Non Imm O-A Visa application in home-country - Easy to meet health-insurance requirement

[Peter Denis]

Non Imm O-A Visa application in home-country - > Easy to meet health-insurance requirement

Yesterday it was exactly 1 year ago that mandatory IO-approved health-insurance was introduced when

- applying for a Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country;

- applying for a 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

So a fitting time for looking back and making an evaluation.

 

Surely in the early weeks/months of the introduction of that mandatory insurance, many (including myself) declared the Non Imm O-A Visa 'dead' because of that health-insurance requirement.

But quite a few things have changed in the mean-time and actually it is still a very worthwhile choice when applying for it in your home-country.

1 - The Thai embassies have gained experience with applications for a new Non Imm O-A Visa, and so it is easier to get the FIC (Foreign Insurance Certificate) approved when you managed to get your foreign/international insurer to fill-in/sign that Certificate.

Note: The two 'director' signatures on the FIC are a bad Thai translation and signatures from 2 insurer reps are sufficient.

2 - The introduction of an affordable Thai IO-approved health-insurance (the LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy with 200K deductible) was a 'game-changer'.  The annual fee for that policy ranges from 6.400 to 11.400 THB in the age categories of 51 to 75 years of age.  An additional advantage being that that policy does NOT require an (expensive) medical to subscribe to it, and 'pre-existing conditions' ticked on the application form do not lead to a rejection but are simply not covered by the policy.

 

When you are 50 years of age and apply for a long-stay Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country, you basically have four choices:

- a 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O-A Visa (with the mandatory health-insurance)

- a 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement (or another qualifying reason) > IF your home-country's Thai Embassy/Consulate provides such Visa

- a 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage > IF your home-country's Thai Embassy/Consulate provides such Visa

- a 5/10-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O-X Visa (with the mandatory health-insurance)

 

The Non Imm O-X Visa is ridiculously expensive for the small benefits it provides, and the 1-year ME Non Imm O marriage Visa is often not available (and of course that Visa requires evidence of being married to a Thai national).

So for those Not married +50 year old applicants the choice is actually between the Non Imm O-A Visa and the Non Imm O Visa.

 

When comparing the application requirements, applying for the Non Imm O Visa is easier.  It does not require health-insurance and the financial requirements at the moment of application are lower than for a Non Imm O-A Visa.  And there is also the option to apply for such 90-day Non Imm O Visa after having entered Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa (which is not possible for the Non Imm O-A Visa which needs to be applied for in your home-country).

But when you take a TWO YEAR perspective (instead of just looking at moment of application) the Non Imm O-A Visa has considerable benefits making it worthwhile to consider applying for it over the Non Imm O Visa.

 

The 1-year Multiple Entry Non Imm O-A Visa

- is multiple entry during its 1-year validity (no need for Re-Entry permits when exiting/re-entering Thailand during that 1-year validity)

- every time you enter Thailand during the Non Imm O-A Visa 1-year validity, you will be stamped in with a 1-year permission to stay

- so the Non Imm O-A Visa can provide you with almost 2 years of hassle-free stay in Thailand, with no need to visit an Imm Office to apply for a 1-year extension during those 2 years

- the Non Imm O-A Visa does NOT require you to park/transfer money to a Thai bank-account

- when occasionally visiting your home-country you can at the end of the 2 years apply for a new Non Imm O-A Visa, and when doing such back-to-back Non Imm O-A Visa applications you will never have to apply for a 1-year extension of stay at an Imm Office

 

The 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement

- is only good for one entry in Thailand on which you will be stamped in for a 90 days permission to stay

- at the end of those 90-days you then need to apply for a 1-year extension of stay at your local IO

- which requires that you meet the financial requirements for such application (often requiring parking/transferring money to a personal Thai bank-account)

 

So from a longer-term perspective applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa is surely worth considering.

The ONLY drawback being the mandatory IO-approved health-insurance when applying for that Non Imm O-A Visa, but as mentioned in the intro of this post that insurance requirement is relatively easy met.

