Health insurance for O-A

[LudwigK]

Hi,

when my NON-IMM O-A VISA issued months before October 2019 expires, I will make application at Immigration for 1 year stay.

Do I need the new health insurance herefor too  or 

is the new health insurance only required if someone applies for a O-A-Visa in Thai-embassy abroad ?

Thanks for support.  Ludwig

[Peter Denis]

You only need to apply for an extension of stay of your Non Imm OA Visa at the end of the permission to stay that has been stamped in your passport.  When you leave Thailand and re-enter just before the validity date of your Non Imm OA Visa expires, you will be stamped in for another year.  So, when timed right, a Non Imm OA Visa allows you to stay almost 2 years in Thailand before you need to apply for an extension of stay.

Also note that the health-insurance requirement will only be applicable when you apply for an extension of stay based on your original Non Imm OA Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.  When you are married with a thai national, you can apply when your extension is due for reason of MARRIAGE, and then no health-insurance will be required.

When you are not married and don't want to waste money on the expensive and basically useless thai-approved health-insurance, you could opt to exit Thailand and re-enter Visa-exempt.  Then apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa based on retirement at your local IO, which can then be extended in the last month at that same local IO for reason of retirement.

The requirements and conditions for an extension of such a Non Imm O - retirement Visa are the same as for a Non Imm OA - retirement Visa, but do NOT require health-insurance.  

[Tracyb]

I was under the impression that ALL extensions of stay that are based on a Non IMM O-A visa, whether for marriage or retirement, required insurance. Is the “marriage” extension on an O-A exempt from that requirement?

[saengd]

2 minutes ago, Tracyb said:

I was under the impression that ALL extensions of stay that are based on a Non IMM O-A visa, whether for marriage or retirement, required insurance. Is the “marriage” extension on an O-A exempt from that requirement?

That's incorrect, only extensions of stay based on retirement are affected, those based on marriage are not.

[soisanuk]

2 hours ago, Tracyb said:

I was under the impression that ALL extensions of stay that are based on a Non IMM O-A visa, whether for marriage or retirement, required insurance. Is the “marriage” extension on an O-A exempt from that requirement?

I believe this is still being sorted and open to interpretation by the Immigration Office(r) where you apply for the extension. If one reads the Immigration rules for extensions, if applying based marriage or related to a Thai, it makes no mention as to the type of Non-Immigrant Visa they must have and has no requirement for health insurance.  

 

However,  I do recall seeing a report that a person who wanted to obtain an extension based on marriage, but their underlying Visa was a category O-A, was told they still had to have insurance because the underlying visa was an O-A (but, again, that requirement is in the rule for obtaining an extension based on retirement). So, it really depends on how the Immigration Office where the application is made are interpreting the rules. 

 

I suggest the OP contact the Immigration Office where they plan to apply to find out their requirements - or, when they go to apply for their next extension, they go as early as possible so they have time to either get health insurance from one of the Thai companies OR leave without a Re-Entry Permit and get a Non-O based on being married to a Thai from a Thai Embassy/Consulate if that is what is required.

 

 

[maxx58]

When I tried to change my Non O-A based on retirement to one based on marriage at Nonthaburi I was told that I could not do this.

To avoid the Thai medical insurance scam, I had to get a 90 day Non O based on marriage outside of Thailand.

[Peter Denis]

11 minutes ago, maxx58 said:

When I tried to change my Non O-A based on retirement to one based on marriage at Nonthaburi I was told that I could not do this.

To avoid the Thai medical insurance scam, I had to get a 90 day Non O based on marriage outside of Thailand.

The PoliceOrder is crystal clear that health-insurance is ONLY required for an extension of stay based on an original OA Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.  So when your OA Visa extension is due and you are married to a thai national, you simply have to apply for reason of MARRIAGE.  The lower financial requirements for that are an additional bonus.

