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What are the experiences with Pacific Cross Premier Plus insurance for a Non-O retirement visa holder in Thailand?

Michael ***********
asked Jun 4, 2026
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# Feedback on *Pacific Cross Premier Plus* (Non-O retirement, 53M)

Hi everyone, I’ve learned a lot from this group and genuinely appreciate the level of knowledge and real-world experience people share here. It’s rare to find a place where advice comes from people who’ve actually gone through the process themselves, not just theory.

I’m currently going for a Non-O retirement visa. My understanding is that a Non-OA visa requires choosing from a restricted list of Thai-approved insurers, while a Non-O visa doesn’t require insurance at all. Ironically, after comparing a bunch of options, I still ended up leaning toward a Thai insurer anyway, Pacific Cross.

My profile: 53, non-smoker, quite active (sports ~6x/week), usually healthy. I have controlled hypertension, which I will fully disclose.

My approach: IPD-only cover, with a high deductible to keep the premium down. For OPD, I’m planning to pay out of pocket, based on what I’ve read that routine care in Thailand is relatively affordable.

Quote I received (via Rabbit Care, ex-Mr. Prakan):

* Plan: Pacific Cross “Premier Plus” (New Normal Lifestyle)

* Premium: ฿38,385/year

* IPD limit: ฿3,000,000 per condition

* Deductible: ฿40,000/year

* Room & board: ฿6,000/day

* MRI/CT/PET scans: covered only if part of IPD

Alternatives I looked at: AXA SmartCare, Allianz Ayudhya, April, Cigna Global. All are either significantly more expensive or have less attractive limits/sub-limits for my case.

Would really value some real-world input on a few points:

1. Deductible & direct billing: I’ve heard mixed things that having a deductible with Pacific Cross can slow down GOP approval or even lead to pay-and-claim. Has anyone recently gone through a serious IPD case with a deductible and managed direct billing smoothly?

2. Room rates: Is ฿6,000/day realistic for a standard private room in Chiang Mai (RAM, Bangkok Hospital), or should I expect regular top-ups?

3. Hypertension disclosure: For those who declared controlled BP, how did Pacific Cross handle it? Only excluding hypertension itself, or broader cardiovascular/stroke-related exclusions?

4. Claims loading: Has anyone actually experienced premium increases (e.g. ~25%) after a large claim?

Thanks in advance. This kind of detail is hard to get from brochures and much easier from people who’ve actually used the policies.
Answer summary
The post discusses the author's research and experiences related to obtaining a health insurance policy (Pacific Cross Premier Plus) while applying for a Non-O retirement visa in Thailand. Key points include the nature of the insurance policy, particularly concerning deductibles, direct billing issues, room rates in Chiang Mai, and how pre-existing conditions like hypertension might affect coverage. Various comments from others offer insights into their experiences with Pacific Cross, highlighting concerns such as claims handling, premium increases after claims, and the comparison with other insurance options.
53 repliesnewest first
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Colin *******
Colin *******
If you have Diabetes you can forget meaningful cover, If you can get accepted at all it will be a very hollow policy that excludes breathing... Go for International cover
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Colin Erith no diabetes so far..
Colin *******
Colin *******
Having Outpatient Cover included is important, as recently The International Hospital is a One Hour Drive from my home, and a Five minute construction and a Foot X-ray cost 2500 baht.Local Hospital's are great value and are not perceived as Cash Generators
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Colin Erith thanks Colin

Here are the main reasons why I think of excluding OPD from my plan:

1. High Module Cost: including OPD coverage typically increases annual premium by 20% to 40%, and in some cases, can even double the price of the policy

2. Poor Return on Investment: for a relatively healthy person, as I am, I would need to visit expensive private hospitals frequently (e.g., 6+ times a year) just to "break even" on the extra premium spent

3. Restrictive Sub-limits: affordable OPD riders often have very low limits per visit (e.g., ฿1,000-฿3,000), which frequently fail to cover the actual cost of consultations and basic tests at international hospitals

4. Pre-existing Condition Exclusions: because my hypertension will likely be excluded, any outpatient visits or medications required to manage my blood pressure would not be covered, even if I am paying for the OPD module

5. Affordability of Self-Insuring: routine outpatient care in Thailand is generally affordable; paying out-of-pocket at specialized clinics or university hospitals (like Sriphat in Chiang Mai, not the expensive 5-star hospitals like RAM or Bangkok Hospital!!) is often more cost-effective than paying high insurance premiums.

