Totally Confused by Insurance requirement for Thailand pass

[Robin]

As the title says, I am still totally confused by health insurance requirements for Thailand Pass.

I am hoping to enter Thailand in early June, with a Non O retirement visa, expiring 22 July, and then extend visa when in Thailand, but cannot understand what medical insurance I will need to buy.

Do I need to get insurance for up to 22 July only?

How does the 14 day waiting period work in practice?  If I buy insurance starting on my departure date, do I have to get a PCR test before departure and send that to insurance company and get valid cert. before I fly, or do I show PCR cert and insurance policy on check-in or arrival?

I see that the medical insurance company suggested by Thai pass has an age limit of 70? years old.  I am 77.  Any suggestions for a company that will insure me?

I am assuming that I will be able to extend my Non O visa without any insurance requirement, as on previous years

Any information or experiences will be appreciated.

I get the impression that this insurance requirement is making too much money for Thai companies to be changed any time soon, and is left ambiguous to allow fro 'discretion' by I/O or their agents, and is part of the general "we really do not want you unless you spend a lot of money" attitude by Thailand.

I would much prefer a simple "pay xxxBaht for exemption for visa aggravation" 

 

[it is what it is]

I get the impression that this insurance requirement is making too much money for Thai companies to be changed any time soon,

 

do you have to take a policy with a thai company?

[freedomnow]

I personally just bought the cheapest Thai insurance for 30 days though staying longer than that..it should have been bought 14 days before entry to be valid for cover on entry but it's just a bit of paper to get in the country....650 Baht or so off the Thai Pass recommended insurers which their document checkers will be familiar with vs a fancy assed insurance with covid cover buried in small print...

 

I will though be getting separate insurance after I arrive after more thought on how long I will stay... but regarding the Thai Pass insurance 30 days was what I got...and got my Thai Pass in 4 hours...applied 11pm Thursday UK and got it Friday through the night looking at my phone new email when I woke up.

 

Edited May 14, 2022 by freedomnow

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, Robin said:

I am hoping to enter Thailand in early June, with a Non O retirement visa, expiring 22 July

When you enter example June 5 you will receive a stamp with 90 day permission of stay.

In the last 30 days of that permit you will obtain 12 month extension with 800k having been in the bank for 2 months.

I assume you already have a Thai bank account.

 

Regarding insurance buy the cheapest covid insurance with 10k cover for period of 30 days. 

Thinking there is a 650baht option.

[anchadian]

1 minute ago, DrJack54 said:

When you enter example June 5 you will receive a stamp with 90 day permission of stay.

In the last 30 days of that permit you will obtain 12 month extension with 800k having been in the bank for 2 months.

I assume you already have a Thai bank account.

 

Regarding insurance buy the cheapest covid insurance with 10k cover for period of 30 days. 

Thinking there is a 650baht option.

https://tqm-app.com/static/thailandpass/detail-ta-fwdgi.html

[NoDisplayName]

2 hours ago, Robin said:

As the title says, I am still totally confused by health insurance requirements for Thailand Pass.

I am hoping to enter Thailand in early June, with a Non O retirement visa, expiring 22 July, and then extend visa when in Thailand, but cannot understand what medical insurance I will need to buy.

 

I applied for and received the Thailand Pass today.  I plan to enter with a visa waiver and then apply for the NON-O visa.

 

For the insurance, I sent scans of the latest renewal certificate for my non-Thai health insurance.  I uploaded 3 scans in jpeg format:

 

Cover letter from the insurance company confirming annual renewal with a paragraph stating Covid is covered by the policy.

Benefits page showing coverage amounts.

Receipt page showing starting and ending dates of coverage.

 

**I had read somewhere that the Thai Pass system only allowed one page to be uploaded, and applicants were required to combine all their insurance documents into one jpeg.  This was not the case.  The system allowed multiple uploads.**

 

These documents were accepted.  I will not purchase additional Thai insurance.

Edited May 14, 2022 by NoDisplayName

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, it is what it is said:

I get the impression that this insurance requirement is making too much money for Thai companies to be changed any time soon,

 

do you have to take a policy with a thai company?

No. And I would strongly advice anyone who is otherwise uninsured, to get a general expatriate health insurance from an international company if planning to live her full time, or a travel policy from an international company if coming for a shorter period.  Because it is very unadvisable to be in Thailand uninsured.

 

However for those who, for whatever reason, either cannot get or refuse to get regular insurance, the cheapest option for meeting Thailand Pass requirements are Thai companies. Starting as low as 650 baht.

