Health Insurance to enter Thailand

[Old git]

At perhaps 31% of the population vaccinated, I think "awash" is rather wishful thinking.

The point is that the vaccines are now readily available - take up is a matter for personal choice.

[aot871]

Have just been reading on line regarding the Thai insurance needed to enter the country and most only allow people 74 and under to obtain it .My own travel insurance issued by my UK bank covers all up to 81 yes old .I'm 75 and fit ,so wonder if the thais will let me in next Yr if the conditions change

[Oliver2]

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I've just checked and it is true that the insurance offered by the Thai company on the website is only offered to under 75s. My bank insurance is far more financially generous than that and so I'm hopeful that it will be acceptable. Many UK companies don't offer foreign travel insurance beyond 75 or even 70. My friend struggled to find insurance for a trip to Europe when he was 72.

[Gaybutton]

Sometimes it seems as if Thailand, so desperate to rebuild its tourism industry, constantly stands in the way of tourists going to Thailand and always seems to make things more difficult. To the best of my knowledge it is true that the Thai companies will not insure anyone over 75 and the insurance must be issued by a Thai company. Non-Thai companies are not accepted. They also will not let you self-insure no matter how much money you have. You could have more money than Bill Gates, but you are still subject to Thailand's insurance laws. If you are unable to meet Thailand's insurance requirements, you may not be able to travel to Thailand at all.

Meanwhile, they're not making it any easier for farang expats living in Thailand, even those who have been in Thailand many years. Those retired on the O-A visa also must meet insurance requirements, but some are also too old to be eligible for any - and this includes some people I know who have lived in Thailand longer than I have. Several of my acquaintances are very worried and getting desperate as the clock continues ticking toward their current visa expiration. Even Thai attorneys who specialize in immigration issues have told them they essentially are fucked if nothing changes and they need to be making plans to end their stays in Thailand. Some have fully established their lives here and have nowhere to go. Fine thing to do to people at their age.

I have no suggestions for them. I wish I did. But I do have suggestions for any of you contemplating retiring in Thailand. First, whatever you do, do NOT get the retirement visa outside of Thailand. If you do, it will be the dreaded O-A visa and you'll be in the same predicament. Get your retirement visa in Thailand. That will be the O visa and you'll be safe from these worries - at least so far. And whatever kind of health insurance you get, whether from a Thai company or not, make sure to get coverage that is renewable for life, not one of these kinds that won't insure you past 75 or 80 years old.

[christianpfc]

Practically, the COE isn't a big problem. Last year, I applied online and got it less than half a day.

The bigger problem was all the other requirements -quarantine (at the time), covid scam insurance & PCR testing before travel.

So if they abolished the COE and kept everything else, it wouldn't make much difference for me.
If they abolished all the other restrictions, that would be improvement.

By COE, I mean the documents required to obtain it, i.e. advance hotel payment, advance Covid test payment, insurances, committing to a flight.

That one never made sense. Even before Covid, I had to submit flight details before applying for a visa for Thailand. However, I could have taken another flight and still be admitted, but not now. I like the idea that I can go any flight or land border crossing and enter the country.

[jimnbkk]

Before COVID I was visiting LOS for two months twice a year. The process of getting the visa was relatively simple at the Embassy here in Washington D.C. I will wait (not patiently) until the process reverts to the easy-peasy days of pre-COVID. January?

[aot871]

If as gaybutton says and I don't disbelieve him,. it seems under the current rules I not allowed to travel to thailand .I just have to hope that they change the rules and regs next year . In the mean time I might have to think of phoning the Thai embassy in London to ask about UK insurance

[goji]

Sometimes it seems as if Thailand, so desperate to rebuild its tourism industry, constantly stands in the way of tourists going to Thailand and always seems to make things more difficult. To the best of my knowledge it is true that the Thai companies will not insure anyone over 75 and the insurance must be issued by a Thai company. Non-Thai companies are not accepted. They also will not let you self-insure no matter how much money you have. You could have more money than Bill Gates, but you are still subject to Thailand's insurance laws. If you are unable to meet Thailand's insurance requirements, you may not be able to travel to Thailand at all.

Regarding the $100,000 Covid insurance for TOURISTS, I'm not aware of any requirement that the insurance is provided by a Thai company. In fact, I know of cases where people were admitted with insurance issued by French and German insurers in 2020, reported on the Facebook ASQ page.

There ARE websites that say the expat insurance has to be by a Thai company but there is no such requirement for tourist insurance. However, I've not yet done a deep dive to verify that.
At my age, it's not top of the list of problems, but I don't think anyone over 75 should be put off without doing a little more research.

I agree entirely on the self insurance point. You don't exactly have to be Bill Gates to self insure for $100,000 either, although I would have thought anyone with under (say) $5million might prefer proper insurance, rather than self insurance (& that is probably most of us).

[Manforallseasons]

The Thai Embassy on how and why to obtain Covid insurance:
https://www.thaiembassy.com/travel-t...e-for-thailand

[aot871]

A friend has just told me that if u use a non Thai company it is up to the Thai embassy to accept or not