Can travel insurance be accepted by Suvarnabhumi immigration for a new OA visa entry?

[SunsetT]

I am in the UK and applying for an OA visa to hopefully enter Thailand in December. I cannot/dont want to stay for 1 year so plan to book a return flight to return in 5 or 6 months time. I want to know if, when shown my return flight ticket date, Thai immigration at Suvarnabhumi will accept travel insurance with the required Covid cover for the 5/6 months and stamp me in for that period or will they insist on insurance with 1 year's cover? I know that 'logically' they should insist on one year's cover because maybe I will overstay and remain without cover, but with Thailand, logic often does not apply. In fact the London Embassy has emailed me to say that " it should be OK". So I want to know if anyone has actually done it (in this Covid era) and entered on a new OA visa with travel insurance, or perhaps re-entered with annual insurance that would expire before their 1 year re-entry stamp?

[tonray]

3 hours ago, SunsetT said:

I am in the UK and applying for an OA visa to hopefully enter Thailand in December. I cannot/dont want to stay for 1 year so plan to book a return flight to return in 5 or 6 months time. I want to know if, when shown my return flight ticket date, Thai immigration at Suvarnabhumi will accept travel insurance with the required Covid cover for the 5/6 months and stamp me in for that period or will they insist on insurance with 1 year's cover? I know that 'logically' they should insist on one year's cover because maybe I will overstay and remain without cover, but with Thailand, logic often does not apply. In fact the London Embassy has emailed me to say that " it should be OK". So I want to know if anyone has actually done it (in this Covid era) and entered on a new OA visa with travel insurance, or perhaps re-entered with annual insurance that would expire before their 1 year re-entry stamp?

Wouldn't you also have an insurance policy to get the OA in the first place...which may have the required coverage for an entire 1 year permission to stay ?

[travelerjim]

You must have a one year OA compliant health insurance policy or you will not be issued the OA visa.  

 

So you need to meet two insurance criteria .

One for your

CoE and another for the OA.

 

And both for one year as you are stamped into Thailand for one year on arrival.

 

Your plans to depart in 5-6 months has no bearing on the fact you need one year insurance.

 

Good luck. 

Edited November 10, 2020 by travelerjim

[SunsetT]

10 hours ago, tonray said:

Wouldn't you also have an insurance policy to get the OA in the first place...which may have the required coverage for an entire 1 year permission to stay ?

Yes. I am in the process of applying now which asks for dates of arrival and departure. So I could try to get it with the travel insurance that covers that period.  But even if the visa is issued and the COE is issued, which the embassy have indicated that they will, if Im denied entry at Suvarnabhumi I will be left up the creek without a paddle! So I think it will have to be a 1 year policy.

 

I just wondered if anyone had actually entered on travel insurance.

Edited November 10, 2020 by SunsetT

[khunPer]

2 hours ago, SunsetT said:

Yes. I am in the process of applying now which asks for dates of arrival and departure. So I could try to get it with the travel insurance that covers that period.  But even if the visa is issued and the COE is issued, which the embassy have indicated that they will, if Im denied entry at Suvarnabhumi I will be left up the creek without a paddle! So I think it will have to be a 1 year policy.

 

I just wondered if anyone had actually entered on travel insurance.

You cannot use a travel insurance, but it still makes good sense to have one.

 

You need an approved health insurance, either by statement from a foreign insurer, or by using one of the approved Thai companies, which you can find HERE.

 

You might also need a Covid-19 insurance of 3 million baht – or verification of other health insurance to cover Covid-19 – which you can find HERE.

[SunsetT]

2 minutes ago, khunPer said:

You cannot use a travel insurance, but it still makes good sense to have one.

 

You need an approved health insurance, either by statement from a foreign insurer, or by using one of the approved Thai companies, which you can find HERE.

 

You might also need a Covid-19 insurance of 3 million baht – or verification of other health insurance to cover Covid-19 – which you can find HERE.

