1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Putting up a massive amount of locked money is not an exclusion.

wtf are you talking about? There's no "extra" requirement. If you cannot get health insurance then you don't have to get it. All the other requirements are the exact same as the non-O. Are you just trying to make up new requirements?

You get a certificate from the insurance company that says you don't qualify for insurance. You use that with your extension. Done. If they added insurance to the non-O it would likely be the same. What does a massive amount of locked money have to do with insurance or an exclusion?

Edited May 14May 14 by BrandonJT

@BrandonJT

It's 3 million baht. I didn't remember the exact amount before so I just said massive

That iis not an exclusion.

I think.you're thinking of Malaysia.

Most people won't be willing and/or able to freeze that amount in a Thai bank.

The standard and good advice to such people now is to.switxh to an O visa which currently has no insurance requirement.

Cheers.

• Show Proof of Denial + High Funds: If you already hold an O-A visa and cannot renew due to insurance denial, you may be able to show evidence of insurance denial (certified by your embassy) combined with having at least 3 million THB on deposit in a Thai bank.

Edited May 14May 14 by Jingthing

6 hours ago, BrandonJT said:

He was commenting specifically on you talking about people who cannot qualify for health insurance. There IS an exclusion for that. If you are too old to qualify for policies from the list of approved insurance companies, you can get an exclusion from that requirement.

The alternative is not an exclusion. Putting up 3 million baht in a Thai bank account in addition to 800,000 for the visa is an additional financial burden.

2 hours ago, Ricohoc said:

The alternative is not an exclusion. Putting up 3 million baht in a Thai bank account in addition to 800,000 for the visa is an additional financial burden.

Well if using the income method the 800K is not required.

It is true that for the uninsured and also the "insured" that can't realistically expect their conditions to be covered, a major medical event can easily cost 3 million baht and more.

So having that amount of emergency reserve and more is a very good idea.

However, that's different than being forced to tie up that amount of money locked in a Thai bank, paying tiny interest, and not being able to better invest it.

I want to correct a fallacious idea that was posted here before suggesting that visa agents would be magic in the event of changes.

It is true that people in many localities can pay visa agents to get extensions of O visas based on retirement without actually having the funds. Some may call that corruption, but it's business as usual so far. However, sometimes there are later complications and dependencies that result from using agents.

HOWEVER, even today, visa agents can't help people with OA visas get extensions without health insurance. Health insurance is required for OA visas and extensions. Period. End of story.

45 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

However, that's different than being forced to tie up that amount of money locked in a Thai bank, paying tiny interest, and not being able to better invest it.

And that would be my main issue.

My cash assets are well over the amount of baht necessary, but it is in different investments outside and inside of Thailand (including 2 Thai bank savings accounts that I use for visa renewals). I am debt free, and I have continuously paid off any amounts owed in hospitals and elsewhere in cash for the entire 15+ years that I have been retired in Thailand. I'd like to keep my assets where they are without having to bring them into Thailand to sit and do nothing.

However, the alternative of throwing 20,000+ baht down an insurance black hole every month is exponentially worse. If I face the misfortune of an insurance company accepting me as a client, that is exactly what will happen for me. I don't need the insurance for several reasons, and the fact that it would not cover pre-existing conditions would make it absolutely useless.