O-A Visa extension and current Health Care coverage

[Thomazz59]

I'm currently living here in Chiangmai, Thailand on a O-A Long stay visa issued by the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC on November 25, 2013. I have renewed this visa with the assistance of Visa assist company annually. My question to this forum is regarding the "current" health care requirements for another renewal? Concurrent with the last renewal I obtained a very "pricey" Health Care plan in anticipation of a change in the law. The overall limit to the policy is 3.5 million THB, CVOID-19 treatment, 400,000 THB in-patient and 40,000THB out patient care.  To anyone's knowledge? Is this NOW law in Thailand or is it still under review/revision? I know for tourist's this is the case.. I'd appreciate any input.

V/r Thomas

[Faz]

There is no requirement to have Covid Insurance when in Thailand, it's purely voluntary and optional.

There is a requirement for those who entered Thailand on a Non Imm O-A Visa to provide a general Health Insurance policy to cover 400K THB inpatient and 40K THB outpatient treatment and from one of the TGIA approved Insurance companies. The Health Insurance requirement for those entering Thailand on a Non Imm O-A Visa and applying for an annual extension of stay is in Immigration Bureau order 548-2562.
548-2562 (2019) change clause 2.22 327-2557 O-A Ins ENG-THAi.pdf

The TGIA Health Insurance site https://longstay.tgia.org/

LMG offer a very cheap, almost worthless policy regarding claims, but covering the minimum requirement.
@BlueSphinx can offer you the best advice in this respect having extensively researched the requirements for the mandatory Health Insurance for Non Imm O-A Visa holders.

If you want to rid yourself of this mandatory Health Insurance requirement, then you need to obtain a Non O Visa type. You cannot do this unfortunately until borders reopen or your planning a trip to another Country.

[Faz]

54 minutes ago, Thomazz59 said:

I have renewed this visa with the assistance of Visa assist company annually.

Thomaz, you been extending your permission of stay from entry of the Non O-A Visa.
You cannot extend the validity of a Visa, you can only apply for a new Non O-A Visa from a Thai Embassy where you have rights of residency.

[BlueSphinx]

16 minutes ago, Faz said:

There is no requirement to have Covid Insurance when in Thailand, it's purely voluntary and optional.

There is a requirement for those who entered Thailand on a Non Imm O-A Visa to provide a general Health Insurance policy to cover 400K THB inpatient and 40K THB outpatient treatment and from one of the TGIA approved Insurance companies. The Health Insurance requirement for those entering Thailand on a Non Imm O-A Visa and applying for an annual extension of stay is in Immigration Bureau order 548-2562.
548-2562 (2019) change clause 2.22 327-2557 O-A Ins ENG-THAi.pdf

The TGIA Health Insurance site https://longstay.tgia.org/

LMG offer a very cheap, almost worthless policy regarding claims, but covering the minimum requirement.
@BlueSphinx can offer you the best advice in this respect having extensively researched the requirements for the mandatory Health Insurance for Non Imm O-A Visa holders.

If you want to rid yourself of this mandatory Health Insurance requirement, then you need to obtain a Non O Visa type. You cannot do this unfortunately until borders reopen or your planning a trip to another Country.

@Thomazz59 >  FAZ is fully correct in what he wrote higher. 

I did sent you PM a comprehensive guideline document on how to meet the Non Imm O-A health-insurance requirement which is mandatory when applying for the 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.  LMG Insurance Plan-1 (with 200K deductible) is currently the cheapest option to meet that mandatory requirement, and costs between 6.000 THB and 11.400 THB for annual premium in the age brackets of 51 to 75 years of age, with the additional benefit that that policy does not require any medical to subscribe to it.  The guideline document contains contact-addresses as well as tips/caveats that will prove useful when subscribing to that policy.

Success!

[Thomazz59]

Maybe my terminology was wrong.. My initial entry was via a Non-Immigrant O-A Visa issued by the the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC. Subsequent one-year application & stay(s) were through the Chiangmai Immigration Office as Retirement Visa Stamps using a handler company .. The relevance to my question is that since the ORIGIN of the initial visa was "outside" the country am I required to have a much broader/higher priced Health Insurance Plan like visiting tourists. 

[BlueSphinx]

11 minutes ago, Thomazz59 said:

Maybe my terminology was wrong.. My initial entry was via a Non-Immigrant O-A Visa issued by the the Royal Thai Embassy in Washington DC. Subsequent one-year application & stay(s) were through the Chiangmai Immigration Office as Retirement Visa Stamps using a handler company .. The relevance to my question is that since the ORIGIN of the initial visa was "outside" the country am I required to have a much broader/higher priced Health Insurance Plan like visiting tourists. 

