has a work permit here is their spouse not eligible for Non Imm O?

A work permit is nothing to do with Immigration, that comes under the Labour office.

The foreign spouse of a non Thai working in Thailand could apply for the Non O in their own right if they met the requirements.
 

 

[samiam123]

For people asking about the medical insurance requirements, I was told that if you get the Non-O A in country you don't need the medical insurance, other than when you first come in on a 30 day tourist visa on arrival, so that is one good reason to come in on a tourist visa and then apply for your Non-O A in Thailand. 

A lot of people expect them to close that loophole eventually and require everyone to get it but apparently that's the way it is right now.

Edited February 23, 2022 by samiam123

[Faz]

8 minutes ago, samiam123 said:

For people asking about the medical insurance requirements, I was told that if you get the Non-O A in country you don't need the medical insurance,

You can't get the Non Imm O-A in Country (Thailand Immigration).
The Non Imm O-A Visa can only be applied for and obtained from a Thai Embassy where you have permanent residency status, usually your home Country.

You can come in as a Tourist either VE or SETV and apply for a change in status to Non Immigrant (Non O, not Non O-A) but only as a prelude to applying for a 1 year extension of stay thereafter, based on either retirement, or Thai spouse/family.

[farang]

faz,i like your info on visa .but im still not sure what i need.if i apply for  non o visa  do i have to have insurance,medical or covid and 800,000 baht in a thai bank? or if i apply for o/a visa do i have to buy two diff insurances?would i need medical insurance of 3 million baht plus covid too? just wondering.thanks

[JoeLondon]

2 hours ago, Faz said:

 

Similarly with a Non Imm O-A Visa which has a 1 year validity to enter Thailand.
If the Visa was issued on Jan 1st and expired Dec 31st, you could enter on the last day of the Visa validity, Dec 31st and on entry you'd be granted a stay of 1 year.

odt 

Ok Faz, so if I apply on 20 Dec for Non O-A retirement visa and receive it on 1 January - and intend to  enter Thailand on 1 March for 3 months, and again on 1 July for 2 months, *what is the insurance period* that I need to provide with my application for the Non O-A visa at London Embassy? 

Of course my intention may be subject to change. 

I hope  its clear? 

[Faz]

12 hours ago, farang said:

faz,i like your info on visa .but im still not sure what i need.if i apply for  non o visa  do i have to have insurance,medical or covid and 800,000 baht in a thai bank? or if i apply for o/a visa do i have to buy two diff insurances?would i need medical insurance of 3 million baht plus covid too? just wondering.thanks

Hi @farang.
You appear to be based in the USA.

There is no short cut to explaining unfortunately.
There are separate requirements applying for a Visa (Non O in your case) which are detailed on the Thai Embassy DC website and the requirements to enter Thailand as set by the Thai government.

There are also two separate requirements for Insurance.
1. Health Insurance:  Which may be requested by the Thai Embassy for certain Visa types, of in your case covering 400,000 BHT inpatient, 40,000 BHT outpatient cover.
This Insurance must cover the duration of your stay, which in the case of the Non O Visa would be 90 days.

2. Medical Insurance: Which is required for all foreigners entering Thailand to obtain the Thailand Pass.
$50,000 USD which should cover the cost of illness, injury and Covid. For the Non Imm O this again should cover 90 days, that being the granted permission of stay you'll be stamped in for on entry.

Requirements for the Non O Visa application > » Procedures for Non-Thai nationals who wish to obtain a Non-Immigrant Category O (retirement) (thaiembdc.org)
2. Required documents to upload in the system

2.1 Passport

2.2 Two passport-size photographs (2″x 2″)

2.3 Declaration form (download from the E-visa website, see page 32 in the Manual here) with a signature of the applicant (E-signature accepted).

2.4 Proof of flight confirmation/reservation, indicating the trip from US to Thailand.

2.5 Copy of recent bank statement ($700 per person and $1,500 per family).  The name of the applicant must be indicated clearly), In case of submitting a family bank statement, proof of relationship (i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate) must be provided.

2.6 Applicant must be medically insured for the entire period of stay in Thailand with the following coverage:
– Outpatient benefit with a sum insured of not less than 40,000 THB, and
– Inpatient benefit with a sum insured of not less than  400,000 THB

The applicants must submit the following:

• Health insurance policy document issued by a Thai or foreign insurance company, stating that the applicant is medically insured for the period and with coverage as mentioned above:
  (a) In case of a foreign insurance company, the applicant must submit the original insurance policy document with 2 copies;
  (b) In case of a Thai insurance company, the applicant must submit 2 copies of the insurance policy document or, if available, the original insurance policy document with 2 copies. A list of Thai insurance companies participating in the scheme can be found here: http://longstay.tgia.org
• Foreign Insurance Certificate as stipulated by the Office of Insurance Commission and Health Insurance of Thailand, which must be completed, signed and stamped by the insurance company. The form can be downloaded here: Foreign Insurance Certificate Form

 

Requirements to apply for the Thailand Pass > Same link.

3. After receiving a visa, the applicant may register for Thailand Pass at https://tp.consular.go.th/

---

4. At the departure airport, the approved applicant is required to present

4.1 Thailand Pass

4.2 A Medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected, using RT-PCR test, issued no more than 72 hours before departure

4.3 A Medical insurance covering all expenditures of medical treatment, including COVID-19, while traveling to Thailand in an amount of at least 50,000 USD (The insurance must cover the whole duration of stay in Thailand).

