What Should I Do If My Health Insurance Is Not Accepted for Non-Immigrant O-A Renewal?

Jan 14, 2020
5 years ago
Liz ****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Greetings. I have a Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visa issued to me in 2017 in the US. I used it for two years and then renewed it last year. The renewal expires on February 5, 2020. I just got home from Chiang Mai immigration where they would not renew my visa because my health insurance company, Aetna, had not entered me in the system. I had a letter from Aetna confirming I am insured but that was not sufficient – it wasn't in the right format. AND, even if they did renew the visa they would only give me until the end date of my health insurance policy – June 15, 2020. AND, even though I have 2,000,000 baht worth of inpatient coverage (well over the required 400,000 baht), I don't have outpatient coverage. The officer at immigration suggested either negotiating with Aetna and getting the proper form OR leaving the country and getting a Non-Immigrant O visa instead because that visa doesn't require health insurance. How are others managing this new requirement? And if I decide to get a Non-Immigrant O visa in Asia, any recommendation for the easiest, most efficient embassy?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The user is facing complications renewing their Non-Immigrant O-A retirement visa due to health insurance not meeting Thai requirements. Suggestions from the community include negotiating with the insurance for the necessary documentation or obtaining a Non-Immigrant O visa, which has different health insurance stipulations. The comments emphasize the need for proper insurance certification and the option to convert the current visa upon re-entry into Thailand.
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Robert *******
And it becomes time
@Chris ***************
make their own post if they want to have advice on their situation.

The question was about a Thai Consulate in Asia and has absolute nothing to do with denials who took place at a Thai Consulate in the USA.

Sorry, but it becomes one big mess if everybody starts to ask all kind of questions in the same topic.
Ron *******
Be careful before parting with anymore money, if you bought your insurance outside of Thailand. These Thai insurance companies seem to have no relationship with US and European companies, even though they have the same names, AETNA, AXA etc. They mostly can't or won't, issue the required insurance certificate and enter you on this required database.
Tod *********
the thai versions of those companies are the ONLY ones who have access to the online data base (other than the immigration offices) AND if you are covered by them believe me they DO put you in the data base and it can be accessed like this
Liz ****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Thanks everyone. I am grateful for the advice. I am going to start by negotiating with the insurance company.
James ********
@Liz ***
Good Luck..Please let us know what happens.
John **********
@Liz ***
some extra baht to add on outpatient cover to your existing policy might do the trick but I suspect you will still only get a stamp until the end of your insurance so I'd ask about the possibility of aligning with your proposed extension dates as well
Mark *********
Does anyone know if proof of tricare is acceptable?
Tod *********
OR get OFF the O-A stamp you're on now, get a new Non-O visa and then the extension from it so you don't need insurance.
Tod *********
Okay, it doesn't matter WHAT your coverage is or how long you've had it IF it's not from one of the 13 approved thai insurance companies you're NOT gonna get a yearly extension (from the immigration office) on an O-A visa. That is not a topic that is up for debate.

This lists the 13 thai approved providers;

******************************************


you either use one of them OR you go back and get a new O-A from a thai consulate in your country OR you "break the chain" from the O-A visa you have now by bouncing out and back in to get a 30 day visa exempt and then convert that to a 90 day Non-O visa inside the country OR you go to a thai consulate and buy a 90 day Non-O.

Those are the ONLY ways to have it work out.
Stuart *********
The reason you were not in the database, is as you stated, your insurance does not meet the OA insurance criteria. You must buy one of the accepted insurances from the website only. AETNA are there but it’s a different insurance to the one you have sadly (yes it doesn’t make much sense but that’s the rules).
Chris ****************
Chris ****************
Chris ****************
Oliver **********
Thanks for the correction. Bad news for anyone who already has insurance overseas. Good news for Thai insurance companies.
Garry *******
or go home to country of passport and apply for new OA visa where your current insurance provider is ok and repeat every two years.
Gregor **********
yes, as far as it concerns an old O/A. So any extensions of stay (meeting the requirements financially, like she does) out of an old O/A now are under scrutiny in Chiang Mai and need a tgia listed insurance? Well she should eventually do how she was advised, exit and let the O/A become invalid, enter with exempt visa and apply for the conversion to the Non-O
Gregor **********
and for all subsequent renewals of an extension of stay (EOS) based on retirement out of an old O/A you will require the Thai insurance. It doesn't make sense but this is the rule. Only when the EOS is made out of a Non-Imm-O, there will be no insurance requirement (however it is always good and makes sense to have one for a longstay in Thailand!)
Oliver **********
I don't think it has to be from the ones listed on the official approved Thai insurance providers. You can have insurance from any company so long as they meet the coverage requirements
Marty *********
If you are going to get a non-O visa be sure to review the financial requirements for the Consulate or Immigration office you are going to use
Liz ****
ORIGINAL POSTER
If I have a multiply entry visa, wouldn't I just be coming in on that visa until it expires? Can I request a Visa Exempt entry?
Oliver **********
You can't request a visa exempt entry - it's what you get when you come into Thailand without a visa (provided you're from certain countries). So right when your O-A visa is all used up, you should cross the border and when you return you'll get a visa exempt entry for 30 days. You must go right away to immigration and get the visa exempt entry converted to a "Non Immigrant O based on retirement" which will give you three months. Since you already have the required money in a Thai bank, it should be no problem. Then when the three months is up you apply for a 1 year extension. And you continue to do the 1 year extensions every year. Unlike the O-A, he Non-O is not multiple entry, however. You will have to get re-entry permits or a multiple re-entry permit in addition to the visa itself if you plan to leave Thailand at any point.

Of course, it's a bit annoying that you have to wait exactly for the date that your visa runs out before you can leave and get the visa exempt entry. The timing might not be convenient for you. I don't know if there's some way to cancel a retirement visa.
Robert *******
Then just wait till the last date of this Extension of Stay and than make the border run
Liz ****
ORIGINAL POSTER
but I do have a re-entry permit?
Bob **********
@Liz ***
I believe if you don't have a re entry permit that O-A visa will be cancelled
Robert *******
Most easy way is make a border run to Mae Sai, get back into Thailand using the Visa Exempt Entry for 30 days, Visit the next day the Immigration in Chang Mai and apply for the conversion to the Non Immigrant O visa and after 60 days for the 1 year Extension of Stay.

But you must be sure you can meet all the other requirements, best is before you make the visa run, discuss this option with your immigration officer.
Oliver **********
Lizzy, I think the best solution would be to leave the country and come back on a Visa exempt and then change it to a non immigrant O
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