Health Insurance for over 80’s

[Plumbgray]

Hi There

 Does anyone know if I can get the mandatory health insurance for my 88 year old Dad to enter Thailand? Can’t seem find anything in UK wondering if can buy online direct in Thailand to offer this cover ?

Thanks in advance 

Graham

[BlueSphinx]

When you are talking about the +100.000 US $ covid-19 coverage insurance that EVERYBODY currently entering Thailand needs to comply with (and which needs to cover the full period of the permission to stay for which you will be stamped in by border-immigration depending on the Visa on which you entered), there are 2 options:

#1 - subscribing to Thai TGIA insurance > https://covid19.tgia.org/ - that insurance has NO age limitation to subscribe to it, and premium is only dependent on your nationality and period of coverage needed;

#2 - when flying Emirates, +100.000 US $ covid-19 coverage insurance is provided FREE and included in the flight ticket-price.  A one-way flight will provide you with 31 days coverage from date of arrival, and a return-flight will cover the full-period of your trip (with a max of 365 days)

When you are talking about the mandatory 400K/40K health-insurance when applying for a 1-year ME Non Imm O-A Visa (which is currently also required when applying for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement, or when applying for a 90-day STV), you will not find any insurer that will provide coverage.  So in that case your father would need to enter Thailand VisaExempt or on a 60-day Tourist Visa, as in such case that 400K/40K health-insurance is NOT required and once in Thailand both the 30-day VE or 60-day TV can be extended for an additional 30 days at any Thai Immigration office.  And there are options to further extend the visit after having done that.  

Please note that the coverage of the 400K/40K health-insurance requirement, is currently being upped to +100.000 US $, but the websites of Thai embassies have not been updated yet with those new requirements.  But as that option is not possible for your father due to his age, the current changes are not relevant in his case.

[Faz]

48 minutes ago, Plumbgray said:

Hi There

 Does anyone know if I can get the mandatory health insurance for my 88 year old Dad to enter Thailand? Can’t seem find anything in UK wondering if can buy online direct in Thailand to offer this cover ?

Thanks in advance 

Graham

There are two separate Insurance requirements.

One applicable to all 'foreigners' entering Thailand which specially covers treatment of Covid.
From Nov 1st, this will be to cover treatment of up to $50,000 USD and can be purchased from any Insurance provider.

The second is the mandatory Health Insurance policy which covers the treatment of accidents, illness, surgical procedures for 400,000 THB inpatient and 40,000 THB outpatient. This only applies to certain Visa types.

If you can state for how long your Father intends to visit Thailand for, we can advise on the best options.

You'd find it extremely difficult and very expensive to obtain Health Insurance at age 88.
For the Covid Insurance it's possible to obtain this up to age 99.

[Plumbgray]

Thank you for the information will be very helpful 

[Faz]

3 minutes ago, Plumbgray said:

Thank you for the information will be very helpful 

You never answered the question.

49 minutes ago, Faz said:

If you can state for how long your Father intends to visit Thailand for, we can advise on the best options.

 

[Plumbgray]

Hi Faz Thank you Dad would like to stay for 3 months 

[Faz]

The standard Tourist Visa permits a stay of 60 days and you can extend that stay for a further 30 days at your local Immigration office for 1,900 baht. Total 90 day stay which I trust would be sufficient.

Health Insurance is not a mandatory requirement, but you may want to voluntary take out some travel Insurance which can also include cover for accidents, illness.

As for all foreign entries he would require the $50,000 (from Nov 1st) Covid Insurance cover.

[BlueSphinx]

When your father wants to stay 3 months, the easiest route would be the following:

#1 - Applying for a 60-day Tourist Visa at the London Thai Embassy

#2 - When possible booking a return-flight with Emirates as that would take care of the required +100.000 US $ covid-19 coverage insurance which is included free of charge as part of the Emirates flight-ticket.  With any other carrier he would have to buy the TGIA covid-19 insurance for a period of minimum 60-days (thus covering the permission to stay he will receive on entry with that 60-day Tourist Visa)

#3 - He would also need to buy a cheap 'throw-away' one-way outbound flight-ticket for a date before his 60-day permission to stay expires.  Such tickets can be bought on-line for approx 1.200 THB (e.g. Bangkok-HoChiMinhCity or HuaHin - Kualu Lumpur) and are required by the airline when boarding for BKK.