 

 

[Sheryl]

@Robin

 

You need to be insured for 30 days.

 

Most of the companies offering policies specifically designed for Thailand Pass (which you do not have to get - see my post above) do nto specify a waiting period. Only FWD, the cheapest one, does. You do not have to send them a PCR test result unless you want to do so in order to get the 14 day waiting period waived, but that would  make the whole thing more expensive.

 

To my understanding, what the 14 day waiting period means is that you would not be covered for COVID if it were diagnosed in the first 14 days of arrival. (which means that, practically speaking, your 30 day cover is in effect for only 16 days). Pretty useless, but Thailand Pass will accept it.

 

While the other Thailand Pass-specific policies I have seen do not specify a waiting period, they all exclude coverage if you already have COVID at the time the policy starts, and it is a pretty sure bet that anyone diagnosed within say a week or so of arrival would be considered a "pre-existing" case.

 

Regarding age, and assuming you are not willing or able to get "real" ongoing insurance, use this website and fill in your age and it will show options for it.

 

https://asq.in.th/thailand-covid-insurance

 

As you will see, there are 3 policies shown for age 77. One is the aforementioned 650 baht COVID-only policy (which will actually cover you for only 16 days) with US$20,000  coverage . The second is  a general travel  policy from Atlas that covers up to $50,000 USD for everything, not just COVID, and costs about 9,000 baht.  The third is a COVID-specific policy issued by the Thai General Insurance Association (developed solely for Thailand Pass purposes) that covers only COVID and up to $100,000 with no waiting period. This  costs 11,000 baht. Being more expensive yet covering fewer things than Atlas, pretty much a no brainer not to get this.

 

Even though the requirement is for only 10K cover there are no policies offering that for people your age.(And indeed only 2 companies offering it at all - one of these, Luma, will insure up to age 75)

 

These are what is shown on the website above and these are policies that will generate the needed certificate with language acceptable to Thailand Pass. However there are many other international travel policies out there, just google your home country + travel insurance for seniors. You would need to make sure you would get something specifically  stating COVID is covered, though. Almost all policies these days do cover COVID but would not necessarily state this on the insurance certificate.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

24 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

@Robin

 

You need to be insured for 30 days.

 

Most of the companies offering policies specifically designed for Thailand Pass (which you do not have to get - see my post above) do nto specify a waiting period. Only FWD, the cheapest one, does. You do not have to send them a PCR test result unless you want to do so in order to get the 14 day waiting period waived, but that would  make the whole thing more expensive.

 

To my understanding, what the 14 day waiting period means is that you would not be covered for COVID if it were diagnosed in the first 14 days of arrival. (which means that, practically speaking, your 30 day cover is in effect for only 16 days). Pretty useless, but Thailand Pass will accept it.

 

While the other Thailand Pass-specific policies I have seen do not specify a waiting period, they all exclude coverage if you already have COVID at the time the policy starts, and it is a pretty sure bet that anyone diagnosed within say a week or so of arrival would be considered a "pre-existing" case.

 

Regarding age, and assuming you are not willing or able to get "real" ongoing insurance, use this website and fill in your age and it will show options for it.

 

https://asq.in.th/thailand-covid-insurance

 

As you will see, there are 3 policies shown for age 77. One is the aforementioned 650 baht COVID-only policy (which will actually cover you for only 16 days) with US$20,000  coverage . The second is  a general travel  policy from Atlas that covers up to $50,000 USD for everything, not just COVID, and costs about 9,000 baht.  The third is a COVID-specific policy issued by the Thai General Insurance Association (developed solely for Thailand Pass purposes) that covers only COVID and up to $100,000 with no waiting period. This  costs 11,000 baht. Being more expensive yet covering fewer things than Atlas, pretty much a no brainer not to get this.

 

Even though the requirement is for only 10K cover there are no policies offering that for people your age.(And indeed only 2 companies offering it at all - one of these, Luma, will insure up to age 75)

 

These are what is shown on the website above and these are policies that will generate the needed certificate with language acceptable to Thailand Pass. However there are many other international travel policies out there, just google your home country + travel insurance for seniors. You would need to make sure you would get something specifically  stating COVID is covered, though. Almost all policies these days do cover COVID but would not necessarily state this on the insurance certificate.

I thought if you buy the 650 baht policy 14 days before arrival you are covered for the whole 30 days of your trip.

