Duration of health insurance req'd for Thailand Pass for non 'o' retirement visa holders

[notrub]

05 11 2021.  I am going to France for a short trip.  With the COE covid insurance requirement it seemed that it would be needed until the next 1 year extension would be applied for.  I will be coming back at the beginning of Dec. and my retirement visa needs to be extended for a year at the end of Jan. 2022.  So I plan to get a 2 month iPass from Tune insurance that specifically notes it is for the 'new' entry requirements.  I have an exit, re entry stamp in my passport.

 

Am I understanding this correctly?  I believe that health insurance (except for this Thai pass 'coe') is not required for non 'o' visas. 

 

btw...The Thaiger news, episode 124 has a bit of live action experience that Mike (of the Thaiger) has been having with the new version of the COE that the authorities have named 'Thailand Pass'.  

 

Thanks very much for any comments

[ezzra]

It is not needed if you're in the country but once you leave and want to come back you'll have to buy that $50,000 coverage for the duration that you intend to stay in Thailand and that goes for all types of permits even for non O one...

[DrJack54]

12 minutes ago, ezzra said:

have to buy that $50,000 coverage for the duration that you intend to stay in Thailand and that goes for all types of permits even for non O one..

Think it's not duration of intended stay but rather duration of stamp that you will receive. Your permission of stay.

Example for SETV that would be 60, for non O 90 and for reentry permit the date remaining on that permit.

[Robin]

This level of insurance becomes prohibitive for any retiree, like me, over 75.  Looks to me as if i am now trapped in Thailand for life, can go back to UK and stay there.

if there any way of working round this?

I want to retire to Thailand, with the option to travel back to UK, or anywhere else i want to/ can afford to.  Now that seems o be taken away, Thailand becomes less attractive.

How do Thailand Elite Visa holders fit into this?

My impression is that this medical insurance is a way of Thailand screwing us for more money.

Not only is this going to affect Retirees, but how many genuine tourists will want to pay for this insurance?

Is this he end of Thailand as the free and easy travel destination?  

Is there any chance that this rule will be dropped if/when it is seen to reduce tourist numbers?

[ubonjoe]

You are correct that the insurance needs to valid to the day your extension of stay expires in January. That is the day you will be stamped into the country.

[MJCM]

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

You are correct that the insurance needs to valid to the day your extension of stay expires in January. That is the day you will be stamped into the country.

Am I correct in thinking that (suppose) you arrive in Thailand Dec 1st and your extension is valid until January 15th, that you only have to buy 2 months worth of insurance to be covered (Dec and January??)

[DrJack54]

9 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Am I correct in thinking that (suppose) you arrive in Thailand Dec 1st and your extension is valid until January 15th, that you only have to buy 2 months worth of insurance to be covered (Dec and January??)

Correct.

Sort of ridiculous.

I just renewed my extension and would like to visit Oz briefly early next year.

Will mean that I will be stamped in with ~ 10 months on my entry stamp.

Insurance required for that period. Stupid.

Edited November 5, 2021 by DrJack54

[ubonjoe]

4 minutes ago, MJCM said:

Am I correct in thinking that (suppose) you arrive in Thailand Dec 1st and your extension is valid until January 15th, that you only have to buy 2 months worth of insurance to be covered (Dec and January??)

The insurance is issued in increments of 30 days so he would need to have 60 days of insurance on the day he enters the country's.

[MJCM]

3 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Correct

Wow if that is the case, then I would suggest that people (who don't have health insurance) and are on a Extension of Stay travel BACK to Thailand very close to their extension renewal date! and buy a short duration Insurance only!!

 

This is certainly a loophole!

 

Edited November 5, 2021 by MJCM

[DrJack54]

3 minutes ago, MJCM said:

 

This is certainly a loophole!

Perhaps a stock standard period would be step in right direction.

30 days has a nice ring to it.

[gearbox]

Yes you are correct, the insurance just need to cover up to the date of your next renewal, which is Jan 2022. I would put an extra couple of days to be on the safe side. For your new extension no insurance is required.

[gearbox]

30 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Correct.

Sort of ridiculous.

I just renewed my extension and would like to visit Oz briefly early next year.

Will mean that I will be stamped in with ~ 10 months on my entry stamp.

Insurance required for that period. Stupid.