However, when your local IO - incorrectly - also enforces the health-insurance requirement for OA extensions based on marriage, the only thing you can do is plead your case with the highest local Immigration officer in charge (having a copy of the PoliceOrder with you to support your case).  And if he/she insists it is needed, although blatantly wrong, you do not have any choice but to exit Thailand (in order to 'kill' your present permission to stay based on the OA Visa, so that you can apply for a different type Visa). 

And then either

- apply for a 90-day Non Imm O, based on marriage or retirement, at a thai embassy/consulate abroad, OR

- return Visa exempt (or on Tourist Visa) and apply for a 90-day Non Imm O, based on marriage or retirement, at your local IO.

Once you have the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (based on marriage or retirement), in the last month of its validity you can then apply for an extension of stay based on that Non Imm O Visa, either for retirement or marriage, and health-insurance will not be required.

 

[saengd]

34 minutes ago, maxx58 said:

When I tried to change my Non O-A based on retirement to one based on marriage at Nonthaburi I was told that I could not do this.

To avoid the Thai medical insurance scam, I had to get a 90 day Non O based on marriage outside of Thailand.

The officer you spoke to was mistaken, it is easily done, in the North at least.

[saengd]

36 minutes ago, soisanuk said:

I believe this is still being sorted and open to interpretation by the Immigration Office(r) where you apply for the extension. If one reads the Immigration rules for extensions, if applying based marriage or related to a Thai, it makes no mention as to the type of Non-Immigrant Visa they must have and has no requirement for health insurance.  

 

However,  I do recall seeing a report that a person who wanted to obtain an extension based on marriage, but their underlying Visa was a category O-A, was told they still had to have insurance because the underlying visa was an O-A (but, again, that requirement is in the rule for obtaining an extension based on retirement). So, it really depends on how the Immigration Office where the application is made are interpreting the rules. 

 

I suggest the OP contact the Immigration Office where they plan to apply to find out their requirements - or, when they go to apply for their next extension, they go as early as possible so they have time to either get health insurance from one of the Thai companies OR leave without a Re-Entry Permit and get a Non-O based on being married to a Thai from a Thai Embassy/Consulate if that is what is required.

 

 

I think you must be mistaken, I have never seen any report of the health insurance rule being applied to those on "marriage visa's". Since the rule is crystal clear on this point that only "retirement visa's" are  included I can't imagine any IO pushing the boundaries that far.

[Max69xl]

3 hours ago, saengd said:

That's incorrect, only extensions of stay based on retirement are affected, those based on marriage are not.

Only extensions based on the O-A retirement Visa are affected. Not the 1 year extension based on retirement from the initial Non-immigrant O Visa. 

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, saengd said:

I think you must be mistaken, I have never seen any report of the health insurance rule being applied to those on "marriage visa's". Since the rule is crystal clear on this point that only "retirement visa's" are  included I can't imagine any IO pushing the boundaries that far.

Unfortunately he is correct.  There are local IOs (e.g. Phetchabun) that incorrectly insist that all OA Visas on extension require health-insurance.  In such cases pleading your case with the highest ranking officer of the IO - having the PoliceOrder with you that clearly shows it is limited to extensions based on retirement - is probably the best way to go.  But if he/she insists on their local - incorrect - interpretation, there is little else that you can do than go the Non Imm O conversion road to avoid the thai-approved health-insurance scam.  Unless you have connections higher-up the Immigration ladder, but the loss of face when the local IO has to reverse its decision, might not make you friends there and you will have to deal with them later on for future extensions of stay and other IO-services in your province. 

[saengd]

Wow.....I stand corrected.

[saengd]

29 minutes ago, Max69xl said:

Only extensions based on the O-A retirement Visa are affected. Not the 1 year extension based on retirement from the initial Non-immigrant O Visa. 

I don't really understand what you wrote, perhaps you're trying to differentiate between extensions based on the original visa itself versus subsequent extensions that are not. Whatever.....(I'm slowly losing the will to live with this terminology).

 

All I can say to you is that in Chiang Mai at least, all extensions to permission of stay where the original visa is O-A (based on retirement only) are required to have health insurance.