I have a credit card that has travel insurance. They used to make you spend AUD $500 on the airfare or accommodation but now you just get it with no conditions. Not bad for a fee free card. It doesn't cover covid but seems otherwise OK so I though the 650 baht policy might be fine.

[sometimewoodworker]

55 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

To my understanding, what the 14 day waiting period means is that you would not be covered for COVID if it were diagnosed in the first 14 days of arrival. (which means that, practically speaking, your 30 day cover is in effect for only 16 days). Pretty useless, but Thailand Pass will accept it.

Your understanding is inaccurate. You need to get the insurance 14 days before it comes into effect, so 14 days, or more, before you intend to arrive, or take a PCR test to allow the insurance to come into effect in less than 14 days.

while immigration officers may be less than competent at reading insurance policies, arriving with a policy that will have no cover for your 1st 14 days in Thailand and being allowed entry would be even more idiotic than they are

[sometimewoodworker]

33 minutes ago, Fat is a type of crazy said:

I thought if you buy the 650 baht policy 14 days before arrival you are covered for the whole 30 days of your trip.

 

You are correct @Sheryl has misunderstood the terms of the insurance.

 

in fact you can only buy the insurance with an arrival date at + 14 days unless you can supply a negative PCR test. So the insurance is covering you from your arrival date for 30 days in both cases

[NanLaew]

47 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

Your understanding is inaccurate. You need to get the insurance 14 days before it comes into effect, so 14 days, or more, before you intend to arrive, or take a PCR test to allow the insurance to come into effect in less than 14 days.

while immigration officers may be less than competent at reading insurance policies, arriving with a policy that will have no cover for your 1st 14 days in Thailand and being allowed entry would be even more idiotic than they are

Do Immigration officers want to see insurance documentation? I thought that was checked before you got to the Immigration halls. If TP accepts the proof of insurance and you get the approval QR code, you're free to get on the plane, no?

[sometimewoodworker]

28 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

Do Immigration officers want to see insurance documentation? I thought that was checked before you got to the Immigration halls. If TP accepts the proof of insurance and you get the approval QR code, you're free to get on the plane, no?

Whoever are checking the validity of insurance be it immigration officers or others contracted to check in their place or airlines, the principal is the same. Without valid active insurance you should not be (will not be) permitted to fly/pass inspection so unless incompetence is at a hither unknown level, something that even here is extremely unlikely. To enter you must have a valid active insurance. And a just purchased (No PCR test) FWD policy is not valid for entry for 14 days from the purchase date

 

I welcome any one who has positive personal proof of a different answer with a FWD policy  to explain anything that is incorrect in the above. And that they were able to enter, No PCR less than 14 days post purchase.

Edited May 14, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, NanLaew said:

Do Immigration officers want to see insurance documentation? I thought that was checked before you got to the Immigration halls. If TP accepts the proof of insurance and you get the approval QR code, you're free to get on the plane, no?

That is correct. But these posters are saying you have to buy the policy at least 14 days in advance. Could be, I've never tried to buy it.

 

But makes absolutely no sense. How do they know whether or not you contract COVID during that 14 day period? 

[Bvor]

23 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

I welcome any one who has positive personal proof of a different answer with a FWD policy  to explain anything that is incorrect in the above. And that they were able to enter, No PCR less than 14 days post purchase.

got a TP for a friend from AQ. in.th mid april, no PCR test and used FWD 30 day covid insurance. the 30 days started from entry date as per FWD site which states policy start date be same as date of entry. 14 days waiting period of no concern to friend, just wanted to get TP and stamped into thailand which is what happened - no problems with airports, airlines or anyone/anything else.  

[sometimewoodworker]

2 minutes ago, Bvor said:

got a TP for a friend from AQ. in.th mid april, no PCR test and used FWD 30 day covid insurance. the 30 days started from entry date as per FWD site which states policy start date be same as date of entry. 14 days waiting period of no concern to friend, just wanted to get TP and stamped into thailand which is what happened - no problems with airports, airlines or anyone/anything else.  

The time line is not clear. 
Of course the start date of the policy is the entry date to Thailand, but that isn’t the purchase date of the policy.

What was the purchase date of the policy? 
What was the entry date to Thailand?

What was the issue date of the Thailand Pass?

[Bvor]

46 minutes ago, sometimewoodworker said:

The time line is not clear. 

both the FWD policy purchase and TP approval via AQ.in.th were within 3 or 4 days of entry and the policy start date - apparently had valid active insurance on entry despite the 14 day waiting period bizo.

to muddy the waters a bit more, my friend was on an emergency 14 day visit and thus not covered by FWD cos of the waiting period.

still got the TP QR Code flew, entered and left without question.