---

5. Upon entry to Thailand

Travelers arriving in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic must present the following documents

5.1 Thailand Pass

5.2 Medical certificate with a laboratory result indicating that COVID -19 is not detected, using RT-PCR test, issued no more than 72 hours before departure

Within the last 30 days of the 90 granted on entry, you can then apply to extend your permission of stay for 1 year based on retirement - separate requirements again. 
The financial requirement being must have a Thai bank account in your sole name with a funds deposit of 800K THB for 2 months prior to the date of application.
 

[Faz]

14 hours ago, JoeLondon said:

Ok Faz, so if I apply on 20 Dec for Non O-A retirement visa and receive it on 1 January - and intend to  enter Thailand on 1 March for 3 months, and again on 1 July for 2 months, *what is the insurance period* that I need to provide with my application for the Non O-A visa at London Embassy? 

Of course my intention may be subject to change. 

I hope  its clear? 

You'd be applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa based on retirement from the Thai Embassy London.
Non-Immigrant visas - Royal Thai Embassy, London

Non-Immigrant Type O- A (Long Stay) 1 Year/Multiple entries 

 

• Printout of visa application form submitted online, with bar code

• Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months and at least 2 blank pages

• A medical certificate issued in the UK or Ireland or Thailand, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 (B.E. 2535) which include Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, drug addiction, third stage of Syphilis, and the certificate shall be valid for not more than three months.
• Certificate of criminal record clearance from the UK (ACRO, DBS, or issued by the police) or Ireland
• Financial evidence showing monthly income of not less than 65,000 THB (approx. £1,625) or having the current balance of 800,000 THB (approx. £20,000), e.g. bank statements, proof of earnings, for at least 1 month
• Copy of evidence stating that applicants have insurance as per stipulated by the Office of Insurance Commission and health insurance of Thailand which covers COVID-19 related medical expenses, both inpatient and outpatient, no less than 100,000 USD for the whole period of your stay in Thailand.
• Please check < http://longstay.tgia.org> for more information regarding the insurance requirement.
•  

• If you wish to be accompanied by spouse, the marriage certificate will be attached. But your spouse will be granted Non-Immigrant “O” instead of “O-A”(Long Stay)
• Applicant must be of age 50 years old or over.

Note: 

- Please submit the originals of bank statement, criminal record check, and medical record, as well as one photocopy of each document. In case that an applicant could not submit the original documents, the Embassy will accept the photocopies which have been certified by a Notary Public officer or Solicitors.

- The consular officers reserve the rights to request additional documents as deemed necessary. 

 

The Non O-A Visa, (unlike the Non O) is valid for 12 months to enter Thailand and on each entry you'll be granted permission of stay for 1 year. The Health Insurance 400K THB inpatient, 40K THB outpatient would need to cover 1 year, that would be the period granted on entry.
Similarly for the $100,000 Medical Insurance it would also be required for 1 year.
(The London website is outdated with the Insurance requirements in relation to other Thai Embassy websites information. The original $100,00 Medical Insurance was reduced to $50,000 and since announced it been reduced again to $20,000 USD).

The fact you may want to exit/re-enter during the validity of the Visa is not the concern of the Thai Embassy, but on each re-entry you will have to meet the entry requirements in force at that time.

''If I apply on 20 Dec for Non O-A retirement visa and receive it on 1 January - and intend to  enter Thailand on 1 March for 3 months, and again on 1 July for 2 months, what is the Insurance requirement''

1. You'd be totally wasting the validity of the Visa if you entered 3 months after it was issued. I recommend you apply 1 month before your intended date of travel to Thailand.
2. Entering Jan 1st, you'd be granted a stay of 1 year. If you then exited and re-entered again on July 1st, you'd again be granted a stay of 1 year subject to the period of Health Insurance expiry date.
e.g. If your Health Insurance policy was valid from Jan1st to Dec 31st and you re-entered on July 1st, instead of being granted permission of stay until June 30th the following year, you'd only be granted permission of stay until the expiry date of your Health Insurance, Dec 31st.

IMO, if you only intend to stay for up to 3 months at a time on several visits, I'd apply for the SETV (single entry tourist visa), which grants a stay of 60 days on entry and can be extended a further 30 days for 1,900 BHT. No Health Insurance requirement, but currently the Medical Insurance still a requirement but now reduced to the equivalent of $20,000 USD.

I personally wouldn't recommend the Non Imm O-A Visa with all the extra requirements for the periods of stay you've suggested.

 

 

[JoeLondon]

Thanks for a comprehensive answer.

[KlutzUK]

Hi Faz, sorry to bring back this conversation. I am 55yrs British Nat. intending to go to Thailand for about 8-10 months in April 2022 to spend time with family. I was wondering:

1)what Visa would be best suited for me? The NON-O or NON-OA?

2) if NON-OA, you mentioned previously "

• A medical certificate issued in the UK or Ireland or Thailand, showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No.14 (B.E. 2535) which include Leprosy, Tuberculosis, Elephantiasis, drug addiction, third stage of Syphilis, and the certificate shall be valid for not more than three months.
• Certificate of criminal record clearance from the UK (ACRO, DBS, or issued by the police) or Ireland

Do these documents- the med certificate and police check need to be certified, stamped? Or once I get these documents ,  are they good to be used? 

 

Many thanks for your assistance.