#4 - Once in Thailand your father would need to apply for a 30-day extension of stay before his 60-day permission to stay expires.  This can be done at ANY provincial Thai Immigration office (cost 1.900,- THB)

#5 - In case he likes Thailand so much that he would like to stay even longer, he would have to change the return date of this flight-ticket (currently Emirates does NOT charge any costs for changing the dates of your outbound flight) AND he would then have to apply at a provincial Thai Immigration office for the 60-day covid extension (cost 1.900 THB). 

Notes:

a) Instead of a 60-day Tourist Visa, your father could also opt NOT to apply for a Visa and simply enter Thailand Visa Exempt.  That would provide him with a 30-day permission to stay on entry, and can be extended for an additional 30 days just like the 60-day Tourist Visa at any Thai Immigration Office.  But when he opts for doing that he will need to apply for the 60-day covid extension when before 30+30 day permission to stay expires.  Same as for the 60-day TV he would need to buy a cheap throw-away outbound flight-ticket for a date prior to the 30-day permission to stay he would receive on entry.

b) Depending on his status re vaccination, there are currently THREE options for entering Thailand.  The options being a) vaxxed / b) vaxxed and opting for the Phuket Sandbox scheme / c) unvaxxed. 

>> Cheers and success!

 

[Plumbgray]

2 hours ago, BlueSphinx said:

when applying for a 1-year ME Non Imm O-A Visa (which is currently also required when applying for a 90

 

[Plumbgray]

Big thank you again for the replies I couldn’t quite get my head around the requirements but you’ve both explained it clearly….. and also made my 88 year old Dad’s day now we know he can get back into Thailand again soon

 

[Chaimai]

3 hours ago, Faz said:

The standard Tourist Visa permits a stay of 60 days and you can extend that stay for a further 30 days at your local Immigration office for 1,900 baht. Total 90 day stay which I trust would be sufficient.

Health Insurance is not a mandatory requirement, but you may want to voluntary take out some travel Insurance which can also include cover for accidents, illness.

As for all foreign entries he would require the $50,000 (from Nov 1st) Covid Insurance cover.

Excellent

 

Faz I think this time MOFA quote 'medical insurance'............ie not Covid specific.

 

 

[Faz]

1 hour ago, Chaimai said:

Excellent

Faz I think this time MOFA quote 'medical insurance'............ie not Covid specific.

The above chart are entry requirements, not Visa/extension requirements.
Medical cover for Covid $50,000 USD

The general Health Insurance is 400/40K THB for Non O-A Visa applications and extensions from an O-A Visa entry

[Chaimai]

4 minutes ago, Faz said:

Medical cover for Covid $50,000 USD

The general Health Insurance is 400/40K THB.

 

That is for 'O-A'.  See post #89813 above  "medical insurance"

 

However,  CAAT quote Covid Insurance:-

 

 

[Faz]

3 hours ago, Plumbgray said:

Big thank you again for the replies I couldn’t quite get my head around the requirements but you’ve both explained it clearly….. and also made my 88 year old Dad’s day now we know he can get back into Thailand again soon

For a stay of 90 days, Tourist Visa and a 30 day extension easiest option.
Will just require the $50,000 USD Covid insurance.

[Faz]

11 minutes ago, Chaimai said:

That is for 'O-A'.  See post #89813 above  "medical insurance"

Medical Insurance for the treatment of Covid. $50,000 USD for all foreigner entries.

Health Insurance for the treatment of accidents, illness, surgery. 400,000/40,000 THB.

It's simply the way the MFA worded it on the entry requirements chart.

[BainaiThai]

This inquiry is generated from a rumor.  My brother tells me he knows of a 80 ish farang in Bangkok who used an Agent for a retirement visa application and the visa was granted with no questions asked about having medical insurance. Do Agents have THAT kind of connection?

[Pinetree]

On 10/23/2021 at 2:09 PM, Plumbgray said:

Hi There

 Does anyone know if I can get the mandatory health insurance for my 88 year old Dad to enter Thailand? Can’t seem find anything in UK wondering if can buy online direct in Thailand to offer this cover ?

Thanks in advance 

Graham

Sorry to say it, but of course you can't.  The man is 88, no insurance company would look at such an obvious risk. 

[Pinetree]

1 hour ago, BainaiThai said:

This inquiry is generated from a rumor.  My brother tells me he knows of a 80 ish farang in Bangkok who used an Agent for a retirement visa application and the visa was granted with no questions asked about having medical insurance. Do Agents have THAT kind of connection?

He was probably on a None Immigrant 'O' visa, no insurance is required.