Attached below a screen-shot from a Canadian citizen who applied last week for the Non Imm O-A Visa, and whose insurer filled in the FIC for a 2-year period (which was taken over by the Thai Embassy in Canada as 'Visa validity note' on the Visa sticker).  So for the almost 2 years of stay that the Non Imm O-A visa can provide him he will meet the mandatory Non Imm O-A compliant health-insurance requirement.  It required some perseverance from his side to convince his insurer to fill in that 2-year period on the FIC, but he was successful in doing so.

 

>> In case you are interested in applying for a Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country, just sent me a PM and I will provide you with a comprehensive  Guideline document with the options on how to meet the health-insurance requirement for such application.   

 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Peter Denis
lay-out

[DrJack54]

Another thing to add regarding non O (based on retirement) is that this option is not available in some countries. Two that come to mind are USA and AU.

 

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

Another thing to add regarding non O (based on retirement) is that this option is not available in some countries. Two that come to mind are USA and AU.

That's correct.  US and AU citizens cannot apply for the 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement in their home-country as the Thai Embassy/Consulate there does not issue that particular Visa.  So the only way they can apply for that Visa is by entering Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa, and then apply for it at the local IO of the province where they intend to stay.  This has to be done when they have still at least 15 days (some IOs require 23 days) left on their permission to stay from that VE or TR entry.  When short in time to apply for it (they also need to provide evidence of meeting the financial requirements) they can of course apply first for a 30-day extension of stay from that entry. 

[Piscis]

Thanks Peter. Great info, as always!

 

One more question:

 

With my Non O based on retirement, i was able to get a one year extension of stay. After that year i can apply again for another year in Thailand, and so on... So basically, i could stay and live in Thailand without timely limitation. Do is see that correct?

Does the same apply for the Non O-A based on retirement incl. extensions? Can i apply again and again for an extension of stay?

 

Thanks!

 

John

[DrJack54]

7 minutes ago, Piscis said:

Thanks Peter. Great info, as always!

 

One more question:

 

With my Non O based on retirement, i was able to get a one year extension of stay. After that year i can apply again for another year in Thailand, and so on... So basically, i could stay and live in Thailand without timely limitation. Do is see that correct?

Does the same apply for the Non O-A based on retirement incl. extensions? Can i apply again and again for an extension of stay?

 

Thanks!

 

John

For the non o question yes. Can obtain new annual extension every year. Also when borders open if you wish to exit and reenter Thailand, you only need to purchase a reentry permit single or multiple to keep your extension valid.

As for non O-A the extension process is exactly the same as per non o extensions with the added requirement of insurance policy. Peter has detailed guide of insurance options. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by DrJack54

[Peter Denis]

1 minute ago, Piscis said:

...

With my Non O based on retirement, i was able to get a one year extension of stay. After that year i can apply again for another year in Thailand, and so on... So basically, i could stay and live in Thailand without timely limitation. Do is see that correct?

Does the same apply for the Non O-A based on retirement incl. extensions? Can i apply again and again for an extension of stay?

...

Hi John, yes when in Thailand and the permission to stay from your Non Imm O or Non Imm O-A Visa almost expires, you can apply for a 1-year extension of stay at your local IO, and you can keep on applying for such 1-year extensions indefinitely. 

Two notes:

1 - You can apply for the 1-year extension of stay for different reasons (e.g. retirement, marriage, dependent child, other).  The requirements are different when opting for a different reason to apply for the 1-year extension, and you can switch the reason with each application (that is, if you meet the requirements).

2 - When you apply for the 1-year extension of stay the requirements for a Non Imm O or a Non Imm O-A are EXACTLY the same.  The one and only difference is that when applying for reason of RETIREMENT a 1-year extension of stay based on an original Non Imm O-A Visa requires the mandatory Thai IO-approved health-insurance.  That's the reason retirees on an original Non Imm O-A Visa are switching to a Non Imm O Visa (by doing a quick border-run and applying for a new Non Imm O Visa from scratch)

> I did PM you a comprehensive Guideline on how to convert to a Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement (when you are currently on a different type Visa, e.g. a Non Imm O-A).

[Piscis]

Thanks Peter and Jack!

