Non Immigrant OA Visa - Health Insurance

[JimTripper]

14 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

The 800k baht has to be in a Thai for 2 months on the day you apply or proof of 65k baht income.

You can apply for a new extension every year for as long as you want to.

When would I need to show the 800k in a Thai Bank?

 

After the 1st year, getting stamped in sgain for a 2nd year, or after 2 years? Or, each time I re-enter at all?

 

I know I need to show medical insurance on each entry as you indicated before.

 

I'm trying to determine whether I can stay 2 years at a time on an O-A, just return to my home country every two years, re-apply for another O-A, and keep the money in my home country bank.

 

It makes sense to me because I want to go back to visit people and would rather re-apply every two years then transfer the money to Thailand. I also have an empty place to stay there anyway so can wait for a new visa.

Edited July 14, 2022 by JimTripper

[DrJack54]

1 hour ago, JimTripper said:

I'm trying to determine whether I can stay 2 years at a time on an O-A, just return to my home country every two years, re-apply for another O-A, and keep the money in my home country bank.

Indeed doing what you outline was very popular in the main due to no requirement to maintain funds in a Thai bank account.

Also for those that return home country every couple of years it was excellent option.

 

However since the advent of insurance and further changes to insurance requirements soon we find non O-A far less popular.

 

[ubonjoe]

6 hours ago, JimTripper said:

When would I need to show the 800k in a Thai Bank?

After the 1st year, getting stamped in sgain for a 2nd year, or after 2 years? Or, each time I re-enter at all?

It will only need to be in the bank for 2 months on the day you apply for a one year extension of the last 1 year entry from your OA visa.

[JimTripper]

19 hours ago, DrJack54 said:

Indeed doing what you outline was very popular in the main due to no requirement to maintain funds in a Thai bank account.

Also for those that return home country every couple of years it was excellent option.

 

However since the advent of insurance and further changes to insurance requirements soon we find non O-A far less popular.

What are people doing, going without insurance, or getting expensive global plans?

 

My home country plan won't cover internationally.

Edited July 15, 2022 by JimTripper

[DrJack54]

13 minutes ago, JimTripper said:

What are people doing, going without insurance, or getting expensive global plans?

 

My home country plan won't cover internationally.

Think your question is for insurance forum. 

Not really visa related. 

[drkenchao]

not sure if correct, i read from other post that entering thailand with visa exempt, can not change to O type retire visa, true or false?

 

 

[ubonjoe]

1 minute ago, drkenchao said:

not sure if correct, i read from other post that entering thailand with visa exempt, can not change to O type retire visa, true or false?

False

Read this from the immigration website. https://www.immigration.go.th/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/9.FOR-RETIREMENT-PURPOSES-50-YEARS-OLD-NON-O.pdf

[Andrew Dwyer]

1 hour ago, drkenchao said:

not sure if correct, i read from other post that entering thailand with visa exempt, can not change to O type retire visa, true or false?

 

 

Not correct, I entered visa exempt on Sept 2nd, applied for an O visa on Sept 6th it was issued on Sept 16th and valid until Dec 14th.

A friend also did the same and a few others have posted on here of successfully receiving an O visa after entering visa exempt.

[24Catty]

On 6/28/2022 at 9:54 PM, Sheryl said:

 

It has not been.possible to get an in-country extension using foreign policy. Remains to be seen if that will change.

Written a year ago. 

Has it changed?

Is it possible to get an extension of stay from immigration using an international policy?

[Sheryl]

7 hours ago, 24Catty said:

Written a year ago. 

Has it changed?

Is it possible to get an extension of stay from immigration using an international policy?

Based on an original O-A visa, no. 

 

You would have to return to your home country and apply for a bew O-A. Or, let the O-A lapse and switch to regular O which has no insurance requirement for in-country extension. The O does however carry requirenents for funds in Thailand. 

[Red Phoenix]

@24Catty > I did PM you a comprehensive Guideline document on how stay long-term in Thailand when +50 years of age, outlining both the process (and Health-Insurance related caveats) to apply for the 1-year Non Imm O-A Visa in your home-country, as well as the process to apply for the 90-day Non Imm O Visa (retirement).  The document also addresses how to switch from the Non Imm O-A to the Non Imm O. 

[oldcpu]

On 7/15/2022 at 9:27 PM, JimTripper said:

What are people doing, going without insurance, or getting expensive global plans?

 

My home country plan won't cover internationally.

What are people doing?  We are keeping our superior insurance and going for a different Visa OTHER THAN Type-OA.

 

Some of us have insurance from outside of Thailand that is mostly global, and its cheaper and with better coverage than what is available if one purchases such insurance from a Thailand branch of a Health Insurance company.

 

In my case, my Health Insurance from Europe covers myself and my wife ... and it comes as part of my pension package, and it is heavily subsidised, such that when I get older, my insurance rates do not go up. My European insurance coverage varies dependent on what is being covered (such as dental, glasses, annual health insurance .... ) but overall it is far superior to the Thailand health insurance requirements for the Type-OA Visa.  HOWEVER my Health Insurance company REFUSES to present their coverage in a format acceptable to Thailand immigration, and my European based insurance company also refuses to enter data into a Thai immigration database (which is necessary for the Type-OA health insurance proof). 

 

I went to the Thai based branch of my European insurance company, and they refused to provide a summary to Thai immigration (despite my having health insurance from their head office in Europe) and they refused to enter the required data into the Thai immigration database, even if I paid them a nominal fee. The Thai branch of my European insurance company FLAT OUT told me to buy NEW insurance from their Thailand branch  (and ONLY then would they provide me the needed proof) .... which I refused to do, as it would not be as good, and I did not want to buy double health insurance.  At age-69 double health insurance is not inexpensive.