Same...my reentry permit expires mid next year and bought 7 months travel insurance....but I'm going to Oz in Feb for a month, and my travel insurance covers my stay there ????

One month insurance wasted, but the alternative was to enter exempt and do again non-O conversion after coming back from Oz, not worth the hassle.

[MJCM]

5 minutes ago, gearbox said:

Same...my reentry permit expires mid next year and bought 7 months travel insurance....but I'm going to Oz in Feb for a month, and my travel insurance covers my stay there ????

One month insurance wasted, but the alternative was to enter exempt and do again non-O conversion after coming back from Oz, not worth the hassle.

Please enlighten me.

 

How does travel insurance fall into this? We have travel insurance (from a Thai Company) but this will NOT cover (or only very minor) us in Thailand, so how can you use this insurance to get back into Thailand? Or do you have also other (regular) HEALTH insurance???

 

Thx

Edited November 5, 2021 by MJCM

[DrJack54]

5 minutes ago, gearbox said:

.but I'm going to Oz in Feb for a month, and my travel insurance covers my stay there ????

Snap...I was planning on going back for a month in Feb also.

 

However the current thread in this forum about obtaining Thailand Pass is already 40 pages long and not a happy read.

Hopefully the issues will be worked out soon. Not fun for folk trying to enter Thailand in next few weeks.

[gearbox]

1 minute ago, MJCM said:

Please enlighten me.

 

How does travel insurance fall into this? We have travel insurance (from a Thai Company) but this will NOT cover us in Thailand, so how can you use this insurance to get back into Thailand? Or do you have also other (regular) HEALTH insurance???

 

Thx

Easy...it is a 7 month travel insurance issued by a non-Thai provider. I can enter and leave Thailand as many times I want with this insurance during these 7 months. If you buy from a Thai provider, you need a "multi trip" insurance, usually only the annual policies are multi-trip, also with some limitations. If you need to leave Thailand for a short period and come back again, don't buy from a Thai provider.

 

This is the reply from Luma after I asked for multi trip cover:

 

"To be note that only 1 year plan will provide multiple entry to Thailand. Another plan will expire since you are outside Thailand and when you come to Thailand again, you must submit with the new policy."

[Salerno]

1 hour ago, Robin said:

My impression is that this medical insurance is a way of Thailand screwing us for more money.

As do a lot of others on here, but what they can't explain is how does that work when you can buy a policy anyplace in the world? Pretty poor scam when you can't get your hands on the money IMO.

[Sheryl]

1 minute ago, Salerno said:

As do a lot of others on here, but what they can't explain is how does that work when you can buy a policy anyplace in the world? Pretty poor scam when you can't get your hands on the money IMO.

 

I do not believe this entry requirement is in any way a local money making "scam".  It is prompted by genuine concern about unpaid hospital bills.

 

Unfortunately the solution being applied is poorly thought out and fails to take into account a cost of factors.

[Salerno]

Just now, Sheryl said:

I do not believe this entry requirement is in any way a local money making "scam".  It is prompted by genuine concern about unpaid hospital bills.

 

Unfortunately the solution being applied is poorly thought out and fails to take into account a cost of factors.

Agreed, and getting tired of the constant "insurance scam" posts but never seem to get a reply when I call someone out on it, even posted a list of countries that have had insurance requirements since before Covid and the silence is deafening ... then "insurance scam!" again 555

 

[MJCM]

7 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

I do not believe this entry requirement is in any way a local money making "scam".  It is prompted by genuine concern about unpaid hospital bills.

 

Unfortunately the solution being applied is poorly thought out and fails to take into account a cost of factors.

I 100% agree especially with that last sentence!

 

We (Farang with Thai Wife) have an European HEALTH insurance which works by COST Price so they don't have a fixed limit (if it's 1 Million they pay, if it's 10 Million they also will pay etc)

 

Try explaining this to a Immigration Official!

 

I am now trying to get a document from my Insurer which states limits, but not holding my breath!

Maybe because of this I have to get an extra insurance when I want to travel just to cover me till my extension at Immigration is up for renewal (Pain in the ..... ???? )

Edited November 5, 2021 by MJCM

[TheFishman1]

So if you just renewed your extension to stay and you want to leave the country and come back in two weeks you would need to buy insurance for like another 10 months ridiculous TIT

[passiflora]

I'll be back in Thailand on 9th January, my Non O, visa is valid until 9 February (but I must extend it around 1st Feb, should I buy a 30 or 60 days Insurance? 