 

 

[soisanuk]

22 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Another thing to add regarding non O (based on retirement) is that this option is not available in some countries. Two that come to mind are USA and AU.

 

Correct and that has been the case in USA for many years.  I retired in 2002 and contacted the Thai Embassy in Washington, DC about getting the Non-Immigrant O Visa for purpose of retirement -- they told me to apply for the Non-OA Visa.   Back then, you could get a Multiple Entry (ME) Non-Immigrant O Visa from honorary consulates.  I obtained that visa from the Honorary Consul in Dallas, Texas, as I wanted to give living in Thailand a 6 month try out before deciding to fully "fold up shop" and make it a permanent move. 

 

  Since the "O" entry received a permission to stay of 90 days, I did a border run to receive another 90 days.  I then returned to USA for 2 months to sell house & car, dispose of excess property, transfer equivalent of 800k baht to the Thai bank account I had set up earlier, etc. 

 

With the ME Non-O Visa still valid (it had a one year expiry date from date of issue), I used it to re-enter Thailand receiving another 90 day permission to stay.  Back then, I was able to apply for the one year extension at any time, which I did shortly after returning (now Pattaya Immigration requires it to be in the last 30 days of your permission to stay).

 

As others have answered the other posting regarding continuous stay, I can attest to that as I have had consecutive one year renewals since I did my first extension in July 2003.

 

Also, thank you Peter for your posting as it provides good information for those that want to retire here and currently, it appears that the OA Visa will qualify them to get a Certificate of Entry to enter Thailand - with the added requirement they get COVID exclusive health insurance equal to US$100k coverage.  This is also obtainable from Thai companies with the price based on age, length of coverage, and "home country COVID risk" - here is link to the TGIA webpage for COVID insurance: https://www.tipinsure.com/CovidRegional/product_detail.

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by soisanuk

[Peter Denis]

10 minutes ago, soisanuk said:

...

Also, thank you Peter for your posting as it provides good information for those that want to retire here and currently, it appears that the OA Visa will qualify them to get a Certificate of Entry to enter Thailand - with the added requirement they get COVID exclusive health insurance equal to US$100k coverage.  This is also obtainable from Thai companies with the price based on age, length of coverage, and "home country COVID risk" - here is link to the TGIA webpage for COVID insurance: https://www.tipinsure.com/CovidRegional/product_detail.

Hi Soisanuk,

Thanks for the thumbs up.

Attached below some additional info of relevance regarding the currently required 100.000 US $ health-insurance coverage needed to re-enter Thailand.

= = = = =

There seems to be consistent confusion about this US$ 100.000 insurance requirement to (re)-enter Thailand.

1 - That 100.000 US $ insurance needs to cover medical treatment in Thailand, including COVID-19 treatment.  That is the actual wording on the websites of the Thai Embassies.

2 - The 100.000 US $ covid-19 only insurance offered by TGIA is misleading as it does NOT cover other medical treatment in Thailand.  So when subscribing to such a policy you would actually need an additional insurance policy that covers the costs of medical treatment in Thailand.  Conveniently this is NOT mentioned when subscribing to these ridiculously expensive TGIA covid-19 policies.

3 - Almost any travel-insurance policy would meet and often far exceed the 100.000 US $ accident/illness coverage of medical treatment in Thailand.  And travel-insurance is typically available at premiums far lower than a regular health-insurance policy.  On top of that the period of coverage is flexible when subscribing to travel-insurance, while regular health-insurance policies often only provide annual policies.

4 - Several travel-insurance providers INCLUDE covid-19 coverage as part of the affordable travel-insurance package they provide (that often far exceeds the 100.000 US $ minimum coverage).  E.g. SafetyWing does provide such policies and the premium will in majority of cases even be LOWER than the TGIA covid-19 ONLY policies (which by the way do NOT meet the full requirement > see #2).  SafetyWing on-the-fly travel-insurance is available for anyone under 70 years of age, irrespective of nationality or the place you are currently residing.

