Confused about Thai approved health insurance for yearly extension based on Non Imm O-A visa

[Keith5588]

Today I asked for a quote from “NowCompare” they recommended Regency Health Insurance Company.

My last message to them:-

Are Regency on the TGIA approved list of health insurance companies?

Their reply:-

To answer your question, no Regency are not on the TGIA list of insurance companies.

It is important to highlight that TGIA is not an authority, meaning they do not have the right to approve or disapprove insurance companies. This is just a website you can go to for information on medical insurance, it is an industry marketing website so therefore companies can pay to advertise on there.

Regency’s policy complies with requirements specifically for an OA VISA, giving you THB 400,000 inpatient cover and THB 40,000 outpatient cover. This plan covers you in all Thailand state medical facilities. We have many clients in Thailand that have opted for the Regency Thai Long Stay policy so your situation is very familiar to us.

 

Is the above statement from Nowcompare correct? I think it has been stated on this forum that the health insurance needs to be with a company on the TGIA list?

Thank you 

Keith

[RichCor]

First, sorry for the information overload...

It appears that TGIA is the holder of the official 'Insured user' database of which the Thai Immigration Bureau will do its verification.

 

 

 

For comparison, see Step 1-4, info found on the Aetna Health Insurance website:

 

Aetna personal health insurance
From October 2019, the Thai Ministry of Public Health requires foreigners aged 50 and above living in Thailand or who intend to live in Thailand on a long stay visa within 1 year (O-A type) to be in possession of health insurance that provides a minimum coverage of THB 400,000 for in-patient treatment and THB 40,000 for out-patient treatment.
 

In line with this requirement, Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited can offer you a choice of health insurance plans that are complied with these requirements. You will receive an insurance certificate as the key evidence for Visa application after you complete the purchase of your health insurance. Your data will be automatically passed to the immigration authorities to allow them to validate the policy is in force.

 

 

 

[NOTE] This is NOT an endorsement for Aetna Insurance.

 

 

 

ALSO, this is found posted on the Royal Thai Embassy, Washington D.C. website:

 

8. Pursuant to the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Thailand, dated 2 April B.E. 2562 (2019), approving in principle for the stipulation of health insurance as an additional requirement for Non-Immigrant ‘O-A’ (Long Stay) visa application, the Royal Thai Embassy  has introduced the following requirements for the said visa application:

Effective from 31 October 2019 , the applicant must be medically insured for the entire period of stay in Thailand with the following coverage:

– Outpatient benefit with a sum insured of not less than 40,000 THB, and

– Inpatient benefit with a sum insured of not less than  400,000 THB

The applicants must submit the following:

8.1. Health insurance policy document issued by a Thai or foreign insurance company, stating that the applicant is medically insured for the period and with coverage as mentioned above:

(a) In case of a foreign insurance company, the applicant must submit the original insurance policy document with 2 copies;

(b) In case of a Thai insurance company, the applicant must submit 2 copies of the insurance policy document or, if available, the original insurance policy document with 2 copies. A list of Thai insurance companies participating in the scheme can be found here: http://longstay.tgia.org

8.2. Foreign Insurance Certificate as stipulated by the Office of Insurance Commission and Health Insurance of Thailand, which must be completed, signed and stamped by the insurance company. The form can be downloaded here: Foreign Insurance Certificate Form

...

 

 

 

AND ALSO this slight variation found posted on the Royal Thai Embassy, Tel Aviv, Israel website:

 

Non-Immigrant Visa  “O-A”:  Long Stay

From 31 October 2019, Applicants for a Long Stay “O-A” Visa (One Year Validity) to the Kingdom of Thailand must have a health insurance policy that will cover them for the entire duration of their stay in Thailand. 

The health insurance policy must have both an outpatient coverage of at least 40,000 Baht and an inpatient coverage of at least 400,000 Baht. The Applicant may choose to apply for the health insurance policy from a Thai company (the list can be found at http://longstay.tgia.org) or a non-Thai company. 

Required Documents (all documents must be completed and legible) 

1. Health Insurance Policy 

   1.1 If purchased from a Thai company (the list can be found at http://longstay.tgia.org): 2 originals or 1 original and 1 photocopy or 2 photocopies of the Policy 

   1.2 If purchased from a non-Thai company: 1 original and 1 photocopy of the Policy only (2 photocopies will not be accepted) 

2. 1 original and 1 copy of Insurance Certificate Form, which may be downloaded at http://longstay.tgia.org/document/overseas_insurance_certificate.pdf

...

