Hello, my friend aged 71 holds a retirement visa. He obtained it directly from the Thai Immigration Bureau, but not from the Thai embassies or consulates overseas. 

I'd like to know the difference between non-immigrant category O-A visa and non-immigrant category O visa based on retirement or Thai wife. Say, According to the immigration beaure, only foreign retirees holding non-immigration O-A visa must buy a designated Helath Insurance, on the contrary, Health insurance is not required for those applying for an extension of stay of a non-immigrant category O visa based on retirement or Thai wife.

Is his current visa regarded as a non-immigrant category O-A visa? Or just a non-immigrant category O visa based on retirement?  He is single and does not have a wife.

 

A OA long stay visa is only issued at embassies or official Thai consulate in your home country or country of legal residence based upon being 50 or over for retirement. It allows unlimited one year entries for year from the date of issue

A non-o visa can be issued for various reasons such as marriage, retirement, being a family member of person staying here, volunteer work and etc. A non-o visa allows a 90 day entry.

If your friend has extended a 90 day permit to stay from a non-o visa he does not need to prove he has health insurance.

On ‎12‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 4:00 PM, ubonjoe said:

A OA long stay visa is only issued at embassies or official Thai consulate in your home country or country of legal residence based upon being 50 or over for retirement. It allows unlimited one year entries for year from the date of issue

A non-o visa can be issued for various reasons such as marriage, retirement, being a family member of person staying here, volunteer work and etc. A non-o visa allows a 90 day entry.

If your friend has extended a 90 day permit to stay from a non-o visa he does not need to prove he has health insurance.

Thanks for your reply. I noticed he was allowed a one-year stay for retirement every year.

Does he need a health insurance from now on?

11 minutes ago, Boonsiri said:

Thanks for your reply. I noticed he was allowed a one-year stay for retirement every year.

Does he need a health insurance from now on?

No.  He is staying here on 1 year annual extensions to his original Non Immigrant "O" visa.

14 minutes ago, MeePeeMai said:

No.  He is staying here on 1 year annual extensions to his original Non Immigrant "O" visa.

Not starting a bun fight but imho he is not staying in Thailand on annual extensions to his non o visa. It's misleading. Visas cannot be extended. He is obtaining annual extension to his permission of stay. That would have been obtained prior to non o expire date. 

That's why this rubbish for folk entered Los many years ago on O-A requiring insurance is a discrace.

8 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

He is obtaining annual extension to his permission of stay

Yes this is what I meant.  I do know the difference, thanks.

On ‎12‎/‎17‎/‎2019 at 5:10 PM, DrJack54 said:

Not starting a bun fight but imho he is not staying in Thailand on annual extensions to his non o visa. It's misleading. Visas cannot be extended. He is obtaining annual extension to his permission of stay. That would have been obtained prior to non o expire date. 

That's why this rubbish for folk entered Los many years ago on O-A requiring insurance is a discrace.

Do you mean he must purchase his own health insurance?

OP wrote > Hello, my friend aged 71 holds a retirement visa. He obtained it directly from the Thai Immigration Bureau, but not from the Thai embassies or consulates overseas. 

>>> That means he is definitely here on extension of stay from an original O Visa for reason of retirement.

Therefore when applying for his next extension of stay evidence of thai-approved health-insurance is NOT required.

But obviously it would be wise and useful to ensure that he is covered when a major accident happens or he gets a serious illness.  And there are many options for doing that:

- an international health-insurance policy

- a thai health-insurance policy (that meets his needs and not capped to the ridiculous 400K/40K in/out-patient limits)

- long-term travel-insurance (in case he has social security in his home-country)