Jomtien Immigration Health Insurance Now Required for O-A Extensions

[lkv]

3 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

I was just trying to clarify that the Thai embassies and consulates WILL accept foreign insurance with the required certificate

Do you see a US/UK/whatever company signing some leaflet with a logo of the Thai department of Health on it?

 

Never mind the two directors thing.

 

It has been already clarified by other posters that companies will not sign anything external. (Which is normal).

 

At best, they would make their own certificate stating the same as the Thai one, which would obviously be rejected....because it's not the Thai one.

 

And so on.

 

 

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, Mutt Daeng said:

It's not true that you have to get your initial Non-O visa from your home country. You can get it from nearby countries.

In my case - I am from Belgium - I cannot even apply for a Non Imm O Visa in my home country as that Visa is not foreseen.  I will need to get it from a nearby country or within Thailand.

But please note that you can only apply for another Visa when you still have a non-expired Visa.

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Just now, lkv said:

Do you see a US/UK/whatever company signing some leaflet with a logo of the Thai department of Health on it?

 

Never mind the two directors thing.

 

There was a post here by a German member earlier today saying that he'd gotten his German insurer to sign the required certificate.

 

I never said or suggested doing so would be easy in general... Just that under the Thai rules for this, it's a possible route toward compliance.

 

[Mutt Daeng]

For those currently on O-A visa or extension of stay based on the original O-A visa, why not just exit Thailand and get a new single Non-O based on retirement/marriage from a nearby country and then extend it at their local immigration office for 12 months? I know it's not as convenient as the O-A, but there is no Insurance requirement.

[Peter Denis]

2 minutes ago, Mutt Daeng said:

For those currently on O-A visa or extension of stay based on the original O-A visa, why not just exit Thailand and get a new single Non-O based on retirement/marriage from a nearby country and then extend it at their local immigration office for 12 months? I know it's not as convenient as the O-A, but there is no Insurance requirement.

Yes, and that's the advice that some IO's seem to give to applicants for extension of their OA Visa that do not have health-assurance (or cannot get thai approved health assurance because being over 75 years of age) > Leave Thailand and apply for Non Imm O abroad.

But it makes me wonder why they advice you to leave the country and apply in a nearby country, when you can also do it in Thailand.  Or am I missing something?

[jimn]

Can I respectfully ask posters to please stay on topic. There are other threads if you want to vent your anger about insurance and other matters. This topic is specifically about extensions of stay based in an original OA at Jomtien.

Jomtien Immigration Health Insurance Now Required for O-A Extension

[Mutt Daeng]

32 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Yes, and that's the advice that some IO's seem to give to applicants for extension of their OA Visa that do not have health-assurance (or cannot get thai approved health assurance because being over 75 years of age) > Leave Thailand and apply for Non Imm O abroad.

But it makes me wonder why they advice you to leave the country and apply in a nearby country, when you can also do it in Thailand.  Or am I missing something?

Yes you are missing something.

Those on an O-A visa or an O-A based extension would need to leave Thailand which would cancel any previous O-A history and then start again once you obtain a NEW Non-O outside of Thailand. If your original visa was O-A, you cannot change to Non-O in country.

[Inn Between]

Let's cut through all the c r a p and discussion to accept that there really isn't any crisis in Thailand that revolves around retired foreigners skipping out on hospital bills. IMO, this policy is nothing more than a product of xenophobia and a clear dislike of farang remaining in Thailand on a long-term basis by those who wield power. I suspect that blatantly unfriendly policy making will increase over the years to include more and more foreigners who want to remain or wish to move to Thailand to live there on long-term visas.  

 

 

[Mutt Daeng]

1 hour ago, Peter Denis said:

In my case - I am from Belgium - I cannot even apply for a Non Imm O Visa in my home country as that Visa is not foreseen.  I will need to get it from a nearby country or within Thailand.

But please note that you can only apply for another Visa when you still have a non-expired Visa.

 

Please explain how you can get your first visa if you don't have a non-expired visa.

Complete horse<deleted>.

[Maestro]

7 hours ago, jacko45k said:

...Someone arriving at Swampy,...

 

In other words, this is an off-topic hearsay story.

[Maestro]

I believe there are over 70 immigration offices in Thailand. Rather than start a new topic about each office, people should post in this earlier topic:

https://forum.thaivisa.com/topic/1132569-oa-visa-and-insurance-experience-today/

 

First hand reports are preferred, as always.