What do you think? Makes sense?
Steven ***************
Steven ***************
For clarity, with a Non-OA visa or extension of stay, yes, you are required to have insurance coverage, however it does not have to be a Thai policy. It does have to meet all of the coverage limit requirements and usually you need a letter from the company clearly stating that it does. That being said immigration does not like it and they really want you to get a Thai policy. I used my USA insurance for a couple of years and my local immigration office grudgingly accepted it but kept wanting more specific documentation. I finally just bit the bullet and got a Thai policy. Needless to say my subsequent extensions were processed much more quickly and smoothly. It sucks because the Thai policies are both expensive and pretty much worthless with their high deductible and exclusions. Time to ditch the Non-OA for a Non-O and go back to using my USA coverage when I actually need care.
Michael *********
Michael *********
My best friend was with PC for 7 years and thdn got cancer. As soon as tgey saw ghe word cancer they cancelled his policy. They are utter trash
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Michael Buckley on what grounds did they cancel the policy? Refused to renew it for the next year? Cancer treatment is included in quote I got from PC
Michael *********
Michael *********
Michael Sternberg They dont give a reason why. They just cancelldd saying they reserve that right to do so at anytime
Alexander *************
Alexander *************
Can’t say much about the PC policy of today as it changed since I had them 8 years ago. But at that time direct billing worked excellent with Bangkok Hospital. Had an operation and was immobilized in the hospital for 3 days. No issues with PC at that time. The surprise came later with the renewal of policy + 90%. The result was naturally that I cancelled them. Most insurance companies have age “brackets” and moving up in age passing that bracket it will be significantly more beyond their annual surcharge. Don’t believe their indicated charge plans because it will be much, much more than what they have said. Today I have Wrlife and they don’t increase their premiums provided no claims. I have only inpatient coverage as it’s hardly reasonable being charged for outpatient as these costs are quite low.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Alexander DThornerian thanks a lot for sharing!

Unfortunately, I heard a lot of unpleasant things about WRLife all around the internet - they operate illegally in Thailand without an OIC license, utilizing a virtual London address and a Nevis registration (Nevis is an island in the Caribbean) to evade regulatory oversight and provide zero consumer protection. Numerous reports of denied legitimate claims and unauthorized credit card rebilling have led many to suspect it functions as a Ponzi scheme, paying small claims while systematically avoiding significant liabilities.
John ********
John ********
Great post you have really done your research. I am with PC and can definitely answer one of your questions. In relation to hypertension. I disclosed it and they will not cover any conditions that can be tied to BP including any heart related problems. As a general comment if they can exclude they will. But they are very clear about this when they send you a policy offer so you know what you are getting. At that point it will be up to you whether you accept or not.

One general comment which is really more a rumour. There was some talk about increasing health insurance limit from 3M to 4M but I have not seen anything official about this.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
John Reilly thanks for sharing.

May I ask what your plan is if a case, not covered by insurance, happens to you in Thailand? Let's say you have a heart attack, what are you going to do, pay millions of baht for hospitalisation and treatment? Means you have this sum set aside somewhere, as a private insurance fund?
John ********
John ********
Michael Sternberg basically you self insure. I have enough private assets that I can cover this contingency. Also I have another health insurance in Thailand. Also there is always going back to Australia where I have the right to public health. But this is less than ideal obviously.

What a lot of expats do if they have a really good private health insurance in their home country that will cover expenses in Thailand is to depend on that and to get the required Thai health insurance but then to have maximum deductibles. Essentially it means maintain a Thai health Insurance in name only but it is acceptable to Immigration.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
John Reilly thanks, John

Just in case you’re not aware, Thailand has a program called UCEP (Universal Coverage for Emergency Patients). Since April 1, 2017, it guarantees stabilization of life-threatening conditions (like a heart attack) at any hospital - public or private - free of charge for up to 72 hours.

In practice, you can go to ANY hospital and they’re required to treat you until your condition is stabilized (within that 72-hour window). After that, you can transfer to a more affordable hospital or even return to your home country.

If a hospital refuses treatment or asks for payment during this period, you can call the NHSO (National Health Security Office) at 1330 or the Thailand Tourist Police at 1155 to get help resolving the situation.
Steve *********
Steve *********
Stay well clear from Pacific Cross from my past experience. They are cheaper for a reason......can't go into details here. Switched to AXA or the last 3 years with zero issues so far.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Steve Pettman thanks, I will be happy for the details, if not here, then in a private message..
Charlotte *************
Charlotte *************
I had PC before. They give the first year 5% or so no claim discount and up to max 20 % x period.

