Proposed increase to Mandatory Health Insurance.

[Faz]

The Thai cabinet have approved in principal to increase the current 400,000 inpatient, 40,000 outpatient to a minimum requirement of 3 million baht from September 2022 for Non O-A Visa applications.
No further details are known at this time and if the 40,000 outpatient requirement will remain in place, or if this will also be applied retrospectively to extension applications from an original Non Imm O-A Visa entry.

O-A non-immigrant visa applicants required to have ฿3m health insurance | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

 

[palooka]

This may well be the final nail for some.  

[Saltire]

Thanks for the clarification of several other posts on this.

It begs 2 questions from me should II ever need it (hope not).

1) I have a good UK health policy but doesn't cover outpatient. Can this be added as a separate policy? I have asked my insurance company this before and they said it may need a new policy underwritten, and I don't want that.

2) This confusing old chestnut comes round every year, but I wonder if one day it will apply to non Imm O extensions of stay? Again, I hope not.

I am beginning to agree with the posters who believe they don't want us here.

 

[BlueSphinx]

32 minutes ago, Saltire said:

Thanks for the clarification of several other posts on this.

It begs 2 questions from me should II ever need it (hope not).

1) I have a good UK health policy but doesn't cover outpatient. Can this be added as a separate policy? I have asked my insurance company this before and they said it may need a new policy underwritten, and I don't want that.

2) This confusing old chestnut comes round every year, but I wonder if one day it will apply to non Imm O extensions of stay? Again, I hope not.

I am beginning to agree with the posters who believe they don't want us here.

Thai Immigration ONLY accepts a 400K/40K health-insurance policy when it has been issued by a TGIA-associated Thai insurer.  So even if in future Thai Immigration would make such insurance also mandatory for Non Imm O Visa based retirement extension applications, your UK insurance would not be accepted.

[Soidog9]

On 10/20/2021 at 12:38 PM, palooka said:

This may well be the final nail for some.  

 

Unfortunately as the immigration required costs increase for retired people to live in Thailand the more people will look for alternate locations. Though with Covid with us for a long time having insurance is probably a good thing.

[Soidog9]

Just now, Soidog9 said:

Unfortunately as the immigration required costs increase for retired people to live in Thailand the more people will look for alternate locations. Though with Covid with us for a long time having insurance is probably a good thing.

Every time the government changes their immigration laws I consider retiring elsewhere.  Then the following day I  accept the reality that Thailand is still better overall than most other retirement countries.

[palooka]

1 hour ago, Soidog9 said:

Unfortunately as the immigration required costs increase for retired people to live in Thailand the more people will look for alternate locations. Though with Covid with us for a long time having insurance is probably a good thing.

Gets a bit frustrating when they keep moving the goal posts though, that may drive a few away or elsewhere.

Originally the 800,000 baht in deposit for visa was for the unexpected etc.  Then Insurance for the same unexpected, now Covid Insurance for the expected.  Think it will touch everyone eventually some how.

Me, I'm here for the long term or maybe short term depends on that bloke upstairs giving me a tap on the shoulder or Covid short short changing him.

[Jannot]

I don't know if this has been raised but can someone clarify.

The Health insurance required for OA visa has been raised to 3million bht,, I know  BUT what about the outpatient cover? Has this requirement been dropped?  I see many insurance companies offering inpatient cover only for the required amount.

[Faz]

15 hours ago, Jannot said:

The Health insurance required for OA visa has been raised to 3million bht,, I know  BUT what about the outpatient cover? Has this requirement been dropped?  I see many insurance companies offering inpatient cover only for the required amount.

The cabinet have approved the increase to 3M, but there has been no official announcement of what will be included or when it will be applied, although Sept 2022 has been mentioned.

[Steveo]

I have been trying to get Covid only insurance to the value of $50,000 USD from a Thai insurance company to return to Thailand as per Thai Government instructions.

Not 1 company will cover this.

They will only sell me a Full package to value of 3 million baht.

I want to travel from Australia on o visa.

As i am 66 years old , they require me to have a medical in Thailand before they will insure me.

I need health insurance before i can enter Thailand.

Catch 22.

The TGIA longstay has offered me a Health insurance that i can get without a medical.

Special condition is any treatment that i may require, i have to pay the first

300,000 baht.

Nearly 90,000 usd.

Great package.

I will keep looking.

[Steveo]

Sorry 9000 usd

[HolyCowCm]

26 minutes ago, Steveo said:

I have been trying to get Covid only insurance to the value of $50,000 USD from a Thai insurance company to return to Thailand as per Thai Government instructions.

Not 1 company will cover this.

They will only sell me a Full package to value of 3 million baht.

I want to travel from Australia on o visa.

As i am 66 years old , they require me to have a medical in Thailand before they will insure me.

I need health insurance before i can enter Thailand.

Catch 22.

The TGIA longstay has offered me a Health insurance that i can get without a medical.

Special condition is any treatment that i may require, i have to pay the first

300,000 baht.

Nearly 90,000 usd.

Great package.

I will keep looking.