Thx for your advice 

 

[MJCM]

1 minute ago, passiflora said:

I'll be back in Thailand on 9th January, my Non O, visa is valid until 9 February (but I must extend it around 1st Feb, should I buy a 30 or 60 days Insurance? 

Thx for your advice 

 

AFAIK 2 months worth so it covers January and February!!

[moogradod]

10 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

 

I do not believe this entry requirement is in any way a local money making "scam".  It is prompted by genuine concern about unpaid hospital bills.

.................

If this is true it does not even always work - in cases where the insurance fails to pay out - for which could be many reasons. A required 3 Mio. (or 1.5 Mio thb) fixed deposit would not suffer from this deficiance and would therefore be a much better guarantee not to speak about the money they would get in local banks. You could still have the option of an insurance if this suits some people better. But "only insurance" would prevent some from getting an insurance contract at all because of preconditions (not only because of age as some always mention)

[ubonjoe]

6 minutes ago, passiflora said:

I'll be back in Thailand on 9th January, my Non O, visa is valid until 9 February (but I must extend it around 1st Feb, should I buy a 30 or 60 days Insurance? 

Thx for your advice 

 

According to my date calculator that is 31 days.

That means you would need 60 days unless you found insurance that is issued by number of days instead of 30 day increments.

[Salerno]

12 minutes ago, passiflora said:

I'll be back in Thailand on 9th January, my Non O, visa is valid until 9 February (but I must extend it around 1st Feb, should I buy a 30 or 60 days Insurance? 

Thx for your advice 

 

30 days as that's all you will be stamped in for on entry.

 

Edit: <deleted>, I can't count 555

 

Postpone your flight for a couple of days ????

Edited November 5, 2021 by Salerno

[notrub]

1 minute ago, ubonjoe said:

According to my date calculator that is 31 days.

That means you would need 60 days unless you found insurance that is issued by number of days instead of 30 day increments.

The 1 year extension can be applied for several weeks (?) before the expiration date so if insurance is just 1 or 2 days (+) short of a 30 day policy then an early 1 year's extension could be applied for.  Is this correct?

[James Roderick]

25 minutes ago, Salerno said:

Agreed, and getting tired of the constant "insurance scam" posts but never seem to get a reply when I call someone out on it, even posted a list of countries that have had insurance requirements since before Covid and the silence is deafening ... then "insurance scam!" again 555

 

The requirement to have 40,000 insurance for outpatient visits to a Thai hospital is a scam - pure and simple, 

[Salerno]

3 minutes ago, James Roderick said:

The requirement to have 40,000 insurance for outpatient visits to a Thai hospital is a scam - pure and simple, 

That's no longer the requirement.

[MJCM]

12 minutes ago, notrub said:

The 1 year extension can be applied for several weeks (?) before the expiration date so if insurance is just 1 or 2 days (+) short of a 30 day policy then an early 1 year's extension could be applied for.  Is this correct?

Yeah it could work, but whatif you can't go to Immigration etc etc, so many variables.

 

IMHO It would be best to be on the safe side and get the 2 month one!

[StevieAus]

4 hours ago, Robin said:

This level of insurance becomes prohibitive for any retiree, like me, over 75.  Looks to me as if i am now trapped in Thailand for life, can go back to UK and stay there.

if there any way of working round this?

I want to retire to Thailand, with the option to travel back to UK, or anywhere else i want to/ can afford to.  Now that seems o be taken away, Thailand becomes less attractive.

How do Thailand Elite Visa holders fit into this?

My impression is that this medical insurance is a way of Thailand screwing us for more money.

Not only is this going to affect Retirees, but how many genuine tourists will want to pay for this insurance?

Is this he end of Thailand as the free and easy travel destination?  

Is there any chance that this rule will be dropped if/when it is seen to reduce tourist numbers?

I know of a few retirees some younger than you who have previously tried to obtain medical / health insurance before these travel provisions were introduced and were rejected for a variety of reasons so potentially there are going to be a lot of “ trapped retirees”

Also for those coming to Thailand for a cheap holiday I cannot see them wanting to buy insurance for each family member if that is required.

As usual another policy not well thought out regarding the implications.