 

Note: UbonJoe mentioned that those TGIA covid-19 ONLY policies ARE accepted by the Thai Embassies as meeting the 100.000 US $ health-insurance requirement (although they are not compliant with the requirements as posted on the Thai Embassy websites that require coverage of medical treatment in Thailand including covid-19).  Also, the only advantage of those policies is that they are age-independent (which is ridiculous from an insurance point of view) and only take into account your nationality and period of coverage.  E.g. a 25 year old US citizen would pay 3 times the premium an 85 year old Australian citizen would be charged for the same period of coverage. 

[CANSIAM]

On 10/31/2020 at 6:44 PM, Peter Denis said:

Non Imm O-A Visa application in home-country - > Easy to meet health-insurance requirement

Yesterday it was exactly 1 year ago that mandatory IO-approved health-insurance was introduced when

- applying for a Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country;

- applying for a 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of retirement.

So a fitting time for looking back and making an evaluation.

 

Surely in the early weeks/months of the introduction of that mandatory insurance, many (including myself) declared the Non Imm O-A Visa 'dead' because of that health-insurance requirement.

But quite a few things have changed in the mean-time and actually it is still a very worthwhile choice when applying for it in your home-country.

1 - The Thai embassies have gained experience with applications for a new Non Imm O-A Visa, and so it is easier to get the FIC (Foreign Insurance Certificate) approved when you managed to get your foreign/international insurer to fill-in/sign that Certificate.

Note: The two 'director' signatures on the FIC are a bad Thai translation and signatures from 2 insurer reps are sufficient.

2 - The introduction of an affordable Thai IO-approved health-insurance (the LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy with 200K deductible) was a 'game-changer'.  The annual fee for that policy ranges from 6.400 to 11.400 THB in the age categories of 51 to 75 years of age.  An additional advantage being that that policy does NOT require an (expensive) medical to subscribe to it, and 'pre-existing conditions' ticked on the application form do not lead to a rejection but are simply not covered by the policy.

 

When you are 50 years of age and apply for a long-stay Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in your home-country, you basically have four choices:

- a 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O-A Visa (with the mandatory health-insurance)

- a 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement (or another qualifying reason) > IF your home-country's Thai Embassy/Consulate provides such Visa

- a 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage > IF your home-country's Thai Embassy/Consulate provides such Visa

- a 5/10-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O-X Visa (with the mandatory health-insurance)

 

The Non Imm O-X Visa is ridiculously expensive for the small benefits it provides, and the 1-year ME Non Imm O marriage Visa is often not available (and of course that Visa requires evidence of being married to a Thai national).

So for those Not married +50 year old applicants the choice is actually between the Non Imm O-A Visa and the Non Imm O Visa.

 

When comparing the application requirements, applying for the Non Imm O Visa is easier.  It does not require health-insurance and the financial requirements at the moment of application are lower than for a Non Imm O-A Visa.  And there is also the option to apply for such 90-day Non Imm O Visa after having entered Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa (which is not possible for the Non Imm O-A Visa which needs to be applied for in your home-country).

But when you take a TWO YEAR perspective (instead of just looking at moment of application) the Non Imm O-A Visa has considerable benefits making it worthwhile to consider applying for it over the Non Imm O Visa.

 

The 1-year Multiple Entry Non Imm O-A Visa

- is multiple entry during its 1-year validity (no need for Re-Entry permits when exiting/re-entering Thailand during that 1-year validity)

- every time you enter Thailand during the Non Imm O-A Visa 1-year validity, you will be stamped in with a 1-year permission to stay

- so the Non Imm O-A Visa can provide you with almost 2 years of hassle-free stay in Thailand, with no need to visit an Imm Office to apply for a 1-year extension during those 2 years

- the Non Imm O-A Visa does NOT require you to park/transfer money to a Thai bank-account

- when occasionally visiting your home-country you can at the end of the 2 years apply for a new Non Imm O-A Visa, and when doing such back-to-back Non Imm O-A Visa applications you will never have to apply for a 1-year extension of stay at an Imm Office

 

The 90-day SingleEntry Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement

- is only good for one entry in Thailand on which you will be stamped in for a 90 days permission to stay

- at the end of those 90-days you then need to apply for a 1-year extension of stay at your local IO

- which requires that you meet the financial requirements for such application (often requiring parking/transferring money to a personal Thai bank-account)

 

So from a longer-term perspective applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa is surely worth considering.

The ONLY drawback being the mandatory IO-approved health-insurance when applying for that Non Imm O-A Visa, but as mentioned in the intro of this post that insurance requirement is relatively easy met.

Attached below a screen-shot from a Canadian citizen who applied last week for the Non Imm O-A Visa, and whose insurer filled in the FIC for a 2-year period (which was taken over by the Thai Embassy in Canada as 'Visa validity note' on the Visa sticker).  So for the almost 2 years of stay that the Non Imm O-A visa can provide him he will meet the mandatory Non Imm O-A compliant health-insurance requirement.  It required some perseverance from his side to convince his insurer to fill in that 2-year period on the FIC, but he was successful in doing so.

 

>> In case you are interested in applying for a Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country, just sent me a PM and I will provide you with a comprehensive  Guideline document with the options on how to meet the health-insurance requirement for such application.   

 

Great read, for those stuck abroad particularly when having your own foreign insurance plan, the O-A option can be very beneficial when getting your insurer to understand  that you can get 2 years out of it, and that its imperative on the Foreign Insurance Certificate  that the health insurance  'period of coverage' completely covers the validity date of the visa 1 year or even better 2 years, in my case I got 2 years, ( many emails to insurer by the way ) and the embassy added a 'note of insurance'  on the O-A visa in my passport. Notarization was required for the FIC ( O-A Visa instructions ), but I sent to embassy without notarization and was not contacted about it.  The 'period of coverage' on your FIC matching Visa validity or going beyond is key....  

[PaulJ]

A really well written article thank you.I’m in Thailand now  my OA visa ran out in September when I was in UK but I returned just on my re entry permit and stamped in until the 2nd March 2021.
I have approved Thai heath Insurance until October 2021 ( 1 year ) 

My question can I extend my re entry permit while I’m in Thailand or will I have to return in March to Uk to sort out ?
Thanks for any advice.

[Bogbrush]

A very good, well written and useful summation that needs a screen shot and filing...one point, however - it seems the only tourist visas being issued overseas at present are the STV which appear to require both $100 000 Covid-19 and the 400 000/40 000 baht cover. Presumably the Non O - when issued - will also have this requirement? 
 

This aside, can you not envisage - on initial issuance or annual renewal - the Non O also requiring the mandatory insurance in the future?

[Peter Denis]

1 minute ago, PaulJ said:

A really well written article thank you.I’m in Thailand now  my OA visa ran out in September when I was in UK but I returned just on my re entry permit and stamped in until the 2nd March 2021.
I have approved Thai heath Insurance until October 2021 ( 1 year ) 

My question can I extend my re entry permit while I’m in Thailand or will I have to return in March to Uk to sort out ?
Thanks for any advice.

Hi Paul,

Unless you are planning a trip to UK and returning to Thailand before 2nd March 2021, there would be NO point in buying a new Re-Entry Permit that will keep that 2nd March 2021 permission to stay stamp alive.

When you plan to stay in Thailand for the coming months, you would need to apply for a 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa.  That application needs to be done in the 30 days before till permission to stay expiry date (2nd March 2021).  When using the funds-in-bank method to meet the financial requirements of that 1-year extension of stay application, you need to provide evidence of having 800.000 THB on a personal Thai bank account (a joint one is not accepted by IO) in the TWO months preceding the date of application.  This means the funds need to be there somewhere mid/end December. 

When applying for that Non Imm O-A extension you would also need to show that you have a Thai IO-approved health-insurance policy issued by a TGIA-associated insurer with a certificate that the insurance is Non Imm O-A compliant and approved.   You write that you already have such insurance but that it is valid till October 2021.  So it would be recommended that you contact your Thai insurer to reschedule the policy validity period so that it is aligned with your upcoming 1-year extension of stay application (otherwise your permission to stay would be capped till insurnace validity period expiry date).

The above is written from the point of view that you would apply for the 1-year extension of stay based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa for reason of RETIREMENT.

However, if you are married to a Thai national or have Thai dependent children, you could also apply for that 1-year extension for family reasons.  In that case the financial requirements you need to meet are way lower, and there would be no need for the health-insurance as that is only applicable when extending for reason of retirement.

[Peter Denis]

16 minutes ago, Bogbrush said:

... one point, however - it seems the only tourist visas being issued overseas at present are the STV which appear to require both $100 000 Covid-19 and the 400 000/40 000 baht cover. Presumably the Non O - when issued - will also have this requirement? 
 

This aside, can you not envisage - on initial issuance or annual renewal - the Non O also requiring the mandatory insurance in the future?

ONLY non-Thais from countries included in the list of COVID-19 low-risk countries are eligible to apply for the Tourist Visa (TR) and Special Tourist Visa (STV).   That list of eligible countries for TR and STV will be updated on 1st and 15th of each month (you would need to check the website of the Thai Embassy of your home-country whether your home-country is accepted as covid low-risk country).

Currently USA and practically all European countries (except the 4 scandinavian countries) are NOT on that list.

So when wishing to return to Thailand from such country, the options are limited.

> When over +50 years of age, applicants can apply for the Non Imm O-A Visa

> When married to a Thai national or having Thai dependent children, applicants can apply either for the Non Imm O Visa or the Non Imm O-A Visa.

[sscc]

Thank you Peter. 

 

One item I dislike about applying the Non-Imm  "O" Visa in home country is beyond the first year period,  there is a further requirement to get out of Thailand for VISA run every  90 days.   Essentially, need to leave and come back roughly on 15th  18th,  21st, 24th month etc after entering the Thailand. 

 

Weeks ago,  you and others have told me this future 90-Day VISA run is needed for  Non-Imm "O" Visa applying in home country.   

 

On the other hand,  this inconvenient VISA run is not needed for Non-Imm "O" Visa needed for cases of applying Non-Imm "O" Visa in Thailand under VISA-exempt status.  

[Peter Denis]

3 minutes ago, sscc said:

...

One item I dislike about applying the Non-Imm  "O" Visa in home country is beyond the first year period,  there is a further requirement to get out of Thailand for VISA run every  90 days.   Essentially, need to leave and come back roughly on 15th  18th,  21st, 24th month etc after entering the Thailand. 

 

Weeks ago,  you and others have told me this future 90-Day VISA run is needed for  Non-Imm "O" Visa applying in home country.   

On the other hand,  this inconvenient VISA run is not needed for Non-Imm "O" Visa needed for cases of applying Non-Imm "O" Visa in Thailand under VISA-exempt status.  

HI sscc,

Thanks for your post.

But what you write is only partly correct.  It is indeed a somewhat complicated issue (like much of the Thai Visa regulations). 

 

> A Non Imm O-A Visa is a 'long-stay' Visa as it provides you on entry with a 1-year permission to stay.

And a Non Imm O Visa is a 'short-stay' Visa as it provides you on entry only with a 90-day permission to stay.

 

1 - When you apply for the 90-day Single-Entry Non Imm O Visa in your home-country or at your local Imm office (when having entered Thailand VisaExempt or on a Tourist Visa), it does provide you with such 90-day permission to stay.  After which you either need to exit Thailand or apply for a 1-year extension of stay at your local IO based on that Non Imm O Visa.

 

2 - There exists also a 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa, which is - despite its 1-year validity - also 'short-stay'.

You apply for the 1-year MultipleEntry Non Imm O Visa in your home-country (only available in some countries, and only for reason of Marriage) or in one of the Thai consulates in neighboring countries that issue that ME Non Imm O Visa (e.g. Savannakhet).  And when entering Thailand on such ME Non Imm Visa you will be stamped in by border Immigration with a 90-day permission to stay in your passport. 

The Visa is MultipleEntry and it is valid for 1 year, so it allows you to exit Thailand at the end of those 90-days and on return (can be same day), you will be stamped in again for a new 90-day permission to stay.  When timed right you can thus get almost 15 or even 17 months of stay out of that ME Non Imm O Visa.

 

3 - When the permission to stay you received when entering on either the SingleEntry 90-days or the MultipleEntry 1-year Non Imm O Visa almost expires, you have the option to apply for a 1-year EXTENSION of stay based on that original Non Imm O Visa.

And such 1-year extension of stay provides you with a permission to stay which is valid for a full-year and does not force you to make 3-monthly border-runs. 

Note: Applying for the 1-year ME Non Imm O Visa for reason of marriage in a neighboring country was very popular, as you only needed to provide evidence of being married to a Thai national with NO need to meet any financial requirements.  But obviously with borders closed, most of those on such Visa did now apply in-country for the 1-year extension of stay based on that Non Imm O Visa.

 

[JomtienExile]

Thanks for this very helpful post. Perhaps you can clarify my options: I am a 67yo Australian currently just coming out of lockdown here in Melbourne. I have been here since I foolishly took my friends' advice and left Thailand in March. I own a condo in Jomtien. I have a Non-O Retirement visa plus re-entry permit, which of course are not operative at the moment. I have a Thai bank account with B600k in it, untouched since March. I am happy to buy health insurance and to do hotel quarantine. I am happy to agree to stay in Thailand for a year or any other time they require. I have contacted Thai Long Stay about the STV but they say they are not yet authorised to process applications. If I understand you correctly, I would be better applying for the one-year OA visa directly from the Thai Embassy. Is that correct? If so, should I buy the health insurance first? Can I do that online from the company you mentioned, LMG? Kop khun krab

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, JomtienExile said:

Thanks for this very helpful post. Perhaps you can clarify my options: I am a 67yo Australian currently just coming out of lockdown here in Melbourne. I have been here since I foolishly took my friends' advice and left Thailand in March. I own a condo in Jomtien. I have a Non-O Retirement visa plus re-entry permit, which of course are not operative at the moment. I have a Thai bank account with B600k in it, untouched since March. I am happy to buy health insurance and to do hotel quarantine. I am happy to agree to stay in Thailand for a year or any other time they require. I have contacted Thai Long Stay about the STV but they say they are not yet authorised to process applications. If I understand you correctly, I would be better applying for the one-year OA visa directly from the Thai Embassy. Is that correct? If so, should I buy the health insurance first? Can I do that online from the company you mentioned, LMG? Kop khun krab

Hi, for me it is obvious from what you wrote that applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa at the Thai Embassy/Consulate in Australia is a far better option in your case than applying for the STV.

 

When the insurer of your current health-insurance policy that covers you when in Thailand, is not able/willing to fill in the FIC, you could then simply subscribe to the LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy to meet the Non Imm O-A compliant health-insurance requirement.  After having done so you can then apply for the Non Imm O-A Visa.

And with that Non Imm O-A Visa you could then apply for the currently required CoE (certificate of entry).  That CoE also requires health-insurance (different than the insurance required for the Non Imm O-A Visa application).  You would need a 100.000 US $ coverage insurance of medical treatment in Thailand, INCLUDING covid-19 treatment.
In case your current health-insurance does not meet those requirements, you could subscribe to a SafetyWing travel-insurance policy that fully meets (and even exceeds) the requirements at premiums comparable or lower than the covid-19 only insurance policies provided by TGIA (the Thai insurance lobby).

>> I did PM you a Guideline document on how to meet the insurance requirement when applying for the Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country.

 

[JomtienExile]

I don't have any health insurance at present, I can pay for my own healthcare. I don't care greatly about the cost, I just want to buy insurance that meets the Thai government's requirements.

I'm looking at the TravelWing website now. It sells *travel insurance* not health insurance. I think the Thais require health insurance that covers the whole period of stay in Thailand, which in my case would be at least a year. I don't think that's what TravelWings is selling. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Edited November 2, 2020 by JomtienExile

[RocketDog]

Thanks Peter for updating your info as well as providing your original Roadmap that was so helpful to me last year. I opted to continue my O-A Permission to Stay rather than leave Thailand last April and return to get an O visa. In retrospect it was certainly a lucky move. 

 

Clearly, judging from this thread your scholarship is not a 'thankless ' endeavor. Hopefully this will encourage you to keep us all updated as the world turns. 

 

It may be worth noting that, for Americans Medicare does not cover outside the USA and very few supplemental policies will either. In the end I still have and pay for both but also bought the Pacific Cross Thai insurance w/ 100k฿ deductible so I'm covered here for any reasonable claims. As you have stated before, LMG should be considered 'paper': insurance in name only useful for immigration but not for actual medical coverage. 

 

Having three insurance policies to cover me in two countries seems absurd, but with the current state of global affairs it may just be the 'new normal '. ???? 

Stand back and standby for more madness. 

[Peter Denis]

16 minutes ago, JomtienExile said:

I don't have any health insurance at present, I can pay for my own healthcare. Are you saying I need two different policies? 

Yes, when you do not have already foreign or Thai health-insurance, the cheapest and easiest option is to subscribe to TWO different insurance policies.

1 - The LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy (with 200K deductible) > that IO-approved policy meets the specific requirements for Non Imm O-A compliant insurance, and is by far the cheapest 'throw-away' policy to meet the requirements.  Since it does not require a medical, you can subscribe to this policy from abroad.

2 - SafetyWing travel-insurance policy > that policy meets (and exceeds) the 100.000 US $ coverage for any medical treatment in Thailand (including covid-19 treatment).  Also in your case, not having any insurance, it is recommended to have insurance that would cover you in case of catastrophic accident/illness and the SafetyWing travel-insurance policy does provide you with some decent coverage.

[JomtienExile]

Surely it is possible to buy one insurance policy that has $US100k coverage, covers COVID and covers the whole time I am in Thailand. I don't care about cost.

[ubonjoe]

3 minutes ago, JomtienExile said:

Surely it is possible to buy one insurance policy that has $US100k coverage, covers COVID and covers the whole time I am in Thailand. I don't care about cost.

Pacific Cross has one. https://www.pacificcrosshealth.com/en/visa-friendly/

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

Pacific Cross has one. https://www.pacificcrosshealth.com/en/visa-friendly/

@JomtienExile > Yes, that policy indeed covers both the Non Imm O-A compliant requirement and the 100.000 US $ medical treatment in Thailand (including covid-19).

There are however two caveats:

1 - Cost is (much) higher than subscribing separately to the two suggested policies

2 - The covid-19 coverage would only start when you are already 15 days in Thailand

[JomtienExile]

Will it be accepted by the Thai Embassy as meeting their requirements? (I'm sorry to keep at this, but that is the ONLY thing I care about.)

Edited November 2, 2020 by JomtienExile

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, JomtienExile said:

Will it be accepted by the Thai Embassy as meeting their requirements? (I'm sorry to keep at this, but that is the ONLY thing I care about.)

Yes it will since Pacific Cross is one of the approved insurance companies.

[JomtienExile]

OK, thanks kap. I will contact them. 

[Flyfish]

I am currently stuck in U.K. I have a valid non O visa with a re entry until 6dec 2021.

what are the options please for a return to Thailand?

thank you in advance for your assistance.  

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, JomtienExile said:

...
I'm looking at the SafetyWing website now. It sells *travel insurance* not health insurance. I think the Thais require health insurance that covers the whole period of stay in Thailand, which in my case would be at least a year. I don't think that's what SafetyWings is selling.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

You incorrectly wrote TravelWing > correct name = SafetyWing - attached link to their website

> https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/?utm_expid=.O9f92zU7S9CnL_sdRe02ow.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Their travel-insurance package includes health-insurance coverage (accidents and illnesses) including covid-19 treatment.

You can subscribe to their policy for any period of your liking (1 year possible).  You pay per 4-weeks and can cancel the policy anytime.

Applicants subscribing to that policy have been approved for the CoE, as the policy fully meets the requirements.

Edited November 2, 2020 by Peter Denis

[SunsetT]

Thanks for the comprehensive info. Peter. To start I had an email from LMG today stating that they do not offer the $100000 Covid coverage policies to over Sixties.

 

I am in the UK and only recently discovered that OA visas could be applied for. I have a thaievisa.go.th account which I have obtained visas with before and Im trying to start a new visa application, but over and over, after logging out and in, clearing cookies, and using Chrome instead of Firefox, at Step 2 I am only being offered a Tourist visa on the menu. Any advice please?