Surely u must, and it makes sense to, combine the 2 for a new OA application.

[Bez1]

If you use a travel insurance company that gives 1 year cover could you please share the name , the most I can ever get is 8 months and must be in the Uk to renew which generally is fine because we tend to go back to the UK approx every 6 months.

But due to Covid I’ve not been back and now in my 14th month so making alternative arrangements but it would be great to know of a company that does 12 months cover. 
best wishes to all

[Peter Denis]

Hi @SunsetT  > Your question is actually twofold.

 

1 - Whether it was possible to apply for the Non Imm O-A Visa with health-insurance that meets the IO Non Imm O-A compliant criteria, but with insurance coverage period less than the 1-year Visa validity.  The answer is YES.

2 - You also asked whether it was possible to meet the CoE criteria for the 100.000 US $ coverage of medical treatment in Thailand (including treatment of covid-19) with an insurance coverage period less than the 1-year Visa validity of his Non Imm O-A Visa.  Also here the answer is YES.

 

= = = = =

Some explanation re the above.

1 - When you apply for the Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country, you need to provide evidence of have a valid IO-approved non imm O-A compliant health-insurance policy.  

When you plan to stay longer than 1 year in Thailand, it is of course recommended that the insurance policy expiry date coincides with the Non Imm O-A 1-year Visa validity expiry date.  But that is NOT a requirement, so you can apply with a health-insurance policy that meets the requirements, but expires say in 6 months.

The Thai Embassy will simply take over that 6-month policy expiry date as a note on the Visa Sticker when they issue your Non Imm O-A Visa (which will be valid for 12 months from date of issue).

But when you enter Thailand border-immigration has been instructed to check for that insurance policy note on the Visa sticker, and they will stamp you in for

- 12 months when entering within the Visa validity period, OR

- the insurance policy expiry date on the note in your passport

WHICHEVER IS SHORTEST.

So that means that you would only be stamped in for 6 months (instead of 12 months) when your insurance policy expiry date is in 6 months.

2 - In order to currently enter Thailand, everybody now ALSO needs a 100.000 US $ coverage insurance policy for medical treatment in Thailand (including treatment of covid-19).

That mandatory insurance should cover the intended length of your stay in Thailand (that's what the Embassy websites state).  So even if you applied for a Non Imm O-A Visa which would provide you with a 12 month period of stay in Thailand, if you do not intend to stay that full period in Thailand, e.g. you intend to return to your home-country after 6 months, you would only need such a covid-19 inclusive health-insurance policy for those 6 months. 

And like under #1, when you enter Thailand, border-immigration will stamp you in for

- the period your Visa entitles you to, OR

- the covid-19 insurance policy expiry date

WHICHEVER IS SHORTEST.

[Peter Denis]

SafetyWing travel-insurance is available till 69 years of age and includes covid-19 as part of their accident/illness coverage.  It is 'on the fly' insurance so you can subscribe to it irrespective of your nationality or where you are currently residing, and you can subscribe for up till 1-year.  It provides good value for affordable premiums (actually in majority of cases their full travel-insurance package will be CHEAPER than the ridiculous covid-19 only insurance-policies offered by TGIA). 

[Rimmer]

Some posts have been removed as per the member request, the replies have also been removed

[SunsetT]

12 hours ago, Bez1 said:

If you use a travel insurance company that gives 1 year cover could you please share the name , the most I can ever get is 8 months and must be in the Uk to renew which generally is fine because we tend to go back to the UK approx every 6 months.