It are ONLY those that entered Thailand

- on an original Non Imm O-A Visa (which can only be applied for at the Thai Embassy in their home-country or country of permanent residence)

- that need to subscribe to mandatory Thai TGIA-approved health-insurance with 400K/40K in/out-patient coverage

- when applying for the 1-year extension of stay for reason of RETIREMENT based on that original Non Imm O-A Visa (applications for any other reason than retirement do not require that mandatory insurance).

>> So when you made use of a handler company (a Visa agent) to handle the 1-year retirement extension of stay for you, they needed such health-insurance policy certificate as part of your application.  Either they asked you to subscribe to such a policy and provide them with the certificate as part of the application documents, or they 'circumvented' that requirement for you.  The crazy thing being that the fee for 'circumventing the requirement' will often be higher than the annual premium fee for that cheapest LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy (with 200K deductible) which meets the Immigration imposed insurance-requirement.

[Faz]

11 minutes ago, Thomazz59 said:

The relevance to my question is that since the ORIGIN of the initial visa was "outside" the country am I required to have a much broader/higher priced Health Insurance Plan like visiting tourists. 

It isn't mandatory for Tourists to have Health Insurance, only Covid Insurance.

You only need the mandatory Health Insurance 400K THB inpatient, 40K THB outpatient coverage for your annual extension applications from one of the approved Insurance providers on the TGIA website.

If anyone is selling, or telling you that you need more than that single policy, your being scammed.

[Faz]

If you state your age @BlueSphinx or myself can tell you exactly how much such a policy should cost.
The annual extension fee is 1,900 BHT.

How much is the agent charging to handle your application?
Are you married to a Thai?

[BlueSphinx]

3 minutes ago, Faz said:

If you state your age @BlueSphinx or myself can tell you exactly how much such a policy should cost.
The annual extension fee is 1,900 BHT.

How much is the agent charging to handle your application?
Are you married to a Thai?

Thai TGIA-approved 400k/40K in/out-patient health-insurance policy ONLY required for a 1-year extension for reason of RETIREMENT based on an original Non Imm O-A Visa.

 

[Faz]

To explain the situation fully @Thomazz59.

At the time you applied for your Non Imm O-A Visa from the Thai Embassy at Washington DC in 2013, there was no requirement for mandatory Health Insurance for Non O-A Visa types.

In 2019 the Thai cabinet passed a resolution requiring those applying for Non Imm O-A Visa at Thai Embassies and for those who entered Thailand on such Visa types and applying for annual extensions of stay based on retirement, making it a mandatory requirement to have Health Insurance to a minimum level of cover effective from October 31st 2019.

This mandatory Health Insurance requirement is not applicable to Tourists or those that obtained the Non Imm O Visa to enter Thailand, or subsequent applications to extend their stay annually at Immigration offices. It also doesn't apply if you entered Thailand with a Non Imm O-A Visa and apply for annual extensions of stay based on Thai family/Spouse, only to annual extension applications based on retirement.

 

[ckr]

Q:  Is the health insurance I am required to purchase to enter Phuket Sandbox REAL insurance or simply a palm greasing ritual?  I just want to calibrate my expectations for first trip to TH.  Also, if I get a policy for first 45 days (USA visa-on-entry) and then extend Visa/stay, am I then required to purchase more/extend health insurance policy, or can I expect cost to be lost in the shuffle?

I'm considering the possibility of an eventual Non Imm O-A Visa (1yr/800K tb/Retirement) but don't yet know if I will be happy with the heat / humidity / culture of TH life.  Thinking Pattaya location but it looks like Phuket is a bit cooler.

Thanks for helpful replies.

[Faz]

Hi @ckr and welcome to Thaiger Talks.

1. Only the Covid Insurance of $100,000 is required to enter Thailand Visa exempt.

2. The 400/40 K Health Insurance is separate and mandatory both to obtain the Non O-A Visa and to extend your stay after entering on a Non Imm O-A Visa. The Non Imm O-A Visa can only be obtained from a Country where you have residency.

[Danny_Australia]

I had the same dilemma last year having had got my OA long stay visa from the Thai embassy in Australia. I become aware of LMG Insurance Plan-1 through @BlueSphinx so I subscribed and got the policy then applied for my extension of stay without any help from any agency. That saved me a lot of money.

Another annual extension of stay is due in 4 months and I will do the same as I now have the knowledge and confidence to go through the immigration process and get it done for just 1,900 Bahts