After mayor surgery they increased my premium. Even I had to pay and paid myself because they stated it was a pre existing thing.....

After that I asked them to specify what they excluded or included.

I advise you to do that too. High BP related what do they mean? Ask them if they include or exclude heart attacks or strokes. And let them write down in the endorsement what they mean. Well I was not pleased with the increase if premium for an event/major surgery that I also had to pay myself.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Charlotte van Voorst

That's what will be written in policy

You wrote that you had PC before, what are you using now?
Charlotte *************
Charlotte *************
Michael Sternberg send you pm
Peter *******
Peter *******
With hypertension they will exclude many things, you need to work out if it's still worthwhile as you will have to pay for those healthcare bills, so you'll need to self insure anyway
David ********
David ********
It is just not heart attack, won't cover stroke or any other condition linked to blood circulation, and Thai insurers can add exclusions later and they do, get a International policy from your home country with an indepented ombudsman , here they are judge and jury the reason they are cheaper,
Mark ******
Mark ******
David Carson PC covered my mild stroke a few months back and I declared taking BP medicine. I also had 40K deductible and PC was direct billed, and paid, the other 60K. It was my first claim in 4-5 years of coverage and I guess I will lose my 20% no claim discount net renewal. Whether they add anything else to the policy, of other limitations, Ill have to wait and see. 6K room coverage covered a massive private room (sofas, table/chairs, visitor bed, large floor space) at a private hospital on Samui. My only claim, a few months back, and everything went smoothly.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
David Carson international policy from my country is extremely expensive.. 🥲

Here's what is going to be written in PC policy
David ********
David ********
Michael Sternberg From personnel experience do not trust the English version, any issues and it is Thai wording that counts, I know from last year the English version was utter nonsense, the wording I have no doubt will exclude any thing heart attack stroke etc and THEY can add more exclusions later, foreign policies can not do that, that is why they are more expensive, you have no fall back here, so now you see why their policies are cheaper, I been coming to Thailand 40 years, the slander and libel laws are so strong here publishing negative reviews is risky
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
David Carson it's excellent advice not to trust the English version and to translate the Thai one and to check it. I'm also going to pass it through an AI bot like ChatGPT, asking it to search for hidden problems
Gerald ********
Gerald ********
I've just had a hernia operation and I am with Pacific cross, it's cost was 150,000, I had to pay as you have said the first 40,000 they covered the rest, the daily visits after I was released from the hospital was anything from 550 to 3500 for cleaning the scar and new bandages and a scan and doctors visit to check on the staples and how it was healing. The annoying bit is hospitals never like to claim these daily fees back from insurance companies so I've had to pay myself and claim it back. I've as of today got 16 daily claims to send in total 21,000. I was told there is an online claims on the app but it didn't work for me as the app thinks I am not covered for these claims, this is what they have told me. Trying to fix it now so you can claim up to 90 after surgery on the app. Hope this helps a bit.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Gerald Wilkes many thanks for sharing your experience!
Brenda *********
Brenda *********
I was told that being on blood pressure meds counts as pre existing and if you have a heart attack and they say it’s caused by blood pressure , they won’t cover it
Greg ******
Greg ******
This is a very informative post. Has Pacific stated they will exclude all cardiovascular system adverse events because of your pre-existing hypertension, and if so, have they identified the specific conditions or procedures excluded? A few comments based on my experience to date with the private hospital system (Bangkok Pattaya Hospital). First, all care both outpatient and inpatient have been excellent, from the quality of care to the quality of the facility to the quality of all medical personnel. Second, The 6,000 baht per day inpatient room charge is probably 50 % lower than the published room charge, but from my review of other policies, this is typically where the coverage is lower than you might otherwise expect. For example, many policies will cover all treatment, physician and surgeon fees, OR costs, medications, etc up to the coverage limit of an inpatient stay, but the room coverage is capped. Having said that, many private hospitals offer “packages” for many procedures, in my case for open heart surgery, and I’ve seen packages offered for knee replacements, etc where a set fee covers everything including the anticipated length of stay. Additionally, insurers usually have agreements in place with the hospitals where they pay lower costs than the published costs. Third, I have had many many visits for outpatient care and I can confirm that the costs are shockingly reasonable. And I would add that the premium cost for the amount of outpatient coverage provided (if you purchase outpatient coverage) seems to me to be the least bang for your buck, so I strongly believe you are correct to self insure for outpatient care. That’s all I’ve got; I’m interested to see other comments.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Greg ODea many thanks for sharing your experience!