But due to Covid I’ve not been back and now in my 14th month so making alternative arrangements but it would be great to know of a company that does 12 months cover. 
best wishes to all

I did speak to staysure.co.uk on the phone, and they said they could provide 12 months long stay travel cover. (Online it said if over 65 cover was restricted to 180 days.) BUT it would be about £3k! I am 68. If u r younger it may be more reasonable. (Apply online, if u can, through topcashback.co.uk for 25% cashback)

[Peter Denis]

4 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

I did speak to staysure.co.uk on the phone, and they said they could provide 12 months long stay travel cover. (Online it said if over 65 cover was restricted to 180 days.) BUT it would be about £3k! I am 68. If u r younger it may be more reasonable. (Apply online, if u can, through topcashback.co.uk for 25% cashback)

Made a quick check on SafetyWing > 68 year old  - full year coverage = approx 1.800 US $

<  https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/pricing >

[SunsetT]

12 minutes ago, Peter Denis said:

Made a quick check on SafetyWing > 68 year old  - full year coverage = approx 1.800 US $

<  https://safetywing.com/nomad-insurance/pricing >

Thank you for your very informative and helpful posts Peter. That is the cheapest quote I have seen so far. 

[Bez1]

Thank you so much for your help, I’ll contact the companies and get a quote.Thanks again 

[chilli42]

On 11/10/2020 at 3:10 AM, SunsetT said:

I am in the UK and applying for an OA visa to hopefully enter Thailand in December. I cannot/dont want to stay for 1 year so plan to book a return flight to return in 5 or 6 months time. I want to know if, when shown my return flight ticket date, Thai immigration at Suvarnabhumi will accept travel insurance with the required Covid cover for the 5/6 months and stamp me in for that period or will they insist on insurance with 1 year's cover? I know that 'logically' they should insist on one year's cover because maybe I will overstay and remain without cover, but with Thailand, logic often does not apply. In fact the London Embassy has emailed me to say that " it should be OK". So I want to know if anyone has actually done it (in this Covid era) and entered on a new OA visa with travel insurance, or perhaps re-entered with annual insurance that would expire before their 1 year re-entry stamp?

Yes, you are OK.  I just returned and prior to my departure I checked the same.  Was told by the consulate in my country that the insurance coverage period should match with the intended length of stay.  As for myself, I purchased one month of insurance though I plan to stay much longer.  The focus of the document checking is round whether you have insurance of not.  The period of coverage is not something they are looking at.

[Peter Denis]

5 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

... Was told by the consulate in my country that the insurance coverage period should match with the intended length of stay. 

As for myself, I purchased one month of insurance though I plan to stay much longer.  The focus of the document checking is round whether you have insurance of not.  The period of coverage is not something they are looking at.

Yes, the Thai Embassy websites outlining the CoE requirements, state that the 100.000 US $ covid-19 insurance should match your intended length of stay.

When applying for the CoE it will most probably not be a problem if your covid-19 insurance is shorter than the permission to stay your Visa will entitle you to when entering Thailand.

HOWEVER, the problem might arise when actually entering Thailand.  Because border-immigration has been instructed to stamp you in for the period your Visa entitles you to OR till your insurance expires, whichever is shorter.

So if you applied for a Non Imm O-A Visa that normally will provide you with a 12 month permission to stay, and enter Thailand on that still valid Visa, the permission to stay will be CAPPED till 

- the expiry date of the Non Imm O-A Visa compliant insurance as noted at the bottom of the Non Imm O-A Visa sticker;

- the expiry date of the 100.000 US $ covid-19 insurance, for which you need to show the Certificate on entry.

 

[SunsetT]

54 minutes ago, chilli42 said:

Yes, you are OK.  I just returned and prior to my departure I checked the same.  Was told by the consulate in my country that the insurance coverage period should match with the intended length of stay.  As for myself, I purchased one month of insurance though I plan to stay much longer.  The focus of the document checking is round whether you have insurance of not.  The period of coverage is not something they are looking at.

So if you returned how long were you stamped in for?  And if its an OA visa do you have the insurance expiry  date in small print at the bottom of your OA visa stamp?

[chilli42]

On 11/14/2020 at 3:38 PM, SunsetT said:

So if you returned how long were you stamped in for?  And if its an OA visa do you have the insurance expiry  date in small print at the bottom of your OA visa stamp?

