Reduction in number of NON-Immigrant visa types from Sep 2024

[rumak]

11 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

There is no merger with the O and O-A visa.

Both are separately listed as still being available.

 

exactly .    but we will still have another 20 pages of what ifs,  etc etc .

 

those with O-A  visas are, and have been p@ss- off that they have to do the insurance thing .   I would be too . 

but.... wishing that those with simple  non-o visas having to do the same  ?     Sure, nobody said as much ...... but keep hinting at the fact and talking about merging the two is not gonna help.

 

life ain't fair.     and there will always be guys who take it out with sad emojis  instead of figuring another way ..

 

 

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, Pattaya57 said:

Isn't that item 6 Non-Immigrant L-A

 

Item 7 is Non-Immigrant O (L-A) so wouldn't that be the O-A and the L for Long-term O-X?

 

No.

 

L-A is a specific type of visa for migrant workers from neighbouring countries.

 

Presumably what are now non-O, non O-A and non-O-X visas visas will come under 5, Other.  What is unclear is what effect this may have in terms of say health insurance requirements which are currently limited to O-A and O-X.

 

Also presumably O visas on basis of marriage and dependency will also come under 5, Other.

 

Also I would assume this reclassification will effect issuance of new visas, not extensions of existing non-O visas....?

 

The LTR visa is an altogether different thing and I think not classified as an "o" visa?

[Mike Teavee]

1 hour ago, OJAS said:

 

The reduction in the mandatory minimum health insurance coverage from 3M to 440k will only apply to long-stay visa applicants between September and December, according to the thread at https://aseannow.com/topic/1328402-big-thailand-visa-changes-from-june-1/

 

What I personally find extremely worrying is that, if we are, indeed, talking about a merger of the non-O and non-OA visas in the case of retirement, the Immigration Bureau might use this as an excuse for extending the health insurance requirement (which will presumably increase back to 3M from 1/1/25) to annual extensions of stay for retirement based on original non-O (as well as non-OA) visas. Not good news for those who have ditched their original non-OA visas so as to avoid the insurance requirement by exiting Thailand, re-entering visa-exempt and then obtaining 90-day non-O conversions at their local offices. And definitely not good news for those who, for whatever reason (age or health issues), are unable to obtain minimum health insurance coverage of 3M.

 

It would be an increase in Health Insurance coverage for me as my policy has 3.5Million inpatients only so I'd need to pay extra to add on the 40K Outpatients 😞 

 

[UKresonant]

Just now, rumak said:

 

exactly .    but we will still have another 20 pages of what ifs,  etc etc .

 

those with O-A  visas are, and have been p@ss- off that they have to do the insurance thing .   I would be too . 

but.... wishing that those with simple  non-o visas having to do the same  ?     Sure, nobody said as much ...... but keep hinting at the fact and talking about merging the two is not gonna help.

 

life ain't fair.     and there will always be guys who take it out with sad emojis  instead of figuring another way ..

 

 

The O-A went off my options menu list in October 2019, my longest time in within 12 months Thailand has been 245ish days in one year, my longest single entry was <84 days. The broker agent of a major Health insurance provider, said they could not honestly sell me a Thai Policy to supplement my 92 day per trip Travel insurance because the must be in Thailand clause in the T&C's of  6 months in 12 of the policies, Vs my stay pattern in Thailand would imply I would flux in and out of coverage. With my luck I would probably be under the 180 days when it was needed 🙂. Unaware that this situation has changed.

 

If they started saying you must also buy a practically worthless Thai Insurance policy, to get a Single entry Non-O Marriage Visa that may be another  negative issue for me! 

 

[Mike Teavee]

52 minutes ago, Liquorice said:

There is no merger with the O and O-A visa.

Both are separately listed as still being available.

Can you post a link as to where it says this as if it's from an Embassy site then these are unlikely to have been updated yet. 

[unblocktheplanet]

58 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Also presumably O visas on basis of marriage and dependency will also come under 5, Other.

 

Also I would assume this reclassification will effect issuance of new visas, not extensions of existing non-O visas....?

Health insurance is going to be really hard on spouse visa-holders. Many have a spouse visa because they don't have the dosh to tie up in retirement. Let's hope they grandfather us in for existing non-O extensions. Thanks for your take, Sheryl.

[unblocktheplanet]

7 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

Or more likely they are eliminating it and adding a health insurance requirement to all non-O visas based on retirement. 

THAT would be a serious bummer. No hope for me at 75.

[howerde]

1 hour ago, Liquorice said:

There is no merger with the O and O-A visa.

Both are separately listed as still being available.

The changes to the non o do not change until September, the only thing that changes on 1st June are visa exempt and visa on arrival, non of the embassy websites show the changes yet the London website was last updates in 2022

[george]

6 minutes ago, howerde said:

The changes to the non o do not change until September, the only thing that changes on 1st June are visa exempt and visa on arrival, non of the embassy websites show the changes yet the London website was last updates in 2022

 

 

Royal Thai Consulate Penang: https://www.facebook.com/RTCinPenang/

[rumak]

25 minutes ago, unblocktheplanet said:

7 hours ago, Phillip9 said:

Or more likely they are eliminating it and adding a health insurance requirement to all non-O visas based on retirement. 

THAT would be a serious bummer. No hope for me at 75.

 

 

Here is just ONE great example of someone giving a baseless opinion (P9)  which then scares unblocktheplanet and surely some others ....

these threads do nothing to help.... just mostly assumptions or misconceptions of some members.   

On the list there is a simple Non-O  option ,  which many retirees have used for years .   myself included.   The requirements did not change before (regarding health insurance NOT required) ..... and it ain't gonna change now .    that is what is most likely !

      and that's all i got to say about that !

