Answered4 years ago

Is extending my Australian travel insurance policy a good option for applying for the O-A retirement visa in Thailand?

tourist visa O-A retirement visa insurance requirements non-O visa COVID coverage Thai immigration rules

Leonard *********

asked Apr 30, 2022

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Just got a 60 day tourist visa and coming on 8 May to explore. Like many on here, baulked at applying for the retirement O-A visa because the Thai insurance I got quoted seemed dodgy. But I’m not against insurance and for the next 90 days, my Australian insurer sold me this reasonably priced policy (when the Thai embassy was only pushing Thai insurers) needed for my tourist visa. Question: Would an extension of this policy to annual be good for applying for the O-A retirement visa when I come back to Australia later this year?

Answer summary

The individual has a 60-day tourist visa and is considering applying for an O-A retirement visa later, but has concerns about the insurance policies accepted in Thailand. They currently have a reasonably priced travel insurance from Australia but worry about its suitability for the O-A visa application due to a lack of COVID coverage. Comments suggest considering a Non-O visa instead, which may not require insurance at the moment.

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Brook ********

Apply for the Non O visa based on retirement from within Thailand.

No insurance currently required.

You will need to deposit ฿800k for 2 months.

You can extend it another year by border crossing and/or extend it again annually or near biannually.

4 years ago

Nick **********

@Brook *******

can't squeeze another year out of non-O year extension based on retirement by crossing the border. You enter with the time left, which could be just a week even.

Need to do an annual extension at immigration.

The extra year by border crossing works for non-OA retirement.

4 years ago

Leonard *********

@Brook *******

happy to do that if I can scrape the 800k together. But I don’t mind buying legit insurance (hence my post question because I understand in Sydney they only need to see proof of my pension.

4 years ago

Brook ********

@Leonard ********

I don’t think you or many other people understand. When applying for an OA visa outside of Thailand, you must buy insurance from one of the 14 approved Thai insurance companies. Your choices are limited, exclusions are prevalent, and you could be turned down for no reason at all. You can be denied for being fat, or taking medication. Your policy could also be denied for renewal or face massive rate increases.

Or, if you do as I recommend, you can buy insurance from any company anywhere, change companies, self insure, or don’t insure at all.

4 years ago

Garrett ***********

@Brook *******

Outside Thailand you don't need to use the 14 Thai insurance companies. If you apply for an extension the insurance needs to be from the Thai companies, same with money in a bank.

4 years ago

Tony *********

How will that be approved for the Thai pass when it doesnt include covid coverage which is the whole purpose of the thai pass ?

Garrett ***********

It covers covid

Leonard *********

here you go!

Leonard *********

no question of “will”! It DID get approved. If you read the document carefully you’ll see it is unlimited cover unless I go to a country on some warning list, or I board a cruise ship.

4 years ago