Answered5 years ago
Will the elimination of Thai Pass and Test & Go also remove the health insurance requirement for travelers to Thailand?
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?
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.
69 repliesnewest first
Click comment and we will ask for your email, then OTP, then name.
Andy **********
What sort of moron want to travel without insurance ?
Around 50% of Thai travellers by the looks of it !
Around 50% of Thai travellers by the looks of it !
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.
Henrik ****
@Johnny *********
, earliest June.
Ben *********
Should be, it was only an add on piggyback requirement, you think?
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.
Joanne *****************
OP@Henrik ***
I hope it’s May 1st!Henrik ****
@Joanne ****************
, no, 1 May the PCR test procedure on arrival might be easied.Henrik ****
@Joanne ****************
, if the purpose is Thailand Pass, then you only need 30 days.Joanne *****************
OP@Henrik ***
really? 1000 baht - we are *****
years old. I was quoted $1200/year by AKA.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.
Greg *******
@Henrik ***
it will probably be atk on arrival. That’s it. No hotel requirement.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.Joanne *****************
OP@Henrik ***
I can still hope. I think it’s being recommendedPaul *******
Yes absolutely. That's already been indicated. However, you're well advised to purchase travel insurance anyway, voluntarily.
Ruth *******
@Paul ******
Why? So you can think you have coverage but they actually cover nothing?
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.
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.
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.Joanne *****************
OP@Steve *********
thanks so much!!
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.
Joanne *****************
OP@Terary *********
I mean health insurance coverage for Covid.Greg *******
@Joanne ****************
no longer has to be covid specific. Even medical or health policy works
Cliff ********
@Terary *********
right now, Covid travel insurance is still requiredTerary **********
@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.
Klaus ***********
Do they drop Thai pass and test &go?
Joanne *****************
OP@Klaus **********
I heard that rumor…Hope so.
Nick *********
I lived in Thailand and Cambodia for almost 10 years with no vaccinations and no insurance .
Marc ********
As far as I remember officially you always needed a travel insurance going to Thailand. Even before Covid.
But nobody ever checked.
But nobody ever checked.
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.
Paul *******
Stop spreading lies. There was no requirement for this pre Covid. Since April 2020, yes absolutely needed.
Marc ********
@Paul ******
No lie. It was officially. PeriodPaul *******
Marc. Give it up. You're wrong. Only O-A holders needed to be insured. Period.
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 itMarc ********
@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. PeriodPaul *******
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.
Marc ********
@Paul ******
You are wrong. Officially you always needed to be insured. PeriodPaul *******
Marc. WRONG. Only O-A visas ever needed insurance before April 2020. Stop spreading misinformation.
Paul *******
No you didn't. It was never a mandate. It's a good idea, but it was never compulsory until now.
Marc ********
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 !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
Paul *******
@Marc *******
No you didn't. Only for the O-A visa was it ever needed.
Mark *******
Normal travel insurance is cheaper than the Thai covid options
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.
Joanne *****************
OP@Mark ******
yes but our company won’t write a letter for the Thailand requirements.
Steve ********
@Joanne ****************
. My friends didn't need any letter. Provided the insurance clearly states minimum $20,000 including covid it's a done deal!Joanne *****************
OP@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.
Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
If your only coming for a holiday you only need to pay insurance for the time you are in ThailandI 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
Joanne *****************
OP@Steve *******
BCBS doesn’t state Covid coverage and was rejected. It states it covers everything but doesn’t state Covid specifically.Joanne *****************
OP@Steve *******
we’ll try again this year and see what happens. Stinks paying for two insurance policies when one isn’t even used!!
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? 🤣🤣🤣
David *********
You’ve got to be stupid not to have travel insurance
Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
Then what’s the problem if your insurance from home will cover you whilst in Thailand then use it.Joanne *****************
OP@Yvonne ********
to extend our visa we need another year of Thai insurance with Covid coverage.Yvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
I would wait till the 1 May and have info for the covid insurance just in case it doesn’t happen.Joanne *****************
OP@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 postYvonne *********
@Joanne ****************
Just get the cheapest one you can find, can you just get a covid one by itself and show them both policiesYvonne *********
@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
Joanne *****************
OP@Yvonne ********
not true. Had more than 20 reimbursements from BCBS this past year.Joanne *****************
OP@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!!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
Karim ***************
@Joanne ****************
they tend to prefer you use a Thai insurer. That’s why I always just uses AXA ThaiJoanne *****************
OP@Yvonne ********
no for retirement visa we needed Thai health insurance that specifically coveredCovid. We are here permanently. BCBS has covered us the whole last year while here no problem.
Steven ******
@David ********
I'm guilty of this Tbh. Once it's dropped, I'll certainly look into it more
David *********
Why wouldn’t you have travel insurance anyway ?
Joanne *****************
OP@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!!Greg *******
@Joanne ****************
no longer has to say it covers covid.Joanne *****************
OP@Greg ******
ok wonderful thanks!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 ****************************
Joanne *****************
OP@Greg ******
really how do you know this? Do you have a link?Activity
23 joined23
people
Related
25Is a 90-day report required with a DTV visa in Thailand?
1.3k10176d
What is the insurance requirement for a Non-OA visa application in Thailand?
7794122mo
Is health insurance required to apply for a DTV visa or enter Thailand?
4.2k34532mo
Is travel insurance mandatory when traveling to Thailand?
5.5k291055mo
Can I use the 65,000 THB per month method for my Thailand Non-Immigrant O visa from the start?
17.3k1481947mo
What are the requirements and rules for the Thai retirement visa and the 800k THB deposit?
2.8k15221y
What are the current costs of health insurance and tax regulations for expats in Thailand?
2.2k16111y
What can I do if I was denied entry to Thailand due to immigration rules regarding my family situation?
22.7k1643171y
Can my friend get a Thai driver's license without taking a test if they didn't get an International Driving Permit?
3.2k31171y
What website can I use to book an onward travel ticket from Thailand?
2.3k14162y
Can I notify my 90-day report at immigration earlier than the due date in Thailand?
1.3k962y
Can I extend my stay in Thailand with a DTV visa and how does it affect the NON-O visa for married expats?
2.2k16162y
What are the current entry requirements for travelers to Thailand regarding vaccination, insurance, and Covid testing?
6.1k231284y
Should I accept a free 20-year Elite Visa or keep my current visa in Thailand?
4.7k44314y
Should I wait to get travel insurance and Thai Pass for my trip to Thailand or take care of it now?
1.1k784y
Will the Thai Pass requirement for entry be removed?
1.4k8134y
Do my partner and I need separate travel insurance if we are arriving in Thailand on different dates?
1.3k1235y
Where can I get travel insurance for the Test and Go program in Thailand, and can I use my existing life insurance?
1k665y
Is it necessary to have a flight ticket to leave Thailand after entering on a 'Test & Go' scheme tourist visa?
1.7k12135y
What are the current requirements for traveling to Thailand under the Thailand Pass system?
2.8k19315y
What are the current COVID-19 rules and restrictions in Thailand regarding masks and interprovincial travel?
2k11276y
What travel insurance coverage is available for non-British immigrants traveling during COVID-19 restrictions?
1.7k1746y
Can visa-exempt travelers currently visit Thailand?
5k42426y
How long can I stay in Thailand by making visa runs if I want to spend five months each year?
40327y
Why Are Thai Immigration Laws So Complex?
525128y
Resources
Need help with your retirement visa?
#1 visa agent · 4,000+ reviews · 100,000+ expats served