Are 65yr and overs now facing a large insurance cost just to return after many years living there?

[spambot]

I am trying to get back to Thailand, but struggling with Covid Insurance cover.

 

I want 6 months in Thailand and I was going to apply for a multi tourist visa, which requires 60 day insurance cover, leave the country and need another 60 days insurance cover and finally leave the country and another 60 days insurance cover. Hence a total of 90 days insurance cover required.  

The quotations (age 65) are all around £1,000. The cost seems excessive in addition to the amount I usually pay for Thailand visits.

I then looked at obtaining a Non-O Visa in London which would allow 90 days and would  transfer the 800k Bhat required for making the application for extension when in Thailand. After  getting an extension I would leave Thailand 3 months later, while returning to Thailand 6 months after that - using the existing Non-O Visa extension to return - Then extend again when I arrive back in Thailand and continue this cyclic process in the future.

Getting insurance cover for this is not clear. London Thai Embassy requires the application for the Non-O as the following.. “Copy of health insurance that covers COVID-19 related medical expenses, both inpatient and outpatient, no less than 100,000 USD for the whole period of your stay in Thailand”. The 100,000 is out of date, but “The whole period of stay as defined by the permission to stay is 90 days, but actual stay is intended as 180 days and the allowable stay if an extension is done is 90 (Non-O) + 365 (ext) days. How can this situation be covered for “the whole period of stay” with insurance cover?

The same question would arise if entering Thailand on Visa exempt and then making Non-Immi O application / change to Visa exempt status. The Visa exemption would provide 30 days and yet “the whole period of stay” for insurance cover is unclear if 30 days cover would suffice or any further application to visa change on the exemption and indeed the extension would then be checked for Insurance  for “the whole period of stay” at Thai immigration.

Best case would be just 30 days insurance for Visa exempt (Insurance cover quoted £390 - £570) or worst case 12 months (Insurance cover quoted £1,320 - £1,570)

Am I missing something here - Or are the 65yr and overs now facing a large insurance cost just to return after many years living there?

  

[stevenl]

Do you have health insurance at present?

[spambot]

Nope

[Onerak]

I few months ago checked with LUMA for Non-O coverage and the minimum was around 7-8K BHT for a USA citizen age 61

You can check here 

https://www.tuneprotect.co.th/en/portal/travel-insurance/ONTALN/BQSRGVKQQUKQAVY5P8KLG2KZ94ML26U3BJUXXGSF28UZG4RRX4JLAGFRW2

[treetops]

30 days insurance is accepted to get the Thai Pass, even when a longer stay is planned.  Many threads on here mention this.

[Adumbration]

Yes I posted this question on another thread.

 

Before covid I would drive down to Malaysia for a month or two every year.

 

I am on a non-o extension.

 

All of the Thai insurance offers I see are only for maximum of 30 days.

 

What coverage would I need to drive back over the border to Thailand.

[CharlieH]

I thought I read somewhere recently the Covid Insurance has been dropped to $10k starting May 1st.

[Lemsta69]

2 hours ago, CharlieH said:

I thought I read somewhere recently the Covid Insurance has been dropped to $10k starting May 1st.

this is correct. also other posters have said they've been approved for a Thailand Pass after buying travel insurance from their usual home-country / non-Thai provider. then they get a letter from the comfort that clearly states that it covers COVID and the amount of the coverage.

[Lemsta69]

ps. based on what I've been reading on other posts, and from my own experience in Dec 2021 converting from visa exempt to non-O at Jomtien, immi don't check for COVID insurance for the "length of the stay".

 

ask your usual insurer if they'll provide a letter as noted above, if not shop around. that's assuming they'll provide coverage for Thailand, there's at least one post mentioning that their regular insurer has dropped coverage because of excessive claims.

 

[Paul Henry]

Go to website"www.fwdgi.co.th" You will find Covid insurance for entry into Thailand at a fraction of the cost of most companies. They cover from 1-85 year olds at the same premium. 30 day cover for 650 bht. 90 day cover 1500bht. Their e-mail address is "[email protected]"

I took out insurance yesterday for both myself and wife, total cost including tax etc 1300 bht.

Their on line application is fast and simple with both policy and entry certificate back to me within a few hours.

[Card]

Look on the Thai govt  ovid website, they have a very cheap insurance.

[Card]

Try MSIG it is recommended by Thai govt and very cheap

[DrJack54]

650 baht for 30 day cover.

Next!

@ThaiVisaCentre can you help these people. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by DrJack54

[sometimewoodworker]

12 hours ago, Adumbration said:

Yes I posted this question on another thread.

 

Before covid I would drive down to Malaysia for a month or two every year.

 

I am on a non-o extension.

 

All of the Thai insurance offers I see are only for maximum of 30 days.

 

What coverage would I need to drive back over the border to Thailand.

You have been looking in the wrong places as here is just 1 company with coverage of up to 365 days.

 

Along with the fact that currently you can not cross any land border makes this just a theoretical point.

 

It is extremely likely that by the time land borders are open for normal travel that the requirements will have changed, possibly several or even many times.

[KannikaP]

12 hours ago, CharlieH said:

I thought I read somewhere recently the Covid Insurance has been dropped to $10k starting May 1st.

But I also think I read that the premium for $10k was the same as for the previous $20k. 

