Hello . I have an O-A extension which expires in July Based on Retirement, I am unable to get Insurance as I am 82 years of age  and have had Colon Cancer operation. Last year at the Chiang Mai Immigration office the then head  officer renewed my Non O-A extension he said all cases are taken on there merit case by case , I have been in Thailand for 16 years on the O-A extension never missed a 90 day or  had any overstay. I am currently using the 800,000 Baht in bank method.

This year they changed the head officer and he told me I need to get a Non O visa by going out of the country This time We have Covid 19 and very hard to go out of the country and  very dangerous for me  and come back to Thailand .

What advice can you offer me  can It be changed to a Non O in Thailand ? Thank You William.
 

https://www.facebook.com/unithaitrip/posts/2908182186066570

 

Travel may be your only option. Los Angeles has a very friendly Thai embassy can do Non-Imm O Visa in one day - at least in 2017 they did

Have you spoken with a reputable agent?

In this current environment, it may be worth the extra dosh to deal with issues like this.

You cannot change to a non-o visa without leaving the country.

If you were married to a Thai you could change the reason for your extension from retirement to marriage that does not require the insurance.

1 hour ago, sirwilly said:

What advice can you offer me 

If you want to stay in Chiang Mai

unfortunately the only option in your case seems to be using an agent

 

if you are ready to move in another part of Thailand, it seems that

Phuket immigration doesn't require health insurance for an extension of stay based on an old OA visa obtained before the change in the requirments last year and the sudden insurance requirment

 

There is a topic on the forum about it, i will try to find it and put the link here or maybe someone using Phuket immigration recently can confirm this information?

1 hour ago, Skallywag said:

https://www.facebook.com/unithaitrip/posts/2908182186066570

 

Travel may be your only option. Los Angeles has a very friendly Thai embassy can do Non-Imm O Visa in one day - at least in 2017 they did

But how would he get back, unless he can get insurance for Covid? I was looking earlier on the website of one of this forum's sponsors and on their table of available insurers, none offered a new policy if you're over 76. 

25 minutes ago, Eff1n2ret said:

But how would he get back, unless he can get insurance for Covid? I was looking earlier on the website of one of this forum's sponsors and on their table of available insurers, none offered a new policy if you're over 76. 

Indeed

 

the situation of the OP is the typical case where the immigration officer

could (And should) uses his discretional power to wave the requirment

the OP being unable to fulfill the requirment due to his age and due to the  age limit fixed by the insurance companies, two factors totaly impossible to deal with.

 

In ''normal'' time, switch to an O visa should be the option

however with the covid crisis it's near to impossible for the OP

to go out of Thailand and to be able to come back, as he will

be denied any mandatory Covid insurance due to his age

 

Sadly instead of this it seems the immigration officer is expecting the OP will use a ''fixing'' agent for it, why waste an opportunity to do some easy money?

3 hours ago, Eff1n2ret said:

But how would he get back, unless he can get insurance for Covid? I was looking earlier on the website of one of this forum's sponsors and on their table of available insurers, none offered a new policy if you're over 76. 

 

And, ironically, he would also need to subscribe to a mandatory 400k/40k health insurance policy in order to obtain the necessary certificate from a Thai embassy or consulate to permit him to re-enter Thailand!

 

2 hours ago, kingofthemountain said:

Sadly instead of this it seems the immigration officer is expecting the OP will use a ''fixing'' agent for it, why waste an opportunity to do some easy money?

 

Strikes me that the only legitimate and practical way forward for the OP in the immediate term will be to switch to 60-day COVID extensions in the hope that these will continue at least until borders with adjoining ASEAN countries re-open and he can then travel to a Thai embassy or consulate in one of them to obtain a fresh non-O visa (or at least do a border run and re-enter with a visa-exempt stamp followed by a non-O conversion at Chiang Mai) before hitting the retirement extension of stay trail once again.

 

Because of the covid situation Chiang mai immigration in conjunction with the right lawyer or agent should be able to arrange this for you. You need to pay the agent plus a special service fee to the immigration. Good luck

There are many reputable agents in Chiang Mai who are available to assist you….without costing you an arm and a leg.

