Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

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Gaybutton
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Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

Post by Gaybutton »

NOTE: The requirement does NOT apply to type O visa holders. Only O-A visa holders. Also note this requirement is in baht, not dollars. And, of course as usual, plenty of confusion reigns. Thailand certainly does an excellent job of constantly keeping people confused.

The part on my "I Don't Get It" list is that they keep coming up with all this nonsense that does more to drive both retirees on the O-A visa and tourists away rather than to encourage them to be in Thailand, spending their money here - at just the time when Thailand most needs their money. Only a few years ago none of these requirements existed. Now every time we turn around somebody comes up with something else and we all have to live with uncertainty about what they might come up with next - and when.

Lepers in ancient civilizations had it easier . . .

If you want to retire in Thailand, get your retirement visa within Thailand, not your home country. That way you'll have the O visa and at least so far won't have to deal with these requirements.
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O-A non-immigrant visa applicants required to have ฿3m health insurance

October 19, 2021

Foreigners applying for non-immigrant (O-A) visas for stays in Thailand of up to one year are now required to have a health insurance policy with minimum coverage of three million baht for in-patient medical fees, instead of the previous 400,000 baht.

Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha said today (Tuesday) that the new rule is intended to ensure that they will receive proper medical treatment if they fall ill during their long stay in the country.

According to the Thai Immigration Bureau and the Department of Consular Affairs, 3,768 foreigners were granted non-immigrant visas last and this year.

The insurance policies can either be purchased in Thailand or in their home country, but the coverage amount of foreign issued policies must be on a par with the sum stipulated in policies issued in Thailand.

https://www.thaipbsworld.com/non-immigr ... insurance/
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New financial headache for some retirement visa holders

By Barry Kenyon

October 20, 2021

A news report that some visas based on retirement could now require two insurances has stirred confusion on social media. Deputy public health minister Sathit Pitutecha, in comments first relayed by ThaiPBSWorld, is quoted as saying that applications for one year 0/A visas would carry the extra requirement of “health” insurance of US$100,000, or over 3 million baht. However, the minister did not provide any backup information.

O/A visas are one year (usually multiple entry) permissions of stay issued by Thai embassies abroad to wannabe retirees aged 50 and above. In 2019, a pre-pandemic era, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs introduced a general medical insurance requirement of 400,000 baht (inpatient) and 40,000 (outpatient). The Thai insurance companies and consortia offering such a specific deal imposed an age limit of 75. However, some retirees had their own foreign-based policies which covered these requirements.

The 400,000 baht insurance was made mandatory in 2020 for renewals (actually extensions of stay) of the 0/A visa at Thai immigration offices. This has caused great difficulty for elderly expats who found that the insurance was simply not available, or was subject to exclusions, which meant that claims were impossible as the self-payment conditions amounted to the totality of the policy. However, some immigration offices allowed a flexible interpretation which permitted acceptance of insurance policies designed to cover accidental injuries or death payouts.

The deputy health minister appears now to be requiring a second policy, specifically for Covid-related illness, to be added to the required 0/A documentation. This is the same US$100,000 cover presently required of all entrants to Thailand, no matter what visa or permission they apply for. However and crucially, we still do not know what, if any, changes will be introduced from November 1 when the Thailand Pass replaces the Certificate of Entry. So the minister seems to be referring to renewals/extensions of stay of 0/A visa holders already here.

Most expat retirees with one year extensions do not in fact have 0/A visas, but 0 visas based on retirement. What concerns them is whether the latest 0/A regulations apply to them when they attend immigration for their annual extension of stay. Currently the answer is no. Many 0/A visa holders have sought to transfer to an 0 at their immigration office, only to discover that they cannot change without first leaving the country in a complicated procedure.