[nickmondo]

no

[BaiLao]

Heymondo. [email protected]

 

Range of travel insurance for the under 70.  All much cheaper than the suggested Thai government insurers...

 

 

 

 

[Iforbach]

In general insurance companies don't like lose  money...I'm 69 gone up each year ..some companies ditch u after 60 or 65..may hv to go cash way when it gets completely silly 

[chilly07]

And once over 75 with preexisting conditions you can't get any cover anywhere!

Edited April 27, 2022 by chilly07

[Henryford]

I am still confused regarding an expat living here full time (with no health insurance). If i leave Thailand for a short holiday do i need Covid insurance upon my return, and for how long. If it is that expensive 1000 GBP does it preclude me from ever leaving Thailand.

[sometimewoodworker]

14 minutes ago, chilly07 said:

And once over 75 with preexisting conditions you can't get any cover anywhere!

It depends on the insurance cover you want.
 

For covid cover to enter Thailand, insurance is available easily up to 85.

 

For long term health cover it is extremely likely that with exclusions for existing conditions it may well be available, though the premiums are probably going to be so high that you won’t want to buy it.

 

Health insurance that covers pre-existing conditions is extremely rare.

[sometimewoodworker]

8 minutes ago, Henryford said:

I am still confused regarding an expat living here full time (with no health insurance). If i leave Thailand for a short holiday do i need Covid insurance upon my return, and for how long. If it is that expensive 1000 GBP does it preclude me from ever leaving Thailand.

At the moment, Yes you need cover, today it costs £15 for 30 days. In the future, who knows, I certainly don’t and neither does anyone else.

 

30 days cover is sufficient to allow re-entry.

Edited April 27, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[DrJack54]

8 minutes ago, Henryford said:

If i leave Thailand for a short holiday do i need Covid insurance upon my return, and for how long.

Currently you would require 30 day cover specifically mentioning 20k cover for covid. 

Lowered to 10k from May 1, however would be very surprised if the premium was reduced.

Currently cost is 650b and even less. 

Think of it as a entrance tax. 

[spambot]

7 hours ago, Paul Henry said:

Go to website"www.fwdgi.co.th" You will find Covid insurance for entry into Thailand at a fraction of the cost of most companies. They cover from 1-85 year olds at the same premium. 30 day cover for 650 bht. 90 day cover 1500bht. Their e-mail address is "[email protected]"

I took out insurance yesterday for both myself and wife, total cost including tax etc 1300 bht.

Their on line application is fast and simple with both policy and entry certificate back to me within a few hours.

Good call - Thanks.

 

For others reading this - Download the PDF brochure from the link on the page for "Inbound insurance" when visiting the site identified by Paul or follow the links shown in the on image below. The cost of Multi tourist Visa 3 entries now falls to 3 x £15 = £45, which is a big drop and makes a huge difference.

 

[treetops]

7 hours ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Along with the fact that currently you can not cross any land border makes this just a theoretical point.

Thailand Pass added Land Border requirements a few weeks ago and these are open for people coming in to Thailand.  Going to Laos is a hassle (group tours only) but entering Thailand from there sounds easy enough (old Test and Go or ASQ rules).  Haven't heard anything about Malaysian crossings.

 

[treetops]

3 hours ago, chilly07 said:

And once over 75 with preexisting conditions you can't get any cover anywhere!

Covid cover for entering Thailand can be had for those up to 99 years old with no questions on pre-existing conditions.  It may well be expensive and at the same time worthless, but it's available if you need to tick a box for a Thailand Pass.

[4MyEgo]

4 hours ago, Iforbach said:

In general insurance companies don't like lose  money...I'm 69 gone up each year ..some companies ditch u after 60 or 65..may hv to go cash way when it gets completely silly 

My premium shot through the roof recently, switched to April who give you deductible options, so you can lower your premium costs, that said, in the event of an emergency, you pay the deductible you nominated, e.g. 81,875, 163,750, or 327,500 baht, there are lower deductibles, but the lower you go the higher the policy premium.

 

I saved me a lot as I combined my wife's and kids all into one with April, dropped down from 217,500 to 70,000 baht per annum, each covered for 16 million baht inpatient only, that said, if any of us have an emergency or require surgery, we cough up the first 163,750, and when you look at how much we saved in the first year, i.e. 147,500 baht by switching, well you don't have to be Einstein to work out in reality it would only really be 16,250 baht out of pocket.

 

If you would like a contact at April, PM me and I will provide you with their email address and you can go from there.

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by 4MyEgo

[bunnydrops]

I have a friend that wants to return to the UK for a couple of months to visit family that he has not seen for over 12 years but he is worried that he will not be able to find insurance. He is 86. Does anyone here know of a link to insurance that goes that high in age? I found this one, I have sent them a message since their site doe not state age limit https://ektatraveling.com/

 

[ubonjoe]

7 minutes ago, bunnydrops said:

He is 86. Does anyone here know of a link to insurance that goes that high in age?

This insures to the age of 99. https://www.tipinsure.com/CovidRegional/product_detail

[spidermike007]

Stop thinking so much. You only need 30 days insurance to get back in. Cost was $70. And I was never asked once about even that, by the airlines, immigration or anyone. It is only for the Thailand pass. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by spidermike007