Extra insurance requirement for Non O-A

[davidge]

The Thai government has proposed that everyone on a Non O-A visa will require Covid Insurance of at least $100k - both for the initial visa and for Extension of Stays so it will affect current visa holders.

The Nation and the Bangkok Post have very different slants on the story, here’s the one from The Nation:

 

‘The new rules were set out as follows:

1. The first visa application must include health insurance or government welfare with minimum coverage of $100,000 or 3 million baht for medical expenses and treatment of Covid-19.

2. Applications for extension of stay can use health insurance from abroad or government welfare from abroad. This must be certified by a relevant government agency, such as a foreign embassy in Thailand or the country’s Foreign Ministry.

3. If an insurer refuses coverage due to health risks, visa applicants must submit additional documents including the letter of refusal, plus securities, deposits and other health insurance accounting for at least 3 million baht.

The Cabinet assigned the Immigration Bureau to improve rules and conditions governing applications for short-term visas, while the Foreign Ministry has been tasked with upgrading guidelines for O-A visa applications.’

 

So, additional requirements for this particular visa which will make it even less desirable. Although point 2 seems to be an improvement on currently, I’m not sure how many Embassies will actually certify insurance policies. 

 

[article22]

I would have thought most people who are on the O-A visa from their own country would have this insurance already?

I know the UK needs it along with most of Europe and the US already?

There is one difference, in that you only have to have cover for the duration of your stay or the full 1 year so I got around it by having a flight after 6 months back to the UK, then cancelled it later on.

"Copy of evidence stating that applicants have insurance as per stipulated by the Office of Insurance Commission and health insurance of Thailand which has insurance money for outpatient not less than 40,000 Baht and for inpatient not less than 400,000 Baht."

Then to get the CoE you have to have Covid cover as well, so maybe it will combine both requirements into 1 policy? The current rules are:

"5. Copy of insurance policy which covers COVID and no less than 100,000 USD"

[davidge]

2 minutes ago, article22 said:

I would have thought most people who are on the O-A visa from their own country would have this insurance already?

I know the UK needs it along with most of Europe and the US already?

There is one difference, in that you only have to have cover for the duration of your stay or the full 1 year so I got around it by having a flight after 6 months back to the UK, then cancelled it later on.

"Copy of evidence stating that applicants have insurance as per stipulated by the Office of Insurance Commission and health insurance of Thailand which has insurance money for outpatient not less than 40,000 Baht and for inpatient not less than 400,000 Baht."

Then to get the CoE you have to have Covid cover as well, so maybe it will combine both requirements into 1 policy? The current RULES are:

"5. Copy of insurance policy which covers COVID and no less than 100,000 USD"

It’s been a condition of the CofE for the past year, yes, but this is now meant to be permanent even for those already in Thailand.

[Farangkie]

As a cost guide ,I recently purchased this $100,000 Covid policy directly through AXA ,as it was a requirement  for my arrival next month. 

The most basic policy I could find ,based on a 62 y.o, for 60 days the price was 4800 Baht, so 28,800 Baht a year.

Edited June 16, 2021 by Syco

[davidge]

46 minutes ago, Syco said:

As a cost guide ,I recently purchased this $100,000 Covid policy directly through AXA ,as it was a requirement  for my arrival next month. 

The most basic policy I could find ,based on a 62 y.o, for 60 days the price was 4800 Baht, so 28,800 Baht a year.

It will be about that, yes. Cheapest I could find from the U.K. (with a Thai broker) is 31500 baht for 12 months. Doesn’t seem to change with age as 58 and 72 gave the same price.

[Ziplee]

So it still doesn't affect Non immigrant O on retirement visa? Or is just for Covid insurance for the Non O? I heard about it and got confused when they were talking about it.

Edited June 16, 2021 by Ziplee

[forcebwithu]

1 hour ago, davidge said:

The Thai government has proposed that everyone on a Non O-A visa will require Covid Insurance of at least $100k - both for the initial visa and for Extension of Stays so it will affect current visa holders.

The Nation and the Bangkok Post have very different slants on the story, here’s the one from The Nation:
...

Bangkok Post pulled their story. Now get a 404 error using a link that used to work.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2132935/virus-cover-needed-for-long-stays

 

 

[davidge]

1 minute ago, Ziplee said:

So it still doesn't affect Non immigrant O on retirement visa? 

The proposal is only for Non O-A

1 minute ago, forcebwithu said:

Bangkok Post pulled their story. Now get a 404 error using a link that used to work.

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2132935/virus-cover-needed-for-long-stays

 

 

Their story incorrectly suggested it was for ALL Longstay visas.

[OKAY]

If I sold insurance I'd have my 'people' selling this to those that make decisions.

[TheJoker]

Just got my OA visa back from the Thai Embassy in DC.  Needed insurance with 40 k out and 100k covid.

Joker...

[Roadglide]

Only a matter of time before the visa agents will find a way to provide this service just as they do for the financial requirements.  Most likely just write a policy and then cancel after visa is approved.

[davidge]

22 minutes ago, TheJoker said:

Just got my OA visa back from the Thai Embassy in DC.  Needed insurance with 40 k out and 100k covid.

Joker...

It’s been a requirement for the Certificate of Entry since they introduced it last year. The difference with this proposal is that it will apply to each subsequent Extension of Stay as well.

BTW, too late now but you would have been better off getting a Non O ‘for Retirement’ rather than the Non O-A,

16 minutes ago, Roadglide said:

Only a matter of time before the visa agents will find a way to provide this service just as they do for the financial requirements.  Most likely just write a policy and then cancel after visa is approved.

Agents have got around the Health Insurance requirement for the O-A since it was introduced - for an increased fee. Doubtless this will lead to a further increase in the fee.