Make what you will, i have nothing more to add.

TP.......TIT.

[Fat is a type of crazy]

7 hours ago, Sheryl said:

That is correct. But these posters are saying you have to buy the policy at least 14 days in advance. Could be, I've never tried to buy it.

 

But makes absolutely no sense. How do they know whether or not you contract COVID during that 14 day period? 

It does make some sense. The insurance company is saying that to be covered for the whole 30 days you need to buy it 14 days before hand or get a PCR test. This stops people who get covid in the last days before the trip buying the policy last minute to cover it. 

 

The Thai authorities probably should not accept a policy not purchased 14 days in advance or without a PCR test, given you won't be covered for part of the trip,  but maybe they haven't thought it through or don't care or it depends on the officer looking at the document. 

Edited May 14, 2022 by Fat is a type of crazy

[Larryst]

I plan on going back to the states in July 2022 for two months. I currently have Aetna Diamond plan for insurance here in Thailand. Good for another year (June 2023). Will that be good enough for the Thai Pass 10K covid insurance?

[Sheryl]

2 hours ago, Larryst said:

I plan on going back to the states in July 2022 for two months. I currently have Aetna Diamond plan for insurance here in Thailand. Good for another year (June 2023). Will that be good enough for the Thai Pass 10K covid insurance?

It will be fine if you can get a statement (or note added to the certificate) that  the policy includes COVID.

 

But hopefully Thailand Pass will be a thing of the past by then.

[DrJack54]

17 hours ago, Sheryl said:

To my understanding, what the 14 day waiting period means is that you would not be covered for COVID if it were diagnosed in the first 14 days of arrival. (which means that, practically speaking, your 30 day cover is in effect for only 16 days). Pretty useless, but Thailand Pass will accept it

What you outline is how I have understood it to work.

 

Also in previous threads there has been advice from @ThaiVisaCentre and others supporting this interpretation.

That is without test the cover starts 14 days after entry to Thailand.

With no Test and Go requirement, suits me fine. 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by DrJack54

[sometimewoodworker]

13 hours ago, Sheryl said:

That is correct. But these posters are saying you have to buy the policy at least 14 days in advance. Could be, I've never tried to buy it.

 

But makes absolutely no sense. How do they know whether or not you contract COVID during that 14 day period? 

It makes complete sense, it is the same as many other insurance policies, they very commonly have a period during which there is no coverage, sometimes for particular parts of the insurance, sometimes as much as years from the policy start.

 

Since the insurance is in place to protect the Thai government and hospitals from being on the hook from indigent foreigners it makes absolute sense to have a delay before coverage or proof of health and to ban entry until the insurance is in effect.
 

I haven’t read the policy but would be unsurprised to learn that an infection occurring during the the 14 days delay is not covered.

 

The point that has been made by 1 poster that their friend seems to have been allowed to enter before the policy was active (though no dates were given making it a less than certain report) does suggest that immigration/Thai Pass/insurance screeners are not actually doing their jobs

 

[DrJack54]

This 650baht covid insurance has been covered.

Seems that you are not covered for first 14 days without test.

In other words cheap throw away cover for covid to meet TP requirements.

Perfect for myself and MANY others.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by DrJack54

[sometimewoodworker]

24 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

What you outline is how I have understood it to work.

 

Also in previous threads there has been advice from @ThaiVisaCentre and others supporting this interpretation.

That is without test the cover starts 14 days after entry to Thailand.

With no Test and Go requirement, suits me fine. 

 

 

I haven’t as yet purchased my policy to cover my trip as the May 20 meeting could eliminate the need for insurance in my category of traveler so can not support or categorically refute your interpretation, also being Sunday the enquiry line may not be active.

However the exact wording of the document available from DWG is unclear

Quote

Waiting Period of 14 days or negative PC-R Test within 72 hours prior to inception of policy.

As to the coverage and certainly does not specifically support your interpretation 

 

EDIT @DrJack54 your picture above makes no difference to the above

 

Yes it’s a cheap insurance that gives minimal cover and is enough for the TP.

Still to be proven actual period covered. Unlikely but possible that your not covered for 14 days after the start of the policy or not covered for 14 days from payment for a policy bought 14 days before entry but covered from the date of entry if you bought the policy at least 14 day before entry 

Edited May 15, 2022 by sometimewoodworker

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, sometimewoodworker said:

As to the coverage and certainly does not specifically support your interpretation

Have a read of thread link I posted.