[Martyp]

There is a blank certificate on the TGIA website that you can submit to your insurer. If they sign that certificate and you carry it with you then you should be able to enter through immigration at the borders. Way in the past, a lot of people said their insurance company would not sign the certificate but then some people said they were having success and since then I haven't heard much about it. I would guess that if you have a certificate that isn't entered in the TGIA database you can expect scrutiny and delays whenever someone asks for proof of insurance. Whether you can use this for an extension of stay, I don't know. It seems like the kind of question you need to ask your local immigration office.

[Keith5588]

Thank you RichCor for all your information.

Thank you Martyp, I have just been writing my next post and agree will what you have posted.

 

I have just had a look on the Thai Embassy web page https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel/health-insurance-thailand-new-requirement-for-retirees.php

It states below:-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the new requirement for the Thai retirement O-A visa?

The new rule specifies that the applicant or visa holder must have health insurance not be less than 40,000 baht for outpatient and 400,000 baht for inpatient medical fees. Policies can either be purchased from domestic or foreign insurers, but the sum of foreign policies must not be less than the amount stipulated for Thai policies.

By requiring foreign retirees to have health insurance, they can be ensured that they will be taken care of when they get ill and in case of an accident. This measure will solve over 100 million baht fees left unpaid by foreign patients. The measure will prevent foreigners from doing a runner for hospital fees.

Who are required to have health insurance?

The new rules will be applied to those who are applying for the non-immigrant O-A visa from the Thai embassy or consulate in their home countries, for those who enter the country for the first time with non-immigrant O-A visa and those who wish to extend their non-immigrant O-A visas inside Thailand.

Which companies participated in this scheme?

Here are some of the insurance companies that the applicants may obtain their health insurance to:

Viriyan Insurance,

Asia Insurance 1950,

Thaivisa Insurance,

Sompo Insurance,

LMG Insurance,

Thai Health Insurance,

Navakij Insurance,

Dhipaya Insurance,

The Falcon Insurance,

Pacific Cross Health Insurance,

AXA Insurance,

AETNA Health Insurance

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When I put my post on Thaivisa I thought that the health insurance company HAD to be on the Thai General Insurance Association  (TGIA) list.

 

I have just looked on the TGIA web page https://longstay.tgia.org/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Non – Immigrant Visa "O-A"

The listed companies who participate in this scheme.

Download Overseas Insurance Certificate

Participating Company Namelist and Contact list

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So the health insurance from Regency that “Now Compare” are recommending as they admit are not on the above list but it does not have to be on the list. They state that the policy they are recommending covers all Thailand state medical facilities.

 

I am beginning to understand more, “Now Compare” are probably correct that Regency will provide an appropriate certificate but I cannot help thinking that if this is the case why has the Thai Embassy compiled a list of companies. Also I had a look at the “Download Overseas Insurance Certificate” and it only mentions applying for a Non Imm O-A visa, no mention of Extension of Stay that I will need to do.

 

I am also thinking that if I can go ahead with the health insurance from Regency that is not on the TGIA list why have I seen people on this forum stating that they have very good health insurance but are having to buy another extra Thai health insurance just to satisfy Thai immigration?

 

This extra health policy would probably only cover stays in Thai state hospitals and it may complicate any claims to their much better insurance.

Why don’t these people chase their existing Health insurance to issue a certificate stating that they conform to the immigration requirements of more than 400,000 inpatient  and 40,000 outpatient?

 

Cheers

Keith

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Keith5588 said:

I have just had a look on the Thai Embassy web page https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel/health-insurance-thailand-new-requirement-for-retirees.php

That is not a official website. Form the bottom of that page " This is NOT the official website of the Thai Embassy."

It is known to have incorrect and misleading info on it.

[ubonjoe]

Since it appears that you are applying for an extension of stay at immigration you need to be aware that they will only accept companies listed by TGIA. The will not accept the "Foreign Insurance Certificate"

Only Thai embassies will accept the signed insurance certificate. when a applying for a OA visa.

[Tanoshi]

@Peter Denis did some research on the Thai approved Insurers and LMG were the cheapest.

This may save you time trawling through all the various available policies.

[Peter Denis]

When applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa, which can only be done at the thai embassy in your home-country, you need to provide evidence that you have health-insurance that will cover you in Thailand and meets the minimum Immigration Office requirements (i.e. 400K in-patient / 40K out-patient coverage). 

