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A Guide to the New Mandatory Health Insurance Rules for Retirees

If you've got questions about the mandatory retirement visa health insurance requirement (O-A visa), this FAQ will answer those questions, and much more.

Please also note that as of late 2021, the requirement has been extended (in some countries) to those applying for a Non Immigrant O Visa too. More on that later on.

In this post I'll cover the following:

  • Why you need health insurance.
  • Who the approved companies are.
  • How much you can expect to pay.
  • How to get it cheaper than advertised.
  • And how you can avoid this requirement altogether!

o-a-visa-insurance-guide

What is an O-A (Retirement) Visa?

The O-A is commonly known as a ‘retirement visa', though there isn't officially a visa called the ‘retirement visa'.

It is for those aged 50+ who want to stay in Thailand for a period of 1 year, without the intention of working. You can extend after the year is up, provided you meet the financial requirements.

The O-A is obtained in your home country and, when you enter Thailand, you are stamped in for a year.

The new mandatory health insurance rule applies to both new Non-Immigrant O-A visa applicants and current Non-Immigrant O-A visa holders who obtained the visa after the enforcement date.

What other visas are affected by this rule?

As of August 2021, some embassies now require this health insurance for those applying for a Non O Immigrant Visa.

I expect this to be rolled out across the board, but currently the requirement is active in Japan, some US states, and some European countries. The UK is not yet affected.

The reason for this has not been announced, but it is most likely to bring the O and O-A retirement pathways into line.

Previously, those applying for the O Visa and then doing a retirement extension in Thailand could avoid this health insurance requirement, whereas those going down the O-A Visa retirement route needed to get their year's worth of insurance in their home country before flying.

Bear in mind that the Non Immigrant O Visa is issued for 90 days (single entry), so the insurance needs only cover this duration. The O-A Visa is issued for a year, so the insurance policy needs to cover this period.

Holders of the Non-Immigrant O-X visa have needed mandatory insurance since 2017. No other visas require this mandatory health insurance.

Why introduce mandatory health insurance?

Back in May 2019, a representative of the International Health Division (Health Service Support Department), stated that in 2017 and 2018, foreigners incurred non-paid medical bills amounting to 349 million Baht, and 305 million Baht, respectively.

The records show that in 2017, 565,000 out of 3.3 million visitors didn't pay their medical bills. In 2018, the figure rose to 680,000 out of 3.42 million visitors.

They say the majority of unpaid bills were from retirees on long-stay visas.

I'm not convinced of that, but what is true is that those 50+ years old are more likely to develop long-term illness. The bill for heart disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes complications, etc., can be a very expensive one.

But don't most expats have insurance anyway?

You would think so. Most I meet do. Furthermore, the majority of stories in the papers surrounding unpaid medical bills are usually regarding tourists in motorbike accidents.

A better solution might have been:

  • A. charging a 500 Baht entry fee to each person entering the country (per year) – this would have covered the cost of unpaid bills cited by the health department.
  • B. making sure everyone who enters the country has medical insurance!

But we are where we are now. Let's move on.

How much cover do I need?

Currently, for those that are already in Thailand on an O-A visa, the requirement remains at the old rate of 400,000 in patient and 40,000 of out patient coverage. You can still extend your current visa inside Thailand on this requirement.

As of November 1st, those that are applying for an O-A outside of Thailand will need a health insurance policy for at least 3 million Baht, which will cover medical expenses and Covid-19 treatment.
Below is a graphic with the official line from the Thai General Insurance Association.

o-a-insurance-requirement

Where do I get my retirement visa health insurance?

Those in charge have come up with an approved list of local insurance providers:

The companies are as follows:

  1. Thai Health Insurance
  2. LMG
  3. The Viriyah
  4. Pacific Cross
  5. Falcon
  6. Thaivivat
  7. AXA
  8. Navakij
  9. Dhipaya
  10. Asia Insurance
  11. Aetna
  12. Sompo Insurance

You have to use one of these providers and present your premium with your visa application. The premium must meet the minimum requirements.

How much are the premiums?

Reasonable, I guess, depending on your exchange rate, and if the insurance cover is solely for Thailand.

Once you get to 60+ years it starts to get expensive. And if you want regional or international cover the price rockets.

I've had a fair few emails from disgruntled readers. Here's one that explains how restrictive this new rule can be for those over 65 and 70:

4 carriers on the Thailand Long Term Insurance website will insure me at 70 years or older. For me at age 71, the rates range from 69,000 to 81,000 Baht per year. This is prior to an exam and underwriting and subject to change.

The rates are almost double what a 65 year old pays.  At 75 years they increase 33% and at 80 66%, respectively.

So only 4 out of the 7 will actually insure those who are 70+. And for those 80+, there are no options.

Indeed, Thaivivat Insurance goes highest in terms of age. They will insure you at 76 years old, with renewals up to 100 years old – starting at 120,000 Baht.

Is there a cheaper option?

Yes. I found that if you use the Mister Prakan site you can can shave a bit off the premiums.

