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Will the elimination of Thai Pass and Test & Go also remove the health insurance requirement for travelers to Thailand?

Thai PassTest & GoHealth Insurance RequirementTravel InsuranceVisa RegulationsCOVID-19 RestrictionsNON-O VisaExpat Life in Thailand
Apr 14, 2022
3 years ago
Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
What do you think. IF they get rid of Thai Pass and test & go does that indicate the health insurance requirement will most likely be dropped too?
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TLDR : Answer Summary
The discussion revolves around whether the potential removal of the Thai Pass and Test & Go will also lead to the lifting of the health insurance requirement for travelers to Thailand. Various comments indicate that health insurance was only mandatory for NON-OA visa holders before the pandemic, suggesting that if the COVID-related entry requirements are dropped, the health insurance requirement might be eliminated as well, though many participants emphasize the importance of having travel insurance regardless.
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Andy **********
What sort of moron want to travel without insurance ?

Around 50% of Thai travellers by the looks of it !
3 years ago
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Johnny **********
What is the general consensus when Covid restrictions will be dropped and a return to 2019 immigration requirements...May, June July...thx in advance.
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
@Johnny *********
, earliest June.
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
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Ben *********
Should be, it was only an add on piggyback requirement, you think?
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
Maybe by 1 June or 1 July, all Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted. But hard to say for sure until a few days before the date arrives.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ***
 I hope it’s May 1st!
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
@Joanne ****************
, no, 1 May the PCR test procedure on arrival might be easied.
3 years ago
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Greg *******
@Henrik ***
 it will probably be atk on arrival. That’s it. No hotel requirement.
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
@Greg ******
, yes, my guess is that the requirement for insurance will be the very last to be lifted. Anyway, you can get workable insurance for less than 1,000 THB.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ***
 really? 1000 baht - we are
*****
years old. I was quoted $1200/year by AKA.
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
@Joanne ****************
, if the purpose is Thailand Pass, then you only need 30 days.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Henrik ***
 I can still hope. I think it’s being recommended
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
@Joanne ****************
, nothing so far indicating that all restrictions will be lifted on 1 May. To hope for that is more than optimistic. What will actually be lifted by 1 May no one knows for sure until a few days before.
3 years ago
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Henrik ****
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Paul *******
Yes absolutely. That's already been indicated. However, you're well advised to purchase travel insurance anyway, voluntarily.
3 years ago
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Ruth *******
@Paul ******
 Why? So you can think you have coverage but they actually cover nothing?
3 years ago
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Ruth *******
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Steve **********
Seeing as no one wants to answer but just give you their take on personal choices, I’ll answer.

If they scrap test and go the covid insurance will certainly go as well.

As far as I know the only visa that requires actual health insurance is Non OA and that was the case pre-covid.
3 years ago
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William *******
@Steve *********
 Agree. Most of us pay cash for health care excepting the required Covid19 coverage.Non-Imm O-A visa has required health insurance for the last three or four years.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *********
 thanks so much!!
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
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Terary **********
travel insurance for what? I understand health insurance but really paying a 10% premium on top of the cost of the trip seems like a good idea only if 1 out of 5 trips get goofed.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Terary *********
 I mean health insurance coverage for Covid.
3 years ago
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Greg *******
@Joanne ****************
 no longer has to be covid specific. Even medical or health policy works
3 years ago
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Terary **********
@Greg ******
 No more Covid/travel insurance? I can use my Blue Cross from my US employer? It doesn't specifically have coverage amounts but its quite wordy.
3 years ago
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Cliff ********
@Terary *********
 right now, Covid travel insurance is still required
3 years ago
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Cliff ********
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Klaus ***********
Do they drop Thai pass and test &go?
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Klaus **********
 I heard that rumor…Hope so.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
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Nick *********
I lived in Thailand and Cambodia for almost 10 years with no vaccinations and no insurance .
3 years ago
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Marc ********
As far as I remember officially you always needed a travel insurance going to Thailand. Even before Covid.

But nobody ever checked.
3 years ago
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Paul *******
What do you get out of spreading this nonsense anyway? It's history now and all that matters is what the rules are going forward.
3 years ago
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Paul *******
Stop spreading lies. There was no requirement for this pre Covid. Since April 2020, yes absolutely needed.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Paul ******
 No lie. It was officially. Period
3 years ago
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Marc ********
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Paul *******
Marc. Give it up. You're wrong. Only O-A holders needed to be insured. Period.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Paul ******
 You can tag me 100x more and say no. I will always say officially you needed to be insured. Maybe you don't know but many things are written somewhere but nobody enforces it
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Paul ******
 No you give up. It was an official requirement before. You needed to be insured as tourist. As I said nobody checked. But it was mentioned in the entry requirements. Period
3 years ago
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Marc ********
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Paul *******
William, yeah I'm not sure I'd want to pay for a coronary bypass with cash rather than insurance, but as you say only O-A visa holders were ever required to have it pre Covid.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Paul ******
 You are wrong. Officially you always needed to be insured. Period
3 years ago
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Marc ********
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Paul *******
Marc. WRONG. Only O-A visas ever needed insurance before April 2020. Stop spreading misinformation.
3 years ago
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Paul *******
No you didn't. It was never a mandate. It's a good idea, but it was never compulsory until now.
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Paul ******
 Yes it was. You needed a health insurance.