So what is the insurance cost? And so what, it is only throw away insurance that has an initial deductible of 300,000 baht.

Who offered you this?

No medical is the way to go.

[Steveo]

AXA.59,000 baht per year.

 

[poohy]

6 minutes ago, Steveo said:

AXA.59,000 baht per year.

Thats not a throw away policy!

if  its only for government visa entry purposes would be looking at  max 10k THB for a year

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by poohy

[Steveo]

AXA, i pay 59,000 baht per year . I have to pay the first 300,000 baht before the

Insurance company covers anything.

That is not good.

[Steveo]

Love to know where i can get 10,000 baht policy.

[HolyCowCm]

1 hour ago, Steveo said:

AXA.59,000 baht per year.

But at 66 and no medical and good for a year then it looks ok if someone needs to do it. So in my opinion I would definitely do it if I needed to stay here and will 100% keep that in mind. 

Do you know what the cost is up to 70yrs? Is it the same, I mean up to 69 years old?

 

As for 60k baht, I could fit that into yearly costs to toss every year. Write it off on yearly tax filing.  As long as it never has a medical attached.

[Steveo]

My problem with this insurance is i must pay the first 300,000 baht before the insurance kicks in.

I confirmed this today with the company.

I can buy a lot of Asprin and Bandaids for 300,000.

[poohy]

8 hours ago, Steveo said:

Love to know where i can get 10,000 baht policy.

you cant ! and i cant see away around it

it makes leaving and returning to Thailand a very expensive game at the moment

for many prohibitively so

i was going back to uk and returning with 8 months on my reentry

insurance was more than my flight

[Steveo]

22 hours ago, poohy said:

you cant ! and i cant see away around it

it makes leaving and returning to Thailand a very expensive game at the moment

for many prohibitively so

i was going back to uk and returning with 8 months on my reentry

insurance was more than my flight

On 11/3/2021 at 2:26 PM, Steveo said:

I have been trying to get Covid only insurance to the value of $50,000 USD from a Thai insurance company to return to Thailand as per Thai Government instructions.

Not 1 company will cover this.

They will only sell me a Full package to value of 3 million baht.

I want to travel from Australia on o visa.

As i am 66 years old , they require me to have a medical in Thailand before they will insure me.

I need health insurance before i can enter Thailand.

Catch 22.

The TGIA longstay has offered me a Health insurance that i can get without a medical.

Special condition is any treatment that i may require, i have to pay the first

300,000 baht.

Nearly 90,000 usd.

Great package.

I will keep looking.

 

On 11/3/2021 at 3:27 PM, Steveo said:

AXA.59,000 baht per year.

 

On 11/3/2021 at 3:33 PM, poohy said:

Thats not a throw away policy!

if  its only for government visa entry purposes would be looking at  max 10k THB for a year

 

[Steveo]

Got a reply from AXA, today.

I can reduce my premium to 59,000 baht a year if i pay the first 300,000 baht of any health treatment.

Then they asked for my height and weight.

Thanks AXA. Far .Q. 2

[Soidog9]

14 hours ago, Steveo said:

Got a reply from AXA, today.

I can reduce my premium to 59,000 baht a year if i pay the first 300,000 baht of any health treatment.

Then they asked for my height and weight.

Thanks AXA. Far .Q. 2

I look at the medical insurance required by the Thai government for retired persons as just another cost of living in Thailand.  The policy with a 300,000 deductable most likely will never be useful unless one gets very sick or hospitalized for an extended period.   Granted that with Covid in the world for an extended period of time it may be good to have a policy.  

I am just surprised that it is only for the retired people.  Not required for Non-O or for Thai wife visa.  Why not require it for all visas if the goverenment fears unpaid hospital bills from foreigners?      Most people I know retired to Thailand have Thai wives.  Is it worth it to change from NON O-A to a Thai Wife Visa?

[poohy]

15 hours ago, Steveo said:

Got a reply from AXA, today.

I can reduce my premium to 59,000 baht a year if i pay the first 300,000 baht of any health treatment.

Then they asked for my height and weight.

Thanks AXA. Far .Q. 2

Then they us BMI calculations  to tell to you to get lost !

[DwizzleyMatthews]

1 hour ago, Soidog9 said:

I look at the medical insurance required by the Thai government for retired persons as just another cost of living in Thailand.  The policy with a 300,000 deductable most likely will never be useful unless one gets very sick or hospitalized for an extended period.   Granted that with Covid in the world for an extended period of time it may be good to have a policy.  

I am just surprised that it is only for the retired people.  Not required for Non-O or for Thai wife visa.  Why not require it for all visas if the goverenment fears unpaid hospital bills from foreigners?      Most people I know retired to Thailand have Thai wives.  Is it worth it to change from NON O-A to a Thai Wife Visa?

I would say many on OA retirement extensions will be considering the change to reason of marriage.

While those lucky/unlucky enough to be unmarried will have to take a trip oseas to dump their OA to return on an O visa or visa exempt.

A “ damned if you do damned if you don’t “ situation for many !!

 

[Tigercat]

set up an expat insurance coop