I am holding a PR status so no time period stamped.  Also, no small print on either the visa or entry stamp.  The attention paid to the specifics of insurance, other than having insurance, were perfunctory at best.  If I were returning for 5-6 months as the original poster was planning to do, I would buy 1 month of insurance.  I certainly would not buy one year which was the question the poster had.

[chilli42]

On 11/14/2020 at 2:57 PM, Peter Denis said:

Yes, the Thai Embassy websites outlining the CoE requirements, state that the 100.000 US $ covid-19 insurance should match your intended length of stay.

When applying for the CoE it will most probably not be a problem if your covid-19 insurance is shorter than the permission to stay your Visa will entitle you to when entering Thailand.

HOWEVER, the problem might arise when actually entering Thailand.  Because border-immigration has been instructed to stamp you in for the period your Visa entitles you to OR till your insurance expires, whichever is shorter.

So if you applied for a Non Imm O-A Visa that normally will provide you with a 12 month permission to stay, and enter Thailand on that still valid Visa, the permission to stay will be CAPPED till 

- the expiry date of the Non Imm O-A Visa compliant insurance as noted at the bottom of the Non Imm O-A Visa sticker;

- the expiry date of the 100.000 US $ covid-19 insurance, for which you need to show the Certificate on entry.

 

So I guess the answer for the original poster is that he should buy for the 5-6 months he plans to stay and not one year.

[SunsetT]

3 hours ago, chilli42 said:

I am holding a PR status so no time period stamped.  Also, no small print on either the visa or entry stamp.  The attention paid to the specifics of insurance, other than having insurance, were perfunctory at best.  If I were returning for 5-6 months as the original poster was planning to do, I would buy 1 month of insurance.  I certainly would not buy one year which was the question the poster had.

What is PR status please? Returning on an existing O or OAvisa?

[ubonjoe]

55 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

What is PR status please?

It is for those that have applied for and been granted permanent residency in the country.

[SunsetT]

I  am mentally exhausted by getting all required information and lining everything up to apply to return toThailand. But yesterday my 90 day O visa thaievisa application stalled because my photo was rejected. This even when it was previously accepted when uploaded on a cancelled OA application just 3 weeks ago! 3 more photos taken yesterday were also rejected I think because they claim they were jpgs larger than .5mb even though they were not. I compressed them to .28mb but all are still  being rejected. Can anyone help please? I have emailed the London embassy and I will try phoning them this afternoon. Im in Firefox so next step is to try it in Chrome.

 

It is also very depressing that the appallingly clumsy, user-unfriendly and inefficient thaievisa.org.th website for all visa applications has been up and running for about 2 years yet, as far as I can see, absolutely nothing has been done to improve it! And they wonder why some of us  Thai bash!

Edited November 20, 2020 by SunsetT

[SunsetT]

2 hours ago, SunsetT said:

I  am mentally exhausted by getting all required information and lining everything up to apply to return toThailand. But yesterday my 90 day O visa thaievisa application stalled because my photo was rejected. This even when it was previously accepted when uploaded on a cancelled OA application just 3 weeks ago! 3 more photos taken yesterday were also rejected I think because they claim they were jpgs larger than .5mb even though they were not. I compressed them to .28mb but all are still  being rejected. Can anyone help please? I have emailed the London embassy and I will try phoning them this afternoon. Im in Firefox so next step is to try it in Chrome.

 

It is also very depressing that the appallingly clumsy, user-unfriendly and inefficient thaievisa.org.th website for all visa applications has been up and running for about 2 years yet, as far as I can see, absolutely nothing has been done to improve it! And they wonder why some of us  Thai bash!

Please disregard my post above (except the lat paragraph) as my photo uploaded at 1st attempt in Chrome! lesson learned: Dont apply for visas in Firefox.