Outpatient cover no longer needed for OA-based permission to stay?

[JTXR]

Next month I need to extend again my permission to stay based on original NonImm OA visa, and so also renew insurance cover (with the new 3 million baht minimum).

The company I've had this cover with for the past few years recently wrote me the following:

 

The requirement for the O-A requirement visa is now a minimum 3,000,000 THB. There is no specific requirement for a separate Outpatient Benefit as before, so you can take a plan with Inpatient Benefits only or with Inpatient and Outpatient Benefits.

 

Because the premium at my age is outrageous, I obviously don't want to make a mistake.  Can someone here confirm (ideally based on actual interaction with TI) that outpatient benefits are no longer required for insurance for NonImm OA visas and extensions?  Thanks.

 

 

 

[DrJack54]

1 minute ago, JTXR said:

Next month I need to extend again my permission to stay based on original NonImm OA visa

Not addressing your question, but have you ever considered changing to a Non O based on retirement. 

Same financial requirements but no insurance requirement. 

[Red Phoenix]

Attached the Dec 27, 2021 Police order that repeals previous regulations addressing the Non Imm O-A required Health Insurance. 

The current regulation does not make the distinction anymore between In- and Out-patient minimum coverage, but instead imposes a 3.000.000 THB coverage (see #6).  So the message that your Thai insurer did sent you is fully correct.

= = =

If you have no need for that Health-Insurance policy, and only subscribe to it in order to meet the Non Imm O-A requirements for your annual extension based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa, you have the following options:

#1 - Switch to a 90-day Non Imm O Visa for reason of retirement, subsequently followed by 1-year extensions of that Non Imm O Visa. 

The requirements for the 1-year extension are IDENTICAL with those for the Non Imm O-A extension, but they do not require any Health Insurance.

Note:  I have a comprehensive Guideline document outlining all the steps/options how to make such switch, and it is not difficult nor cumbersome.

Send me a PM in case you want to receive that document.

#2 - In case you are married to a Thai national or have Thai dependant children, you could consider applying for the 1-year extension of your Non Imm O-A Visa for that reason, and then no Health-Insurance will be required.  But of course you would then need to meet the requirements for such extension application, which by the way are financially much lower than for a 'retirement' extension.

406244182_RTP-Order-No.654-2564-1RevisingClause2.22oforder327-2014.pdf

[CFCol]

I recently picked up a list of requirements for OA extension from Samui Immigration,(last week). I expected it to say 3m baht insurance. It actually says B40,000 outpatients and B400,000 inpatients. Who knows what the correct answer is!!!

[TigerandDog]

31 minutes ago, CFCol said:

I recently picked up a list of requirements for OA extension from Samui Immigration,(last week). I expected it to say 3m baht insurance. It actually says B40,000 outpatients and B400,000 inpatients. Who knows what the correct answer is!!!

the correct health insurance requirement for an O-A extension is a minimum 3,000,000 THB.  If I was you I'd double check with them, and take a copy of the police order to show them if they still tell you the old rules. Better to be safe than sorry.

[Farmerslife]

Last month I extended my Non Imm OA (retirement) visa at Korat Immigration with a policy that only covered me for inpatient care.

 There is no longer a need for outpatient cover.

This reduced the annual cost for me by 32,000 baht.

  

[jeffandgop]

4 years ago I changed from Retirement to Marriage as the basis for my annual extension of stay because of the Outpatient insurance requirement- I have had for the last 10 years Inpatient coverage in excess of 3M THB. Also, the insurance requirement dictated you had to purchase from a limited select group of insurance providers and their policies that seemingly were developed because of the new immigration insurance regulation.

 

My Q now is whether my current 3M+ THB Health insurance policy, not originally purchased for the retirement extension of stay regulation, would be acceptable today should I wish to convert back to retirement for my annual extension of stay......

Edited May 6, 2023 by jeffandgop

[JTXR]

On 5/5/2023 at 6:37 PM, Farmerslife said:

Last month I extended my Non Imm OA (retirement) visa at Korat Immigration with a policy that only covered me for inpatient care.

 There is no longer a need for outpatient cover.

This reduced the annual cost for me by 32,000 baht.

  

Yes, at the company I've been using, dropping the OP requirement saves a bunch.

[Red Phoenix]

On 5/6/2023 at 8:24 AM, jeffandgop said:

4 years ago I changed from Retirement to Marriage as the basis for my annual extension of stay because of the Outpatient insurance requirement- I have had for the last 10 years Inpatient coverage in excess of 3M THB. Also, the insurance requirement dictated you had to purchase from a limited select group of insurance providers and their policies that seemingly were developed because of the new immigration insurance regulation.

 

My Q now is whether my current 3M+ THB Health insurance policy, not originally purchased for the retirement extension of stay regulation, would be acceptable today should I wish to convert back to retirement for my annual extension of stay......

Interesting question!

I suggest you contact your insurer, and ask them for confirmation that your current 3M+ THB meets the criteria for the 1-year extension of your Non Imm O-A Visa AND whether they register that policy on the TGIA website.  That last point is of high relevance, because your local Immigration Office will look for your policy on that website, and if your Thai insurer (an international insurer is not allowed) has not registered it there, chances are that your local Imm Office will deny your application for the 1-year extension of that original Non Imm O-A Visa.  Of course you could then still apply for reason of marriage as you have done the last 4 years.

Also note that when switching the reason for your 1-year extension from marriage to retirement, as you intend to do when your Health-Insurance policy meets the criteria, that Immigration would also want you to provide evidence that you met the financial requirements (+800K/+400K) for the 'retirement' application over the past 12 months. 

[supermac]

I also have my extension due on my OA visa and have the required 3 million Baht Inpatient cover however my insurance and visa extension dates are out of sync .I understand if I go for my extension I will be given the full 12 months v8sa extension but my permission to stay will be stamped 6 months or my insurance expiry date .When I renew my insurance will immigration simply re stamp my permission to stay to the end of the visa extension and are there any additional cost and paperwork required to do this ,thanks.

[Red Phoenix]

25 minutes ago, supermac said:

I also have my extension due on my OA visa and have the required 3 million Baht Inpatient cover however my insurance and visa extension dates are out of sync .I understand if I go for my extension I will be given the full 12 months v8sa extension but my permission to stay will be stamped 6 months or my insurance expiry date .When I renew my insurance will immigration simply re stamp my permission to stay to the end of the visa extension and are there any additional cost and paperwork required to do this ,thanks.

When you apply for the 1-year extension for reason of retirement, based on your original Non Imm O-A Visa, you will not receive 12 months but be provided with a Permit to stay capped to the expiry date of your Non Imm O-A compliant Health Insurance policy. 

As a result of your Imm Office doing that your next 1-year extension of stay application will be already in a couple of months and it will then be synchronized with the annual expiry date of your HI policy. 

Alternatively you could contact your Thai insurer and request that they prolonge the annual validity date of your current HI policy such that it is aligned with the application dates for your yearly extension, but of course that would mean you having to pay the insurance premium for the extra months.