 

So I simply kept my superior and cheaper European insurance (which is global, except for coverage in USA/Canada to live (it does cover me there to visit for 30-days)) and I changed my Visa from Type-OA to a Type-O visa. 

 

Basically , for the type-OA Visa, Thailand wants one to buy Health Insurance from a Thailand branch.  It is my health and my wife's health ...  and why should one get rid of superior foreign health insurance to meet a Type-OA Visa health insurance limitation to buy inferior Health insurance and for me more expensive Health Insurance from a Thailand branch? 

 

I like what the LTR Visa has done, which is to allow Self Insurance (by proving $100k US$ equivalent in cash in a Bank Account anywhere in the world) , ..  as that, for those of us with the money (where I concede not everyone has such) , does not force us to meet the 'limiting insurance requirements' that a type-OA visa has.  I wish the Type-OA would add that 'self health insurance' clause.

 

With that in mind, I may end up succeeding to switch to a 10-year LTR Visa, but that is not a topic for this thread.

Edited May 29, 2023 by oldcpu

[JimTripper]

11 minutes ago, oldcpu said:

What are people doing?  We are keeping our superior insurance and going for a different Visa OTHER THAN Type-OA.

 

Some of us have insurance from outside of Thailand that is mostly global, and its cheaper and with better coverage than what is available if one purchases such insurance from a Thailand branch of a Health Insurance company.

 

In my case, my Health Insurance from Europe covers myself and my wife ... and it comes as part of my pension package, and it is heavily subsidised, such that when I get older, my insurance rates do not go up. My European insurance coverage varies dependent on what is being covered (such as dental, glasses, annual health insurance .... ) but overall it is far superior to the Thailand health insurance requirements for the Type-OA Visa.  HOWEVER my Health Insurance company REFUSES to present their coverage in a format acceptable to Thailand immigration, and my European based insurance company also refuses to enter data into a Thai immigration database (which is necessary for the Type-OA health insurance proof). 

 

I went to the Thai based branch of my European insurance company, and they refused to provide a summary to Thai immigration (despite my having health insurance from their head office in Europe) and they refused to enter the required data into the Thai immigration database, even if I paid them a nominal fee. The Thai branch of my European insurance company FLAT OUT told me to buy NEW insurance from their Thailand branch  (and ONLY then would they provide me the needed proof) .... which I refused to do, as it would not be as good, and I did not want to buy double health insurance.  At age-69 double health insurance is not inexpensive.

 

So I simply kept my superior and cheaper European insurance (which is global, except for coverage in USA/Canada to live (it does cover me there to visit for 30-days)) and I changed my Visa from Type-OA to a Type-O visa. 

 

Basically , for the type-OA Visa, Thailand wants one to buy Health Insurance from a Thailand branch.  It is my health and my wife's health ...  and why should one get rid of superior foreign health insurance to meet a Type-OA Visa health insurance limitation to buy inferior Health insurance and for me more expensive Health Insurance from a Thailand branch? 

 

I like what the LTR Visa has done, which is to allow Self Insurance (by proving $100k US$ equivalent in cash in a Bank Account anywhere in the world) , ..  as that, for those of us with the money (where I concede not everyone has such) , does not force us to meet the 'limiting insurance requirements' that a type-OA visa has.  I wish the Type-OA would add that 'self health insurance' clause.

 

With that in mind, I may end up succeeding to switch to a 10-year LTR Visa, but that is not a topic for this thread.

That makes sense. It’s kinda weird that they won’t document though. I hope there’s no problem claiming from Thailand if that ever happens.

 

The only insurance I ever really felt confident in worldwide was geoblue global based in the USA, but it was quite expensive of course, so I never got it.

[oldcpu]

2 hours ago, JimTripper said:

That makes sense. It’s kinda weird that they won’t document though. I hope there’s no problem claiming from Thailand if that ever happens.

No problem claiming from Thailand.  None at all and they are quick to reimburse.. 

 

Since 2019, when I moved to Thailand, I have made multiple successful claims to the company providing my superior European Health insurance (medical appointments/procedures, new glasses, annual medicals ... ) for both myself and my Thai wife.  Since this superior Health Insurance covers BOTH myself and my Thai wife, she greatly prefers to use it (where it pays for the more expensive private hospitals)  over her going to the public Thai hospitals.

 

For my case, staying on a Type-OA visa failed to make sense the moment Thailand decided to implement a health insurance requirement for Type-OA where in practice for that Type-OA visa one must use Health Insurance from the Thai branch of a health insurance company.

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by oldcpu

[JimTripper]

22 hours ago, oldcpu said:

No problem claiming from Thailand.  None at all and they are quick to reimburse.. 

 

Since 2019, when I moved to Thailand, I have made multiple successful claims to the company providing my superior European Health insurance (medical appointments/procedures, new glasses, annual medicals ... ) for both myself and my Thai wife.  Since this superior Health Insurance covers BOTH myself and my Thai wife, she greatly prefers to use it (where it pays for the more expensive private hospitals)  over her going to the public Thai hospitals.

 

For my case, staying on a Type-OA visa failed to make sense the moment Thailand decided to implement a health insurance requirement for Type-OA where in practice for that Type-OA visa one must use Health Insurance from the Thai branch of a health insurance company.

 

 

You don’t need to worry about it then. I think there is a golf forum on here, maybe a fishing forum.