Timing of insurance policy for COE

[peterdwje2]

Last July I bought the cheapest LMG insurance to quickly do (at CW) my annual extension of stay based on retirement. Now I'm abroad and planning to apply for COE to return to Bangkok in early December. So I now need to buy another policy that covers the $100,000 COVID-19 minimum. If I buy the new one-year policy starting in December, it will expire four months after I do my next annual extension of stay in July 2021. So I would be able to extend for only four months unless I renew the useless LMG policy. How do I get around this? Thank you for your advice.

[ubonjoe]

At this time you cannot apply for a certificate of entry with a re-entry permit for a extension of stay based upon retirement.

You must have a valid OA visa or a re-entry permit for permit to stay it allowed.

Or if you are married to or a parent of Thai.

[peterdwje2]

15 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

At this time you cannot apply for a certificate of entry with a re-entry permit for a extension of stay based upon retirement.

You must have a valid OA visa or a re-entry permit for permit to stay it allowed.

Or if you are married to or a parent of Thai.

I'm sorry, I don't understand the distinction you are making. I have a multiple re-entry permit from my last annual extension at CW. It expires in July 2021. My extension and permit are for a Non O-A based on retirement that I obtained a few years ago. The consulate here in Hong Kong says I can apply for a COE. Thanks.

[ubonjoe]

9 minutes ago, peterdwje2 said:

I'm sorry, I don't understand the distinction you are making. I have a multiple re-entry permit from my last annual extension at CW. It expires in July 2021. My extension and permit are for a Non O-A based on retirement that I obtained a few years ago. The consulate here in Hong Kong says I can apply for a COE. Thanks.

That is not what other embassies and official consulates are saying or have on their website.

What they basically are saying that if you have extended your stay you got from a OA visa you do not qualify for a COE.

Only a valid OA visa or a one year entry from one with a re-entry permit will be accepted.

[peterdwje2]

9 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That is not what other embassies and official consulates are saying or have on their website.

What they basically are saying that if you have extended your stay you got from a OA visa you do not qualify for a COE.

Only a valid OA visa or a one year entry from one with a re-entry permit will be accepted.

Now I understand. I did show the clerk at the consulate my extension of stay and he said I can apply. I will go back and re-check this. Meantime, can you or anyone else advise re my question on timing of insurance policies? Thanks for your help.

 

[ubonjoe]

27 minutes ago, peterdwje2 said:

Meantime, can you or anyone else advise re my question on timing of insurance policies? Thanks for your help.

You will not need the covid 19 insurance when you apply for your extension next year. You could get a separate policy for it to get the COE. Check here for it. https://covid19.tgia.org/

If you already have the LMG insurance valid to the day your current extension ends you will not need to buy new insurance for the COE.

[Peter Denis]

18 hours ago, peterdwje2 said:

...

So I now need to buy another policy that covers the $100,000 COVID-19 minimum. If I buy the new one-year policy starting in December, it will expire four months after I do my next annual extension of stay in July 2021. So I would be able to extend for only four months unless I renew the useless LMG policy. How do I get around this? Thank you for your advice.

Once you are back in Thailand and applying in July again for the 1-year extension of your current Non Imm O-A Visa...

1 -  there is no need for a covid-19 inclusive 100.000 US $ health-insurance policy.  That covid-19 inclusive policy is only required for re-entering Thailand, and for the intended period of stay (which in your case would be less than 1 year, as your permission to stay from your Non Imm O-A Visa is only valid till July).

2 - the easiest would be to simply extend that LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy to meet the Non Imm O-A compliant health-insurance requirement.

[peterdwje2]

5 hours ago, Peter Denis said:

Once you are back in Thailand and applying in July again for the 1-year extension of your current Non Imm O-A Visa...

1 -  there is no need for a covid-19 inclusive 100.000 US $ health-insurance policy.  That covid-19 inclusive policy is only required for re-entering Thailand, and for the intended period of stay (which in your case would be less than 1 year, as your permission to stay from your Non Imm O-A Visa is only valid till July).

2 - the easiest would be to simply extend that LMG Insurance Plan-1 policy to meet the Non Imm O-A compliant health-insurance requirement.

So I only need a 7-month covid-19 policy (arrival in Dec till permission to stay expires in July), correct? Have idea where best to purchase such policy? The ones on covid tgia site ubonjoe pointed to are expensive. It appears foreign policies are okay for COE purpose. Please excuse if this has been mentioned in other threads -- I can't read through them all due to eye strain. Thank you for your advice.

[Sheryl]

If you are under I think age 69, many people have recommended this policy (though you'd have to check to see if they will issue for 7 months)

https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/

 

If you are often 65 the tgia list may be all that is possible. For someone departing from HK, 180 day cover is only 7,680 baht. For a full year (which you do not need) it is 14,400.  Not clear if there is a way to do 7 months.

 

[Peter Denis]

17 minutes ago, peterdwje2 said:

So I only need a 7-month covid-19 policy (arrival in Dec till permission to stay expires in July), correct? Have idea where best to purchase such policy? The ones on covid tgia site ubonjoe pointed to are expensive. It appears foreign policies are okay for COE purpose. Please excuse if this has been mentioned in other threads -- I can't read through them all due to eye strain. Thank you for your advice.

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.

Also you would need the policy to cover your intended period of stay in Thailand.

So it might be worthwhile to check with the Embassy whether you intending to leave Thailand again after say 6 weeks would be accepted to limit the covid-19 insurance to that period (instead of the 7 month period remaining on your Non Imm O-A Visa permission to stay).  In that case it would be a simple matter of buying a cheap throw-away flight-ticket out of Thailand to limit the period for which you need the covid-19 inclusive insurance.  

Note: Some people have accused me of 'gaming the system' by suggesting this, but I really see no reason to buy a covid-19 insurance policy for a long period in a covid-free country like Thailand, and would be proud to wear such a Gamer Badge.

 

[peterdwje2]

On 11/5/2020 at 9:45 AM, ubonjoe said:

If you already have the LMG insurance valid to the day your current extension ends you will not need to buy new insurance for the COE.

That (cheap) LMG policy that I have covers only up to 440,000b and I have no other insurance, so I would have to buy a new policy for the COE. Have you seen reports of people successfully getting the COE and returning to Thailand using the Safetywing travel insurance mentioned by Sheryl and Peter Denis? Thank you.

 

[Sheryl]

Yes, people have used it.

 

You can use any policy that issues a letter stating you are covered, in Thailand, for COVID up to at least $100,000.