Re-entering Thailand On Non-O - Covid Insurance Required?

[HappyExpat57]

I know things change faster than the weather here, but as far as anyone knows, at the present time, are we required to purchase Covid insurance when re-entering Thailand having a Non-O retirement visa?

[DrJack54]

Yes and will need to cover the length of time that you would be stamped in for.

A non O retirement would be stamped in for 90 days.

You stated re entering.

If you actually mean reenter with a reentry permit the insurance needs to cover till date on your reentry permit.

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by DrJack54

[Kopitiam]

At present you are required to get COVID insurance that covers to the end of your extension expiry date.

[damascase]

Just now, Kopitiam said:

At present you are required to get COVID insurance that covers to the end of your extension expiry date.

Yes, plus you have to have health insurance for at least 40.000 baht outpatient and 400.000 baht inpatient treatment.

All necessary to get a Certificate of Entry, in today’s situation.

[Kopitiam]

4 minutes ago, damascase said:

Yes, plus you have to have health insurance for at least 40.000 baht outpatient and 400.000 baht inpatient treatment.

All necessary to get a Certificate of Entry, in today’s situation.

For CoE 40k/400k health insurance not necessary.

[damascase]

22 minutes ago, Kopitiam said:

For CoE 40k/400k health insurance not necessary.

If you return on Non-O plus re-entry permit: yes, you do need it, as I experienced.

From the Embassy’s website:

When requesting for a COE, holders of a valid Re-entry Permit (Retirement) who wish to return to Thailand using the Re-entry Permit (Retirement), are required to submit a copy of health insurance policy which covers the length of stay in Thailand with no less than 40,000 THB coverage for out-patient treatment and no less than 400,000 THB for in-patient treatment. Applicant may consider buying a Thai health insurance online at longstay.tgia.org. You may also be asked by the immigration to present the original insurance policy upon your arrival in Thailand.

Edited October 13, 2021 by damascase

[HappyExpat57]

1 minute ago, damascase said:

If you return on Non-O plus re-entry permit: yes, you do need it, as I experienced.

How much did that set you back?

[damascase]

13 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

How much did that set you back?

Nothing, as I decided to let it go. At my age - over 75 - it was going to cost me over 15.000 baht a month, for the 6 months I planned. Would be throwing good money away as I have unlimited health insurance which is not accepted by TH because the 40.000/400.000 baht coverage is not specifically mentioned. Apparently the concept of unlimited is not well understood……..

Edited October 13, 2021 by damascase

[PoorSucker]

Apply for COE as visa exempt stamp, I did even though I had a Non-B.

Immigration did not check my COE

[damascase]

6 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Apply for COE as visa exempt stamp, I did even though I had a Non-B.

Immigration did not check my COE

You would still need Covid insurance, for 30 days.

[damascase]

16 minutes ago, PoorSucker said:

Apply for COE as visa exempt stamp, I did even though I had a Non-B.

Immigration did not check my COE

Do you mean that you could actually enter on your Non-B, despite the CoE based on visa exemption?

[PoorSucker]

3 minutes ago, damascase said:

Do you mean that you could actually enter on your Non-B, despite the CoE based on visa exemption?

Yes, no problem.

Had 14 days insurance for my sandbox and then a cheap unused ticket to singapore after 14 days.

[HappyExpat57]

2 minutes ago, damascase said:

Do you mean that you could actually enter on your Non-B, despite the CoE based on visa exemption?

Yeah, that sounds a little shady. I want absolutely NO confusion for immigration to nail me for.

 

Bottom line, it sounds like Covid insurance WILL be a requirement. I did a very quick Google search and found something that looked quite legitimate that would cover the necessities for 2600 baht/month for an annual policy.

[PoorSucker]

11 minutes ago, damascase said:

despite the CoE based on visa exemption?

Checked my COE.

Nowhere does it say that my application was based on a visa exempt stamp.

As usual there's no communication between the MFA and Immigrations.

 

[BritTim]

43 minutes ago, damascase said:

If you return on Non-O plus re-entry permit: yes, you do need it, as I experienced.

From the Embassy’s website:

When requesting for a COE, holders of a valid Re-entry Permit (Retirement) who wish to return to Thailand using the Re-entry Permit (Retirement), are required to submit a copy of health insurance policy which covers the length of stay in Thailand with no less than 40,000 THB coverage for out-patient treatment and no less than 400,000 THB for in-patient treatment. Applicant may consider buying a Thai health insurance online at longstay.tgia.org. You may also be asked by the immigration to present the original insurance policy upon your arrival in Thailand.

