Is Foreign Health Insurance Sufficient for Thai O-A Visa Requirements?

Dec 12, 2019
5 years ago
Garry ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
Is insurance from a foreign country that covers you here good enough?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion centers around the necessity of health insurance for the O-A (Long Stay) visa for Thailand. Commenters clarify that while you can initially enter Thailand on an O-A visa using foreign insurance, for yearly extensions you must obtain a policy from one of the 12 approved Thai insurance providers. Some users share personal experiences about using foreign insurance to enter the country but emphasize that it may not suffice for extension processes.
Tod *********
This is a post about how to "break the chain" from an O-A visa/extension to get a new Non-O visa.

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Pedro **********
has there been any previous occurrance where an individual was denied the 90 days Non-O after the consideration ? this will cause massive last minute headache.
Tod *********
and this spells it out clearer
Carl ***********
I used insurance from the UK on 2nd December and was accepted :-) just make sure you have a copy
Tod *********
Unless I'm wrong Carl Pritchard, you didn't use foreign insurance to get a yearly EXTENSION of stay inside the country from the immigration office :/

You used it to ENTER the country on a valid O-A visa and get stamped in for another year, right?
Tod *********
If you don't want to or are unable to find insurance from one of the approved companies, your choice is to exit the country, canceling the extension you're on and either coming back on a 30 day visa exempt entry and then going to your immigration office and applying for a NEW 90 day Non-O visa <- note there is no A after the O, and after that apply for a yearly extension.
Allan *********
Hmm So it is stil possible to get the OA visa at the thai embassy in fx Copenhagen using my danish insurance (covers me in Thailand)...I don't extend in Thailand..I get a new one in Denmark every 2 year.
Allan *********
Good news for me..thank you
Tod *********
It should be..
Tod *********
One last time, the ONLY visa type that changed and now requires mandatory insurance is the O-A (Long Stay) visa that you get from your country before you come here.
Garry ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
I am 68 and I am sure the insurance here will not be cheap. But I have blue cross/ blue shield which i have used many times here.
Garry ********
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Tod ********
I am talking about the extension of my O-A Visa. I have been here 9 years.
Tod *********
Okay, the ONLY visa that changed and now requires health insurance is the O-A (Long Stay) visa that you get in your country BEFORE you come here <- that requires a police background check and a medical certificate. That visa can ONLY be gotten from a thai consulate in your country before you come here.

You can use insurance in your country to BUY the visa from a thai consulate in your country, and to enter on the visa while it is valid

However IF you are going to get a yearly extension of stay from it at the immigration office, you will need to carry a policy from one of the 12 approved thai insurance carriers. There is no way around that.
Steven **********
Tod Daniels Let me know how that works out I’m kind of in the same boat I’ve got anthem Blue Cross hundred percent with their global Core international coverage
Willem **********
There must be a way around, because the system is not very fair. Existing medical conditions are in most cases excluded by the 12 approved approved Thai insurance carriers. What can you do with such an insurance in case the biggest part of your medical costs in Thailand are not covered? That's not what the Thai government had in mind I guess. There is a possibility to use also other private companies, as long as the foreseen form for this case is signed. In my case, I have a nearly 100% coverage without any limits, but not from a private company provider, so that doesn't help me. So I am exploring the possibility to change my Non OA visa into an Non O visa as you indeed mentions below.
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