[Farangkie]

44 minutes ago, Roadglide said:

Only a matter of time before the visa agents will find a way to provide this service just as they do for the financial requirements.  Most likely just write a policy and then cancel after visa is approved.

I'm moving over next month , and will be living there under a Non OA visa , personally even if it wasn't compulsory , I'd have this level of policy anyway.

Even though I'm fully vaccinated , I don't want to be in Thailand ,and get an aggressive variant of Covid that no one's heard of yet , and it's resistant to all the current vaccines.

Edited June 16, 2021 by Syco

[TheJoker]

54 minutes ago, davidge said:

 

BTW, too late now but you would have been better off getting a Non O ‘for Retirement’ rather than the Non O-A,

 

Can you tell me why it would be better?  I am still new to the retirement thing.  Thanks, you can respond on my Tale of Two Cities topic or here.  Thanks

Joker

[forcebwithu]

6 hours ago, TheJoker said:

Can you tell me why it would be better?  I am still new to the retirement thing.  Thanks, you can respond on my Tale of Two Cities topic or here.  Thanks

Joker

The Non OA comes with a proof of insurance requirement on your extension to stay whereas Non O does not. Another problem, unless it's changed, the only insurance that's accepted is from a list of Thai companies. When I looked at those policies the coverage, IMHO, was inadequate and overpriced for what you get.

[Soi7]

2 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

Non O does not.

Not yet anyway

[davidge]

11 hours ago, TheJoker said:

Can you tell me why it would be better?  I am still new to the retirement thing.  Thanks, you can respond on my Tale of Two Cities topic or here.  Thanks

Joker

 

5 hours ago, forcebwithu said:

The Non OA comes with a proof of insurance requirement on your extension to stay whereas Non O does not. Another problem, unless it's changed, the only insurance that's accepted is from a list of Thai companies. When I looked at those policies the coverage, IMHO, was inadequate and overpriced for what you get.

^^^^
What he said.

I had noticed in your other thread but as you’ve already got the visa I didn’t say anything.

If you were at the start, you’d have 2 choices for a ‘retirement’ visa.

The first is the Non O-A, the second is the Non O.

The latter had not been available in the USA for a number of years but was brought back during the Covid rule changes. It has always been available in the U.K. and some other countries.

For the application, the Non O does not require a criminal check nor a medical report so there’s less paperwork and it’s therefore a bit cheaper. 

For future annual Extensions of Stay the Non O does not require the local Thai Health Insurance that is a requirement of the Non O-A. You cannot use whatever US policy that I’m sure you have, you’ll need to buy one of the policies from a small number of approved Thai companies. The coverage will be worse than what you have now so you’ll probably end up buying a policy just for visa purposes while keeping your US policy as the one you’ll actually use.

This week the government also said they plan to bring in compulsory permanent Covid Insurance for all Non O-A visas and Extensions of Stay so that’s another added expense and more paperwork.

A number of people that have lived in Thailand on an original Non O-A for years have been looking to change visas as a result of the insurance change - which was brought in 12-18 months ago, from memory.

Edit: sorry, forgot to say…

The Non O gives you 3 months initially, the Non O-A gives you 12. In both cases you then get a 12-month Extension of Stay with the same financial requirements as many times as you like. 

Just make sure that you get a Re-entry Permit before travelling out of Thailand.

[TheJoker]

Re entry permit, can you help me with that also.  Sorry ,such a nube.

Joker

[expatdude]

On 17/06/2021 at 23:43, TheJoker said:

Re entry permit, can you help me with that also.  Sorry ,such a nube.

Joker

@JokerOnce you have a year-long extension of stay, if you wish to go out of Thailand at any point, you need a re-entry permit or you will lose your extension when you leave the country. A re-entry permit costs 1000 baht, or you can get a multiple re-entry permit for 3800 that will allow you to come and go as many times as you want.

I'll weigh in with my opinion as well: I think you should investigate whether it is possible to change to a Non-O for the reasons described above. Could save a lot of money in the future. It's tricky as you already have a visa.

Edited June 20, 2021 by expatdude

[davidge]

On 17/06/2021 at 17:43, TheJoker said:

Re entry permit, can you help me with that also.  Sorry ,such a nube.

Joker

The visa gives you Permission to Enter Thailand.
If you look at your visa you’ll see a Valid Until date (with the Non O-A this is 12 months from date of issue). There should also be a ‘M’ for multiple entry (all Non O-A should be multiple entry now).

So, as long as the visa is valid you can enter Thailand as many times as you like using the permission to enter given by the visa.(obviously, at the moment you will need a new CofE each time under Covid rules) Once the visa has passed the Valid Until date you no longer have permission to enter Thailand. The visa has expired and, contrary to errant opinion, you cannot extend a visa.

When you enter Thailand, immigration will stamp your passport. This is your Permission to Stay in Thailand. With a Non O-A you are stamped for 12 months each time you enter. (There are some complications due to Covid insurance requirements etc but I won’t go into that now!)

The date on your Permission to Stay stamp from immigration will obviously be different from the Valid Until stamp on your passport. When the Permission to Stay is coming to an end, you must extend your Permission to Stay from immigration within Thailand. This is the Extension of Stay that you’ll be familiar with. You can then extend each year until you shuffle off this mortal coil.

Now, once the Visa itself has expired you do not have permission to enter Thailand on the basis of that visa. So, if you leave Thailand either during the last Permission to Stay stamp on the visa or, as expatdude says, when you are on an Extension of Stay, you must get a Re-entry Permit from immigration before you travel.

If you don’t get one, then you lose your Permission to Stay based on the original visa so would have to start all over again with a new visa.