Special Tourist Visa health insurance falls to B40k outpatient, B400k inpatient

[biggles45]

But does this insurance requirenent still have to INCLUDE CV19 treatment? This  can be very hard to get, especially for older travellers. 

Is this the 'foot in the door' for compulsory travel insurance for tourists? If so, at 75 my visits over 20 years will end I guess

[CapeTown]

400k฿ is 13k$. What is the cost of such an insurance? Does it have to be with an approved insurer?

Please complete the article.

[mickymouse1]

Premium =????????

[ukrules]

They should allow a policy where you get inpatient cover only and are allowed to deposit 40,000 Baht for outpatient cover into an escrow account (perhaps operated by the insurance company itself) just in case it's needed.

 

That would slash the costs for anyone over the age of 70.

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by ukrules

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, biggles45 said:

But does this insurance requirement still have to INCLUDE CV19 treatment? This  can be very hard to get, especially for older travellers. 

Is this the 'foot in the door' for compulsory travel insurance for tourists? If so, at 75 my visits over 20 years will end I guess

Yes, an inflexible mandatory insurance requirement when entering Thailand will create problems for those over a certain age (typically 70 or 75 years).

When the health-insurance requirement was made mandatory for Non Imm O-A Visa holders that already did force some elderly retirees to switch to a different type/category Visa.

But when such insurance becomes a requirement to enter Thailand, authorities will have to re-consider and provide some leeway for retirees.

Poorly thought out schemes to benefit the thai insurance-lobby will obviously create problems if the mandatory insurance is not accessible for all.

Edited October 3, 2020 by Peter Denis

[micmichd]

4 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Most probably the writer of this 'News' article did mix up the 2 different insurance requirements.

1 - In order to enter Thailand you need a covid-19 insurance with coverage of at least 100.000 US$ for the period of your stay.

2 - When entering Thailand on a Non Imm O-A or Non Imm O-X Visa, you need to have IO-approved health-insurance of at least 400K/40K in/out-patient coverage.  Such insurance is only available for periods of a full year, and afaik the current policies do not cover coivd-19. 

Note: The recently issued CP Visa Friendly insurance does cover both (although buying separate policies will allow you to save quite a lot on the insurance fee).

 

I've such an insurance. On retirement and living on pensions. Monthly payment possible. 

[aboctok]

21 hours ago, RotBenz8888 said:

Surely, this can't have anything to do with the Covid19 coverage, as outpatient treatment is completely irrelevant. 

No, you get the bleach injections as an outpatient.

[PEE TEE]

My friend is getting the STV . he has no insurance and is 82 years old but good for his age ...how much would it cost him ? 

[geisha]

400 000 B wouldn’t get you far if you caught Covid in Thailand.  Rubbish.

[Blumpie]

I think we can all agree that this government has absolutely no idea what it's doing.  Absolutely no idea.  

[Blumpie]

2 hours ago, PEE TEE said:

My friend is getting the STV . he has no insurance and is 82 years old but good for his age ...how much would it cost him ? 

You're asking an online forum for an insurance quote?

50 dollars.  

[Dan O]

Below is what is currently list on the Thailand Longstay Company for insurance requirements specific to the STV. I don't know how this compares to any other visa type insurance requirements. It appears they are looking for 2 types of insurance, 1 for Covid specifically and 1 for general travel\health.  I don't know if there is a type of insurance that would cover both areas but will be checking around for that to see the options. 

 

 

• Medical and Travel Insurance options with a minimum 100,000 USD coverage for Covid-19 medical treatment and a minimum coverage of 400,000 THB for other medical and accident expenses. The insurance must cover for at least 90 days.

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, Dan O said:

Below is what is currently list on the Thailand Longstay Company for insurance requirements specific to the STV. I don't know how this compares to any other visa type insurance requirements. It appears they are looking for 2 types of insurance, 1 for Covid specifically and 1 for general travel\health.  I don't know if there is a type of insurance that would cover both areas but will be checking around for that to see the options. 

 

 

• Medical and Travel Insurance options with a minimum 100,000 USD coverage for Covid-19 medical treatment and a minimum coverage of 400,000 THB for other medical and accident expenses. The insurance must cover for at least 90 days.

The Pacific Cross Visa Friendly policy combines both.

However, it would be much cheaper to opt for 2 separate policies, e.g. the LMG Insurance Plan 1 policy to cover the 400K/40K health-insurance, and the SafetyWings travel-insurance policy which includes covid-19 in its 250.000 US$ health-insurance coverage.

[PEE TEE]

43 minutes ago, Blumpie said:

You're asking an online forum for an insurance quote?

50 dollars.  

Thats cheap what company do you work for ?

 

[PEE TEE]

1 minute ago, PEE TEE said:

Thats cheap what company do you work for ?

 

I will send him your quote Thanks 

[Dan O]

26 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

The Pacific Cross Visa Friendly policy combines both.