That was my reading also of the rules. However, it has been reported by multiple people that some embassies (at least) do not demand the 400k/40k health insurance for a COE when you are re-entering with a retirement extension. That is different from getting a new Non O visa based on retirement where currently the health insurance always appears to be needed. I include a shout out to @ubonjoein case he wants to comment further on the above.

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, BritTim said:

That was my reading also of the rules. However, it has been reported by multiple people that some embassies (at least) do not demand the 400k/40k health insurance for a COE when you are re-entering with a retirement extension. That is different from getting a new Non O visa based on retirement where currently the health insurance always appears to be needed. I include a shout out to @ubonjoein case he wants to comment further on the above.

That's also the impression I had. 

I don't think that the 400/40 was required for existing non O extension with reentry permit, however some embassies were requiring it and some not.

Guess you ultimately find out when you apply.

[damascase]

10 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

That's also the impression I had. 

I don't think that the 400/40 was required for existing non O extension with reentry permit, however some embassies were requiring it and some not.

Guess you ultimately find out when you apply.

See my earlier posting above where I quoted the text as stated on the The Hague Thai Embassy’s website - and they enforce it too…….

It wasn’t there last year December when I returned to TH, but it is now, regrettably…….
 

Edited October 13, 2021 by damascase

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, damascase said:

If you return on Non-O plus re-entry permit: yes, you do need it, as I experienced.

From the Embassy’s website:

When requesting for a COE, holders of a valid Re-entry Permit (Retirement) who wish to return to Thailand using the Re-entry Permit (Retirement), are required to submit a copy of health insurance policy which covers the length of stay in Thailand with no less than 40,000 THB coverage for out-patient treatment and no less than 400,000 THB for in-patient treatment. Applicant may consider buying a Thai health insurance online at longstay.tgia.org. You may also be asked by the immigration to present the original insurance policy upon your arrival in Thailand.

 

I entered on a re-entry permit based on a Non-O and did not need 40/400K insurance. This seems to be something only some Embassies are asking for.

 

It is actually a requirement only for O-A, not O, visa holders. Some Embassies are unclear on the difference.

 

I have never heard of anyone, ever, be asked to show proof of 40/400K by immigration on entry with an O visa oir re-entry permit based on one. Only peopke with O-A.

 

[Chad3000]

1 hour ago, DrJack54 said:

A non O retirement would be stamped in for 90 days.

This is not correct. You are stamped in till the end of your extension.

[DrJack54]

36 minutes ago, Chad3000 said:

This is not correct. You are stamped in till the end of your extension.

Don't try and be too clever. 

This is part of post I replied to....

 

"are we required to purchase Covid insurance when re-entering Thailand having a Non-O retirement visa?"

 

He stated enter with a non O RT VISA.

If he entered with a non O VISA he would be stamped in for 90 days.

I realized that he meant that he had an extension and the second half of my post pointed that out...

 

 "if you actually mean reenter with a reentry permit the insurance needs to cover till date on your reentry permit" 

 

Don't start with "this is not correct" when it is correct.

[bolt]

I have re-entered Thailand 3 times during last 12 months, I have an O-A with multi re-entry

 

My Local Thai embassy have never asked for health insurance, they have only asked for COVID $100K insurance, which is required for the COE 

 

Upon arrival 2 times in BKK and 1 time Phuket I was never asked to show health insurance only COVID $100K insurance

[BritTim]

27 minutes ago, bolt said:

I have re-entered Thailand 3 times during last 12 months, I have an O-A with multi re-entry

 

My Local Thai embassy have never asked for health insurance, they have only asked for COVID $100K insurance, which is required for the COE 

 

Upon arrival 2 times in BKK and 1 time Phuket I was never asked to show health insurance only COVID $100K insurance

Sigh! I do not think you have an unexpired Non O-A visa. You have a one-year extension of stay based on retirement with a multiple re-entry permit. What is not clear is whether you originally had a Non O-A visa from your home country, or a Non O visa from either an embassy/consulate abroad or from Immigration within Thailand. My guess is that it was the Non O which would make your experience (especially at Immigration when entering Thailand) absolutely routine. If, however, your original visa years ago was a Non O-A visa, you were very lucky to escape without 400k/40k health insurance. Others have been forced to buy it on the spot during entry into Thailand, as well as by their immigration office in order to get the one-year extension.