17 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

If you were married to a Thai you could change the reason for your extension from retirement to marriage that does not require the insurance.

This happened to me.  Do you know if I can drop my balance from 800,000 to 400,000 and get a job if I feel so inclined?

 

2 minutes ago, Olmy said:

Do you know if I can drop my balance from 800,000 to 400,000 and get a job if I feel so inclined?

You can apply for a work permit and work with a extension of stay based upon marriage.

3 hours ago, Tracyb said:

There are many reputable agents in Chiang Mai who are available to assist you….without costing you an arm and a leg.

 

While they might well be able to offer a solution to his immediate predicament, I really don't think that the OP would be best advised to continue relying on their services in the long term. In other words he should IMHO still exit Thailand for a fresh non-O visa (be this at a Thai embassy or consulate in a neighbouring country, or through an immigration office conversion after re-entering Thailand visa-exempt) once relevant COVID-related travel restrictions have been lifted. How soon that will be, though, is the $64,000 question, of course.

CIGNA has a wide array of plans and I am 75. Can dial your rate by adjusting deductible, co-payment, etc.

Don't know if you can start at 80 but have seen premium schedules beyond that age.

I switched to CIGNA 2 years ago using NowCompare broker.

Very helpful

Grease makes almost anything move again in Thailand.

They don't like to deal with the foreigner because too many of them think they're back in the old country and rock the boat by screaming corruption.

If you don't want to deal with an agent who also takes a cut, get a Thai wife, or trusted Thai friend, to negotiate donations to the officer's retirement fund.  

 

Alternatively, move to Phuket, complete a TM30, get the extension without the insurance , then decide the place is not for you because a mean taxi driver asked for too much money, move back to CM.

21 hours ago, timendres said:

Have you spoken with a reputable agent?

In this current environment, it may be worth the extra dosh to deal with issues like this.

I am afraid this is the solution at these times.

They can come up with very "innovative" solutions about the insurance (which is the only problem case here).

A friend in Jomtien, 78 years old at the time, got an accident insurance for less then 3000 Baht (I asked again) accepted as "health insurance".

1 hour ago, Siameaze said:

CIGNA has a wide array of plans and I am 75. Can dial your rate by adjusting deductible, co-payment, etc.

Don't know if you can start at 80 but have seen premium schedules beyond that age.

I switched to CIGNA 2 years ago using NowCompare broker.

Very helpful

In Thailand he has 0 chance at 82 years old to find an insurance company accepting him and even if by miracle it was the case

the cost would be astronomical and out of his payement

capacity. The 2 only ''real'' options at the moment are :

 

1\ use an agent to ''fix'' the problem

 

2\ move to Phuket where the insurance insurance is not asked by immigration for the extensions of stay based on an old OA visa

 

 

I heard from someone who was in the same situation (in Chonburi). He went to the immigration office and explained his situation. He then had to pay 3000 baht and got the OA extension without health insurance. I would suggest going to immigration and just asking what you can do.

I thought folks obtained the OA so they didn't have to have money in the bank here. If the OP has the money to place into the bank here why come in on an OA?

26 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I thought folks obtained the OA so they didn't have to have money in the bank here. If the OP has the money to place into the bank here why come in on an OA?

It's not always a money problem

 

when at the age of 50 i decided to stay all year long in Thailand

i contacted the Thai embassy in France, and the OA visa was the only

option to stay in Thailand 12 months per year.

 

Obtening this visa wasn't easy at all, a ton of documents were required

plus the proof of having 20 000 euros in my bank account.

and after the first year i had to show i have 800 000 thb in my Thai bank account

so i don't think the money is the main problem when you chose a visa

 

The problem is they have changed the rules later, with the insurance requirment

and these new rules should have been applied only to the ''news'' OA visa

that's what Phuket immigration does, unfortunately all the others IO in the country don't

 

The option was to switch to an O visa, then covid 19 hit the fan and then it was near to impossible

to go out of Thailand and comeback easily