However, it would be much cheaper to opt for 2 separate policies, e.g. the LMG Insurance Plan 1 policy to cover the 400K/40K health-insurance, and the SafetyWings travel-insurance policy which includes covid-19 in its 250.000 US$ health-insurance coverage.

Good information Peter, Thanks for sharing as it may help someone searching for information on insurance

[northengr]

15 hours ago, micmichd said:

If you can't afford capitalism you better stay away. 

govt favors and payoffs is not capitalism, its cronyism, the main mover in Thailand.

 

[northengr]

4 hours ago, Dan O said:

Below is what is currently list on the Thailand Longstay Company for insurance requirements specific to the STV. I don't know how this compares to any other visa type insurance requirements. It appears they are looking for 2 types of insurance, 1 for Covid specifically and 1 for general travel\health.  I don't know if there is a type of insurance that would cover both areas but will be checking around for that to see the options. 

 

 

• Medical and Travel Insurance options with a minimum 100,000 USD coverage for Covid-19 medical treatment and a minimum coverage of 400,000 THB for other medical and accident expenses. The insurance must cover for at least 90 days.

this is useless information for those of us owning condos in Thailand and being what the Thais consider old. Can we ever return? No prices ever quoted

[kiwikeith]

On 10/3/2020 at 1:29 AM, anchadian said:

We have to initially look after the Chinese.

What people seem to miss is who is pulling the strings. Thailands wealthiest family CP group control the enlightened one. 

Coincidentally the first STV flight full of CP group executives. 

Coincidentally CP group have large insurance interests. 

What a great way to boost profits. 

 

Charge every person entering the Kingdom a premium. 

No insurance companies in Australasia will cover covid. 

However Thailand companies will. 

 

A simple airport tax is all that is needed, but that won't line the corporate pockets that control the government 

Edited October 3, 2020 by kiwikeith

[UKresonant]

16 hours ago, jingjo01 said:

Interesting. I wonder if only the 12 Immigration approved Health Insurance companies are to be used when getting an STV ? For my non O-A one year retirement extension i had to have outpatient cover which i did not want or need. The premium with AETNA (formerly BUPA) for 40,000 baht OPD cost me 32,000 baht (80% of the cover). I am 76 and living in Thailand. I think any elderly STV applicants will probably have trouble getting any kind of health insurance and hence unable to come into this Country.

That would be very awkward perhaps if it were only the 12 Thai insurance companies.

Can't imagine at this point, that the STV applicants would have been resident in Thailand for 6 months, so that they meet the insurance T&Cs, for the policy to give effective coverage (or Have they changed it?).

[ChakaKhan]

On 10/2/2020 at 10:05 AM, donnacha said:

What we are witnessing is the government of Thailand slowly waking from a delirium in which they believed that 40 million foreign tourists were all waiting anxiously to spend their money in Thailand, and willing to do literally anything to get in.

 

Exactly..keep letting the river run dry...people hold the power...strength in numbers, he who holds the baht..

The business wants to sell the consumer a product..we all know how the Chinese like to haggle, so the consumer will simply walk away or go elsewhere until the "product" becomes worth the price...tick tock

 

Could very well be an eye opener for LOS, perhaps they are not the luxury destination they claim to be..

[thaibeachlovers]

On 10/3/2020 at 1:28 AM, YetAnother said:

as usual, here in thailand, all about money

IMO it's fair enough. Too many tourists turning up without cover and expecting treatment on the Thai taxpayer.

B400,000 is not much in the case of serious illness.

[thaibeachlovers]

3 hours ago, northengr said:

this is useless information for those of us owning condos in Thailand and being what the Thais consider old. Can we ever return? No prices ever quoted

Before complaining, one should consider that farangs have been warned for at least 30 years against purchasing anything in LOS that they can't walk away from.

[elgenon]

The amount of the insurance doesn't bother me. What does is that I already have insurance that would cover me and the cost of the Thai insurance.

[Peter Denis]

4 hours ago, kiwikeith said:

...

No insurance companies in Australasia will cover covid. 

However Thailand companies will.

...

Check out SafetyWings < https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/

Anybody (no matter your nationality or where you are currently staying) can subscribe to it, and It provides 250.000 US$ health-insurance coverage (INCLUDING Covid-19) as part of their overall travel-insurance policy (which will also cover repatriation, dental, baggage lost, etc).

And it comes at a monthly premium between 40 and 120 US$ (depending on your age).

Yes, you read that correctly if you are say 55 years of age, the full travel-insurance package they offer (and which covers Covid-19 not for 100K but for 250K US$) is STILL cheaper than the ridiculous Thai covid-19 only insurance policies.

Those Thai insurers must make a fortune, when they charge MORE for their policies than what you get as a Free BONUS when subscribing to a FULL travel-insurance policy with SafetyWings.