A thai IO-approved health-insurance policy (issued by a TGIA insurer) will be accepted but might be difficult to get when you are in your home-country.

Therefore there is also the possibility of applying with a foreign health-insurance policy.

In the case you have an international health-insurance policy which meets the requirements, you need to convince your insurer to fill in the Foreign Insurance Certificate (FIC) stating that your policy meets the requirements.  But since that FIC refers to thai legislation which foreign insurers are not familiar with, it is difficult to persuade them to fill in that FIC.  The only reports of applicants that succeeded in having that FIC filled-in and accepted by the thai embassy where they applied, were when the applicant had a good personal relation with his insurer agent.

But that's not the end of the ordeal.

When the thai embassy issues your Non Imm O-A Visa it will also contain a note stating the expiry date of your health-insurance policy.  And thai border-immigration will only stamp you in for a permission to stay that does not exceed that policy expiry date.  Which means you cannot make use of the 2nd year your Non Imm O-A Visa previously could provide you (unless you were able to convince your insurer to put a 2-year date on the validity of your foreign health-insurance, and this being taken over on the embassy note in your passport).

Also, you need to be aware that your foreign insurance is ONLY valid when applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa.  Once you are in Thailand and need to extend the permission to stay of your Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement, your foreign insurance will not be accepted.  The PoliceOrder clearly states that only thai IO-approved policies from TGIA insurers are accepted.

Non Imm O-A Visa holders that applied for a 1-year retirement extension reported that:

- IO requires an original certificate from your thai IO-approved insurer stating that your policy meets the IO requirements;

- IO will then look up the policy in the TGIA database, and will not accept your application unless your policy details are in that database (so a thai insurance policy from a non-TGIA insurer will not be accepted).

 

Considering all of the above it is no wonder that applications for the Non Imm O-A Visa have fallen drastically, and that those on 1-year extension for reason of retirement based on a Non Imm O-A Visa are taking alternative roads to long-stay in Thailand without this insurance scam.

And luckily it is fairly simple to do so.

>> I compiled a comprehensive guideline with all options/details to apply for or convert to a Non Imm O Visa, which does not require any thai IO-approved health-insurance.

Feel free to PM me if you like to receive a copy.

 

[Peter Denis]

15 minutes ago, Tanoshi said:

@Peter Denis did some research on the Thai approved Insurers and LMG were the cheapest.

This may save you time trawling through all the various available policies.

Since a couple of months there is now a somewhat affordable thai IO-approved health-insurance policy available.  It is issued by LMG Insurance and when opting for the 200K/20K deductible the annual premium costs between 6.000 THB and 11.700 THB in the age-brackets of 51 till 75.

Another advantage is that subscribing to that LMG policy does NOT require a medical examination, you just need to fill out the application questionnaire, and after payment you receive your certificate a couple of days later.

Please note that this thai IO-approved policy is NO substitute for 'real' health-insurance, because the coverage is basically worthless.  It should only be regarded as an entry-ticket for meeting the thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement when applying for a 1-year extension based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

 

[Keith5588]

Wow, thank you Ubonjoe, you are right. I have had another look. I am surprised they are allowed to have a web address of www.thaiembessy.com and not be the official site.

I explained clearly to the first person I spoke to on the telephone at “Now Compare” that I will shortly be renewing my 1 year extension of stay. He emailed me suggesting Regency for Expats insurance company but at the same time copied it to a person in a different department who took over communicating with me. After a further look I think maybe the second person might be assuming I am applying for a Non IM O-A visa.

Thank you so much for clarifying the situation.

 

Tanoshi, thank you for your reply. Where I am staying the wifi is cut off for 30 minutes each morning and so I have been writing below which states the same as you have, sorry about that.

 

3 years ago I actually decided to self insure and so I actually do not want health insurance.

 

I live in Khon Kaen. I was planning to pop over to Laos from Mukdahan, make it a short holiday, see the mighty Mekong river, a short boat trip if possible. Either apply for an O visa in Savannakhet or most likely just come back on a 30 day visa exempt and then to apply for the Non Imm O visa.

 

The lockdown due to the covid-19 virus has confused me. So many unknowns.

 

Is a trip to Laos and back now possible? Are buses operating?

If possible will there be complications?

Will a recent medical check e needed before coming back to Thailand?