[bolt]

22 minutes ago, BritTim said:

Sigh! I do not think you have an unexpired Non O-A visa. You have a one-year extension of stay based on retirement with a multiple re-entry permit. What is not clear is whether you originally had a Non O-A visa from your home country, or a Non O visa from either an embassy/consulate abroad or from Immigration within Thailand. My guess is that it was the Non O which would make your experience (especially at Immigration when entering Thailand) absolutely routine. If, however, your original visa years ago was a Non O-A visa, you were very lucky to escape without 400k/40k health insurance. Others have been forced to buy it on the spot during entry into Thailand, as well as by their immigration office in order to get the one-year extension.

the embassy told me its an O-A, I did not have an Visa from my home country, its now in its 2nd year 

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, damascase said:

If you return on Non-O plus re-entry permit: yes, you do need it, as I experienced.

From the Embassy’s website:

When requesting for a COE, holders of a valid Re-entry Permit (Retirement) who wish to return to Thailand using the Re-entry Permit (Retirement), are required to submit a copy of health insurance policy which covers the length of stay in Thailand with no less than 40,000 THB coverage for out-patient treatment and no less than 400,000 THB for in-patient treatment. Applicant may consider buying a Thai health insurance online at longstay.tgia.org. You may also be asked by the immigration to present the original insurance policy upon your arrival in Thailand.

Retirement refers to O-A.

[damascase]

17 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Retirement refers to O-A.

Might be, in your eyes, but regrettably ‘my’ Embassy thinks otherwise…..

[statman78]

16 hours ago, damascase said:

If you return on Non-O plus re-entry permit: yes, you do need it, as I experienced.

From the Embassy’s website:

When requesting for a COE, holders of a valid Re-entry Permit (Retirement) who wish to return to Thailand using the Re-entry Permit (Retirement), are required to submit a copy of health insurance policy which covers the length of stay in Thailand with no less than 40,000 THB coverage for out-patient treatment and no less than 400,000 THB for in-patient treatment. Applicant may consider buying a Thai health insurance online at longstay.tgia.org. You may also be asked by the immigration to present the original insurance policy upon your arrival in Thailand.

The same wording appears on the Thai consulate website in the US.  I have a retirement extension based on a non-o visa.  This past June I came back to Thailand after a short visit to the US using a valid re-entry permit.  I only needed the Covid insurance which covers me until the end do my extension.  I did not need the 40/400k insurance.

[arithai12]

16 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Don't try and be too clever. 

This is part of post I replied to....

 

"are we required to purchase Covid insurance when re-entering Thailand having a Non-O retirement visa?"

 

He stated enter with a non O RT VISA.

If he entered with a non O VISA he would be stamped in for 90 days.

I realized that he meant that he had an extension and the second half of my post pointed that out...

 

 "if you actually mean reenter with a reentry permit the insurance needs to cover till date on your reentry permit" 

 

Don't start with "this is not correct" when it is correct.

 

You quote him as "He stated enter with a non O RT VISA.".

In fact he wrote "re-entering Thailand having a Non-O retirement visa"

 

So he must have a re-entry permit, in which case he is

stamped until the date on his re-entry. Or he doesn't, in which case

he is not re-entering but entering.

 

The OP wasn't 100% formally correct, but as we know confusing visa with extension

is the most common sin that most of us commit sooner or later. Since you said yourself

that "I realized that he meant that he had an extension" why not let it

pass, since posters before you had already given the correct answer.

 

Note I did not start with "this is not correct" ????

 

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by arithai12

[DrJack54]

4 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

In fact he wrote "re-entering Thailand having a Non-O retirement visa"

If I left Thailand and my extension expired I could say that "I'm re-entering Thailand with a non O retirement VISA."

Meaning a NEW non O visa. 

Indeed currents threads asking about that very process. 

 

 

[wahpiangeh56]

18 hours ago, Kopitiam said:

For CoE 40k/400k health insurance not necessary.

Oops, just stopped short of being caught stealing from the cookie jar. 

 

[wahpiangeh56]

14 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

 

You quote him as "He stated enter with a non O RT VISA.".

In fact he wrote "re-entering Thailand having a Non-O retirement visa"

 

So he must have a re-entry permit, in which case he is

stamped until the date on his re-entry. Or he doesn't, in which case

he is not re-entering but entering.

 

The OP wasn't 100% formally correct, but as we know confusing visa with extension

is the most common sin that most of us commit sooner or later. Since you said yourself

that "I realized that he meant that he had an extension" why not let it

pass, since posters before you had already given the correct answer.

 

Note I did not start with "this is not correct" ????

 

 

Well said...