 

[HashBrownHarry]

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Before complaining, one should consider that farangs have been warned for at least 30 years against purchasing anything in LOS that they can't walk away from.

This is a stupid train of thought.

 

How on earth do you set up your life, plant your routes if one day, as you say, you should be prepared to walk away from it?

 

That's like being on the run?

[kiwikeith]

37 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Check out SafetyWings < https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/

Anybody (no matter your nationality or where you are currently staying) can subscribe to it, and It provides 250.000 US$ health-insurance coverage (INCLUDING Covid-19) as part of their overall travel-insurance policy (which will also cover repatriation, dental, baggage lost, etc).

And it comes at a monthly premium between 40 and 120 US$ (depending on your age).

Yes, you read that correctly if you are say 55 years of age, the full travel-insurance package they offer (and which covers Covid-19 not for 100K but for 250K US$) is STILL cheaper than the ridiculous Thai covid-19 only insurance policies.

Those Thai insurers must make a fortune, when they charge MORE for their policies than what you get as a Free BONUS when subscribing to a FULL travel-insurance policy with SafetyWings.

 

I went on the web and went over their conditions, one is you must not be over 69 years old, they won't insure over that age. Also you can not get a policy issued from some countries so you have to give an alternative address,  Australia and Canada cant get insurance issued from their countries, no mention of NZ.

The premium was around $137 US for 30 days for my age group, I'm 68. you can cancel any time and pay by installment.

That equals 4200 BHT for 30 days, so for a year it would be 50,400 roughly that was for cover for both health and virus. A poster has mentioned he paid 32000 BHT for a year to a Thai company and he was 76 Yrs old .

I also get emails from the Thai embassy at present the next repat flight is leaving October 20 .

Fare is $1800 economy and around 4K business. Thais need only a fit to fly, My wife is Thai and son holds Thai passport , I need a covid test, a fit to fly, a quarantine booking pre paid and all documents with a Insurance cover for covid, which I can not get from NZ.

The flight will be cancelled if they do not get 160 passengers, anyone who has credit with Thai airways can not use it for this flight. All fares are non refundable, quarantine is non refundable.

My wife and son get free quarantine, but dad the breadwinner can go to h----l

So it would cost me $5400 for a one way trip plus quarantine 2k ? plus insurance and if I do this I can not return to NZ without paying for quarantine and god knows how much to fly.

 

I hope that a vaccine will be approved soon, the Chinese have vaccinated company staff and children of.

The people that made the vaccine have vaccinated themselves and their children, the Chinese were hell bent on beating Donald trump who was hoping for a release in the USA b4 the election.

The Chinese have the stuff packaged up and ready to roll, they are just waiting for the approval to go through and they hope to be injecting next month.

Euro's will have to wait for FDA approval , NZ and Aussie work on the FDA model so looks like Chinese will be rolling in shortly and Euro's late next year, then who knows what the Thai insurers will do.

One thing is certain, he who pays the piper calls the tune and that will likely be CP Group, Thailand's wealthiest Chinese family.

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, kiwikeith said:

I went on the web and went over their conditions, one is you must not be over 69 years old, they won't insure over that age. Also you can not get a policy issued from some countries so you have to give an alternative address,  Australia and Canada cant get insurance issued from their countries, no mention of NZ.

The premium was around $137 US for 30 days for my age group, I'm 68. you can cancel any time and pay by installment.

That equals 4200 BHT for 30 days, so for a year it would be 50,400 roughly that was for cover for both health and virus. A poster has mentioned he paid 32000 BHT for a year to a Thai company and he was 76 Yrs old .

Yes, when 70 years or over you cannot subscribe to the SafetyWings policy.

And according to their website, unless you are from Iran, North Korea or Cuba, you can subscribe to it (from wherever you are).

In your age group (68 years) the monthly premium is indeed 137 US$, which would be approx 50.000 THB for a full-year (in monthly installments, which can be cancelled anytime).

But that also provides you with the FULL benefit package of this 250.000 US$ travel-insurance policy, of which covid-19 coverage is actually the Free Bonus on top of that package.

- - - -

You can buy 100.000 US$ only covid-19 insurance from TGIA-associated Thai insurers > https://covid19.tgia.org/

There is no age restriction (or price difference for age categories), and only your country of residence determines the premium.  For a 1-year policy it will be  42.300 THB for US citizens, 24.000 THB for Belgian citizens 14.400 for Australia/NewZealand citizens).

 

What was the Thai company for the 1-year 100K US$ covid-19 insurance that a 76-year old paid 32.000 THB for (and what was his deductable if any)?

Also be aware that the PacificCross insurance policies that cover covid-19 ONLY start 15 days AFTER you entered the country...

- - - - -

>> I am not interested party in the above (I live on a Non Imm O-A Visa in Thailand), and am only providing TVF members with options when confronted with this covid-19 insurance requirement to re-enter Thailand. 

 

Edited October 4, 2020 by Peter Denis