The Covid-specific US$100,000 insurance is available outside Thailand for entrants up to the age of 99, for example at http://covid19.tgia.org/ a Thai consortium which bases the cost only on duration of stay and country of departure. However, that popular policy is not available for retirees applying from within Thailand, whilst some other companies have a cut off age date around 75. So the whole insurance issue for foreigners based in Thailand is now extremely complex. Some commentators believe that Thai authorities are attempting to move retirees as a group from one year extensions to the Elite visa which lasts for five years, or more, but requires a non-refundable registration of at least 600,000 baht. Whether the squeeze is now taking root without escape tunnels remains to be seen.

https://www.pattayamail.com/latestnews/ ... ers-376327
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

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I'm glad to see that foreigners over 70 on the O-A visa will be able to buy insurance after all, but for some strange reason the word "racket" comes to mind.
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Health insurance coverage adjusted to attract more long-stay, high-spending elderly expats

by The Nation

October 20, 2021

Foreigners aged over 70 living in Thailand under a 1 year non-immigrant O-A visa will now be able to buy health insurance with a minimum coverage of $100,000 (approximately THB3 million) for medical expenses and treatment of Covid-19, Public Health Deputy Minister Dr Satit Pitutecha said on Tuesday.

The ministry has increased the health insurance limit from THB40,000 for outpatient care and THB400,000 for inpatient care to THB3 million to attract foreigners with high purchasing power to live in Thailand while ensuring their medical expenses are fully covered during their stay.

“This adjustment will contribute to the government’s plan of making Thailand a global medical hub and promote health tourism in the country,” Satit pointed out.

The new rules also facilitate expats who cannot purchase insurance in Thailand and thus face having their applications for extension of stay rejected, as these applications can now use health insurance from abroad or government welfare from abroad. This however must be certified by a relevant government agency, such as a foreign embassy in Thailand or the country’s Foreign Ministry.

Expats can also buy Thai health insurance online via https://longstay.tgia.org, which features 17 Thai insurance companies to choose from.

Immigration Office statistics indicate the number of applications for the 1 year non-immigrant O-A visa since 2017 has shown a rising trend, except during 2020-2021 due to the Covid-19 crisis.

In 2017, some 2,891 people applied for the visa. This number increased to 3,164 the following year and then to 4,222 in 2019. In 2020 the number of applicants dropped to 2,321 and down to 1,447 people in the first nine months of 2021.

The office also estimated that expatriates in this group spend around THB30,000-70,000 a month during their stay in the kingdom.

https://www.nationthailand.com/in-focus/40007747
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

Post by gerefan »

I wish I could get by spending ONLY 70,000 baht a month...let alone 30,000.
My condo rent alone is 20,000.
There must be some cheap Charlie’s around!
Jun

Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

Post by Jun »

I do wonder how far $100,000 goes if one has a major incident and needs life support for an extended period ? I'm not sure I like the idea of regulations which might lead to inadequate policies.

The type of insurance policy I've previously been buying for travel tended to offer £5 or £10 million medical cover.
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

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Just been doing my research for Malaysia, and they have reintroduced their retirement visa for West Malaysia, i.e. KL, you now need UK £7,000 a month in pensions and £500,000 in forms of deposit and liquid assets. Up from £2,000 a month and around
£50,000 deposit/assets. Point I'm making is a lot of these countries are tightening up, I think the option of Thailand now is probably the best especially with the 1 year visa, and even with the health insurance problem, the key behind that is get in there before age 70, lol. I need to look at this O and A thing. However, we've always been able to go to Thailand for up to 9 months with a visa from the UK, 3 plus 3 plus 3 I think.

Even Spain is easier than all this crap even though we're out of Eurodisney!
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

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Cambodia is easy! Erm
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

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whitedesire wrote: Wed Oct 27, 2021 8:21 am Cambodia is easy!
What are the requirements for Cambodia?
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

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In Cambodia, all you need to do is purchase a visa-on-arrival at the airport by filling out a short form, providing two passport photos, and paying $35 for a “business” or “ordinary” visa, which will be valid for one month.

Once you are in the country all you have to do is extend your visa for a one-year period—at a cost of less than $300—which allows you to live in the country and come and go at your pleasure, without the stringent income requirements needed by many other Southeast Asian countries. As long as you behave yourself, the authorities are happy to welcome another foreign guest to their country to support the local economy.
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

Post by Daleinpattaya »

I may be mistaken, but that sounds like Cambodia PRE-COVID …. what about during COVID and now as Cambodia approaches POST COVID??
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Re: Yet another reason to avoid the O-A retirement visa

Post by whitedesire »

LOL your joking right? During COVID you couldn't retire hardly anywhere. No one would let you set foot in their country, even now.
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