Non-immigrant OA visa applicants required to have ฿3m health insurance

[Mango Bob]

Joe is correct.  I used to have the O/A for retirement but had it change for an extension of stay based on marriage.

[Deerculler]

9 hours ago, smedly said:

let foreigners pay into the Thai health system - solved

Like the Philippines Phil Health.

[cheapcanuck]

That's $111,000 coverage in Canadian $$$.

[TigerandDog]

3 hours ago, TigerandDog said:

AETNA posted an advertisement on ASEAN NOW about this and it also stated that this will also apply to extensions of stay for O-A visa holders effective from 1 October 2022.

 

I sent a copy of their ad to my health insurance company to ascertain if they new anything about this and they've heard nothing.

 

I guess we just wait for something official to be published instead of guessing, and posting comments that are not based on facts as is the want with many people in this forum.

Out of curiosity I've been browsing the web sites of all the approved health insurance companies that I don't have my policy with, and I could only find 2 that currently advertise policies with 3 million baht inpatient cover for O-A visa holders, AETNA & Falcon Insurance. Now here's the thing that got me, AETNA are advertising on ASEAN NOW already about this new minimum cover BUT their website is already displaying it as the minimum O-A cover, with NO premiums displayed, AND it clearly states it only takes new applicants up to age 70. Whereas Falcon has 4 plans with 3m baht cover and will take on newbies up to age 80. Plan 1 has no deductible, Plans 2 & 4 have 50k deductible and Plan 4 a 100k deductible. The annual premiums for ages 71-80 for plans 2 & 4 are 30k & 40k respectively. My current health insurance company's premium for 750k cover, with a 40k deductible, is 42k baht. So it looks as though I may be changing health insurance companies when my current policy expires.

[Salerno]

15 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

As far as I am aware ,this is for first time applications only and not for extensions of stay once in possession of the visa  . It also puzzles me as why this does not also apply to the "O" visa application . The disparity in medical/health insurance requirements between these two visas needs "sorting out " !!!!

I'm sure that as soon as O-A people drop 800K into a Thai bank O people will be happy to discuss the insurance issue.

[MRToMRT]

23 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

this is for first time applications only and not for extensions of stay once in possession of the visa

sadly not correct Jens, I was told by one of the CW supervisors to consider changing to a non-o next year as this change was about to be made. I was doing an extension.

 

I do agree with you on the non-o, its does not make sense (if I were a gov official) having two different ext of stay fro retirement processes,

[StayinThailand2much]

22 minutes ago, Jen65 said:

As far as I am aware ,this is for first time applications only and not for extensions of stay once in possession of the visa  . It also puzzles me as why this does not also apply to the "O" visa application . The disparity in medical/health insurance requirements between these two visas needs "sorting out " !!!!

Perhaps they don't want people to get the visa abroad, but try to convince them to get extensions in country.

[userabcd]

38 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

O visa based on marriage and your free from the insurance requirements, but OA based upon retirement well then Bobs your uncle.  Seems a little discriminatory to me, but then it is what it is.

Nope, not discriminatory at all, many on O visas and extensions thereof have Thai families to take care of.

 

Apparantly there is an O visa based on retirement which could be obtained for which that insurance is not required.

 

However it is in most long stayers interest to have adequate financial security for health care or health insuarance to cover a serious health care event and possible medivac.

[ubonjoe]

27 minutes ago, Mango Bob said:

I know you can have an O/A for marriage. 

You can have OA visa that was originally issued for retirement and apply for a extension of the permit to stay it allowed based upon marriage. Doing the extension based upon marriage does not change the reason for it being issued.

[khunPer]

A step towards allowing only "quality retirees" in...

[Galong]

What about those of us who have worked in Thailand long enough to have Thai Social Security for life, which covers healthcare for life?  I assume Thai SS would be accepted in lieu of additional/supplemental 3mil coverage.  I'm thinking about turning in my work permit and getting a Non-O retirement extension. 

[Flink]

13 hours ago, shadowofacloud said:

Just look for an insurance with a "cashless scheme" or something with a similar name.

 

Many providers have agreements with the major hospitals - agreements which allow you to just show your insurance card in order to be treated.

Which is fine until some dipstick in his modded truck playing PUBG on his phone ploughs into you leaving you unconscious and the first ambulance on the scene takes you to a hospital NOT on your insurance policy's list of approved hospitals.

[Stupooey]

48 minutes ago, howerde said:

There is no such visa as an OA marriage, OA visas are retirement visas, there is a non o marriage and a non o retirement, as well as an ox retirement visa

An 'ox' visa? Is that what you get if you replace the sick buffalo?

[Flink]

6 hours ago, tonray said:

I guess the puzzling part is 1) will this be applied to OA extensions also and if so, 2) why only OA extensions and not all 1 year extensions ?

They will,have no doubt about that. There's the government saying they need toimpprove English language training in Thai schools (yeah, it's the teaching that's the problem, not the ridiculous education system!) whilst t the same time requiring higher and higher qualifications and more and more expense (notarizing, apostille etc.) and reducing the wages. Once this new health insurance plan trickles down to all non immigrant visas it will stop anyone considering a job teaching here. I recently looked at teaching jobs in Thailand compared to other Asian countries. I only looked at jobs offered by companies that have offices across Asia and in all cases the lowest wages and least additional bonuses were here in Thailand.