[rumak]

2 hours ago, Liquorice said:

But they might have a knock-on effect on extension of stay requirements, particularly when it comes to health insurance coverage.

 comment from Ojas (another baseless opinion).... not Liquorice who answered it very well !

 

"There is no merger with the O and O-A visa.

Both are separately listed as still being available."

 

 

[rumak]

8 hours ago, george said:

It was not mentioned in the cabinet meeting. May be included in the NON-O category?

 

my take from reading it ( the correct one  55 ) is  : 

1. (7) Category Non-Immigrant Code O (L-A)

[rumak]

OK ............. assumptions and most likely's are now open again .

 

i

[Srikcir]

Where is the non-immigrant Long Term Resident visa?

[rumak]

10 hours ago, george said:

BANGKOK:-- The Thai cabinet decided on its cabinet meeting 2024-05-28 to scrap 10 of the 17 different NON-Immigrant visa categories. This will be implemented starting September - December 2024.

These are the 7 remaining categories for NON-Immigrant visas.

                                    

1. (1) Category Non-Immigrant Code B (Business)                                   
2. (2) Category Non-Immigrant Code ED (Education)                                   
3. (3) Category Non-Immigrant Code F (Official)                                   
4. (4) Category Non-Immigrant Code M (Mass Media)                                   
5. (5) Category Non-Immigrant Code O (Others)                                   
6. (6) Category Non-Immigrant Code L-A (Labor)                                   
7. (7) Category Non-Immigrant Code O (L-A)

-- Translation from source: https://www.thaigov.go.th/

xxx

[george]

2 minutes ago, rumak said:

i can not find the thai source ( went to link above) .   Can you please tell me how to navigate to read the thai version of this news .

 

Here you go:

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83608

[rumak]

Just now, george said:

 

Here you go:

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83608

thx.....sorry for the xtra posts ( was not going thru )

[rumak]

37 minutes ago, george said:

 

Here you go:

https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/83608

 

OK.......... skimming through the "news report" from May 28..... the ONLY mention of interest to those who must fulfill the insurance requirement was this section ,  which specifically mentions the O-A  visa :   (1) ปรับลดเงินประกันสุขภาพสำหรับการตรวจลงตราประเภทคนอยู่ชั่วคราว (Non-Immigrant) รหัส 0-A จากเดิมจำนวน 3,000,000 บาท ให้เหลือเท่าก่อนสถานการณ์การแพร่ระบาดของโรคติดเชื้อไวรัสโคโรนา 2019 (โควิด-19) คือ 40,000 บาทสำหรับผู้ป่วยนอก และ 400,000 บาท

 

so, i hope members will stop trying to have the same fate placed on plain Non-0 holders who are NOT required to buy insurance to extend their stays in this nice place 🙂

[didi]

10 hours ago, george said:

No, L-A is migrant workers.

This L-A (work-)visum is covered in

(6) Category Non-Immigrant Code L-A (Labor)

My interpretation is that point (7) is covering the Non Immigrant O-A visum

[rumak]

1 minute ago, didi said:

This L-A (work-)visum is covered in

(6) Category Non-Immigrant Code L-A (Labor)

My interpretation is that point (7) is covering the Non Immigrant O-A visum

it is odd..... maybe just a small "error"  which can sometimes lead to big confusion .

 

[didi]

5 hours ago, OJAS said:

The reduction in the mandatory minimum health insurance coverage from 3M to 440k will only apply to long-stay visa applicants between September and December,

I think this is not the correct description. It sounds like this applies to applications between September and December only!

This change to the Non-O-A will be implemented between Septermber and December 2024.

[Dan O]

So is there a list of the 10 categories or types on Non Imm o being removed or eliminated?

[george]

10 hours ago, Dan O said:

So is there a list of the 10 categories or types on Non Imm o being removed or eliminated?

 

Until the change the Thai Non-Immigrant Visas has been categorized into the following types:

• NON-F Visa Category. 
• NON-B Visa Category. 
• NON-IM Visa Category.
• NON-ED Visa Category. 
• NON-M Visa Category. 
• NON-R Visa Category.
• NON-RS Visa Category.
• NON-EX Visa Category.
• NON-O Visa Category.
• NON O-A and
• NON O-X Visa Category. 
• NON L-A Visa Category 

[oldcpu]

4 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Where is the non-immigrant Long Term Resident visa?

 

The LTR visa is not a non-immigrant visa.

[proton]

Not confusing at all then 

[Middle Aged Grouch]

The O visa should be valid for 4 months stay and not 3 months as currently.

 

No wonder tourist and foreigner stay is dwindling and the money with it.

 

The winter stay retirees are now going to Vietnam, India and other Asean countries that make 100 times less fuss for long stay visas and none of the absurd health insurance fuss.

[nrasmussen]

8 hours ago, John Drake said:

It's the looming interpretation of this line from the main topic on this subject yesterday that is causing the unease. I do hope there is some quick elaboration on exactly what this means: 

 

Quote

- Adjusting the criteria and conditions for the Long Stay visa for elderly people who wish to spend their retirement in Thailand, starting in September 2024.

 

Could be that it just means removal of something like the requirement for police record and doctor's certificate currently needed when applying for an O-A.

[Maestro]

1 hour ago, oldcpu said:

 

The LTR visa is not a non-immigrant visa.

 

This makes discussion of the LTR off topic in this topic.

[Maestro]

This topic is exclusively about the reduction in the number of non-immigrant visa types.

 

Off-topic posts and the replies to them have been removed and will continue to be removed without additional notice.

[John Drake]

9 hours ago, nrasmussen said:

 

Could be that it just means removal of something like the requirement for police record and doctor's certificate currently needed when applying for an O-A.

Self deleted my reply as apparently this is a banned subject.