Maybe even covid-19 medical insurance? I think I read something about that but I think it was not fact as I cannot imagine hospitals charging covid-19 patients.

Would I need to self quarantine?

Do I now want to go?

 

I am now thinking that it is a bit risky to purchase health insurance that is not on the TGIA list. I am going to have a look at LMG who Peter Denis mentioned in the past. They are on the TGIA list and I think I can get it for about 7,000 baht for a year. I will ask for maximum excess.

 

ps. Have just seen your posts Peter and will now read them

[Keith5588]

Peter, thank you so much for your very good and detailed information.

All is now becoming clearer.

I would love to have a copy of your guidelines and will PM you.

I have already been in contact with LMG by LINE messenger with their office in Khon Kaen, where I live. So it will be easy for me to go to their office in the near future. For 200,000 excess I have a quote for 7,700 baht.

 

I would still prefer to change to a Non Imm O visa.

 

Anyone have any comments on my concerns about leaving Thailand at this time due to the covid-19 lockdown restrictions?

[ubonjoe]

1 hour ago, Keith5588 said:

Is a trip to Laos and back now possible? Are buses operating?

Laos is closed to all entries at this time. Same for the other nearby countries.

It is maybe for next month.

You could just let your extension expire and stay until July 31st under the amnesty. Perhaps by then the borders will be open.

[Tanoshi]

1 hour ago, Keith5588 said:

Anyone have any comments on my concerns about leaving Thailand at this time due to the covid-19 lockdown restrictions?

When does your current permission of stay expire?

[Keith5588]

I have a 90 day report due 8 June. My current permission to stay ends 1 July.

I did see this web page https://immigration.go.th/content/extend_alien?click=1

So I feel certain about not needing to do my 90 day report but am not sure if I can stay until 31 July without going into overstay?

Joe do you think it wise for me to telephone my local immigration office in Khon Kaen to make sure?

 

Interesting to know that boarders are closed at the moment.

 

Thanks

Keith

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, Keith5588 said:

So I feel certain about not needing to do my 90 day report but am not sure if I can stay until 31 July without going into overstay?

You can stay until July 31st since after your extension ends the only way to stay in the country would require leaving and re-entering the country which is not possible at this time.

This makes it clear you can stay.

[Tanoshi]

46 minutes ago, Keith5588 said:

I have a 90 day report due 8 June. My current permission to stay ends 1 July.

As UJ stated, you can currently stay until July 31st, subject to further announcements, no overstay, no fines, but when the borders are open you would need to exit and re-enter 30 day Visa exempt, or apply for a Non O Visa at a Thai Embassy/Consulate to change your class of Visa not requiring Thai Medical Insurance.

Borders Thai Embassy/Consulates could be very busy however.

 

Alternatively, save on Visa fees and a border run, bite the bullet at least for this year, take the LMG Insurance policy and renew your 1 year extension as normal.

For 7,700 BHT, I know what my option would be in the short term.  ????

[Keith5588]

Thanks Joe, 

I am now worried and confused thinking what Immigration offices are going to be like on 31 July and border crossings on 1 Aug. If they enforce the 2 metre apart social distancing the queues would probably be many km long.

 

OK I'm joking a bit but have now almost decided to go to my local immigration a week before 31 July if things do not change. I will have purchased the cheapest health insurance I can find which seems to be LMG at the moment and to have that start 1 week before the 31 July.

 

I feel better now.

Thanks for all your help

Keith

 

 

 

 

 

[Keith5588]

Thanks Tanoshi,

I agree with you 100%, I did not see your post when I was just now writing my post .

Cheers

Keith

[Keith5588]

Actually thinking a bit more and to be 100% sure I will renew my 1 year extension as normal (as Tanoshi suggested) when it is due just before 1 July. 

Leaving it until after it expires even though I can stay here under the amnesty may cause a problem.

[Peter Denis]

16 minutes ago, Keith5588 said:

...

OK I'm joking a bit but have now almost decided to go to my local immigration a week before 31 July if things do not change. I will have purchased the cheapest health insurance I can find which seems to be LMG at the moment and to have that start 1 week before the 31 July.

...

It's not sure that your local IO will allow you to extend your 1-year permission to stay when you did let your current permission to stay due date slip.

You should apply before your current permission to stay expires.  And if you subscribe to a thai IO-approved health-insurance policy, you need to have the 1-year policy start on the same day that your new approved 1-year permission to stay commences as both of them need to be aligned.