[John Drake]

10 minutes ago, Flink said:

Which is fine until some dipstick in his modded truck playing PUBG on his phone ploughs into you leaving you unconscious and the first ambulance on the scene takes you to a hospital NOT on your insurance policy's list of approved hospitals.

And you may be waiting on that ambulance for some time.

[stigar]

Thisj is just the beginning..Im happy that im nor an expat in thailand..I stay 6 months a year..my wife 3 months a year im my country..thats working fine for us.The next thing that will happend is that everyone who have a condo/house etc via a company will loose it all.This was warned about 2 year ago in the news here.About 1000 norwegians can loose everything.My wife have her own house and business before we meet first time.She never ever asked me to build or buy anything.I take care the exoencives.Its not so much a year.It seems that thailand get desperate to get money from everyone.Incurance will raise for sure.That means that many expats cant afford to stay in thailand.The "cheap"country seems to get wery expencive.

 

[Ralf001]

2 hours ago, tonray said:

You mean I have to buy one more villa to qualify for Thailand ? 

I only buy them so I have secure parking spaces for my cars.

[John Drake]

25 minutes ago, Salerno said:

I'm sure that as soon as O-A people drop 800K into a Thai bank O people will be happy to discuss the insurance issue.

I do wonder if immigration is moving towards making 800/400 the only option for retirement extensions not including OA. No monthly income letters and no mix of income letters and fixed account levels. 

[Pib]

3 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Remember just over 2 years ago when it was announced that the mandatory 40/400k insurance was required for OA visas ( Oct 2019 ) and there was initial confusion about whether it was new OA’s only or included extensions ??

 

I believe this will turn out to be the same nightmare ( for OA extenders ).

I agree.   There were those in 2019 who said "it wouldn't apply to extensions" but we all know how that turned out.  

[Harveyboy]

15 hours ago, olfu said:

I see it more and more how Thailand trying to get rid of farangs.  

yes they are  killing the golden goose idiots 

do you remember before covid Thai government said  foreign tourism wasn't important  the after covid arrived they were crying in their som tam no farang. no money.. no food.. no jobs  they will get exactly we what they deserve. just another nail in the coffin of Thailand  

[ThailandRyan]

31 minutes ago, Salerno said:

I'm sure that as soon as O-A people drop 800K into a Thai bank O people will be happy to discuss the insurance issue.

I did when I had to do the extension and could not use the ME portion of the OA to get my two years in and then renew again like I had in the past.  So therefore I am now like the others who have to provide insurance to stay and then obtain a re-entry permit if I want to leave and keep the extension alive without doing the whole O_A process again with the criminal background check etc......

[rughead]

i think all retirees, O visa , marriage visa , etc etc , should have adequate medical insurance cover , too long the O-A visa has been propping up retirees who think everyone owes them a living . They expect the thai government system for free.

[ThailandRyan]

3 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I do wonder if immigration is moving towards making 800/400 the only option for retirement extensions not including OA. No monthly income letters and no mix of income letters and fixed account levels. 

It would of course make it easy on them, With a fixed deposit account they have very little to review and I was in and out in under 10 minutes with waiting just another 15 for the passport back, no photo requested this year of holding up the overstay sheet like last year, and this was just last Friday.  All in all the system is easy to navigate if you have all in order.  One would hope that one day they would not require any paperwork except the application of stay since everything else is in the system, same as the insurance.

[MRToMRT]

1 hour ago, LikeItHot said:

"According to the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Department of Consular Affairs, 3,768 foreigners were granted non-immigrant visas last and this year."

Makes you wonder why they continue with it at all if that is the only uptake.

[Harveyboy]

25 minutes ago, khunPer said:

A step towards allowing only "quality retirees" in...

Quality ?

[Salerno]

2 minutes ago, John Drake said:

I do wonder if immigration is moving towards making 800/400 the only option for retirement extensions not including OA. No monthly income letters and no mix of income letters and fixed account levels. 

Given the past couple of years I think everything could be on the table. I was leaning towards them upping the 800K to 1 million, been a while. With income/mix at least they have a certain amount of foreign currency coming in each month.

[Salerno]

8 minutes ago, ThailandRyan said:

I did when I had to do the extension and could not use the ME portion of the OA to get my two years in and then renew again like I had in the past.  So therefore I am now like the others who have to provide insurance to stay and then obtain a re-entry permit if I want to leave and keep the extension alive without doing the whole O_A process again with the criminal background check etc......

Take it that was Covid kicking in that screwed the pooch for you? Guessing quite a few would have been in the same boat.

[MRToMRT]

2 hours ago, mikosan said:

‘3 million baht cover is also excessive. For that money, they could bring you back from the dead’

It's a serious stroke at a private hospital. Been there. Paid that.

[Mango Bob]

Just because you are married does not mean you do not have insurance.  Like some others here who are retired military with Tricare (for life)  I have good insurance which I pay 25% of the bill until I have paid in $3,000 a year.  After that the government paid 100% of my bills after I file the claim.  But Thai are not smart enough to figure that out and we get screwed here as if we do not have insurance.

[Harveyboy]

14 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

I wish they would try a bit harder, give me a good excuse to get out- 'see dear it's not my fault'

yep same here ..im in for the long haul  wife kids and all the trimmings but  told the wife if i didn't have id be long gone looooooong gone