But nobody checked if you got any
3 years ago
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Paul *******
@Marc *******
 No you didn't. Only for the O-A visa was it ever needed.
3 years ago
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William *******
@Paul ******
 Completely agree. The requirements for health insurance started late last decade for nonimmigant O-A visa. Required Covid19 health insurance began just after the pandemic began. Health care is extremely affordable paying with cash…even a coronary bypass !
3 years ago
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Marc ********
@Paul ******
 Yes you did. You needed to be insured. Period. Officially. As tourist aswell.

Maybe for O-A visa they checked if you really have one or not
3 years ago
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Marc ********
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Mark *******
Normal travel insurance is cheaper than the Thai covid options
3 years ago
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Paul *******
Which is why you shouldn't come to Thailand until after the requirements are scrapped. That way you won't have to worry about what your company does or doesn't want to do.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Mark ******
 yes but our company won’t write a letter for the Thailand requirements.
3 years ago
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Steve ********
@Joanne ****************
 . My friends didn't need any letter. Provided the insurance clearly states minimum $20,000 including covid it's a done deal!
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *******
 BCBS doesn’t state Covid coverage and was rejected. It states it covers everything but doesn’t state Covid specifically.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Steve *******
 we’ll try again this year and see what happens. Stinks paying for two insurance policies when one isn’t even used!!
3 years ago
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Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
If your only coming for a holiday you only need to pay insurance for the time you are in Thailand

I would rather pay for both that get sick or have a accident out of my home country then try to find the money to bay medical etc in Thailand or anywhere else in the world other than my home country
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvonne ********
 we have great international insurance through BCBS have used it a lot since in Thailand. But Thailand doesn’t accept it for “Covid” insurance coverage.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
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Bobby ********
Mark Evans. Haha! Define "normal travel insurance". I have friends who came to Thailand on a Sainsbury's travel insurance policy! If your travel insurance doesn't cover a miserable $20,000 including Covid, you really believe it's worthwhile having? 🤣🤣🤣
3 years ago
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Bobby ********
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David *********
You’ve got to be stupid not to have travel insurance
3 years ago
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Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
Then what’s the problem if your insurance from home will cover you whilst in Thailand then use it.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvonne ********
 to extend our visa we need another year of Thai insurance with Covid coverage.
3 years ago
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Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
Just get the cheapest one you can find, can you just get a covid one by itself and show them both policies
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvonne ********
 Yes I know that was the whole point of my post. The insurance is $1200 for the two of us so if they first they take away that requirement I will not have to buy that because our Visa needs to be extended by May 16. Hence the whole reason for my post
3 years ago
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Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
I would wait till the 1 May and have info for the covid insurance just in case it doesn’t happen.
3 years ago
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Yvonne *********
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Yvonne *********
@David ********
I agree, we have always bought travel insurance when we left Australia to holiday overseas, your insurance in your home country only covers you when your in your home country.

I have seen and heard of so many people get into trouble when there had an accident whilst out of the own country
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvonne ********
 not true. Had more than 20 reimbursements from BCBS this past year.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David ********
 we have great insurance from the USA Blue Cross Blue Shield but Thailand won’t accept it as they won’t issue specific letter saying the cover Covid but the actually do!!
3 years ago
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Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
Travel insurance is what you buy when your go travelling out of the states. Your insurance there will it cover you if you are not in America.

Completely different than the covid insurance they are asking for in Thailand
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Yvonne ********
 no for retirement visa we needed Thai health insurance that specifically covered

Covid. We are here permanently. BCBS has covered us the whole last year while here no problem.
3 years ago
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Karim ***************
@Joanne ****************
 they tend to prefer you use a Thai insurer. That’s why I always just uses AXA Thai
3 years ago
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Karim ***************
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Steven ******
@David ********
 I'm guilty of this Tbh. Once it's dropped, I'll certainly look into it more
3 years ago
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Steven ******
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David *********
Why wouldn’t you have travel insurance anyway ?
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@David ********
 we have great insurance from the USA Blue Cross Blue Shield but Thailand won’t accept it as they won’t issue specific letter saying the cover Covid but the actually do!!
3 years ago
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Greg *******
@Joanne ****************
 no longer has to say it covers covid.
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Greg ******
 really how do you know this? Do you have a link?
3 years ago
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Greg *******
@Joanne ****************
 been this way for over a month now. I have advised hundreds of travelers and not one ever said I was wrong. Even the international manager of Piyavate Hospital said it back in early March, “a health policy works. “Since then, I have said the same.
@Bangkok ****************************
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Greg ******
 ok wonderful thanks!
3 years ago
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Joanne *****************
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