You can apply a couple of days before the end of your permission to stay, so that your local IO can already check your application, but they will then probably require you to come back on the last day for the formal application (as they will want to see that your policy details are in the TGIA database, which is done last day).

[Keith5588]

Thanks Peter,

I was thinking the same as you in not letting my extension of stay slip.

But I was thinking differently in that I intend to start my insurance about 1 week before my current extension of stay finishes lets say on the 24th June.

I then go to Immigration on the 25th June and my insurance will be on the TGIA database. 

I go to immigration once and the worst that can happen is the IO not giving me a whole year extension, but ending my next extension when my health insurance finishes on 24 June 2021. 

I would rather have a 51 week extension than to go to Immigration twice.

Is my thinking right?

Cheers

Keith

[Peter Denis]

23 minutes ago, Keith5588 said:

...

I was thinking the same as you in not letting my extension of stay slip.

But I was thinking differently in that I intend to start my insurance about 1 week before my current extension of stay finishes lets say on the 24th June.

I then go to Immigration on the 25th June and my insurance will be on the TGIA database. 

I go to immigration once and the worst that can happen is the IO not giving me a whole year extension, but ending my next extension when my health insurance finishes on 24 June 2021. 

I would rather have a 51 week extension than to go to Immigration twice.

Is my thinking right?

...

I understand your intention to apply earlier than permission to stay date with an already started thai IO-approved health-insurance policy. 

And it sounds logical to do that, and thus have your new extension of stay limited to the 1-year policy validity date.

But from the reports that I have read of applicants for a 1-year extension of stay of their Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement, and that were confronted with the thai IO-approved health-insurance requirement, it seems that that is NOT possible.

Because their IO insisted that the new 1-year extension of stay they were applying for (and which starts, straight after their previous permission to stay expires) had to be ALIGNED with the 1-year thai IO-approved health-insurance policy.

True, there is nothing about this in the PoliceOrder but that's how it seems to work at CW and CM.  You could of course visit your local IO and enquire about it.

But why not do a 'trial application' 3 days before expiry to check whether all the documents are OK, with an insurance policy simultaneously starting on the day that your new permission to stay would kick in.  If they approve, the better.  If they require you to come back the last day, that would be a quick process as the documents have already been checked by them. 

 

[sirocco]

Hello,

I just went through the documentation of "Pacific Cross" (at random, it could have been another insurance) and I did not find the notification "ambulatory coverage of 40,000 b and hospital coverage of 400,000 b".
Is it worded otherwise? thank you

[Peter Denis]

7 minutes ago, sirocco said:

Hello,

I just went through the documentation of "Pacific Cross" (at random, it could have been another insurance) and I did not find the notification "ambulatory coverage of 40,000 b and hospital coverage of 400,000 b".
Is it worded otherwise? thank you

The IO Police-Order refers to in-patient coverage of 400K and out-patient coverage of 40K.

[Keith5588]

Thanks Peter,

 

I will definitely try to do the 90 day reporting online.

 

Concerning my extension of stay, thanks for pointing out that the insurance may have to be aligned.

 

To visit immigration twice would not be a problem for me but I can see that some people would have a problem if they have to be at immigration on an exact day and maybe visit twice.

 

It doesn’t seem logical as that is exactly why they let you apply a few weeks before.

 

You have pointed out something that I might have got wrong.

 

Actually I could do as you suggest and go to immigration 2 or 3 days before 1 July and accept that I might need to go back on the last day ……. Khon Kaen immigration is only about 4 km from where I live so not a problem for me.

 

This just seems to me to be CRAZY. If they have to be exactly aligned Immigration would be saying “No you cannot come in before your extension ends” If you say you cannot come in that exact day then you would start to be on overstay!  CRAZY! ..... that is CRAZY!

 

I will now check with my local Immigration about 24^th June and will definitely post again.

 

Thanks for all your help

Keith

[sirocco]

So here I am reassured.
A big thank you, Peter Denis and a good WE.

[Peter Denis]

2 minutes ago, sirocco said:

So here I am reassured.
A big thank you, Peter Denis and a good WE.

Since you are interested in thai IO-approved health-insurance policies, you might also consider ways of staying long-term in Thailand as a retiree without having to sign up for such policy.

So I PM-ed you a comprehensive guideline containing all details/options on how to apply for or convert to a Non Imm O - retirement Visa and subsequent extension (which does not require any thai IO-approved health-insurance).

