Cancel OA, enter on visa on arrival, start again?

[oznomad]

I have been trying to find a TGIA listed insurance company that will provide the cover required by immigration, for a two month period between returning to Thailand and the renewal date of my OA extension.

The companies that actually replied have provided no joy. 12 months policies only.

 

Do I want to pay 50k for two months insurance? Nope.

 

Do I want to get a 12 month policy and then only be given 9 or 10 months by immigration on a subsequent extension? Nope.

 

Can I:

a) just arrive, be denied entry under the OA extension due to lack of insurance, and enter as a tourist?

b) cancel my OA extension (is that even possible?) and arrive as a tourist?

 

Wide open to other suggestions with a proven track record.

 

TIA.

 

 

 

[ubonjoe]

Immigration will not ask for proof of insurance for a extension of a OA visa entry. It is only required when apply for the one year extension based upon retirement.

You will only need proof of $10,000 for corvid 19 coverage to get a Thailand Pass. You will only need 30 days of coverage.

I assume you have a re-entry to use when entering the country.

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, oznomad said:

I have been trying to find a TGIA listed insurance company that will provide the cover required by immigration, for a two month period between returning to Thailand and the renewal date of my OA extension.

So you currently have extension from a non O-A along with reentry permit?

Can you wait until your current permit expires.

If you can put off return for couple of months then return visa exempt and obtain new non O retirement visa in Thailand.

 

Or you can return now and when permit is due to expire do border run (possible by then) and kill off your non O-A that way.

[oznomad]

2 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

Immigration will not ask for proof of insurance for a extension of a OA visa entry. It is only required when apply for the one year extension based upon retirement.

You will only need proof of $10,000 for corvid 19 coverage to get a Thailand Pass. You will only need 30 days of coverage.

I assume you have a re-entry to use when entering the country.

Yes Joe. I am in Thailand now, and got a re-entry permit last week. 

My fear was fronting up to immigration at the airport on the return in August and being told nope, leg it nugget.

 

[oznomad]

2 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

So you currently have extension from a non O-A along with reentry permit?

Can you wait until your current permit expires.

If you can put off return for couple of months then return visa exempt and obtain new non O retirement visa in Thailand.

 

Or you can return now and when permit is due to expire do border run (possible by then) and kill off your non O-A that way.

It's a brand new reentry permit, obtained last week.

I think UJ's response fixes all for me (hopefully) 

Thanks for your response too. 

[oznomad]

4 minutes ago, oznomad said:

Yes Joe. I am in Thailand now, and got a re-entry permit last week. 

My fear was fronting up to immigration at the airport on the return in August and being told nope, leg it nugget.

 

Woops. Forgot to offer my thanks for the clarification. Thanks UJ.

[jimn]

On 5/13/2022 at 11:59 AM, ubonjoe said:

Immigration will not ask for proof of insurance for a extension of a OA visa entry. It is only required when apply for the one year extension based upon retirement.

You will only need proof of $10,000 for corvid 19 coverage to get a Thailand Pass. You will only need 30 days of coverage.

I assume you have a re-entry to use when entering the country.

Hold on a minuite. The way I read the OP is that when he returns to Thailand his OA insurance will have finished? Thats why he is looking for 2 months insurance and then take out a new 12 month OA insurance when he renews his extension of stay? Correct me if I am wrong. When he arrives he will have no OA insurance so he will not be stamped in to the expiry date of his stamp, so all he will get is a 30 day visa exempt entry and his OA is cancelled.

Edited May 14, 2022 by jimn

[ubonjoe]

10 hours ago, jimn said:

Hold on a minuite. The way I read the OP is that when he returns to Thailand his OA insurance will have finished? Thats why he is looking for 2 months insurance and then take out a new 12 month OA insurance when he renews his extension of stay? Correct me if I am wrong. When he arrives he will have no OA insurance so he will not be stamped in to the expiry date of his stamp, so all he will get is a 30 day visa exempt entry and his OA is cancelled.

He not on a valid OA visa. All he has is a permit to stay from a OA visa that he has extended at immigration.

The insurance check is only for valid OA via when using it to enter the country. There is no rule that requires it to be done when entering with a re-entry permit for a extension of stay.

[oznomad]

13 hours ago, jimn said:

Hold on a minuite. The way I read the OP is that when he returns to Thailand his OA insurance will have finished? Thats why he is looking for 2 months insurance and then take out a new 12 month OA insurance when he renews his extension of stay? Correct me if I am wrong.

 

That's correct jimn.

 

When he arrives he will have no OA insurance so he will not be stamped in to the expiry date of his stamp, so all he will get is a 30 day visa exempt entry and his OA is cancelled.

But if IO at swampy isn't checking, as per the rules in ubonjoe's replies, then it's all good.

I have other insurance in the meantime, just not a TGIA robbers version.

 

[JimGant]

Just curious..... If you're here on an extension of stay emanating from your O-A visa, how is it that you have a two month gap in your TGIA coverage? When you got that extension, presumably Immigration would only give you a 12 month extension if you had matching 12 month TGIA coverage..... What am I missing?

[flexomike]

8 minutes ago, JimGant said:

Just curious..... If you're here on an extension of stay emanating from your O-A visa, how is it that you have a two month gap in your TGIA coverage? When you got that extension, presumably Immigration would only give you a 12 month extension if you had matching 12 month TGIA coverage..... What am I missing?

thinking the same thing extension should only be for as long as the insurance is in place

 

[DrJack54]

55 minutes ago, flexomike said:

thinking the same thing extension should only be for as long as the insurance is in place

 

+1

[jimn]

12 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

He not on a valid OA visa. All he has is a permit to stay from a OA visa that he has extended at immigration.

The insurance check is only for valid OA via when using it to enter the country. There is no rule that requires it to be done when entering with a re-entry permit for a extension of stay.

Ok fair comment, based on your superior knowledge on these matters I will not contest the point. It would be interesting to know what happens in reality not the rule.

[EVENKEEL]

The OA visa nowadays seems like it's too much work. Last year I exited Thailand with my OA without reentry permit, came in visa exempt and went with the O visa and extension. Much easier in the long run. 

 

My original plan was to use the OA to max 2 yrs and get a new OA, wash and repeat but the insurance and Covid made that impossible.