Since October 31, 2019, health insurance is mandatory for any application or renewal of an OA visa. Mr. Shioura of the insurance company Pacific Cross in Bangkok brings us some insightful answers on compulsory health insurance.
Reminder: The OA visa is intended for people wishing to stay in Thailand for their retirement; valid for a renewable year, this visa is intended for people over 50, its holder will not be able to work legally and get a work permit in Thailand
An important financial condition will be met:
1) Two months before the filing of the application, and for three months after obtaining the extension, the applicant will be required to dispose of, on a Thai bank account, the sum of 800,000 THB. Beyond the 3-month period, it will be required that the balance of the bank account never be less than 400,000 THB.
2) The second option for the applicant is to have a monthly income of 65,000 THB.
The Mandatory Health Insurance Subscription Condition
A. First Request, what requirements?
For the first year, immigration is asking that the OA visa applicant is an insurance that is on the list from the TGIA, 13 companies in total (https://longstay.tgia.org/home/guidelineoa )
And the insurance must be a minimum of 400,000 baht for hospitalization (IPD) and 40,000 baht for outpatient (OPD)
B. For the renewals, conditions are the same?
For the renewal of the same requirements but also for the insurance to start at the same time as the renewal of the visa, it must, therefore, be able to cover the insured from its first day of renewal.
Conclusion: What advice would you give?
The pitfalls to avoid: take insurance that is not part of the list of 13 companies but also be careful that the insurance is part of the list and that the insurance and the visa the date matches well with the renewal of the visa.
This article is a general briefing note that does not replace advice for any individual situation, the firm would not be held responsible for its contents.