[Toadie]

On 12/19/2019 at 1:58 PM, Peter Denis said:

You only need to apply for an extension of stay of your Non Imm OA Visa at the end of the permission to stay that has been stamped in your passport.  When you leave Thailand and re-enter just before the validity date of your Non Imm OA Visa expires, you will be stamped in for another year.  So, when timed right, a Non Imm OA Visa allows you to stay almost 2 years in Thailand before you need to apply for an extension of stay.

Also note that the health-insurance requirement will only be applicable when you apply for an extension of stay based on your original Non Imm OA Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.  When you are married with a thai national, you can apply when your extension is due for reason of MARRIAGE, and then no health-insurance will be required.

When you are not married and don't want to waste money on the expensive and basically useless thai-approved health-insurance, you could opt to exit Thailand and re-enter Visa-exempt.  Then apply for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa based on retirement at your local IO, which can then be extended in the last month at that same local IO for reason of retirement.

The requirements and conditions for an extension of such a Non Imm O - retirement Visa are the same as for a Non Imm OA - retirement Visa, but do NOT require health-insurance.  

That is the most succinct, straight forward, accurate description of Visa options I have ever come across.

A very genuine well done.

 

Should type it up nicely and forward to immigration.

[jacko45k]

21 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

However, when your local IO - incorrectly - also enforces the health-insurance requirement for OA extensions based on marriage, the only thing you can do is plead your case with the highest local Immigration officer in charge

Are you sure the issue was requiring insurance at that office? There have been some instances where attempting to change the  reason for the extension has been rejected. An example, would be if a person obtained a Non-Imm-O conversion (or even Visa) based on marriage, then pursued a retirement extension, and they are told to go change the Non-Imm Visa. 

A old Non-Imm-OA, was actually granted based on terms similar to a retirement extension..... 

Edited December 21, 2019 by jacko45k

[ubonjoe]

20 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Are you sure the issue was requiring insurance at that office? There have been some instances where attempting to change the  reason for the extension has been rejected. An example, would be if a person obtained a Non-Imm-O conversion (or even Visa) based on marriage, then pursued a retirement extension, and they are told to go change the Non-Imm Visa. 

A old Non-Imm-OA, was actually granted based on terms similar to a retirement extension..... 

I think in many cases it is a matter of an office trying to find any excuse not do the extension based upon marriage.

[Peter Denis]

32 minutes ago, jacko45k said:

Are you sure the issue was requiring insurance at that office? There have been some instances where attempting to change the  reason for the extension has been rejected. An example, would be if a person obtained a Non-Imm-O conversion (or even Visa) based on marriage, then pursued a retirement extension, and they are told to go change the Non-Imm Visa. 

A old Non-Imm-OA, was actually granted based on terms similar to a retirement extension..... 

TVF member Bill Smart was staying in Thailand on an extension of his original OA Visa for reason of retirement.

As he wanted to avoid the BS thai-approved health-insurance he applied at his local Phetchabun IO when his extension was due for an extension of that original OA Visa but this time for reason of marriage.

That was possible, however the highest officer of the IO insisted - incorrectly - that all OA extensions needed to have health-insurance.

Bill was thus forced to make the 800 km trip to Vientiane to apply there for a 90-day Non Imm O Visa based on marriage. That was granted and in the last month of his present 90-day permission to stay, he will apply again at his local IO for a 1 year extension of that Non Imm O  - marriage Visa.

Note: Same thing happened to a TVF member at the Nonthaburi office.

Full story > see link starting from post #28

 

[maxx58]

I just returned from HCMC, Vietnam to get a 90 day Non O visa based on a Thai spouse. Had a Non O-A (retirement) for 7 years previously.

Just as Homemade514 wrote about needed documentation in HCMC in January, still applies.

Super easy and hassle free was my experience.

Lovely city with good, low cost Western meals, great variety of beers, and super cheap taxi's by Grab.

Here is his report: