Best price for 6 month Covid insurance?

[SurinMel]

I'm returning to Thailand soon with my Thai wife for  5 months. Despite a letter from a company I own guaranteeing $100,000 Covid coverage, we are being required to purchase a Thai insurance policy for this. The only price I've found so far is 20,000 THB from Luma. A total waste of money better spent employing people in our Isaan village.

 

I've tried to find a comparison of policies and costs, to no avail. Apparently there are 16 approved Thai insurance companies.

[richard_smith237]

What insurance do you have to cover your medical costs should you have a heart attack, slip over and smack your head, come down Dengue or any tropical parasitic illness etc etc ???

 

I always figured the US$100,000 insurance cover was never an issue - ensuring we have adequate medical / health insurance is something I always wanted and have anyway (my cover is to US$1m (33million baht)) and costs 34,000 baht (with a 33,000 baht excess - inpatient only) - I’m covered should something seriously major happen.

I feel for those who are unable to obtain cover (due to age) - but if someone can get reasonably priced cover, it makes sense to get it. 

 

I’ve had a friend (in her late 30’s) fall seriously ill out of the blue and had 4 million baht hospital fees (4 month, 1 of which in ICU). 

 

Not many people have >5 million baht sitting in a bank, immediately accessible by someone else while they are incapacitated or unconscious in ICU. 

 

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Does the Cover have to be with a Thai Insurance company ? - All the requirement states is a Letter, or certificate stating Cover for Covid-19 (and complications due to Covid-19) up to or above the equivalent of US$100,000. 

Do international companies such as BUPA International etc provide this document ?

 

 

Edited November 2, 2020 by richard_smith237

[Matthew FRONCEK]

What are the 16 insurance  company's in Thailand. 

[ThaiPauly]

I am not sure if it will help you but Roojai are advertising a few threads before this one that they will do covid insurance 1m baht 850 baht a year.

 

Seems very good, but as I say I don't know if it would be helpful to you?

[Peter Denis]

On 11/2/2020 at 5:23 PM, SurinMel said:

I'm returning to Thailand soon with my Thai wife for  5 months. Despite a letter from a company I own guaranteeing $100,000 Covid coverage, we are being required to purchase a Thai insurance policy for this. ...

At which Thai Embassy/Consulate are you applying?

There is NO requirement that the 100.000 US $ coverage insurance for covid-19 treatment should be from a THAI insurer.

If your current foreign/international insurance policy includes covid-19 treatment, that will do fine.  Many people (under 70 years of age) have successfully applied for the CoE using 'on the fly' SafetyWing travel-insurance, which provides a 250.000 US $ FULL travel-insurance package deal that includes covid-19 treatment.  > https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance

Often that SafetyWing travel-insurance premium is LOWER than the ridiculous TGIA-touted covid-19 ONLY insurance policies, and surely if you are middle-age and national from a high-risk country (like US, UK or Europe).

[Peter Denis]

1 hour ago, ThaiPauly said:

I am not sure if it will help you but Roojai are advertising a few threads before this one that they will do covid insurance 1m baht 850 baht a year.

 

Seems very good, but as I say I don't know if it would be helpful to you?

Indeed the in-country covid-19 insurance policies you can subscribe to are very cheap - 850 THB for a fully year premium (and rightfully so, because Thailand is virtually covid-free). 

However a 1.000.000 THB policy would not meet the +100.000 US $ coverage for covid-19 treatment, required for the CoE to re-enter Thailand.

[jaizan]

We also have to do 15 nights in ASQ, with 2 covid tests.    Anyone failing a test gets carted off to hospital, whether they need treatment or not.

 

According to Thaiest and my reading of T&Cs, the hotel charge does NOT include the cost of hospital cover.   So we would need a policy that covered that.   I'm not entirely sure it the cover for "emergency medical treatment" included in many UK travel insurance policies would classify this as an "emergency".     I'm trying to clarify this with potential insurers.

[Peter Denis]

8 hours ago, jaizan said:

We also have to do 15 nights in ASQ, with 2 covid tests.    Anyone failing a test gets carted off to hospital, whether they need treatment or not.

 

According to Thaiest and my reading of T&Cs, the hotel charge does NOT include the cost of hospital cover.   So we would need a policy that covered that.   I'm not entirely sure it the cover for "emergency medical treatment" included in many UK travel insurance policies would classify this as an "emergency".     I'm trying to clarify this with potential insurers.

Yes, it is indeed recommended to check with the insurer whether their policy even if it mentions costs for covid-19 treatment, would also cover the cost for hospitalization when tested positive.

There have been some reports from insurance policies that do NOT cover it.

That goes to show this mandatory insurance to insure you would be able to pay the hospital bills for covid-19 are a pure money-grabbing scheme, as in that case the actual event would not be covered.  Just like the requirement that you need it for the length of the permission to stay your Visa will provide you on entry. (Thailand being virtually covid-free there is no risk after having been more than 2 weeks in the country, so a 1-year policy for Non Imm O-A Visa holders is daylight robbery considering that an in-country 1 million THB covid-19 policy can be bought for 850 THB).

[peterdwje2]

On 11/17/2020 at 12:08 PM, Peter Denis said:

 Many people (under 70 years of age) have successfully applied for the CoE using 'on the fly' SafetyWing travel-insurance, which provides a 250.000 US $ FULL travel-insurance package deal that includes covid-19 treatment.  > https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance

Often that SafetyWing travel-insurance premium is LOWER than the ridiculous TGIA-touted covid-19 ONLY insurance policies, and surely if you are middle-age and national from a high-risk country (like US, UK or Europe).

Do you know any similar-type alternative to SafetyWing? I am not able to apply due to technical issue with their site (or my input). I recall you mentioned elsewhere World Nomads does not cover Covid. But I see this on their site (the link does not go to more details):

"Please read your plan documents carefully. Cancellations due to fear of travel are not covered. However, our plan does not exclude losses associated with pandemic or epidemic conditions; meaning that if you, your traveling companion or family member were to become sick (after you purchase the plan) as a result of COVID-19, you could still receive benefits for losses covered by the plan. Learn more here www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/coronavirus."