From memory.....there was an inquiry made to the company and it indicated that without a test the cover did not include first 14 days AFTER entry. 

[sometimewoodworker]

30 minutes ago, DrJack54 said:

Have a read of thread link I posted.

From memory.....there was an inquiry made to the company and it indicated that without a test the cover did not include first 14 days AFTER entry. 

there is an quote email that supports your interpretation 

that disagrees with the @ThaiVisaCentre wording, there is no follow up from TVC that agrees that they are wrong.

 

As you should know, what if questions are remarkably difficult to get a definitive correct answer to from Thai institutions. Change the wording of the question and the answer will change.

 

If the insurance requirement remains in place after the 20th I will certainly be asking.

 

What ever the answer it’s still the cheapest way to get a TP issued 

[ThaiVisaCentre]

1 hour ago, sometimewoodworker said:

there is an quote email that supports your interpretation 

that disagrees with the @ThaiVisaCentre wording, there is no follow up from TVC that agrees that they are wrong.

 

As you should know, what if questions are remarkably difficult to get a definitive correct answer to from Thai institutions. Change the wording of the question and the answer will change.

 

If the insurance requirement remains in place after the 20th I will certainly be asking.

 

What ever the answer it’s still the cheapest way to get a TP issued 

If you wish to actually use the FWD policy it does need to be purchased 14 days before start date, OR you will need to have a RT-PCR test 72 hours before the start date.

Many do not understand how the FWD policy works, and yet their Thailand Pass still gets approved even-though they cannot actually use that policy because they don't have the RT-PCR test. This is because the Thailand Pass application does not ask for a RT-PCR test for vaccinated entry.

If your travel is within less than 14 days, and you do NOT have a RT-PCR test but wish to have a functional policy we recommend comparing your options between:

• WORLD TRIPS - compare prices based on your info (great for younger travelers, and shorter term trips)
• MSIG - has fixed pricing based on age similar to FWD but is much more expensive because it does not have additional restrictions, and comes with better coverage

Many of the travelers wishing for all these requirements to be removed have expressed to us that they do not care if the policy can even be used. So they proceed to buy FWD (knowing the restrictions), or buy WORLD TRIPS policies with high 5,000 USD deductibles to reduce the cost.

This is based on what we have seen from thousands of travelers which are in our facebook groups, and from our general clients.

The point of my post was to show that there are low cost options that travelers are using every day compared to policies which can cost 3,000++ THB.

[ThaiVisaCentre]

16 hours ago, Bvor said:

got a TP for a friend from AQ. in.th mid april, no PCR test and used FWD 30 day covid insurance. the 30 days started from entry date as per FWD site which states policy start date be same as date of entry. 14 days waiting period of no concern to friend, just wanted to get TP and stamped into thailand which is what happened - no problems with airports, airlines or anyone/anything else.  

They do not enforce this.

We have never heard of anyone having issues entering, or getting an approval under a FWD policy.

The only risk we see is that if you were to actually have an issue, and needed this type of insurance they would weasel out of covering you based on the 14 day restriction, or the RT-PCR restriction.
 

Edited May 15, 2022 by ThaiVisaCentre

[Monokuro]

18 hours ago, NanLaew said:

Do Immigration officers want to see insurance documentation?

I flew in 2 days ago and can confirm no, they don't want to see it. You only need to show the qr code of the Thailand pass.

 

(When you get off the plane you go through a separate section where they scan the qr code and then stamp your boarding pass, that's what you then show to immigration)

 

Boarding the plane to Thailand required showing the Thailand pass AND proof of double vaccination.

 

I bought the 650 baht insurance 12 days before my flight... 

[Robin]

Many thanks for all the comments.  I think I now know what I need to do to get back to Thailand.

Just to clear up what i am trying to do, I am entering with a re-entry permit for my retirement visa, and all I want from 'Insurance' is a piece o paper to get my Thai pass.  I would look on the cost of that, (650B ?) as being an extra visa fee thought up by the Thai gov. as an other way of getting money from the (missing) tourists

 

Now Europe seems to be opening up again, i do not see many Europeans being in a big rush to jump through all the hoops that Thailand keeps in place when there re easier places to visit.  One attraction of Thailand used to be that you could show up at the airport and get a 28 day entry with no hassle