[Max69xl]

9 hours ago, Martyp said:

There is a blank certificate on the TGIA website that you can submit to your insurer. If they sign that certificate and you carry it with you then you should be able to enter through immigration at the borders. Way in the past, a lot of people said their insurance company would not sign the certificate but then some people said they were having success and since then I haven't heard much about it. I would guess that if you have a certificate that isn't entered in the TGIA database you can expect scrutiny and delays whenever someone asks for proof of insurance. Whether you can use this for an extension of stay, I don't know. It seems like the kind of question you need to ask your local immigration office.

"Way in the past, a lot of people said their insurance company would not sign the certificate."??

You do know that the requirement for a mandatory health insurance for O-A Visa holders kicked in last year October 31? That's hardly "way in the past". 

[Keith5588]

Just to let you all know that some health insurance brokers believe that you can renew your extension of stay with health insurance from Insurance companies, in this case Regency, that are not on the TGIA list. In fact they say that they have had clients that have done it.

 

My email to “NowCompare”

Hi X,

I think maybe we have some misunderstanding. I initially received a telephone call from X and I said that I will need to renew my yearly extension of stay based on retirement and that I need health insurance because my original visa is a Non Imm O-A.

Does Regency's policy cover me for my Thailand one year extension of stay?

 

Their reply

Hi Keith,

As far as we are aware Regency would be a valid insurer to obtain your VISA extension. We have clients that have received their first VISA with this policy and we have had clients that have received VISA extensions with it.

[tomauasia]

11 hours ago, Keith5588 said:

Thank you RichCor for all your information.

Thank you Martyp, I have just been writing my next post and agree will what you have posted.

 

I have just had a look on the Thai Embassy web page https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel/health-insurance-thailand-new-requirement-for-retirees.php

It states below:-

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What is the new requirement for the Thai retirement O-A visa?

The new rule specifies that the applicant or visa holder must have health insurance not be less than 40,000 baht for outpatient and 400,000 baht for inpatient medical fees. Policies can either be purchased from domestic or foreign insurers, but the sum of foreign policies must not be less than the amount stipulated for Thai policies.

By requiring foreign retirees to have health insurance, they can be ensured that they will be taken care of when they get ill and in case of an accident. This measure will solve over 100 million baht fees left unpaid by foreign patients. The measure will prevent foreigners from doing a runner for hospital fees.

Who are required to have health insurance?

The new rules will be applied to those who are applying for the non-immigrant O-A visa from the Thai embassy or consulate in their home countries, for those who enter the country for the first time with non-immigrant O-A visa and those who wish to extend their non-immigrant O-A visas inside Thailand.

Which companies participated in this scheme?

Here are some of the insurance companies that the applicants may obtain their health insurance to:

Viriyan Insurance,

Asia Insurance 1950,

Thaivisa Insurance,

Sompo Insurance,

LMG Insurance,

Thai Health Insurance,

Navakij Insurance,

Dhipaya Insurance,

The Falcon Insurance,

Pacific Cross Health Insurance,

AXA Insurance,

AETNA Health Insurance

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When I put my post on Thaivisa I thought that the health insurance company HAD to be on the Thai General Insurance Association  (TGIA) list.

 

I have just looked on the TGIA web page https://longstay.tgia.org/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Non – Immigrant Visa "O-A"

The listed companies who participate in this scheme.

Download Overseas Insurance Certificate

Participating Company Namelist and Contact list

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

So the health insurance from Regency that “Now Compare” are recommending as they admit are not on the above list but it does not have to be on the list. They state that the policy they are recommending covers all Thailand state medical facilities.

 

I am beginning to understand more, “Now Compare” are probably correct that Regency will provide an appropriate certificate but I cannot help thinking that if this is the case why has the Thai Embassy compiled a list of companies. Also I had a look at the “Download Overseas Insurance Certificate” and it only mentions applying for a Non Imm O-A visa, no mention of Extension of Stay that I will need to do.

 

I am also thinking that if I can go ahead with the health insurance from Regency that is not on the TGIA list why have I seen people on this forum stating that they have very good health insurance but are having to buy another extra Thai health insurance just to satisfy Thai immigration?

 

This extra health policy would probably only cover stays in Thai state hospitals and it may complicate any claims to their much better insurance.

Why don’t these people chase their existing Health insurance to issue a certificate stating that they conform to the immigration requirements of more than 400,000 inpatient  and 40,000 outpatient?

 

Cheers

Keith

Very good