This site covers numerous companies and five on the approved O-A visa list:

  1. AXA
  2. Pacific Cross
  3. LMG
  4. Viriyah
  5. Thaivivat

So you can get cover from one of those approved providers and save money on going through the government website.

Here's a couple of quotes I got based on being 50 years old and exceeding the 40k outpatient and 400k inpatient cover. I'm 41 but to be eligible for an O-A visa you have to be 50.

thailand-mandatory-health-insurance

+ Click here for quotes on the Mister Prakan site

I don't want this insurance/have my own, what can I do?

Don't get an O-A visa.

But I want to retire in Thailand, is there another way?

Yes. Get a Non Immigrant O Visa. You don't need the mandatory health insurance for this visa, unless you are living in one of the aforementioned countries that are now asking for this cover as part of the application process.

Still, even if you do require it, you only need 90 day's worth of coverage.

How is a Non Immigrant O Visa different from the O-A?

An ‘O' category visa can be issued for a range of purposes such as visiting family or friends in Thailand, taking a voluntary job, getting medical treatment, attending a judicial process, and even to work as diplomat's housekeeper.

It can also be issued for the purpose of retirement. Good news.

Where retirement is concerned, you can obtain a single entry Non Immigrant O Visa from your home country, or neighboring country to Thailand, which gives you entry to Thailand for 90 days.

After 60 days in Thailand, you can apply for a 1-year extension at an immigration office – providing you meet the financial requirements, as stipulated in my retirement visa post.

Put simply: in most countries the Non O Visa does not require the mandatory health insurance, and the O-A does.

I want still want good health insurance. Any recommendations?

Yes. Check out these providers here. Also, you can get an immediate quote from Cigna by clicking here. It takes 2 minutes to do.

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Got a question? Did I miss something? Leave it in the comments section below.



Last Updated on

Comments Sort by : newest | oldest

    • TheThailandLife says

      That's interesting. I checked the UK Thai embassy site and it's still the same, so this must be specific to Japan:Non-Immigrant Type O (Retirement (pensioner aged 50 or above with a state pension who wants to stay in Thailand for no longer than 90 days) - single entry only) Financial evidence e.g. A copy of pension statement if the applicant is a pensioner, or a copy of 1-month bank statement showing your income from pension, or 3-month bank statement of at least £10,000 Confirmation of legal residence in the UK or Ireland
      Reply

  3. William Tanouye says

    I have a Non O Immigrant visa extension valid to Jan 14th 2022. I returned to Canada to get vaccinated July 20th and will be fully vaccinated September 2nd. I wish to return to Thailand in late September. My understanding is that medical insurance is not required with a Non O Immigrant extension but is required to receive a certificate of entry. Could you please explain this discrepancy and what I must do? Thank you.
    Reply

  4. Brian says

    Hi there does the sentence below still apply? Do you need to buy health insurance when you extend the Non O visa inside Thailand?

    "Put simply: the Non O Visa does not require the mandatory health insurance, and the O-A does."
    Reply

      • Brian says

        Help

        Hi Again,
        I am still confused what the paragraph below means:

        the Non O Visa does not require the mandatory health insurance that the Non OA does?

        But health insurance is still required..

        What is the advantage here?

        Greatly appreciate your clarifying this
        Brian
        Reply

        • TheThailandLife says

          If you apply for a single entry Non O Immigrant visa (90 day validity) in your home country you can enter Thailand and do your retirement extension here, once your 800k has been in a Thai bank for the required 60-day period. You don't need the mandatory health insurance if you go down this route.With the OA visa, applied for in your home country, you get your 1-year stay with the visa but you have to purchase mandatory health insurance.The current COVID insurance requirement for cover of 100k (USD) is a new requirement that applies to all travelers.
          Reply

          • ERNEST GEEFAY says

            I thought that only applies to those who already had retirement visas before Oct 31, 2019

            From your article:

            “An alien, who has been granted Non-Immigrant Visa Class O-A (not exceeding 1 year) and has been permitted to stay in the Kingdom before this order takes effect (October 31, 2019), will be able to continual to stay in the Kingdom for the granted length of stay”.
            Reply

        • Ken F says

          Don’t feel bad because I am still just as confused as you are. Peter basically says that “all” visitors entering Thailand must have covid insurance – no exceptions. But then he also says that with a Non Immigrant O visa you do not need heath insurance (at least not enter the country) which would seem to directly contradict the first statement. In fact, the only way I can think of that one statement would not contradict the other would be if “covid insurance” and “health insurance” were two entirely different things. Anyway, since the term "all" usually mean "all" and not "well, all except these guys" I'm still a bit confused.

