{"id":2021,"date":"2021-06-21T16:21:38","date_gmt":"2021-06-21T09:21:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/?p=2021"},"modified":"2021-06-21T16:22:49","modified_gmt":"2021-06-21T09:22:49","slug":"new-health-insurance-requirement-for-retirees-in-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/new-health-insurance-requirement-for-retirees-in-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"New COVID-19 insurance requirement for long-stay expats in Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On June 15, 2021, deputy spokeswoman for the Thai government, Ms. Traisuree Taisaranakul, confirmed in principle that all foreign nationals applying for the non-immigrant O-A visa will be required to prove that they have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bangkokpost.com\/thailand\/general\/2132935\/virus-cover-needed-for-long-stays\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">insurance coverage of at least USD $100,000 (THB \u0e3f3 million)<\/a>. This will likely be enforced once the Immigration Bureau has published the full details.<\/p>\n<p>To give you a better understanding, this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pacific Prime Thailand<\/a> article revisits what the non-immigrant O-A visa is, the requirements for the visa, and provides an explanation of the latest insurance update for those on\/looking to secure O-A visas.<\/p>\n<div class='code-block code-block-1' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/compare-quotes\/?campSource=PPTH-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=content_banner&utm_campaign=Blog_Banner&utm_content=single\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-415\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/WP-Banner-revamp-final-20221207_1.-Single-final.jpg\" alt=\"Individual health insurance banner\" width=\"1138\" height=\"493\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n<h2>Non-immigrant O-A Visa<\/h2>\n<p>At present, foreign nationals aged 50 and over can apply for the non-immigrant O-A visa, which is the official term used for the retirement visa in Thailand. Applicants in this category can apply through their local Thai embassy and must present the following documents:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Passport\/travel document with at least 6 months validity<\/li>\n<li>Completed retirement visa application form<\/li>\n<li>Medical certificates confirming no prohibitive diseases such as leprosy, tuberculosis, elephantiasis, drug addiction, and\/or third stage of a syphilis infection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Note: Prohibitive diseases may include others not already included above. Speak to your local Thai embassy representative for an updated list.<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Criminal record clearance<\/li>\n<li>Evidence of adequate financial support, either:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ol>\n<li>Monthly income of at least THB \u0e3f65,000; or<\/li>\n<li>The current balance of at least THB \u0e3f800,000, which has been in the applicant\u2019s bank account for a minimum of 1 month prior to applying for the visa<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Health insurance requirement for non-immigrant O-A Visa<\/h3>\n<p>Since 2019, health insurance has been a mandatory requirement for expats on this type of visa and must offer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Outpatient coverage of at least THB \u0e3f40,000<\/li>\n<li>Inpatient coverage of at least THB \u0e3f400,000<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For further reading:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/the-retirement-visa-and-mandatory-health-insurance-in-thailand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The retirement visa and mandatory health insurance in Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/best-places-to-retiree-in-thailand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">5 best places for retirement in Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Latest health insurance requirement for O-A visa holders<\/h2>\n<p>As mentioned at the beginning of this article, future O-A visa applicants must provide proof that they have secured the higher level of coverage (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationthailand.com\/in-focus\/40002065?fbclid=IwAR3yODGJ_odnOxKo0MKrVRoudGujEF9JzkroBg6pCYOR1F6HixqH4Y_neWs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">USD $100,000 (THB <\/a>\u0e3f3<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationthailand.com\/in-focus\/40002065?fbclid=IwAR3yODGJ_odnOxKo0MKrVRoudGujEF9JzkroBg6pCYOR1F6HixqH4Y_neWs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> million)<\/a>). The insurance policy must also clearly state that it provides coverage for COVID-19.<\/p>\n<p>Given that healthcare needs are evolving and the risk of being hospitalized once tested positive for COVID-19 has increased, retirees will be better off with the higher coverage. Moreover, this will help avoid issues of non-payment once admitted and treated, or even delays for some alternative treatments included on health plans.<\/p>\n<h2>Are you planning to travel to Thailand?<\/h2>\n<p>At Pacific Prime Thailand, we offer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/plans\/travel-insurance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">COVID-19 insurance coverage<\/a> for foreigners planning to travel to Thailand with coverage of up to THB \u0e3f3.5 million (equivalent to at least USD $100,000) for medical expenses due to injury or sickness. Our partner, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/insurers\/luma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luma Health<\/a>, also provides their version via the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/luma-thailand-pass-travel-insurance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LUMA Thailand Pass<\/a> plan.<\/p>\n<p>For further reading:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/thailands-covid-19-vaccine-drive-begins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thailand\u2019s COVID-19 vaccine drive begins<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/alternative-state-quarantine-hotels-your-guide-to-asq-in-thailand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alternative State Quarantine hotels: Your guide to ASQ in Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Speak to your insurer or broker<\/h2>\n<p>As news of this latest change has yet to be enforced, it would be wise to stay ahead of the curve by contacting your insurer or broker on whether this will affect your current insurance status. To be clear, this update applies to holders of the one-year, non-immigrant O-A visa only. But given how things can change at a moment&#8217;s notice, you are encouraged to speak to an expert who can keep you up to date with the latest insurance news and updates.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pacific Prime Thailand<\/a>\u2019s team of experts can also help by providing impartial advice across several plans and breakdown the process of securing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/expat-health-insurance-in-thailand-pacific-prime-insurance-brokers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">expat health insurance<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/long-stay-visa-insurance-in-thailand-pacific-prime-insurance-brokers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">long-stay visa insurance<\/a> in Thailand. Reach out to our team of experts by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">contacting us<\/a> today.<\/p>\n<div class='code-block code-block-6' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/compare-quotes\/step-one\/?campSource=PPTH-Blog&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=cta_banner&utm_campaign=Blog_Banner&utm_content=quote\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-417\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.co.th\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/PPTH_Gen_01.jpg\" alt=\"Get a Quote CTA Banner\" width=\"1138\" height=\"493\" \/><\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On June 15, 2021, deputy spokeswoman for the Thai government, Ms. Traisuree Taisaranakul, confirmed in principle that all foreign nationals applying for the non-immigrant O-A visa will be required to prove that they have insurance coverage of at least USD $100,000 (THB \u0e3f3 million). This will likely be enforced once the Immigration Bureau has published &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":2022,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10,2],"tags":[436,1293,434,1697,5,282,67],"class_list":["post-2021","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expat-insurance","category-insurance","tag-ban_sin","tag-covid-19","tag-cta_gen","tag-foreigners","tag-health-insurance","tag-retirement","tag-thailand"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New COVID-19 Insurance Requirement for Long-stay Expats in Thailand<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Health insurance requirements for future O-A visa applicants in Thailand have changed in 2021. 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