I still don't have the policy in my hand, but here's what's going to be written there, according to the broker
Scott ********
Scott ********
Is high cholesterol considered a vascular issue like high BP
Brook ********
Brook ********
Your assuming Pacific Cross will actually accept or underwrite the policy, which I would not count on.

There is no right of insurance in Thailand, but there is a right for the insurance companies to be profitable.

If you are denied, be sure to start with up to one year of travel insurance from WorldNomads or Allianz and look at MediShare.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Brook Powers that's what is going to be written in PC policy, according to the broker:
Brook ********
Brook ********
Michael Sternberg so you don’t have the policy in hand yet?

You have no idea if it will be underwritten by the company.
Brook ********
Brook ********
Michael Sternberg you mean, “if you get it”?
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Brook Powers will report here once I get it
Frank-Steven ***********
Frank-Steven ***********
Excluding OPD and a relatively "high" yearly deductable seems like a manageable choice in Thailand. But I will never get why insurances are okay to set general upper limits like IDP THB 3m in your case. Maybe that is the German guy in me. I don't think insurances should be allowed to chicken out when a condition / treatment / accident should require more than that. In my country there just is no upper limit. A life does not have (such a low) price where I come from.
Dean **********
Dean **********
Great post as I’m considering Non-O vs OA. Question, would your Pacific Coast quote not meet requirements for the OA?
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Dean Lassiter it would be sufficient for non-OA as well, but I already started the path with non-O
Pat *********
Pat *********
It's my understanding that anything that has to do with blood pressure is pretty much going to get you a Pre-Existing condition and not covered for cardiac events.
Brenda *********
Brenda *********
Pat McSully that’s what I been told also, unless you get off the meds for 2 years. But I lot of people have to stay on the meds
Scott ********
Scott ********
Could you explain what a high deductible, in your case 40,000 thb per year, means please?

Is this something you must pay every year, and with it being so close to your premium amount, is that total cost nearer to 80,000 thb PA? Forgive ignorance 🙏🏻
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Scott Powell

It is an annual aggregate deductible, not a fixed fee.

- If I stay healthy: I pay ฿0 in deductible. My only cost is the premium. As Marty mentioned above - I even get the "no claims" discount for next year's premium

- If I am hospitalized: I pay the first ฿40,000 of the total medical bills for the year. The insurance covers everything above that

- The 'Why': Choosing this risk gives me a ~25% discount on the annual premium

Basically, I 'self-insure' for minor hospitalizations to keep the fixed cost low, while remaining protected against catastrophic multi-million baht bills
Marty *********
Marty *********
Scott Powell I have Pacific Cross with a 40,000฿ deductible. You pay the first 40,000฿ of any medical procedure. Nine years in Thailand and I’ve never had a hospital bill over 20,000฿. I get a 20% no claims discount on my premium.
Glennstev ***********
Glennstev ***********
Marty Pollard Sorry I'm a bit thick when it comes to these things..You pay 39,000 but every year you go to hospital and your bill is less than 20,000..Can you not just pay cash and forgot the 39,000.....if you have to pay it yourself anyway
Marty *********
Marty *********
Glennstev Repairman I have a policy that pays up to 10 million baht in medical expenses each year. It has a deductible of 40,000 baht. I pay about 80,000 baht for this policy. During the year I pay the first 40,000 baht in expenses. After that the insurance policy pays.

This means that I pay for routine treatment most of the time. If something serious happens, like a vehicle accident, then the policy is there to cover most of the expenses.
Scott ********
Scott ********
Ah ok. Thats makes sense 👍🏻
Scott ********
Scott ********
What a helpful post
Mike *******
Mike *******
Do you have any medivac in your policy in case of something serious where u mind need to

Be airlifted to be taken to a better hospital that has the facilities to help

You just on case? If not, then i would. Seriously think about it
Brook ********
Brook ********
Mike Maday I always add MedJet coverage. It’s cheap and reliable.
Michael ***********
Michael ***********
OP
Mike Maday the quote from Pacific Cross includes "Emergency Evacuation". It also includes "Repatriation of Mortal Remains", I hope I will not need both :)
Mike *******
Mike *******
Michael Sternberg Thats great, alot of people forget to ask about that. You covered all your bases! God Bless and enjoy!!
Todd *********
Todd *********
Great research. I think if more submitted similar effort we would really narrow things down for people. Good share. Thx

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