          In any case, since I still have at least 4 months before I will be traveling I’m not going to worry about figuring it out today. And if I do end up having to pay the insurance then so be it because even though the rates seem high to me based on average medical costs in Thailand, its still nothing compared to what we have to pay these days here in the USA. And here in California if you choose to do without coverage (or forget to get it) you are apparently charged a penalty. I just found this out when doing my tax returns for last year. Since I was not covered by medical insurance for part of the tax year California stuck me with a tax penalty of $800. Of course having coverage for that period would have cost much more and because deductibles are so high I would have ended up paying the same $1000 or so that I forked out for medical expenses that year regardless. Lets face it we are never going to have a reasonable healthcare system here like in Canada or Japan or many other industrialized nations. Or at least I will not see it in my lifetime.
          Reply

          • TheThailandLife says

            The post was written prior to the mandatory COVID insurance rule. Of course, with an OA, if the insurance meets the 100k COVID requirement then you won't need two separate policies. However, it still makes sense to go the Non O route and get relatively cheap local (in relation to international health insurance) COVID cover.
            Reply

            • Brian says

              Thank you kindly for your prompt answer. My OA expires Dec 4th.
              I am flying to Phuket Sept 13. I will need medical insurance to cover until my visa expires and thought ai would extend this visa with a letter of income support from the Canadian embassy in BKK.
              Could I apply for an O visa in Thailand and at 68 years old would I have a problem getting thai health insurance for a year when I extend the O Visa?
              I can't buy Canadian health insurance for 2022 post my visa expiring without being in Canada

              Clear as mud but all comments welcome Thanks Peter

              Brian
              Reply

            • Ken F says

              Thanks for your reply, as always, but I was really just trying to make another member of the community feel better by letting him know that we were both in the same boat – although I’m not sure he wants to be in any boat that I am in. Anyway, I actually double-checked everything on the embassy website last month and cleared everything up in my own head.

              Still, while the insurance thing has been cleared up for me, your reply left me with yet another question (sorry). When you say “it still makes sense to go the Non O route and get relatively cheap local insurance” it makes it sounds as if you are saying that having a Non O visa somehow makes insurance options available to you that are not available to people with other visa types. If so, how can this be? Surely Thai insurance companies would be glad to take our money no matter what kinds of visas we have. And since we have already established that EVERY non-Thai national who enters Thailand, regardless of visa type, must have health insurance before entering, this means that any Thai policy we buy will have to be purchased online before we leave our own countries anyway. But then again maybe you were talking about two separate and unrelated things in the same sentence that are both by themselves simply good things to get.
              Reply

  6. Kent says

    Just to clarify and I'm not expecting the answer I'd like but is your list of insurance companies exhaustive? For example, I have USA Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) health insurance and it covers me while I'm in Thailand, meeting the Thai requirements. Can I use BCBS for the the O-A Visa? Thanks
    Reply

  7. Warren Harris says

    I purchased a medical insurance policy From AIA through Bank Of Bangkok. All verbal and written terms were conducted in English. When I get back the sighned policy it is all in Thai.They said they will cancell the policy because I can not read it and they do not translate from Thai.I do not want aMEDICAL policy I can not read. Will they cancel the policy and refund my payment as they have agreed through E-Mail
    Reply

  9. PETER WRIGHT says

    O-A thai visa Health Insurance requirement ...

    I am 77 & unable to find health insurance provider
    I have sufficient out of pocket funds to support my medical needs or
    can you assist with health insurance for healthy 77 year old retiree
    Reply

  10. Ron Kortsep says

    Hi Peter,
    I'm 65 and want to move to Thailand. I'm in good health and have full coverage here in the US. If I need to go in the hospital I would come back. So I don't want anymore health insurance. My question if I get the non O visa then extend it for a year to avoid that what happens after that one year extension if I want to stay ? Will I be able to continue to extend the non-O every year ? I meet the financial requirements. Thank You
    Reply

    • Steve says

      Your ability to to return to the US if you need hospitalisation would depend on what you have wrong with you and, if it is serious, whether the airline will deem you fit to fly. Then you will need to suck it up and use a Thai hospital.
      Reply

      • James Ewing says

        Ron, Your plan works only when it's not an emergency condition. For starters make sure you get the correct non-O. Don't get an O-A/X in the US. Look at the retirement visa threads and read Max's comments on the O - By Reason of Retirement. Also, you could consider an Elite visa - the cost would be all upfront but probably less than insurance. Second, Steve is right, if you do run into a medical situation serious enough for hospitalization you may not be able to find a ride back to the US. Look at medivac insurance. It's pretty reasonably priced. Second, make sure you get a medicare advantage program that covers overseas emergencies. Mine - Humana - will pick up the tab for the ER and treatment until safe for transport. There are ways to do what you want, just not easily
        Reply

    • Steven Ginn says

      What if you are medically unfit to fly?! Or you require a medical assistant to accompany you at the extra cost that will involve. An what makes you think that your Yank hospitals are as good as or better than what you will find in Thailand?!
      Reply

      • JamesE says

        The issue isn't, at it's core anyway, whether the hospitals are better but how to maintain insurance without carrying two policies. The costs involved ramp up dramatically once one reaches a certain age. By maintaining primary insurance in the States and adding medevac insurance - which covers everything from flying with a broken leg to advanced life support in a private jet - can be a least-cost solution. Going with a visa that doesn't require health insurance helps in that regard.
        Reply

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