Visa for Medical Treatment in Thailand?

[mikemellow]

What is the correct visa I need to get in order to stay longer term because of getting dental implants which can take up to a year to finish the dental work? I came into Thailand on a 2 entry tourist visa and I am on the second entry and while here I found a good dental center and have started proceedures which will take longer than my tourist visa including a 1 month visa extension (if I can get one next month). Is medical covered under a tourist visa or under a non O visa? Can I get the non O visa in Bangkok at immigration without leaving the country? Is there a category for medical? Does having medical proceedure also involve starting bank accounts? I am really having a hard time trying to find out any information on this subject that I can understand. I have heard medical tourism as a term so maybe that is covered under a regular tourist visa however I do not want to be denied entry as I have read that Thailand is turning tourists away now at its boarders.

[Seligne2]

Visa category O. http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa

[paz]

Visa category O. http://www.thaiembassy.ca/en/visiting-thailand/visas/types-visas-periods-stay-fees/non-immigrant-visa

I'm afraid the OP will find that despite what is written there, no category O will be issued for medical treatment, and he will be told he needs to use Tourist Visa. I'll be glad to be proven wrong.

[ubonjoe]

It might be possible to get the non-o in his home country but it will not be done at any nearby location.

If you can get documents stating you cannot travel from the clinic you could get extensions of stay for up to 90 days at a time from immigration.

[Mario2008]

Medical tourism is mainly for people from the gulf states, who can easily get a visa for medical purposes and can bring family mebers and a maid with them.

[NancyL]

Contact the dental clinic to see if they have someone who liaises with Immigration, like the private hospitals do. In general, though, it's going to be difficult to obtain visa extensions for medical reasons if you're receiving treatment on an outpatient basis and otherwise walking around and living a normal life between dental appointments. The assumption is that you could travel and leave the country.

It's up to the discretion of the local Immigration officer to grant medical extensions. Here in Chiang Mai there have been hints that after August 12 they may not do any medical extensions longer than 30 days, even for someone who has a condition that clearly isn't going to improve. They're saying this isn't definite, but are saying the days of 90 day medical extensions could be over. The mind boggles at the thought of going for a medical extension (at 1900 baht) every 30 days. Every 90 days is hardship enough for some families.

Edited July 15, 2014 by NancyL

[khunyod]

There is a tourism visa called "MT" for "Medical Treatment" and has single and multiple entries. Basically it appears to mirror the "TR" Tourism visas (TR + METV). Not sure why it is not an option, though perhaps this year old thread may be the reason.

[ubonjoe]

Not all embassy or consulates show it on their websites. The DC website calls it a "Tourist Visa Category “MT”.

Not sure what you mean by multiple entries. The DC website still shows 1, 2 or 3 entry visa being possible. But I doubt the 2 or 3 entry visas will issued since the METV has gone into effect. http://thaiembdc.org/consular-services/tourist-visas/tourist-visa-category-mt/

The MFA website lists medical treatment under the non-o requirements.

There is in reality no need to get more than a single entry visa since it is possible to get an extension at immigration.

[khunyod]

My understanding is that it is a category of the Tourist Visa, and therefore will also fit under the new Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa. The only difference seems to be less money in the bank, and a letter from the hospital or other medical facility that would provide treatment.

Agree that extension is possible, but perhaps people want to go for some treatment, return home for some amount of time, and then go back from more treatment. For some kinds of medical/dental procedures that would make sense.

I see that "medical" is listed under "O", as you mention, on the MFA site. However, many Thai consulate/embassy sites have an MT or list medical under Tourism visa, including: DC, Chennai, London, Brunei, etc.

In 2013 there was introduced the visa exempt-permission to stay 90 days for the Gulf states, specifically for medical tourism, but other countries have the same needs.

[thaitero]

Thaiembassy in Russia lists Medical visa under tourist visa

2. Tourist Visa

REQUIREMENT

This type of visa is issued to applicants who wish to enter the Kingdom for the following purposes :

to enter the Kingdom for tourism purposes (category "TR")

to seek a medical treatment in the Kingdom. (category "MT")

http://en.thaiembassymoscow.com/info/?section=d6&artid=97

Edited November 15, 2015 by thaitero

[NancyL]

What with all the great dentists here in Chiang Mai and foreigners who'd love to stay but have limited means, I've seen many who have tried to talk to dentists about cooperating with a "medical extension" for procedures like implants. No dice. And since the regime change, there's been a real crack down on medical extensions -- someone has to be under the treatment of someone at gov't hospital, for example.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, I embarked on a major dental "adventure" to have 18 crowns done at once to correct longstanding problems. I've got to admit I've traveled to a couple countries and all over Thailand in between the dental appointments and the dentist and I aren't still aren't done. None of the travel interfered with the dental appointments. In fact, it gave me time to check out the temporary crowns with different foods.

[TheFishman1]

I no a guy in Chiang Mai just received 90 days for Medical stay

[NancyL]

Oh yes, they're still doing 90 day medical extensions in Chiang Mai, but not for something like out-patient dental treatments where you can travel in-between appointments.

Yes, I recently assisted someone to get a medical extension to her tourist visa after she injured her back and couldn't tolerate a ride to the border or flight to activate the second entry to her double entry tourist visa. She was under the care of a doctor at Suan Dok hospital, a gov't hospital and he cooperated in filling out all the necessary forms. It was physically a big effort for her to make the trip to Immigration. This is the correct use of a medical extension -- not for someone who is having dental work.

[NancyL]

For the OP, he could consider getting an ED visa and studying Thai in between his dental appointments. There were people in my Thai language classes who were doing just that. They came to Thailand for good quality inexpensive dental procedures and needed to find something to do to fill the time between appointments.

[realenglish1]

You can get a tourist Visa and then go to Immigration and there is an office inside where you do your 90 Day reporting that does medical extensions I would suggest you talk with them first and see what you need for an extension

[bazza40]

Contact the dental clinic to see if they have someone who liaises with Immigration, like the private hospitals do. In general, though, it's going to be difficult to obtain visa extensions for medical reasons if you're receiving treatment on an outpatient basis and otherwise walking around and living a normal life between dental appointments. The assumption is that you could travel and leave the country.

It's up to the discretion of the local Immigration officer to grant medical extensions. Here in Chiang Mai there have been hints that after August 12 they may not do any medical extensions longer than 30 days, even for someone who has a condition that clearly isn't going to improve. They're saying this isn't definite, but are saying the days of 90 day medical extensions could be over. The mind boggles at the thought of going for a medical extension (at 1900 baht) every 30 days. Every 90 days is hardship enough for some families.

Agree, I had an overrun on dental treatment at CM Ram hospital and had to do a visa run to Mae Sai. A letter from the hospital cut no ice at all. The immigration officer in charge told me unless I was on crutches or photographed in a hospital bed with that day's date stamp I had to do the border run.